Tippity, Tap, Tip, TAP SHOES!

Today was a big day in the life of Stella Grace Carpenter.  She got a haircut for school this week, her first pair of tap shoes, and a Boston Creme Donut...pretty much the best day ever.

Her face when she first saw her tap shoes...priceless.

Couldn't get a picture bc she was enthusiastically shaking the box.

Celebrating with a donut.

I am predicting the new sound of my life will be Stella's tap shoes on our floors...forevermore.

Pounding heart.

Tim, Stella, and I had a wonderful day together; we traveled down to IKEA to purchase some items for The Barn (a converted barn on our church campus where Tim's youth group meets each week).  We enjoyed the day together as a family and had lots of funny and memorable moments...including this word-for-word interchange Tim and I had outside a Dunkin' Donuts this afternoon (we were sarcastically joking with each other...keep that in mind as you read):

Tim: "They don't have any more pumpkin muffins...do you want me to get you something else?"

Me: "Uggghhh...no...just get Stella a donut."

Tim: "Are you sure you don't want anything else?  A pumpkin donut, pumpkin coffee...?"

Me (in a frustrated tone): "No, just get her a donut."

Tim (sarcastically): "Do you want me to jump on the hood of the car?"

Me (smirking/chuckling): "Just get her a friggin' donut."

Tim walks inside the DD's and I hear a little voice from the backseat:

Stella: "Mom, dad said he was going to jump on your hood."

Me: "Yes, Stella, that wasn't very nice...he should apologize for that when he comes out."

Stella: "Mom, that wasn't very nice to say 'Get me a friggin' donut.'"

Me: "You're right, Stella, I should apologize for that, too."

Cue apology between Tim/me when he came out.  Hopefully our modeling of an apology overshadowed our previous conversation...

Even with the wonderful memories, our night ended on a slightly different note when we made one final stop to fill up our gas tank this evening.  Stella was, thankfully, asleep in her carseat.  Tim came out from paying inside and told me to get my phone to call the police because there was a dad with two very young daughters inside and the dad was clearly intoxicated.  Thank the LORD, a police cruiser had just pulled around the back of the store so I flagged him down just as the man was walking out of the store, carrying a 40oz can of beer in his hand, with his two daughters in tow - both girls were younger than Stella's age and they had little bags of potato chips in their little hands at 8pm.  I don't know what would have happened if that man had gotten behind the wheel of his car tonight and driven away, especially in the state Tim described.  I'm sad for the little girls who likely saw their daddy get arrested tonight, but I'm thankful for the timing of the police officer being in the parking lot just as this man was about to drive off drunk with his precious daughters. 

I'm so thankful for a husband I trust implicitly.  I have full confidence in his parenting ability and I know he makes wise decisions, especially when it comes to the safety and well-being of his family.  I hope tonight was a huge wake up call for that other dad.  Life should be so much kinder for the sake of those sweet girls...if only they knew what it's like to have a dad like Tim, who would never purposely put them in harm's way.

Our Sleeping Beauty

Every night, Tim and I check on Stella before we go to bed.  Last night we found this when we went into her bedroom:

Please note the tiara.

She's our sleeping beauty.

The Dog House.

Stella and I took a trip to Cape Cod to visit my mom for two days - upon our return I checked our photo library on the computer and found this picture dated 7/31/13:



Griffin, the dog, resting on our couch with Tim, the human.

Our dogs have not been allowed on the furniture since Stella was born.  Someone is in the dog-house, and I'm not talking about Griffin...

Mercy

If any of our neighbors were listening to the sounds coming from my house at bedtime tonight, I fear what they think what was happening inside.  Stella had a mega-meltdown when I dumped out an overflowing Tupperware in her bath, which apparently was serving as a tub for her Disney figurines.  I am tired, I am hot, I am pregnant, and Tim has been gone for work for the past three days, so my patience is running thin for irrational temper tantrums.  It's hard to remember in these moments that, at only three years old, her imagination is often her reality - and the things which seem totally irrational to me at age 31 are incredibly meaningful to her at age three.  Instead of completely losing my cool I proceeded to take things away from her when she screamed in my face (she lost her bedtime story), and when she told me she didn't like me and I wasn't special (she had to wear a shirt to bed instead of a dress).  Her crying was hysterical and it honestly sounded like FAR worse things were happening in our household then no bedtime story and no dresses.  As I walked downstairs after she told me, through her tears, that she didn't want to see me anymore, my heart sank.  How could I let the night end this way?

I walked back upstairs after taking a moment to pray and cool off and I crawled into bed with her.  I gently explained that I will always love her, no matter what.  We talked through her consequences, and I'm 99% sure she understood by the time I left her room.  We prayed together that God would help us to have patience with one another, to be kind, to use our words, and to love each other as God loves us.  After I was done praying, Stella nodded her head in agreement and said, "That was a good prayer, mom."  And, I assured her she can wear a dress tomorrow.

"Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3: 22-23

Note to Self

Always remove a princess' tiara before naptime car rides...

Baa Baa Black Sheep - Stella Style.

Enjoy Stella's ever-changing rendition of the good old classic, "Baa-Baa Black Sheep"

First Picnic of 2013!

As a native New Englander, I hesitate to claim that spring has officially arrived until about, oh, June; however, today it felt like spring has finally arrived!  Stella and I enjoyed the warm weather by having a picnic downtown.  We love Newmarket and enjoy spending time together near the river, watching the ducks, eating ice cream, and just lounging around.  Here are some pictures of our time together:

Can't believe we live in such a pretty place!

Looking at the ducks.

Stopping donwtown for a break while running errands.



No socks (pasty white legs) and baby crocs = spring!

Stella turns 3!

Our little girl is three.  It's amazing, fun, unbelievable, crazy...it's, simply put, the best.  I often share with people how I cried while sitting on the floor of her nursery, folding up her 3 month old clothing for storage.  I honestly thought it would never be as much fun or as wonderful as it was back then...but every stage has brought with it new heights of joy.  I am so grateful for this girl and how much love, patience, grace and faith she has brought into my life.  She is nothing short of a gift from God.

 

Here are some of the favorite things Stella is up to these days:

• She often says, "No I ant."  Which is her funny way of saying she is NOT going to do something.  We don't use the word "ain't" in our house, so I really don't know where she picked this one up...
• She occasionally speaks in a British accent because some of her favorite cartoons or cartoon characters (Alfred/Archibald from Veggie Tales or Angelina Ballerina) are British.
• She is fully potty trained - HALLELUJAH!
• She loves the clay-mation show "Pingu" and runs around the house saying "Mook, MOOK!" (for those of you who haven't seen it, Pingu speaks in gibberish and this is one of his favorite sayings...)
• She enjoys spending time at home and often doesn't want to leave our house, but whenever we go out she rarely wants to return to home.
• She got her first bike for her third birthday and is excited to ride it with training wheels; she and Tim have been practicing in the aisles at Walmart for months.
• On Easter Sunday this year she enthusiastically shared with a couple of nine-year-old boy neighbors, "Jesus is RISEN!  He is ALIVE today...Happy Easter!"
• She has very specific taste in clothing and wants to wear dresses every day.
• She starts each morning by selecting which dress up clothing she would like to wear outside of her normal clothes...and this is how we leave the house on a daily basis (think: tutus, tiaras, ballet slippers, Cinderella costumes, etc.).

Long story short, I am in love.  So grateful for the privilege of being her mom!

Unpacking the Move.

 

The past several days I have been riding an absolute rollercoaster of emotions.  While I am incredibly thankful and excited to move, I am reminded of why this particular transition ranks among the top stressors in life!  For an organized person just the idea of living amongst boxes is maddening; it's a constant visual in front of me of surrender - letting go; a reminder of the fact that things don't have to be perfect or done immediately.  And that's only one piece of the puzzle when it has come to this move.

 

Shortly after we moved in to the new apartment we realized our hot water heater was broken.  A major hint was the complete lack of hot water [insert sarcastic tone here].  For anyone who hasn't tried doing dirty dishes with cold water:  picture in your mind's eye how quickly butter melts while washing a dirty butter knife using only a sponge and freezing cold tap water - and picture how easily it spreads around to the rest of your sink full of dishes...not a pretty situation.  Thanks to the generosity of our new neighbors (and good friends), the Olivers, we had hot showers the past couple days.  And thanks to people from church, like Kevin Knight (plumber extraordinaire...truly), we now have a brand new hot water heater and are able to re-wash all those buttery dishes, in addition to cleaning and bathing in our own house.  As I drove to church this morning Tim called me with the news that Kevin was going to come to our home on a Sunday to install a new water heater.  The only thing that made it even better was that we believe another friend from church was prepared to pay for the entire ordeal if our landlord took issue with the replacement (thankfully, the landlord was amenable, although not too quick to find a plumber on their own...).  The very idea that someone we know would be ready and willing to pay for a water heater that's not even ours, just to ensure we had what we needed in the midst of an already stressful move...it leaves me struggling for words.  What can only be described as a WAVE of gratitude washed over me; I started to cry and thank God for how the body of Christ works together to bring us comfort and help when we need it. 

 

The sermon today was on 1 Corinthians 13 and I was so blessed to hear the words with a fresh understanding in my heart.  My newfound appreciation for the common passage (often shared at weddings) comes from the fact that I've experienced this kind of love in the past week throughout the course of our move.  I will continue to experience it tomorrow as other friends prepare us a dinner so we don't have to cook.  And the best part is that this kind of outpouring of love is something that exemplifies true Christian community...as much as I don't take it for granted, this is what being a part of the body of Christ SHOULD look like when it's functioning properly.  I have been a Christian since high school and I remain amazed at God's grace that I was ever invited into this family of believers.

 

"Love is patient.  Love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast.  It is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails...And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a, 13

 

 

We are MOVING tomorrow and Friday!

Over the next two days we are moving to our new apartment!

Thanks to Stella, who provided this recent picture to encapsulate my feelings:

 

It's only two streets away, but it's still a move, especially when you factor in an almost-three-year-old and two rambunctious dogs!  We are looking forward to the following things about our new apartment:

• a fenced in backyard
• brand new windows
• a third bedroom...ahem...guests!!!
• lots more living space
• a dining area
• a sunporch
• a dishwasher (hallelujah!)
• a dry basement
• a two car garage
• staying in the same neighborhood
• living across the street from great friends, The Oliver Family!
• however God chooses to use this house for ministry to others

Things we will miss about our current place:

• being right next door to one of Stella's best buddies, Emery, and his family, The Hermans
• seeing our neighbors, Jenna and Tim, and catching up via impromptu conversations
• lots of great memories and "firsts" for Stella experienced here
• a wonderful landlord, Norm, who took really good care of us over the past two years

Our last move was on the heels of a foreclosure and was MUCH more emotionally draining than this current move.  We are grateful for how far God has brought us in just two years and for what a wonderful place we are at as a family.  Here's to the next phase of live in our little New Village Neighborhood!

Best Day Ever.

Here are a few of the highlights of my life:

Growing up by the ocean as a kid.

Learning about Jesus for the first time when I was 15 years old.

Meeting Tim and knowing I had found the person I wanted to marry.

My wedding day.

Finding out I was pregnant and having a little GIRL!

Giving birth to Stella.

And please add to the top of the list: 2.19.13 - the day I first painted my daughter's toenails.  Anyone who knows me understands how very much I love having a little girl and this is one small reason why...hopefully for years to come we can enjoy little things like this together:

Stella actually said, "CHEESE!" when I was taking this picture of her foot.

Look at those funny, little feet!!

We decided on "seashell pink" for her first color.

My Own Virgin Mary.

Stella is a very imaginative kid.  She's always coming up with new games to play or solutions to different problems.  Like today for instance, she was playing on the stairs and saw a ball on top of the fridge she wanted to get down.  So, she grabbed another ball and, with one throw, managed to knock the other ball she wanted off the top of the fridge!  This kid isn't even three and she thinks of these things all by herself!

 

One of her most recent games has been pretending to be Mary, the mother of Jesus.  For Christmas we gave Stella a gift from an old friend...one we've held onto since before she was born.  It is an interactive, kids nativity set and Stella has literally not stopped playing with it since Christmas Day.  She makes all the characters from the birth of Christ talk to each other...this morning Mary and the Baby Jesus went shopping for food in a toy SUV while the rest of the cast waited for their return...hysterical!  So, we are sure Stella has been inspired by her hours of play with this precious set to actually pretend to BE Mary.  She carries around a doll, who is Jesus, and either Tim or I play Joseph.  We walk through the house and Stella tells us what to do (she's very controlling, just like her mother).  Her favorite thing to do is to pray over her baby; she even puts on a head covering - usually she uses a white laundry bag which hangs in our back hallway. 

 I know it's just a silly game to her, but I hope the story of the birth of Jesus is setting in to her heart and her mind.  In the meantime, though, I am just incredibly grateful God sent ME a child like Stella...she makes me laugh, she is so bright and creative, and already her light shines so brightly in a dark world!

 

 

"Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:15-17

 

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:16

 



 

Valentine's Day Princess

Our princess has been busy lately!  We are preparing for an exciting move to a new apartment in our current neighborhood; normal life has not slowed down in spite of the upcoming transition.  We've been sick for much of the winter with one cold after another, and yet we've shared some wonderful memories as a family in the midst of our lack of good health.  Here are a few of them:

Stella and Caroline's simulataneous funny faces:

Winter Storm Nemo:

Lots of Mac and Cheese and other comfort foods while sick:

Valentine's Day Surprises from family and friends:

And celebrating our biggest milestone this year - the start of potty training...2 days and going strong!