Christmas 2007

Wow! It's over... all the hustle and bustle, the parties, the gift exchanges, the decorating, the fancy dresses, the presents, Christmas cookies, family dinners, family pictures, surprises, and even the turkey!! But, I must say, I'm a little relieved this morning. What a busy holiday season this was!! With a move literally as the season was beginning and just the normal busyness that Christmas brings, I'm very thankful this morning that it's all pretty much over. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed all of these things, but I found myself sick for about a week and just fatigued. I tried very hard to just savour the moments with my girls and my husband and to love each get together as though it were the first. My oldest sister and her husband were with us, which was a treat. It was the first year in about 3 that he had joined us. We did have to miss out on our youngest sister, which was very disappointing, but her choice.
We made sure at every possible opportunity to thank the Lord for sending Baby Jesus to the earth in such a simple yet beautiful way so that we could have the precious relationship with Him that we do. It was so special this year to be able to share the joy of that story with our little Ella, who seemed to hang on every word. I can't tell you how many times she would take something, like a soap dish or a book that she thought looked like a "manger" and she would look at us and say in her silly voice, "oooh, Baby Jesus". It's amazing how she is so drawn to Him at such a young age and how she talked about Him so often. It reminds me of a quote by St. Augustine, Thou has formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless til they find their rest in thee.
I read that quote some years ago in a Bible study that I was doing with some friends in Texas and it struck me so, that I just can't forget it. It's so true. I hope that you find rest in Him today!

Shewwwww!

Well, it sure has been busy this past week. We've packed up the apartment and moved into a lovely home. As any move is, it was filled with a whole lot of packing.. and then unpacking. But, the best part of all was the way our family and church family loved on us. My entire kitchen was set up by sweet friends, the beds were made and snuggly for my girls and us to go to bed that first night and my girls were well cared for. We had a few meals brought to make life a little easier during this transition, and about 20 people in my new kitchen all at one time, which was pure joy for me!! We just sat back after it was all over and praised the Lord for the dear friends He has brought to us and this amazing church, Southbridge.

A couple of nights later, we sat in the living room of some dear friends who helped us start Southbridge and rejoiced with our leadership over all that God is doing here. To take us from a few little families to almost 500 people, we're simply floored. It can only be explained that God is doing great things among us.

happenings at the Lehr home

Well, next week is our big move!! Thankfully, we have found a wonderful home and will be moving in before the holidays. I have been praising the Lord continually that He did not make us wait until after Christmas. So, if I'm a little slow at returning emails next week, you know why.

I'm not dreaming of a white Christmas this year, because that's quite rare in NC, but rather one filled with a house full of family and friends and sweet times with my girls. I bought garland to put around my new mailbox and wreaths for all the windows outside.. oh, the fun I'll have!!

Scott is beginning a new series for Christmas that I'm really excited about and he's been busy as ever. God has been challenging him greatly lately, but we're excited for all that He will do through my precious husband.

Ella is learning all kinds of shapes right now. She asked me to draw a "pentagon" and a "trapezoid" today. Thanks to our friend Kelly who is a 1st grade teacher. :) She is really excited about Christmas. There are 2 particular Christmas trees that we have to drive by almost daily for her right now. Her favorite songs right now are "Away in the Manger" and "Jingle Bells".

Ava will turn 6 months old this week! She is such an absolute joy and has the sweetest little personality. She and Ella are already laughing at eachother. What a joy than to see these two girls loving on one another.

As you all get ready for these busy holidays, make sure you take plenty of time to tell your little ones about how it's really all about precious baby Jesus and the miracle of HIS birth, which is why we celebrate.

For our friend Liz, we are praying for you and love you! Rest up and we pray that you'll be well soon.

Birthday parties and Tea parties... a little girl's life

If you were to walk into our house/apt right now, you'd inevitably see tea party pieces lying all over the floor. Even though I pick them up about 5 times a day, it's possible that a piece of fake cake or a little pink spoon will be found in the most interesting of places. But I love it!

Ella's 2nd birthday party was so fun. She was dressed like a princess by the end of the night thanks to my mom and I both getting her little princess dresses. And, she loved showing off in her new jewels and crown.

So, the other day Ella, Ava and I were having a tea party in the living room and I just had to take a picture of the cutest little sisters I know. I have laughed so much lately as they make each other giggle... well mostly it's Ella making Ava giggle, but either way, it's so cute!!!

Enjoy the pics!

2 years old!!!

It's hard to believe that it's been 2 years since I gave birth to my little Ella Grace. As I think back to the days when it was just Scott and I, I remember a longing for a little person that I knew God had for us. Now, it's 2 little people, but it all started with Miss Ella.

When we were in Greece in 2004 (before I was pregnant for her) we determined that if we had a girl first, we would name her Ella. Her name means "Torch, bright light"... ahh that she is!!! She truly brightens our day with her beautiful smile and funny little personality and she's constantly trying to make one of us laugh.

Her middle name, Grace, was chosen because of something the Lord chose to allow us to go through at the beginning of my pregnancy with her. If you don't already know, He gave me a horrible disease and then graciously took it away. I am still blown away by what He did and we'll never forget it.

Through these 2 years we have had many tears as we are being refined by being parents. I am constantly in awe of how the Lord chooses to shape my character through my little girls.

How quickly 2 years has gone by....but I remember... locking eyes with her just moments after I delivered her. She had a familiar look to me, almost as though I had dreamt of her... and I was scared, because.. she was mine, to care for and love on... and take home!! :) But thankfully God has been gracious to give me just what I need each day to love her well.

Happy Birthday Ella!! November 8, 2007

Silly Ava

Ava turned 5 months old yesterday and had her first bites of rice cereal. Our food fest began with a bewildered look and ended with lots of smiles and just a little rice eaten in between.

Today, she giggled the whole time I tried to feed her. Each bite seemed to be more and more funny. Her big cheeks just getting all the bigger with that smile that just melts me!

So, I wish you could have heard her, because it surely would have brought a smile to your face, but instead I have a picture of this new fun adventure. Boy.. what's going to happen when I introduce pureed fruit?? :)

Food for Thought

Since I'm always up for some good food, I thought I'd share a couple of good times I've had lately over some good food. :)

We have started meeting with our new community group in the last month or so and we begin every Sunday night meeting with a meal together. Talk about fun!!! We eat and talk ... and eat some more for over an hour and a half and then move to our time of Bible Study or like we're doing right now, sharing our "stories". It's been the best time and I love our group. We are age diverse, which is a blessing, because it's nice to not all be stressed out about finding a babysitter and we do not all smell like peanut butter (which is apparently my new perfume). :) Anyways, one of our ladies made the best dessert and I just made it for Scott's birthday. We are addicted and I'll just admit it now. Here's how you make it if you're interested in the best EVER dessert. :)

1/2 package of Oreos

3-4 large Butterfingers

1/2 package of Vanilla icecream

Mash the oreos and butterfingers together and layer 1/2 of the mix in a 8x8 pan. Layer semi-soft vanilla icecream over top then cover with remaining 1/2 of oreo/butterfinger mix. Freeze until you're ready to eat.

Alright ladies, I can't wait to hear how many of you try this. You'll love it!!!

At Christmas time, I'm going to a cooking class with my mom and sister at A Southern Season, which is the coolest grocery/restaurant/cooking class store you've ever seen. It's the ULTIMATE when it comes to all things food. Since this is one of my own little loves, I'm really looking forward to it. You can see their website under my "favorite websites".

Now.. back to dessert. :) oh, and the pictures.. while they have nothing to do with food, I thought you'd enjoy them.

The Beauty in My Chaos

By Angela Lenhart Parlin (this was written so well by my sister that I just had to share it with you all. I'm sure that you'll find it not only beautiful, but soo true.)

As hard as it is to remember, my life was once ordered and controlled. On my coffee table sat a tall mosaic glass hurricane, surrounded by small river rocks on a beautiful platter, along with a stack of scenic travel books from faraway lands we loved to travel to. The mantle was only one of many safe places for my pretty decorations to peacefully reside, and other than working hours, my time belonged to me. I worked out daily, chatted on the phone for easily an hour each day, kept my home clean enough for the President to visit, and ate leisurely dinners with my husband.

Then motherhood happened, three times in four years. As I sit here writing, my coffee table is covered with Mr. Potato Head parts, pacifiers, and extra clothes for when the baby spits up. We have traded in the exotic travel books for parenting magazines. The mantle is now the only safe place for anything breakable, and “my” time seems like nothing more than a faraway dream.

Becoming a mother has rocked my world, to put it lightly. For a time, my babies turned my life upside-down into nothing more than disappointing chaos. But lately, I’ve been noticing a whole lot more beauty in my chaos. The old saying goes, “Gold is where you find it,” and I’m pretty sure that in these three amazing little people, I can see a whole lot more than gold.

For the first few years of motherhood, I was all about getting my ducks in a row. My first child made that completely attainable, partly because he was easy and partly because there was only one of him! Then he grew into a spunky, energetic three-year-old boy, and we’re still trying to recover. We added a baby to the mix when he was just 16 months old, and then waited two and a half years to meet our third child, our baby girl. After all this, I can confidently declare that my three little ducks are most definitely never all in a row—instead one is hopping here and another is running there and another is bouncing here.

I have fought it hard, the chaos. But I’m raising my white flag in defeat. I no longer have it in me to rage against the chaos machine of our life. I surrender. I’ll need a huge dose of laughter in order to get through what the next years will bring our way—many huge doses, I guess. But from this day forward, I am dedicated to finding the poetry of our moments, the diamonds that are in the rough, and the beauty in our chaos. And this is where my blog begins, in hopes that you too might find more beauty in yours.

We took our pumpkins to the patch

It's that time of year again and our family just had to spend a Saturday at a local pumpkin patch. We went with most of our family and it was a great time. Jace, Ryder, and Ella fed two donkeys that were there and played with pumpkin stickers as well as picked out their own pumpkins. Ava and Skylar came along for the fun but were held the whole time, which is pretty typical for these 2 cuties.

P.S. potty training is coming along, but I think this could be a lengthy process. :)

Using the "Big Girl" Potty!!

I cannot believe that this time is already here. My little Ella Grace is beginning to potty train after months of telling me many times a day that she's going "poo poo".. which is the universal word for "all of it". :)

Anyways, we bought her a cute little potty that sings, so that she can sit on it whenever she'd like. She's so proud when she goes and she loves to show off for her babysitter or my sister who was in town this weekend. Ella, we're so excited for you in this next step of your life!!

Life has been so busy lately. We had dinner with our new Community group Thursday night, then Friday we had some friends over for dinner that are moving here all the way from Michigan to be a part of Southbridge (we are so blessed to have such a wonderful sharp couple coming that we truly regard as friends).

Then, my oldest sister came to town for the weekend and I haven't seen her in almost 2 years, so that was just the best time. I feel so blessed to have Aunts that love my girls the way my sisters do.

So, mixed in with all of that, Ella is trying to potty train.. and Ava turned 4 months old. :) So, we're loving it. Enjoy the pics of my big girl and a 4 month picture of Ava.

Beach Babies

We just got back from Carolina Beach for Labor Day weekend. What a blast!! We went with my sister Ang and her family as well as my parents. Ella just loved being with all the kids and my parents were the hugest help, so we got to enjoy the beach a little bit too.

Ava layed out in a covered pack n play and was such a good sport. Suprisingly, Ella really enjoyed the water after initially being a little leary of it.

We jumped waves with boogie boards and ate some great seafood. Scott and I even got a nice date night out with my sister and brother in law. Enjoy the pics!!

Sweet Ava.. and a few things I'm learning

Well, the time is really flying by. My little Ava Sophia is now 12 weeks old and it only feels like a few weeks ago that we were bringing her home. She is such a precious addition to our family. She coos and smiles at us all the time and seems to just love life.... well most of the time. She was quite a crier for the first month or so.

For those of you who are pregnant with your second child and you're wondering if you'll be able to love them as much as your beloved first. The answer is YES!!! It's amazing how your heart grows. It's very different bringing them home. You'll probably find that you're much calmer about all the things that would send you immediately calling the Pediatrician the last time. :)

I'm learning through having two that organizing my day is a MUST, not just a nice option. It never fails that both are crying or needing something at the same time. Time with my sweet husband is less and that's been hard for us. We literally feel beat down by the end of the day, but thankfully, we're on the same team and we have to keep that at the forfront of our minds.

"Team Lehr" is in full effect and we're working hard to keep it that way. Just last night Scott and I talked for quite a while about all the changes our life has taken since having our girls. WE love them and cannot imagine life without them, but for me, the struggle has been keeping my own identity. Not just in being their mom, but in being "Shanna", who enjoys a number of things other than just caring for little ladies. I think God is working in my heart however, and giving me the perspective like in Nehemiah 6, that "I'm doing a great work and I can't come down" for so many other things that would pull my attention. I want to teach my girls to love God and others and that takes TIME.

Anyways, those are just some thoughts I've been having and I thought I'd share them in case that helps any of you. It's easy as a mom to feel a little "trapped" at times and I think that's normal-at least from a few other moms I've recently talked with. Draw on strength from the Lord as well as being honest with your husband and other girlfriends about how you're feeling.

So, here are a few pics of my sweet Ava from this week. What a blessing she is!!

The one with another baby is my sister's new baby Skylar. They are exactly 2 months a part!

Crazy Week

Well, it's been the most ridiculous week!! It started with our move to an apartment last weekend, (because we're building a house to be closer to our church). The move wouldn've been so bad except that it seemed to span over days and days and all in close to 100 degree heat.
Then, the night we moved in the air conditioning went out. Then, we lost a freezer of food after the outlet in the garage we've rented stopped working. hmmmmm. And, guess who got to clean our the freezer full of yucky spoiled meats and such???
Then, as though there needs to be a "then". :) We found fleas in the apartment. Ahhh yes. The joys of apartment living. So after fogging the place and spraying unbelievable amounts of flea killer (and leaving with my baby girls for a couple of days) we are now back and praying that we don't have any more problems. We're only here for 90 days after all. :)

So... what have I learned? A lesson that God reminds me of frequently. We have not been called to a "comfortable" life. It's interesting how we have gone through some really uncomfortable things over the past few years and I just know that I am being reminded to rely on my only one constant, my only one true Hope in this world and that's Jesus. The minor discomfort that I experience at times in life will never compare to what He did for me by dying in my place so that I could have a personal relationship with Him. Even in the midst of this past week, with all the craziness and 2 small babies to care for I can honestly say that I just love Jesus. :)

Colorado

What an absolutely beautiful place!! We just returned from a week with some dear friends in Colorado. We've missed them all terribly since we moved from Dallas and it was just a much needed time!

We enjoyed relaxing and soaking up the gorgeous views on top of the mountain as well as eating some really good food! We played Barefoot Contessa and Giada most nights while cooking. :)

We took Ella and Ava, and the Koubas, Rylanders, and Smiths also brought their babies, so we were a house full. We loved it though. Ella's famous line all week as she would laugh at the babies was "hahahaha... Funny". She just loved "KK, Gam, and Ison". Well, that's Katelyn, Graham, and Madison. :)

Enjoy the pics!!

Finally!!

Well, yes, we too have finally joined the ranks of friends with blogs. So, according to the Koubas and Rylanders, we are now "with it". :)
We just returned from a fabulous week in beautiful Colorado with them and had such a wonderful time. More pictures will follow.

Our girls are growing like crazy! Ella is 21 months now and Ava is 10 weeks today. Oh, how the time flies. They are beautiful and fun and we enjoy them so much!! Stay tuned as we update photos for you, our friends and family.

Much love,
the Lehrs