tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45739134013875160092024-03-13T06:40:04.470-04:00perpendicular pillowsto HIM be the gloryRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-33316347864150879172012-11-24T22:30:00.000-05:002012-11-24T22:30:04.858-05:00Join me at my new siteBlogging friends,<br />
Thanks for coming to perpendicular pillows for our 286 posts!<br />
We're now going to be located at a new location<br />
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<a href="http://simplethankfulradical.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size: x-large;">HERE</span></a><br />
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I hope you check this new one out and enjoy!<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-28773634802258311562012-11-12T10:53:00.000-05:002012-11-12T10:53:01.976-05:00Wonderful weekend!This weekend was such a blessing for us!<br />
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We had the <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2012/11/garage-sale-4-orphans-this-weekend.html">Garage Sale 4 Orphans</a> on Friday night and Saturday morning!!!<br />
We made <strong><span style="font-size: large;">$800!!!</span></strong><br />
I still have a few things to sell online/facebook...hoping we still meet our goal of <strong><span style="font-size: large;">$1000!!!!</span></strong><br />
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<strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEKEND:</strong><br />
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- The MOB that gathered at the end of our driveway while we were pulling things out of the garage Friday night...I have never experienced anything like this...It was downright scary.<br />
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- Lydia (who was in the mob) coming in to make dinner plates for our kids because there were too many kids for the dads to juggle in addition to us wives asking them to come help us with stuff outside :)<br />
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<strong>- Mylin had pigtails (or as she calls it "two ponies") for the first time</strong><br />
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<strong>- Sully starting to eat solid foods :)</strong><br />
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- AND <span style="font-size: large;"><strong>getting his first tooth!</strong></span><span style="font-size: small;"> (with 3 more to follow soon...)</span><br />
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To top it all off, everyone slept all through the night.......I feel like a new woman, this morning!!!!<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-15819879831263653142012-11-09T14:25:00.002-05:002012-11-09T14:25:35.075-05:00Garage Sale 4 Orphans: THIS WEEKEND!<span style="font-size: large;">312 E. South St.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">TONIGHT 5:30pm-7:30pm</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">TOMORROW 8am-noon</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.garagesale4orphans.org/">Garage Sale 4 Orphans</a><br />
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Ever read 7 by Jen Hatmaker?<br />
It changed my life<br />
That is why I am hosting this fundraiser<br />
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I chose <a href="http://www.garagesale4orphans.org/projects/603/"><span style="font-size: large;">this project</span></a> to donate the proceeds to<br />
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I'm praying for <strong><span style="font-size: large;">$1,000</span></strong> to be donated<br />
Pray in faith with me!!!!!!!<br />
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Please come out and support those that have no one to support them<br />
Love the least of these<br />
Protect those that cannot protect themselves<br />
Live like Jesus!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-20231091452499788532012-10-26T14:14:00.002-04:002012-10-26T14:14:40.632-04:00Little Miss photographerBeware: picture overload...<br />
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Mylin's favorite new hobby this week has been photographing herself, her family, and the house...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Disclaimer: I am <strong>not responsible</strong> for my upsurd faces - I did not know if she was <em>actually even taking pictures</em> and when they might include my crazy mug......</span><br />
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Huh - I must have taken this one...</div>
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We were baking...</div>
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SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-72872647204439993192012-10-22T14:54:00.000-04:002012-10-22T14:54:26.811-04:00My war is not against flesh and bloodLittle can be sweeter than victory after nasty defeat!<br />
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Naptime and bedtime still rages war in our home.<br />
We have prayed, and <em>prayed</em>, and <strong>PRAYED</strong> over this situation<br />
We have sought so much (wise) counsel as to how to 'break' Mylin of getting out of bed, or how to 'make' her obedient, and how to do it lovingly, or patiently, or absent of anger<br />
But let me tell you - for a girl who struggles with an angry heart - this has been <strong>HARD</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Today I was blessed with some very encouraging counsel from my mentor (thank you, Mom Life!!!)<br />
I was reminded that <strong>this is my highest calling</strong> - to care for, teach, and train these children God has blessed us with<br />
I quit my job for this - a job that I loved...but also used as a 'break' from being a mom<br />
That is not where God wanted my heart<br />
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Satan <em>loves</em> to remind me that I could get my job back - or get so flooded with opportunities to serve, or volunteer, or fill my days with 'stuff' that keeps me away from my focus on my children<br />
But Satan's work gets so skewed in my mind and I find myself being angry at Mylin for not staying in bed and not going to sleep and manipulating me<br />
Or I get mad at Joel for 'messing up' our routine by being home and wanting to take over naptime on the weekends (uh, hello - this is a team effort, Rachel - get over yourself and let go of the reins...)<br />
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But my war is NOT against flesh and blood<br />
Joel so wisely reminded me a few weekends ago:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"We're on the same team"</span><br />
Wow, you're right - so why am I so mad at you?!?!?<br />
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Get behind (me) us, Satan!<br />
We need to put on our armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) of God daily and remember that we (Joel & I) are united in Christ and fighting with Him agains the evil one.<br />
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I so appreciated this reminder and the flood of refreshment it brought to my mind, heart, and spirit<br />
God is using this <strong>to teach me self-control</strong>...how can I expect my 2 year old to have it, when I cannot even display it during a routine naptime?!?!<br />
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This is all about training her heart too...that obedience <em><strong>to</strong></em> mommy is done out of love <em><strong>for</strong></em> mommy<br />
Just like mommy is obedient to God out of her love (and sacrifice of self) to Him<br />
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God is using this tiny, frustrating, beautiful, big-grinned, silly goose 2 year old to train my heart<br />
Thank you, God, for an adorable lesson :)<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-67911876161246328002012-10-14T13:47:00.000-04:002012-10-14T13:47:00.274-04:00House Rules and Family ValuesIn our house we have been trying to establish ways to build character in this little sweetie:<br />
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So I've adapted some tools from my sister-in-law Jill (LOVE her) - that she used with her kids as toddlers<br />
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House Rules:<br />
1. Love God<br />
2. Obey Right Away<br />
3. Have a Happy Heart (Jill's was 'Tell the Truth')<br />
4. Be Kind<br />
5. Work Hard<br />
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Over the last several weeks we've been reciting these with Mylin with a corresponding finger on her hand - an easy way for her to remember, right?!<br />
It has worked great - she enjoys learning them and saying them and often asks us "Which one is this?" and holds up any number of fingers, wanting us to tell her which is which again :)<br />
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Today, Joel brought up that 'Be Kind' is an outward expression of relating to others, not a heart issue, and wondered if we should change, adapt, or add another rule on to address the heart of how we treat others<br />
Then we discussed maybe having family values (much like the list of verses in 1 Thessalonians 12-22) as a separate part of character building in our home - something that older children can learn, but not as simple as what the toddler will memorize...<br />
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What are your thoughts on this?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>What house rules or family values do you live by in your home?</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>What evidences of character building do your children memorize?</em></strong></span><br />
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We would love to have more ideas!!!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-45622256482874836232012-10-10T10:09:00.000-04:002012-10-10T10:09:00.156-04:00The praying mantis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A few weeks ago we found a praying mantis while playing!</div>
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Mylin got her chair and shades and sat down to watch it :)</div>
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Then our silly daddy made a funny pose one day that I captured on camera that fits the description of this blog...</div>
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Seriously. I love this guy.</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-15096923724903343782012-10-06T22:02:00.000-04:002012-10-06T22:02:00.219-04:00Another photo shootWe do this a lot from the 3:30-4:30 hour in the afternoons...which is after nap time and before Joel arrives home from work<br />
We are anxious and silly and slaphappy :)<br />
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She is to die for. No one wonder Jesus did.<br />
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I can't wait to watch their love for each other grow - it is already blossoming!<br />
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Wow. Thanks, God!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-22074735418578524732012-10-03T06:22:00.000-04:002012-10-03T06:22:00.205-04:00Simple Pleasures: Birthday edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
September 27th: 28 years old.</div>
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I had more simple pleasures that day than I can count...but I did take a picture of a few...</div>
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Simple pleasures: Birthday edition</div>
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Getting told 'Happy Birthday' by Joel just after midnight</div>
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Joel taking the day off work!</div>
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AND granting me 3 wishes (uh, hello - PERFECT simple gift idea!)</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/October-Baby-DVD-Rachel-Hendrix/dp/B008KZ06A6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349202993&sr=8-2&keywords=october+baby">October Baby</a> - I am so excited to watch!</div>
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Spending the morning playing:</div>
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Having one of my favorite people came over to surprise me!!!</div>
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Mom staying at our house for about an hour and a half while Joel and I go to the State Park for a walk</div>
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Finding some yummy mushrooms (hairy manes) that we fried up for dinner that night!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(don't worry - Joel's a mushroom hunter enthusist and knows what is edible and what is deadly)</span></div>
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Surprise lunch from one of my favorite restaurants: Tyeger's! </div>
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Family pictures</div>
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Joel building Mylin a fun fort</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(how cute is she in her Hello Kitty shirt and skinny jeans?!)</span></div>
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Trying to get pictures of my little buddy smiling - but the light of my camera flash was too intriguing!</div>
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Ending the night watching episodes of FRIENDS and lounging - a perfect day together!!!</div>
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Then on Saturday we got to go out to celebrate!</div>
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Simple pleasures of our date:</div>
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<a href="http://www.clubsodafortwayne.com/our-menus/dinner.html">'The Tile'</a> at Club Soda</div>
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A Sundae at <a href="http://www.debrand.com/shop/ice-cream-toppings.cfm">DeBrands</a> (my 'wish #3')</div>
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(wish #1 - getting a blanket out of car for me to sit on since swing on deck was wet...wish #2 - to hug and kiss and compliment me in abundance all day)</div>
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Home early to put our babies to bed and relax!</div>
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<strong>Thanks, honey - for knowing how to make me feel special and making sure it happens!</strong></div>
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<strong>I love you!</strong></div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-62671558442047630182012-09-29T20:56:00.000-04:002012-09-29T20:56:00.592-04:00Black & WhiteGod is doing a transformation in me.<br />
I have notoriously been a rule-follower, legalistic, naive, black & white thinker (and do-er)<br />
It seems as if He is now taking away the lines on my page and I am blindly coloring all over the place!<br />
<br />
I quit my job<br />
<br />
I don't know how or when I am going to get my hours to sit for my licensure exam <span style="font-size: x-small;">(even if you ask me...I </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">still don't know how! And why does everyone ask me? How do you all even know what this is and that I have to work towards it?!)</span><br />
<br />
I let dishes stack in the sink<br />
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I let Mylin pull out all the tupperware in the drawer and play with on the floor <strike>that I haven't swept in a week.</strike> And then just put them right back in the drawer<br />
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I have patience<br />
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I am becoming flexible in my once rigid schedule<br />
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I realize that even processes with stated rules will look different when people (who are all different) are involved<br />
<br />
I will not get as much time to myself as I want to<br />
<br />
I can cancel plans because I am too anxious, rushed, tired, exhausted, or over-scheduled<br />
<br />
I can say no to commitments or opportunities<br />
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I will have to die to myself every day - and each day that will look differently - if I am going to whole-heartedly be obedient to Christ<br />
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<br />
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I don't know about you - but this is <strong>freeing</strong> to me!<br />
I thought it would be painstaking (and some if it can be) but overall, I am thankful for how God is radically molding me<br />
Lord, help me to be clay in <strong><em>your</em></strong> hands, and not my ownRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-25915469309653486862012-09-26T12:32:00.001-04:002012-09-26T12:32:19.576-04:00Simple PleasuresIn dedication to our Mom Life discussion today, I am going to try to start blogging once a week about 'simple pleasures'<br />
I rarely have time to blog (or make time to blog) right now, but this will be a quick and easy way to stay at it!<br />
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<strong>This week's simple pleasures:</strong><br />
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open windows<br />
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candle scents<br />
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rainy days<br />
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12:04 (when Joel gets home for lunch)<br />
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Sully's happy noises<br />
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Mylin singing to Sully when he cries<br />
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baking cinnamon rolls<br />
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eating cinnamon rolls :)<br />
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my favorite sheets on the bed this week<br />
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hairbows in 2 year old's hair<br />
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fellowship with friends<br />
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reminder my of my name's meaning<br />
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being the first one kissed when daddy gets home<br />
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God's renewal and strength to endure and enjoy each day<br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What were your simple pleasures this week?!</span></em></strong>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-16871242140908193132012-09-15T20:18:00.000-04:002012-09-15T20:18:25.901-04:00Autumn at the Draper'sToday we have been celebrating autumn's early arrival in our kitchen!<br />
We got 2 bushels of apples and stayed up until 1:15am last night/this morning making and freezing applesauce!<br />
We were at it again by 8am canning the rest of our tart and tangy applesauce<br />
AND making some yummy desserts:<br />
1. <a href="http://changingmydestiny.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/crockpot-apple-butter/">Apple butter</a><br />
2. <a href="http://northcarolinacharm.blogspot.com/">Pumpkin pie dip</a><br />
3. Cinnamon and pumpkin cheesecake<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">crescent rolls layed out on bottom of 13x9, topped with pumpkin, cream cheese, and sugar mixture w/ cinnamon chips. Top that with more crescent rolls and then cinnamon sugary butter goodness. Bake at 350 until golden brown :)</span><br />
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Also, it is 2pm while I type this...everyone is napping in the house but me, and we still haven't showered...<br />
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I LOVE these kind of days :)<br />
<em><strong></strong></em><br />
And so this blog isn't too dull and boring - a photo shoot I took with the babes in August... :)<br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What are you favorite foods to make when the weather turns colder?!</span></em></strong></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-50003856885491210902012-09-04T11:10:00.000-04:002012-09-04T11:10:52.365-04:00The kiddos, lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This past week we've had a lot changing around our house!</div>
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Little Mister 3 month old decided he'd like to sleep 12 hours a night and go down to 4 feedings a day.</div>
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Ok :)</div>
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And then Little Miss silly goose has been gladly obliging to potty breaks every hour or so and often keeps her diaper dry throughout the majority of the day!</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Is this for real?!?!</span></strong></div>
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We still are getting up each night to either:</div>
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1. soothe the 2 year old scares (I hear a lot of parents say at 2 kids start waking up with nightmares/dreams/being scared)</div>
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2. soothe baby boy until morning</div>
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3. pump Sully some milk</div>
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4. lay awake and talk because we're not used to getting the opportunity to sleep this much!</div>
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Now, don't let me just gloat and not tell you the goory details either...</div>
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The first day I tried underwear with Mylin?</div>
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She pooped in them. At my in-laws. While Joel was busy.</div>
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For reals?!</div>
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Yuck.</div>
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Thankfully my mother-in-law rocks and she totally washed them for us :)</div>
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So then I stuck Mylin in a new pair and she went out side with her Aunt and totally peed in them like immediately</div>
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Ok Rachel, looks like you're a little zealous with the underwear...</div>
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<strong>ALSO...</strong></div>
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We loved having a long weekend this past week and kicked it off by hosting a 'Notre Dame playing in Dublin, Ireland viewing brunch party' (that was the official name) Saturday morning</div>
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We had 3 of our 4 parents, 4 other couples, a 6 year old, four 2 year olds, and two infants in our house for the shenanigans :)</div>
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Great food, fun fellowship, and dividing the chaos between all of us - I love hosting and creating community in our home!</div>
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Here's a Draper Irish picture from that morning </div>
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(Oh yes, Mylin totally has a Hello Kitty Irish shirt!)</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-60111422993449283642012-09-02T06:37:00.000-04:002012-09-02T06:37:00.313-04:00Obedience: HealthWell, I know this is no news flash...but I <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2012/06/sullivans-story.html">had a baby 3 months ago</a> (Yay Sully is 3 months old already!!!)<br />
That means that I'm on the way down from a huge weight gain<br />
<br />
With Mylin I gained 35 pounds over the 9 months I was pregnant with her and lost it in about 4 months<br />
And then I gained <em><strong>40</strong></em> pounds with my big boy this past year!! (He <strong><em>was</em></strong> a pound bigger than her at birth....) <br />
And here I am, 13 weeks later looking at how to lose the rest of my baby weight with him...<br />
<br />
I had been struggling to lose the last 15 for over a month...but I had 7 of those MELT AWAY the last 2 weeks!!!<br />
And this is how I think I did it:<br />
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1. Breastfeed my baby boy! This helps the pounds come off and my mood stay elevated (which in turn effects everything else in a positive way!)<br />
<br />
2. Started reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Made-Crave-Satisfying-Deepest-Desire/dp/031029326X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346092032&sr=1-1&keywords=made+to+crave+by+lysa+terkeurst">Made to Crave</a> by Lysa TerKeurst<br />
- basically, it's all about how God created us to crave...but that is meant for Him, not food, sex, shopping, smoking, drinking, facebook checking, desserts, etc. etc...<br />
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3. I've begun to <strong>add</strong> these things to my diet:<br />
- attempting to drink as much water as 'prescribed': 8 8oz glasses a day<br />
- eating at least 1 apple a day - which contains pectin, which naturally gels and slows down my digestion, keeping me fuller for longer<br />
- eating a spinach and fruit smoothie every afternoon (I make with fruit juice, so I still get the not-so-good-for-me sugar)<br />
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4. I've begun to <strong>eliminate</strong> these things from my diet:<br />
- cow's milk: it's natural job is to make big baby calves into even bigger adult cows...<br />
- bread: this has been hard - I LOVE my breads...but I'm open to learning and experimenting to baking gluten free and substituting peanut butter toast to start my morning with peanut butter and apples...<br />
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Next on my list is oatmeal - something I don't love...but think I can experiment with and enjoy!<br />
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What I'm <strong><em>not</em></strong> giving up: All sugar. I love dessert, cake, brownies, cookies, and ice cream. And dove chocolate. And rolos. And hershey's kisses :)<br />
And here lately <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-homemade-vanilla-ice-cream/">homemade ice cream</a> - from a super simple recipe that I don't even need an ice cream maker for!!!<br />
(If you don't want to crave these extra calories you better not click on that link!)<br />
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So while I do want to decrease my sugar intake - I am still going to enjoy a good dessert once in awhile (just not 6 cookies during naptime while I facebook...)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So...I'm looking for more ideas!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shout out to <a href="http://notyouraverageamericans.blogspot.com/">Kami</a> and <a href="http://leslieamorris.blogspot.com/">Leslie</a> who have blazed the trail before me!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>Send me over your best kept health secrets (if they aren't that big of secrets!)</em></strong></span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-60007804109606445862012-08-26T06:00:00.000-04:002012-08-26T06:00:01.087-04:00Obedience: Baptism<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to Go through Christ Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you use to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."</span><br />
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<strong>Romans 6</strong></div>
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I could write a lot about why Joel and I decided to get baptized today...</div>
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For me, it was hiding behind infant baptism, pride, and just plain being disobedient...</div>
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But nothing can explain why I am being obedient now like reading this chapter from God's Word.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you, Lord, for new and eternal life!</span></strong></div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-38164835388275441772012-08-18T16:29:00.000-04:002012-08-18T16:34:51.473-04:00The busy stay-at-home mom...Obedience: ParentingOh to be a stay-at-home mom...<br />
<br />
Lately I have been on a quest to understand what God would have me to do as a mom of young children...<br />
<br />
When Mylin was born I was attending Huntington University full-time, considering myself a stay-at-home mom, but busy <strong>up to my eyeballs</strong> with learning how to be a counselor through classes and lots (and lots and lots and tons and tons) of homework and research<br />
Then I graduated!! <br />
I immediately began working 2 days a week as a counselor, which is <em>technically</em> part-time, but I also joined the leadership team of a community ministry called Mom Life, which took up 1 day a week of my time and energy...<br />
With those two other days at home a week I would cram errands into one day and a playdate or out-of-town shopping trip into the other<br />
Not to mention I was involved in other ministry's at church and tried to keep up with saying 'yes' to every opportunity we had...notre dame games, Joel's golfing on weekends or camping trips with friends, going to Michigan for long weekends with family, weddings, showers, parties, couple dates, etc. etc. etc.<br />
So basically I was always on the go, stopping only for a brief time at home in the early afternoons when Mylin would nap and so would I<br />
When she was awake I'd be constantly torn between her, housework, preparing meals, reading books, watching ellen, checking facebook, reading blogs, browsing target.com, writing blogs, texting, and visits to our parent's houses<br />
I was going at break-neck speed with my young daughter's life, <em><strong>not enjoying being in the moment</strong></em><br />
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Can any of you relate?!<br />
<br />
And then Sully was born.<br />
I'm on maternity leave from work - able to be at home, truly full-time, for the entire summer<br />
After my recovery from his birth, I found myself skirting back into this psychotic over-booked schedule...<br />
<br />
One of the first times God gently nudged my heart in simplifying this area was after I spent a morning with a <a href="http://hut-sweet-hut.blogspot.com/">friend</a> who has 3 young children<br />
While planning for us to get together with our 5 children born in less than 2 years...she told me it would be easier for me to come there...since she had 2 boys in carseats and it was hard for her to get out!<br />
God spoke to me on my drive home from this playdate about how I feel like I <strong><em>have</em></strong> to do all of the above explained things (work, ministries, errands, playdates, etc.) but...that is <strong><em>my choice</em></strong>, not my lot.<br />
And immediately I decided I do not have to try to go to the grocery alone with an infant and 2 year old...I don't have to go to all the mom's events offered in our community and put my crying 2 year old in another new nursery setting (another occurence of this summer that has encouraged me to change my perspectiveof what I 'need' to do)<br />
This gave me the beginning of a feeling that had been elusive - FREEDOM!<br />
The freedom I had been previously seeking was freedom from my responsibilities as a mom...not freedom from the obligations that made mothering seem bottom on my list<br />
<br />
Then I had another <a href="http://leslieamorris.blogspot.com/">like-minded friend</a> over for a quick supper and catch-up<br />
We were discussing obligations, opportunities, sacrifices, and parenting<br />
And God nudged me again...<br />
For the first time, the thought crossed my mind that even though I may consider myself a stay-at-home mom, that even though I may not be employed or have an income (currently - because of maternity leave), that <em><strong>doesn't mean I'm not 'working'</strong></em>- even full-time, away from my family!<br />
Wow...is this really how God desired me to spend my time that I had designated for my children?<br />
To be full of on-the-go activities?<br />
So on-the-go that I am not able to be home, be still, and enjoy the gifts that God has given me to protect, care for, teach, and train for this short time?<br />
I think not.<br />
<br />
And so I am re-evaluating<br />
Being a stay-at-home mom is difficult for me<br />
I always thought I would love the balance of working part-time and staying at home part-time<br />
But why do I desire the time away from my children?<br />
Because I love my job and know that I am gifted in that area and blessed with the flexible schedule it offers?<br />
Or because I think I need/deserve a break from them?<br />
<br />
If God is going to use anything in my life to teach me how to be more like Him and how He views me, as his child - it will be parenting.<br />
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So, here I am, <strike>reluctantly</strike> embracing the role of being the stay-at-home mom<br />
But not in our culture's most recognized sense...but as a woman who wakes up each day, tries to simplify her plans, and keep her children first - her priority<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klAQ83GzZ5c/UC_8Yfft3jI/AAAAAAAABm8/ouKA3lVUys0/s1600/July&August+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klAQ83GzZ5c/UC_8Yfft3jI/AAAAAAAABm8/ouKA3lVUys0/s320/July&August+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is something I have to remind myself of multiple times during the day...and isn't always something I 'enjoy' - but I am realizing that I do not need to compare myself horizontally to other moms and live up to their standard, but vertically, to my God, who has so much more planned for me through His plan that I don't always understand, and sometimes struggle to survive<br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Seriously, does anyone else feel like this?!?!</span></em></strong><br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-79570040865804963982012-08-13T20:40:00.002-04:002012-08-13T20:41:06.836-04:00Obedience: simplificationI am attempting to begin a 'series' on our blog about OBEDIENCE in all of it's forms...we'll see how this goes!<br />
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God has laid on our hearts the journey to simplify our lives over the last several years<br />
The <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2010/10/simplification.html">beginning</a><br />
The <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-simplification.html">one year update</a><br />
<br />
In the beginning of this journey, we had very specific ideas of what simplification looked like (see 'beginning' post link)<br />
Now, a few years later, this striving for simplicity has become a craving...an <em><strong>insistance</strong></em> in my life<br />
Every day I am looking around the house thinking:<br />
What can we get rid of?<br />
What can we sell?<br />
Who should we give this away to instead of selling it?<br />
Who can we bless with this money?<br />
How can we be more responsible with what we have been given?<br />
How can I avoid getting too much stuff?<br />
Which room/cupboard/storage box can I sort through today?<br />
<br />
Now, before you think 'Wow, they are selfless. Look how much they think of others,' <strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">stop yourself</span></strong>...because we are selfish, prideful, greedy sinners.<br />
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It is only by God's goodness and grace that He has intervened in our lives this way and is changing our hearts to resemble His more<br />
<br />
In the beginning I felt attached to 'things' and 'stuff'<br />
Over the years of simplifying our life I have learned what it means to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth...<br />
This stuff isn't coming with me!<br />
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I have gained so much <strong><span style="font-size: large;">FREEDOM </span></strong>from this life change!<br />
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- I don't need paintings and art on my walls - give me pictures of my handsome husband and adorable children<br />
- Our kids do not need gifts for birthdays, Christmas, or ever, really - let's save our money to get them what they need, when they need it...not getting the habit of getting them what they want when our culture says they deserve presents<br />
- Let's celebrate our marriage by spending time together alone, reconnecting and romancing each other - we don't need new gadgets, jewelry, or expensive surprises<br />
- We don't need to shower family with gifts for every holiday, accomplishment, or get together - let's spend quality time together, having real, vulnerable conversations about Jesus: <em>those</em> will last forever...<br />
- Let's be careful with our 'yes's' to protect our time together as a young family - let's minister where we are called, and say no to spend time together playing, teaching, and learning from each other<br />
- I don't want to feel so possessive over things or people that are not even mine - God gave me my husband, children, and family for a short time...but they are not mine forever, they are His! I am called to care and love for them as He would have me for now...protecting, leading, and guiding them towards Him for an eternity in paradise<br />
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How have you learned to simplify your stuff, relationships, and life?!<br />
I challenge you, too, to get down deep inside and consider how <strong><em>else</em></strong> you can simplify your life - enjoy the freedom it brings you!!!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-21573063689556104002012-08-06T08:56:00.001-04:002012-08-06T09:00:27.371-04:0072 hour reunion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last weekend we had the blessing of having the entire Merkle family together for nearly 72 hours.</div>
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My brother Adam (who lives in Alabama with his wife and 4 kids) came back for a long weekend with us before he took the family to Illinois for a few weeks to spend time with Jill's family</div>
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The weekend flew by and I barely got any pictures...but I did manage to capture these few!</div>
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We went to the state park where all 8 of the 10 grandkids climbed this: </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6kUmJd_gqyk/UA3y59kwXGI/AAAAAAAABmQ/Y_l9iAM0Zto/s1600/Merkle+visit+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6kUmJd_gqyk/UA3y59kwXGI/AAAAAAAABmQ/Y_l9iAM0Zto/s320/Merkle+visit+002.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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(Including Miss Mylin!)</div>
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And we enjoyed eating lots of meals full of lots of food together </div>
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We made sure to plan some games of Catan and Qwirkle and stay up way too late!</div>
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We pushed each other's kids on swings and chased them around the yard</div>
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I had to paint Maddie's finger and toenails (she was looking forward to getting to use Aunt Rachel's polish..)</div>
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We read lots of stories and played with legos, read ridiculous children's books and laid around watching our kids figure it all out with each other</div>
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God has been so good granting our family with 10 kids in 8 years to grow up together!</div>
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Here's a couple shots of the 8 older grandkids</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLc1xeOQhrA/UA3zFzb5AEI/AAAAAAAABmY/HFtkPmA8764/s1600/Merkle+visit+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLc1xeOQhrA/UA3zFzb5AEI/AAAAAAAABmY/HFtkPmA8764/s320/Merkle+visit+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnAbYRRlhRU/UA3zRlqzY_I/AAAAAAAABmg/mw_qZyJhMcc/s1600/Merkle+visit+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnAbYRRlhRU/UA3zRlqzY_I/AAAAAAAABmg/mw_qZyJhMcc/s320/Merkle+visit+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a couple of the 2 brand new ones</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bGuYcs9Zu5Q/UA3zdPyEiDI/AAAAAAAABmo/kfI9aO_gy6U/s1600/Merkle+visit+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bGuYcs9Zu5Q/UA3zdPyEiDI/AAAAAAAABmo/kfI9aO_gy6U/s320/Merkle+visit+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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(w/ Uncle Stephen)</div>
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It was a blessed time together - we hadn't all been together since last December - and likely will not for another year or more!</div>
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We had some family pictures taken too (try getting 20 people, 10 of them children to all look at the camera at the same time...) which I will be posting later!</div>
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Thanks for continuing to read even though my posts are few and far between these days</div>
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I think I have 5 drafts ready to write...on gardening, obedience (parenting, to God, and more), and Mylin's birth story - can you believe I never wrote that out?!</div>
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What are the most recent family reunion activities you have done together?!</span></em></strong></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-88465735636763242742012-07-23T20:39:00.000-04:002012-07-23T20:39:29.212-04:00Oh my goodness..."Oh my goodness" is a phrase we use in our house a lot - and by 'we' I mean myself, Joel and Miss Mylin<br />
It is HILARIOUS hearing it come out of her mouth!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIq3t_RQRxA/UA3uI6hGgJI/AAAAAAAABmE/NbW0i-2loU0/s1600/Merkle+visit+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIq3t_RQRxA/UA3uI6hGgJI/AAAAAAAABmE/NbW0i-2loU0/s320/Merkle+visit+001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(winter hat...90+ degrees...)</span></div>
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What is not hilarious is a few incidents in our day today...<br />
<br />
This morning Mylin took off her jammies and put on her clothes all by herself - <strong>YAY</strong>!!!<br />
During alone playtime though, she just took off her clothes <em><strong>AND</strong></em> diaper, and didn't put anything else on...<br />
So when I came up to get her she was wiping her pee off the wood floor with her shirt.<br />
What seemed something to rejoice over and put in her baby book in the morning was now something to sigh over and put in her baby book by lunchtime <br />
:)<br />
<br />
THEN we had the Zesto's incident<br />
Yogurt in a cone dipped in chocolate is absolutely one of my favorite summer treats<br />
I always ask Joel to go and he rarely agrees (very very sad, pouty face from me...)<br />
So this afternoon after naptime I thought I'd take the kids to Zesto's myself<br />
I decided I would just rough it and eat the cone in the car (instead of in the sweaty heat) and let Mylin enjoy a shake in her carseat<br />
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That ended up being my first very large, messy, stressful mistake.<br />
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Not only did she keep getting pieces of strawberry stuck in her straw that I had to suck out...Sully began to shriek which caused me, holding my melty dream dessert, to go from one side of the car to the other to help/soothe my kids<br />
I was already making a big mess by dripping when I decided to just head for home, hoping Sully would calm down and I could get Mylin back to sit with her and help her eat her shake<br />
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That was my second very large, messy, stressful mistake<br />
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Not only did Sully scream louder, Mylin (we all knew this was coming) spilled her shake not on the floor...but in her carseat.<br />
She began screaming and crying (both out of shock and disappointment) and I pulled over immediately<br />
Upon surveying the damage I threw my cone in the trash because I knew I couldn't set it down or finish it before I had to help them out<br />
I scrambled over the console into the backseat and tried to pacify Sullivan while calming down Mylin<br />
Luckily (I thought) there were towels in the back from our trip to the pool yesterday<br />
I reached for those to clean up the mess and realized THAT was what smelled like a rotten diaper in our vehicle - not the rotten diaper I assumed had rolled under a seat somewhere...<br />
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So there I was, with a stinky rotten towel mopping up sticky runny shake in between to screaming crying children<br />
It may have only lasted 5 minutes - but it was the worst 5 minutes of my life since becoming a parent of 2.<br />
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No more solo trips for treats for awhile :)<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-44016703639318186932012-07-14T20:29:00.001-04:002012-07-14T20:45:45.868-04:006 week quick updateOur Sullivan Joel is 6 weeks old today!<br />
He rang in at 11 lbs and 10 oz at his check up on Monday :) a big boy!<br />
We're not surprised - Mylin was in the 90 % for weight through her entire first year<br />
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Little man has just started to smirk this week - a half smile :)</div>
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He eats every 2 1/2 - 3 hours during the day and 3 - 5 at night</div>
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He 'goes to bed' the same time Mylin does each night which gives Joel and I dependable alone time together each evening - such a blessing and necessity!</div>
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I'm really enjoying being at home with our 2 sweet babes each day</div>
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I have many moments like this:</div>
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and this:</div>
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There are MANY more where no one is smiling and I do not want to snap a shot to remember them...but those are to be expected as well :)</div>
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Just tonight I realized, instead of letting the enemy win over my emotions and becoming angry, resentful, and bitter that I am up at least twice a night and feel tired most days...I'm going to rejoice in our predictable nighttime schedule</div>
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I am thankful that I got the kids out 5 mornings this week for long walks on the greenway, talking to Mylin about birds, the river, bullfrogs, and trees</div>
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I don't have to keep worrying about how I'm going to survive the day - I want to transform my mind to be still and be in the moment with my sweet babies, enjoying cuddling, reading, nursing, talking, teaching, and training</div>
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It's all in my perspective - all about God's lesson of 'dying to self'</div>
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Earlier this week I prayed that He would give me opportunities to do this...(why would I ever pray that?!?!)</div>
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And I laughed yesterday morning when I was frustrated, remembering I 'asked' for it...I desire to become more like Him - and He is coming through in giving me those opportunities to be obedient to that request :) </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">(coming soon: a Draper series on Obedience in many facets of our life)</span></strong></div>
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God has also been teaching Joel and I the lesson that these children are not ours - they are <strong><span style="font-size: large;">His</span></strong></div>
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This is a scary lesson and can fill me with fear...but I know fear is not from our Lord...so even though I want to control these children...their safety, success, and their lives, that control is only <em>my illusion</em></div>
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I would never want to have to live a day in this family without my husband either...but I know that God is bigger than all these fears and whatever happens in our life, He is not only in control, but it is all happening so He can get the glory</div>
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And above all else - that is my heart's desire!</div>
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I love every minute with my cherubs and my knight...I hope God grants us many many more minutes together</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-31285196856077983442012-07-04T19:57:00.000-04:002012-07-04T19:57:00.188-04:00How I surviveDoes anyone else feel like they are just surviving?<br />
This last week has definitely felt like that for me<br />
The fact that I make it from 6:30am to 11pm is a miracle some days!<br />
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Here are a few reasons why I do survive!<br />
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1. I <strong><em>shower every morning</em></strong> - some days this is the only time I am alone, without holding someone, having someone touching me, or feeding someone!<br />
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2. I <strong><em>wear Sully</em></strong> in a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/58607008/ready-to-ship-baby-wrap-sling-carrier?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=snuggy+baby&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_ref=auto1&ga_search_type=all">SnuggyBaby</a>. This provides me to do a lot hands free - like swinging Mylin, picking produce out of our garden, changing Mylin's diapers, or chasing her around the dining room table (a current favorite, "Mommy, run run run!"). A lot of times I wear him because he loves to be upright with his head tilted back staring at my face. I love this too! But don't have the luxury to just sit there for the 30 minutes that he enjoys this actvity :)<br />
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3. I am constantly <strong><em>praying</em></strong> for God to 'fill in the gaps' for me - I wake up thinking "Today is the day that I won't be able to make it/take it anymore" So I immediately pray for patience and grace - and where I fall short in those, God, please make up the difference!<br />
An excerpt from Forgotten God by Francis Chan explains it this way:<br />
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"You are most likely familiar with the 'fruit passage' in Galatians 5, which says, 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law' (v 22-23). You may even ahve the list memorized. But look over those traits right now and ask yourself if you possess each to a supernatural degree. Do you exhibit more kindness and faithfulness than the Mormons you know? Do you have more self-control than your Muslim friends? More peac than Buddhists? More joy than atheists? If GOD truly lives in you, shouldn't you expect to be different than everyone else?<br />
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What disturbs me most is when we're not really bothered that God living <em>in</em> us has not made much of a noticeable difference. Most churchgoers are content to find a bit of peace rather than a 'peace of God, which surpasses all understanding' (Phil. 4:7). We want just enough peace to survive the week (or perhaps even the day).<br />
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Certainly there have been times in my life when just getting through the day was possible only with God's supernatural help and presence. You might understand the kind of desperate season I am talking about; most of us have experienced times like this - times when we really do have to ask for peace and sustenance every ten minutes. But what I am talking about is when we live our lives this way, when every day of our lives we are just barely hanging on, looking no different from the rest of the world.<br />
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When we exhibit the peace that surpasses the world's understanding, that's when the world notices. <em>That's</em> when people say, 'Your Lord - He is God!'"<br />
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4. Joel and I are in <strong><em>constant communication</em></strong> about our feelings, emotions, priorities, and expectations. Granted, this often happens at like 10:30 at night - or sometimes even at 3am...but we have to make each other a priority even when we're tired or we'd never have alone time at all! We make our marriage a priority because that came first, before the sweet kiddos, and that will last long after they are raised and have moved on...we have to nurture this relationship above all other earthly ones.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>What do you do to survive the newborn stage?</em></strong></span><br />
Don't get me wrong, I do thoroughly enjoy it as well...but some days it's all about making it to bedtime :)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-4574331743580381282012-07-02T12:43:00.000-04:002012-07-02T12:43:00.244-04:00Birthday party/Birthday girlOn <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2012/06/little-miss-2-year-old.html">Monday</a> our sweet Mylin Hadassah turned 2!<br />
Here's a recap in pictures of her small party with family and her celebration on her special day!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mykRshzCSRs/T-5K1Aur-QI/AAAAAAAABjI/2HdRjNDHcoU/s1600/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mykRshzCSRs/T-5K1Aur-QI/AAAAAAAABjI/2HdRjNDHcoU/s320/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> I love how you can tell she just woke up!!! (surprise - her castle was full of balloons!!!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Birthday pancakes - WITH sprinkles!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WxbUGHnkrLc/T-5LX78A63I/AAAAAAAABjg/sePoMwzlb08/s1600/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WxbUGHnkrLc/T-5LX78A63I/AAAAAAAABjg/sePoMwzlb08/s320/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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While we didn't get an official picture - this does happen to have Mylin with all of my brother David's family - Uncle David, Aunt Jayna, new baby cousin Elliot, and cousins Glenn and Luke</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fejO4rAMMbQ/T-5LiJ6Dh2I/AAAAAAAABjo/EALcPyrtZ1s/s1600/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fejO4rAMMbQ/T-5LiJ6Dh2I/AAAAAAAABjo/EALcPyrtZ1s/s320/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Joel and Mylin with his forever best friend from birth, Trent, and his daughter, Gabriella</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRwEA4zCQyo/T-5MDTed01I/AAAAAAAABkA/E-bh5ebujok/s1600/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRwEA4zCQyo/T-5MDTed01I/AAAAAAAABkA/E-bh5ebujok/s320/Mylin%2527s+2nd+birthday+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Birthday morning playing outside on our new used slide/swingset!!!</div>
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So excited about her present from us!</div>
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A packnplay, bouncer, carseat, high chair, and baby backpack for her doll - which I totally found at a garage sale for $5 - score!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yep, that's a matching outfit her and 'Shelby' are wearing - compliments of Grandma!</span></div>
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Ending the fun day with a birthday bike ride with dad!</div>
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<strong>We are blessed.</strong></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-52230729249446539762012-06-30T08:19:00.000-04:002012-06-30T08:19:00.322-04:00Schedules/RoutinesThere is so much I could write in this post!<br />
Today I am creating it because of how well our 'alone playtime' has been going at the Draper house<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t4UdHJJ6ryQ/T-iGTQoKCiI/AAAAAAAABi8/bbfhNvRMiYQ/s1600/random+June+'12+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t4UdHJJ6ryQ/T-iGTQoKCiI/AAAAAAAABi8/bbfhNvRMiYQ/s320/random+June+'12+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">no her alone playtime does not take place on the train at the zoo...</span></div>
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Quick review of our scheduled routine evolution...<br />
As an infant Mylin fell into a nice natural routine of beginning to sleep through the night (7-8 hours) around 2 1/2 months old.<br />
This worked well for several weeks and then around 4-5 months old she began waking up again through the night and wanting to eat (when you nurse this is a simple solution and you are desperate to oblige - so then your infant gets used to that again!)<br />
So, by 6 months we were back to a child not sleeping through the night :(<br />
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A few friends of mine really encouraged us to commit to sleep training her for 1 week<br />
They promised us that if we committed to it for a week it would work!<br />
And what did we have to lose?<br />
She was already keeping us up and getting us up...if it didn't work we wouldn't be any worse off!<br />
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So we did the sleep training and it worked in like 4 days!<br />
It was bliss!<br />
At 6 months of age she began sleeping 12-14 hours every night!<br />
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We had to <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2012/04/big-girl-bed.html">re-do</a> some of it and <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2012/05/big-girl-in-big-bed-update.html">modify </a>this when we transitioned her into her big girl bed<br />
Her naps have become shorter - going from about 3 hours to 1 1/2 each day <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>(Currently we are exploring/evaluating her diet and also sleeping for naps in the pack-n-play to see if that makes any changes on her amount of sleep each day)</strong></span><br />
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Going into my 3rd trimester with Sullivan I began to get worn out physically and emotionally <br />
We tried to institute alone playtime again (we had tried several times in the past few months) and it finally worked like a charm!<br />
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In the mornings Mylin has 30- 45 minutes of alone playtime in her bedroom<br />
This consists of a cd playing and her gate up on the doorway<br />
She is free to do whatever she wants in there (read books, play with toys, take a short nap, or stand at her door and talk to me)<br />
She doesn't cry, and will often shut her door for some privacy :)<br />
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This part of our day gives me an opportunity to do some chores (so at naptime I can sleep!), spend one-on-one time with Sully (if he is awake), make phone calls, or write blogs like this one!<br />
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I am so thankful to the friends that have encouraged the schedules and routines and have answered our questions about them when we are frustrated, discouraged, and in need of encouragement and thinking outside the box!<br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">What are your routines/schedules like with your kids?!</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">I would love to have some new ideas!!!</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong>If you are interested in learning more about schedules/routines for your kids, let me know and I can get you in touch with my gurus ;)</strong>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-59684959105793565042012-06-27T20:45:00.000-04:002012-06-27T20:45:00.342-04:00First babysitterLast Saturday night - when Little Mister was 2 weeks old, Joel and I went on a date!<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Here's the link to <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2010/07/first-baby-sitter.html">Mylin's first babysitter</a>)</span><br />
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We were gone for about an hour and a half and both kids slept the whole time we were away :)<br />
Yay!<br />
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We didn't talk much about the kiddos while we were gone, but after about an hour away we were ready to head back home to them!<br />
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So thankful to our babysitter, Emma, who came to love on our babes (or watch them while they sleep)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>(Follow her this summer while she is away <a href="http://emmafrauhiger.blogspot.com/">on mission in Africa</a>)</strong></span></div>
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So thankful also to my wonderful husband who makes me a priority - I love you so much, honey!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHB4NOueCa0/T-IMHELmdyI/AAAAAAAABiw/mrKzQwOU7zQ/s1600/getting+out!+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHB4NOueCa0/T-IMHELmdyI/AAAAAAAABiw/mrKzQwOU7zQ/s320/getting+out!+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4573913401387516009.post-66868282831155630192012-06-25T08:00:00.000-04:002012-06-25T08:00:00.930-04:00Little Miss 2 year old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We can hardly believe our sweet Mylin is 2 today!</div>
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And that she is a big sister :)</div>
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To remember with us you can start with her <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2010/06/shes-here.html">birth announcement post</a>, and her <a href="http://www.rachelkaydraper.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-day.html">1 year post</a> (there are many more in between!)</div>
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We are so thankful for our alert, tender, loving, and sweet daughter</div>
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Thank you, God, for giving her to us for this time of teaching and training!</div>
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We are so grateful!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TkAfa67wkO0/T983gypdJ0I/AAAAAAAABgM/J2Rg2AKr3K8/s1600/700_3456-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TkAfa67wkO0/T983gypdJ0I/AAAAAAAABgM/J2Rg2AKr3K8/s320/700_3456-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12181705322664928996noreply@blogger.com1