January books

Two good books this month.

1. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic: LOVED this book, such a quick and easy read yet so encouraging and challenging. This is a book that I need to pick up and read at least once a year. There are 20 short chapters (a few pages each) that are filled with life experience, encouragement and wisdom. The author is a mom of five kids ages five and under.

2. Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support by Brad House: We read this to discuss at our small group leader meeting for the Spring. I mostly read this aloud to Cody as he was working on home projects. It seemed a little repetitive, especially in the beginning but overall we were challenged and learned alot from this book. Our context in College Station is a little different than Seattle but there are lots of examples and ideas to take and make work for your small group.

I have a few more in the works but am not quite done, maybe I'll have more than two in February!

What are you reading? Any books you recently read that you loved?

January 2012 Recap

Monthly Recap is one of my 2012 goals so here we go...

We have had a great start to the new year. We didn't end up taking our tree down until a week or two into January because we did the Cates Christmas on Jan. 7 at our house.

Cody has been busy working on lots of home projects to get our house ready and organized to add little Audrey in April. He started the year by changing our front closet from a hanging rod on both sides to one side having double hanging and the other side having LOTS of amazing shelves. He did such a fantastic job. He has been perfecting it over the month and now I have the green light to fill the shelves! We are now moving on to the kids rooms, Chandler's room is pretty much a clean slate at the moment. It was Cody's office/guest room. We got rid of our big bookshelf and full bed and just have Cody's desk. Cody painted the room last week (which was the only room with no color).

We started life group back around the middle of the month and have loved seeing everyone again after the long break. We have about 25 people in our group. We have made some exciting changes and can't wait to see what God does this semester.

Another happening was that I got my hair cut... alot. Maybe more than I wanted but I was able to donate it. Ten inches, eek. It will always grow, right?

Chandler has been so fun this month. Starting to communicate and engage in everything we do. If Cody is painting, Chandler is pretend rolling beside him. If I am stirring, Chandler wants to stir too. We are still working on playing independently since little girl will be here soon and our attention will be divided but trying to soak up all those "just Chandler days" too. His 18 month update is coming soon.

Audrey is growing, we just started the third trimester so she will begin packing on the pounds over the next 2 months. We sent in our preregistration at the hospital and have started cleaning out Chandler's closet to make room for some pink soon.

That's about it for the Groves this month. We are eager to see what February brings.

Baby No. 2 :: 28 weeks

When I see this picture I get a little nervous thinking, wow if I am already this big how big will I be at 40 weeks?! I think my tummy is definitely bigger than with Chandler but some how I weigh less, who knows. As I went back and read about week 28 with Chandler I realized the pain on my right ribs started about the same time. 

Pregnancy Highlights this Week:

How Far Along: 28 weeks

Size of baby: {weight of} Chinese cabbage

Measurements: about 14.8 inches, about 2 and 1/4 pounds

Baby Milestones: can blink her eyes (which now have lashes), eyesight developing, developing billions of neurons in brain, adding body fat

Best Moment this week: Life Group meeting again! 

Gender: little girl, Audrey Cate

Movement: moving alot this week, you can see my stomach twitch and move every once in a while

Food/Drink Craving: actually I haven't really had many cravings this week

Sleep: this week was a change in sleep for sure, lots of tossing and turning 

What I am looking forward to: working on both kids rooms, we bought paint for Chandlers and are still trying to find the right color for Audrey

Symptoms: mainly just pain in my right ribs from sitting, it isn't as bad when I am standing up, obviously my lower back is getting more sore these days

Wordless Wednesday

I have some cute new pictures on my real camera but my card reader broke so here are a few phone favorites for the week.

(p.s.- If you have a card reader you really like will you leave me a comment telling me what kind you have??)

Photo shoot Favorites

Remember this photo shoot contest?

Well, we want to say THANKS again for voting because we won and now have some very special family-of-three pictures. Stancy and Katie were absolutely amazing and we would highly recommend them to anyone. Half Orange Photography is an Austin based business but they are willing to travel if needed.

It is really hard to go through an choose favorites, especially of little man but here are a few.

Wordless Wednesday

Clover Lane + Picasa = LOVE

Have you heard of the blog Memories on Clover Lane? Well, I ran across it the other day and I have learned so many new things.

1. I learned how to make a blog banner without photoshop or any other fancy programs, just Picasa which I already had on my computer but didn't really know how much it could do. I followed this step by step tutorial and took my first stab at making a banner. It isn't perfect but I am excited that I now know how to do it on my own.

2. Then I also came across her personalized placemat tutorial. So cute. I again used Picasa to make six (11x17) placemats for our table. I decided not to put names so we could use them anywhere but I did make one that has pictures of me and Cody with Chandler to make them a little more personalized for mommy and daddy.

3. Finally, I've been wanting to make a Prayer book like this for Family Worship and to help Chandler recognize family/friends faces. So, I took my previous Picasa knowledge and created a little velcro book.  He can choose two people each night to pray for and practice learning names/faces.

I used the picture pile setting and put 9 (3x3) pictures on each page (8.5x11). I used the third choice for picture border to create a polaroid look so I could type the name on each one.

I took the placemat and prayer book files to Copy Corner and had them print them on cardstock and laminate.

Baby No. 2 :: 26 weeks

This week we found out I passed my glucose test (79) and my iron level (35.3) was normal too! Audrey Cate, you have grown alot in 10 weeks. I tried to post a Chandler comparison picture but apparently I had a stomach virus on week 26 with him. Maybe next week. 

Pregnancy Highlights this Week:

How Far Along: 26 weeks

Size of baby: {length of} English cucumber

Measurements: about 14 inches, about 1 and 2/3 pounds

Baby Milestones: inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, continuing to put on fat, nerves in ears more developed and sensitive 

Best Moment this week: Cody being off on Monday, getting to try Zapatos trash can nachos with Trent and Kim, and spending time with Miranda since she was off all week from school

Gender: little girl, Audrey Cate

Movement: she has been more calm this week, some movement but not as much as previous weeks

Food/Drink Craving: coffee, grapefruit, chocolate and sandwiches

Sleep: still having really crazy dreams that I remember and getting a little harder to lay comfortably 

What I am looking forward to: we are working on putting all the Christmas away this week (since we celebrated this weekend with family) and cleaning out the spare room to make room for Chandler to switch, deciding on room colors soon 

Symptoms: she is feeling heavy after sitting for an extended period of time, pressure in right side of my ribs

Wordless Wednesday {well... maybe a few}

{seeing the nail gun}

{hearing the nail gun}

ps. He is cutting two bottom teeth and his paci is the only thing bringing him relief, hints all the paci. Hopefully they will be through the gums soon! 

Goals 2012

Personal Goals:

• Be more diligent in using prayer cards
• Adjust to having two kids (in April) 
• Read books on 2012 book list  
• Memorize scripture using Fighter Verse app (I'm going to try to do the Extended Memory 2012 which is Romans 5-8, maybe not all three chapters this year but hopefully at least chapter 5) 

Marriage/Family Goals:

• Date night every other Friday (family night being the other 2 Friday's of the month)
• Grow in our friendship with one another 
• Make family worship picture prayer book for kids

Household Goals:

• Continue once a month cooking
• Do "big clean" every other Friday morning (or whatever time naps occur) 
• With the help of my husband, convert spare room into Chandler's room/Cody's office, make some adjustments to nursery for Audrey
• Finish attic storage system
• Organize front closet, master closet, and pantry once shelving systems are finished

Blog Goals:

• Start doing family recaps (like these), be better at posting reading summaries (which means I have to be better about reading!)
• Post Instagram favorites each month (hopefully taken from 365 pictures)
• Continue Wordless Wednesday pictures
• Continue Chandler's monthly updates until 2 years and then come up with a plan after that
• Continue posting pregnancy updates for Audrey and then starting in April switch to monthly updates with month onesie
• Continue posting baby/toddler favorite things as Chandler grows

Craft Goals:

• Make Christmas stockings for our house
• Make or buy a Noel calendar for Christmas
• Finish Chandler's car caddy
• Finish Quiet book 
• Finish a surprise gift that was started months ago
• Make a t-shirt quilt from my old A&M t-shirts 

2012 Booklist

Ministry:
-Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem
-You Can Change by Tim Chester
-Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow
-War of Words by Paul David Tripp
-Community by Brad House
-A Meal with Jesus by Tim Chester
-The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
-Holiness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges
-Becoming God's True Woman by Nancy DeMoss
-Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp

Parenting:
-Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic
-Helping Children Understand the Gospel by Children Desiring God
-Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman

Marriage/Home: 
-Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll
-God, Marriage and Family by Andreas Kostenberger

Child Development/Education:
-Before Five In a Row by Jane Claire Lamber
-Baby Led Weaning by Gill Rapley

Finance:
-The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley

Memoir/Fiction:
-One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
-Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
-Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Books 2011

Although I didn't finish over half my list I think I could say I became more of a reader this year. If I calculated the books I've read in the past few years it is probably less than I read this past year. I have a new 2012 book list coming soon but here is the summary from 2011.

Favorites from the year: 
-The Help by Kathryn Stockett
-Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-Gospel Powered Parenting by William Farley
-Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow

2011 Books: 

Ministry:

-Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent (one I read a little bit a day, not a sit down and read, probably will have read through the whole thing in 2012)

-You Can Change by Tim Chester

-The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges

-Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll

-What is the Gospel?

-Kingdom of Priests by Eugene Merrill

-Doctrine by Mark Driscoll 

-The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
-Biblical Theology by Michael Lawerence
-Old Testament: Promises Made by Mark Dever
-Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow (about 1/2 way through) 

Parenting:

-Slow and Steady Get Me Ready by June Oberlander

-Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron

-The SleepEasy Solution by Jill Spivack

-Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

-Gospel Powered Parenting by William Farley

-Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman

-Helping Children Understand the Gospel by Children by Desiring God

-Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson
-Give Them Grace by Fitzpatrick and Thompson
-Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic (almost done) 

Marriage/Home: 

-When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey

-Never Check Email in the Morning by Julie Morgenster
-One Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds
-Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

Finances: 

-The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley

-Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas by Bill McKibben

Child Development/Education:
-Baby Read Aloud Basics by Catherine Blakemore and Barbara Weston Ramirez
-Great Books for Babies and Toddlers by Kathleen Odean

Memoir/Fiction: 

-One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

-The Help by Kathryn Stockett

-Little Bee by Chris Cleave

-Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-Unplanned by Abby Johnson
-Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Update {17 months}

Daddy has been working on lots of home projects lately and you have LOVED helping him. You constantly want to push his drill and hold his screw driver. The other night I went into the garage to see what you were doing and you were walking around holding daddy's air hose attachment making a spraying sound. The front of your shirt was soaking wet. Daddy said you had been doing the noise for about 30 minutes. 


I wanted to use this picture for your 17 months because you totally LOVE your bear hat and ask to wear it almost everyday. Everyone continues to comment on how much longer your hair is getting! 

Measurements: not sure, we will have new measurements at 18 month check up
-You seem to be filling out these days, we will see how much you have grown

Clothes: 

-shirts and jeans: you are in between 6-12 months and 12-18

(your jeans believe it or not are 6-9 months elastic waist from Kohls) 

-pjs: 12-18 month

-shoe: size 5

Sleeping: 

-naps around 10:30am-12pm and 3pm-5pm (I think we might be moving towards 1 nap soon...)

-sleeps at night from 8:00pm-8:00am 

Eating: 

-you LOVE fruit
-one day you like something and the next you won't touch it
-you like limes and lemons
-you like eating Sonic ice 

New Tricks: 
-you love throwing things away 
-all doors, drawers and trash can lids need to be in their proper position
-you stand at the fridge and sign milk when you want a drink
-you are becoming more proficient in going up and down steps
-you can get up in our living room chair now by yourself

Talking: 

-you mostly sign but have said pup for puppy and up (basically you like the "p" sound) 

-new signs: hurt, cereal, outside, camel, deer, helicopter (you know about 40 signs total now) 

Teeth: 15 (16 coming in as we speak)

-8 top/7 bottom, left bottom canine is almost threw the gums
-I would have never guessed but these bottom canines have probably been one of your worst teeth to come in, you have bit holes in 5 pacifiers from these teeth, we have been trying to only give them to you at naps and teaching you to chew on Sophie during the day 

Likes: 

-your tools (seriously, you find these first thing every morning), you LOVE daddy's saw

-sweeping with the broom
-balls
-watching Signing Time or Sesame Street
-closing doors
-bath time
-outside

Dislikes: 

-teething, that has really been the source of fussiness this month