Life Stages

Are these not "pear"fect?!  =)  I found these printables at Skip to my Lou, which is one of my favorite blogs to stalk and link up to.  They are intended for a child's school lunchbox.  Yep, I will totally be that Mom.  I learned from the best, of course- my mom wrote notes for my lunch until the day I graduated high school... and I absolutely loved it.  There was just something about knowing that I could count on my mom to think of me and pray for me throughout the day.  We moved back and forth from Europe a few times while I was in middle school and high school and, while I didn't really have a hard time making friends thanks to sports, moving to Kansas the summer before my Junior year was awful (no blame on my family- living overseas was one of the greatest gifts my parents could have ever given me, as was moving to Kansas, since I met Daniel at Kansas State University).  I remember my sister and I going to volleyball camp before school started and the coach thought we were Czech and didn't speak English... and so did everyone else.  They looked at us like we were aliens.  Sometimes I wish we had become fluent in Czech and could have been able to talk to each other in some secret code.  Anyway, making friends in a school where people had known each other since Kindergarten and cliques are rampant wasn't easy and I remember being really, really lonely.  Being out of school and married to the love of my life is by far my favorite stage of life so far.  I don't think you could pay me to go back to high school or college (I loved college and I love learning, but ugh, life is so great now!).

Speaking of stages of life, everyone we know seems to be hitting up the next one:  Babies.  The "baby/growing family" section of our prayer list takes up half the page.

Let me set you straight:  Daniel and I are not having a baby, neither are we trying to have one.

We are, however, preparing.
Preparing for what?
Teachers=planners.  Big time.  Nonetheless, I don't think it's possible to plan for a baby.  I don't think it's possible to even be fully (or partially) prepared-ever-for the task (and huge blessing.. so I hear =D) of parenthood.
God does what He be, yo.
I do, however, believe it's never too early to start preparing for it.  After all, with the help of the Lord, we will eventually have some little ones (and, I pray we have some sons that look and have the integrity of my husband- check him out!).  

Really, do they come any more handsome than this?  I think not!

Daniel and I have been praying for our future kiddies for quite a while now- mostly that God will:

1. Make it clear to us when we should start a family (which is not now!!)
2.  Bless us with children
3. Give us healthy children
4. Guide us in the financial planning for our expanding family
5. Prepare us to parent in a godly way
6. Raise up godly children that ultimately seek to glorify Him and understand/accept his gift of forgiveness and righteousness through the sacrifice of the cross

Despite our joint convictions, Daniel was worried, at first, that this would get us too excited about starting a family and we would jump the gun before we felt like it was time.  But, really, it hasn't at all.  Jesus has done this really cool thing in our marriage in which he has drawn us closer together, made us stronger and more supportive towards one another, and given us this sort of peace about when it's our time.  Of course, there is always that twinkle of envy that we feel when, yet again, someone we know gets pregnant.  I don't think it's possible for that not to happen when it entails something you want so bad.  But, I have no doubt that we will know when it is God's will for us to begin to grow our family and I'm just fine with that.  In the meantime, we are preparing prayerfully, financially, and-say what!-mentally, by reading!

If you know me, you know, I, well, don't read.  I mean, I can, obviously, but I would so rather be doing something hands-on that produces something in the end, like sewing.  However, we just starting reading a few books about pregnancy, babies, and parenting and we. are. loving. it.  Why?

• No pressure to finish in 9 months when the baby comes since we don't have one in-the-baking-yet.
• We have more time to talk and pray about what we read.
• Again, did I say I don't like to read?  MORE TIME, LESS PRESSURE this way!
• I will most likely want to sew every. baby. item. I. can. find. rather than read by the time I am pregnant.

Borders is going out of business- Bad for them, GREAT for us.  We picked up:

Mostly for me (although I've read the first 60 pages and learned it all in college from my Family Studies and Human Services coursework, but it's still awesome!)

and

Clearly for Daniel.  It's by a Christian author and we couldn't find a bad review out there on it.

Again, if you see me, please do not ask if we are having a baby or even suspect it.  You'll be wrong and see that in a few months, I'm not getting fat (or as fat as I should if I were pregnant.. I hope!  Wanting to lose a little weight and get more in shape before we conceive!).

If you've read any great books, leave me a comment!  We're interested in Christian-based parenting and child development books, not anything that related to particular topics such as sleeping. =)

On a side note, scored some hawt frocks to refashion tomorrow and Friday.  I will update before the weekend!