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