Why I love my new church family

Aidan and I have found a new church.  We've been going for a little over a month now.  He and I go to church alone, due to Nick's work schedule, and the fact that Nick is Catholic, and I am not.  That's neither here, nor there.  I picked New Song Assembly of God to try one random Sunday morning.  I wasn't really sure if it would be something I liked or not.  Turns out I don't like it.  I love it.  From the moment I walked in with my little man, everyone has been SO welcoming and loving.  Everyone is in LOVE with Aidan.  He's the youngest child in the congregation at the moment.  Everyone wants to hold him and love him, and it just makes me feel wonderful.  He's never really been fussy during service, although he does 'talk' a bit.  But no one notices, and if they do, they tell me how much they love the sounds that babies make.  I don't feel like I have to rush out of the Sanctuary if he starts to make noise. 

Which brings us to this past Sunday.  Aidan had a rough night Saturday night.  He never really woke up, but he randomly cried in his sleep multiple times during the night.  Nick and I didn't get a whole lot of sleep, either.  I debated on whether or not I wanted to get up, and head to church the next morning.  In the end, I got up, and got myself and Aidan ready to go.  He seemed to be in a decent mood, and I had given him some PediaCare before we left (he's teething, and I think that's why he's not sleeping so well).  We got to church with a couple minutes to spare.  Said hi to everyone. Got settled for service.  The last Sunday each month is communion Sunday in our church.  We were also having a presentation for Black History Month.  I knew it was going to be a longer service, but I thought we'd be ok.  After song service, Aidan started to get kinda fussy, so I opened a bottle.  He didn't want that, so we stood up and I held/rocked him in the back of the sanctuary for a few minutes.  That didn't really work either, so I took him out into the hall for a few minutes, hoping he'd fall asleep and all would be good.  That wasn't the case.  He continued to fuss, and I was getting ready to take him down stairs to listen to the service in the nursery.  As I was rocking him trying to get him to calm down, Pastor David came up to me, and asked if he could hold Aidan.  I handed Aidan over, and he instantly calmed, smiling his beautiful contagious smile at Pastor David.  I figured he'd give him back after a second, but I was surprised when he said I should go have a seat and listen to the service, and he'd stand in back with Aidan.  My heart melted a little.  Then it melted a bit more when a few minutes later, I saw Pastor sit down in the front pew with Aidan asleep in his arms.  I caught a glimpse of Pastor David with his hand on Aidan's forehead, praying over him.  I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.  We were getting ready for communion, and Pastor David walked up to the front with Aidan asleep in his arms, and proceeded to bless the bread and 'wine' for communion.  Aidan was still fast asleep.  As the bread and 'wine' were getting  passed, Aidan started to stir, and I braced myself for a scream.  That scream never came.  He woke up and started to look around, totally content.  Pastor put him up on his shoulder, and he just looked around all over.  Totally happy, and content.  My heart melted, and I once again knew that I had chosen the right church home for us.  I know that my son and I are part of the church family.  And it warms my heart so much.

Walking for my Mommy

As some may know, but most probably don't, my mom has MS.  Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive, and devastating disease.  It can completely change a persons life.  My mom was diagnosed when I was a junior in college.  It was completely live altering.  She is no longer able to work, and has a hard time with some day to day activities.  MS has not, and will not change my mom.  She's still the same amazing person that gave birth to me, and raised me.  She's an amazing grandma to Aidan, constantly spoiling him with handmade baby items, and unending love.

There's not a lot that I can do to heal her, or make her not be in pain.  But the one thing that I can do is walk.  So in April, I'm going to walk.  6.2 miles.  All for my mama.  And that's where y'all come in.  I'm sharing all of this, in hopes that we can get some sponsors for my walk.  I'm walking to help raise money for the National MS society.  All the money that I raise will stay right here in Rhode Island for research, and outreach.  I've set my sights high this year, my goal is $500.  Any little bit you feel moved to donate is more then appreciated.  And if I meet (heck surpass) my goal, I'm going to have a giveaway.  I haven't figured out what, yet, but it will be great!

Here's the link to my personal walk page.  Thanks in advance for anything you feel compelled to contribute!

MS Society Walk for the Cure

Things I learned on school vacation

Yes, I know that Aidan is no where near school age, yet.  Yes, I know that technically that means February school vacation means nothing to me at this point.  However, we do have 2 school age nephews, and well, there are other school kids in the area, lol.  So, yeah, this week is February school vacation in Rhode Island (and CT, and MA, and NY, you get the idea).  Great right?  Sure, who doesn't love a week off of school?  I know our nephews do.  This week (well, it started last Friday, but who's being picky) they went to Washington, DC.  Then yesterday, J sent me a text asking if Aidan & I wanted to go with her, Monkey Man and Master Diver to the Mystic Aquarium today.  Sure, why not?  It was supposed to be warm today (and it was).  Me, being the mommy to a 4 month old, COMPLETELY forgot that it's school vacation week.  Which at Mystic, also means it's kids week.  All kinds of cool activities, games, crafts, science experiments, etc.  Which also means that just about every child in the state of RI, CT and half the kids in NY and MA are all at the aquarium.  Today.  The day we chose to take a 4 month old, a 6 year old, and a 9 year old.  What. Were.  We.  THINKING???

I totally didn't even think about it, until I got off the highway, and noticed that every.single.car in front of me was going the exact same way I was.  Curious.  Then I saw the parking lot.  I found a parking spot, lugged out Aidan's stroller, and diaper bag, and my camera, oh, yeah, and Aidan.  Then I sent J a text "parked in Guam, be there soon." and headed off to the main entrance.  Just as a PSA...Graco strollers vs. gravel/rock walkways?  Walkway wins, hands down.  Chalk it up to one of those things you learn during school vacation week.  Here's the rest of what I learned.

• Stroller Vs. Gravel walkway...walkway wins every time
• Small children EVERYONE will try to touch your child.  Even if you have the stroller/child covered, they will try to pull back the cover to take a look.  Especially if they have recently had their hands in one of the various touch tanks through out the aquarium.
• If you ask a small child anyone to not touch your stroller/child with their wet, stingray touching hands, you will get a dirty look.
• Having a 16+ pound 4 month old makes complete strangers think it's ok to tell you how "chunky" your baby is.
• Some people skipped the common sense gene.
• ALOT of people skipped the common courtesy gene
• You will have no remorse for hitting the brilliant women in front of you with your stroller, when she decides it's a REALLY good idea to stop dead a foot in front of you to take a picture of a wall.
• The giant stroller that you are pushing around, apparently becomes completely invisible when in a crowded place.  
• Said stroller also needs to have stop on a dime breaking, so as to avoid flattening the 3 year old that is running freely around the indoor exhibit, screeching like a banshee.
• Much like labor, you will forget all of the things you learned today, and do it all over again.

What did YOU learn on school vacation?

Getting back in the blogging groove

So, things have been slow around our little corner of the bloggy world.  Getting used to Aidan and my new role as a SAHM has been a challenge.  I think we've got a decent routine now, and I'm getting more and more time during the day to be able to get a few things done on the computer.  I'm back to reading the blogs that I'm following, and slowly I'm getting back into posting here.  I have grand plans for our corner of the world.  I have a ton of products I want to be able to review (getting the companies to agree seems to be my biggest problem at the moment, but I'm working on that.)  I have recipes I want to post, and craft projects I want to share.  I also want to share the day to day of being a new mom, a military wife, a Christian mommy, a stay at home mom...just me and our family in general.

I'm in the process of getting some topics together to share, and I also hope to get some guest posters and different things going on around here.  So spread the word, and check back often!

My first Pinterest lesson...

Not long ago, I discovered Pinterest.  Not gonna lie...I'm addicted.  I even have this handy dandy app on my iPhone that I can cruise while holding Aidan.  I spend a few minutes a day wayyyy too much of my day pinning thing.  I pin everything.  Things I want to cook, things I want to make, places I want to go, ways to better our blog...EVERYTHING.  So, I have since decided that I need to actually make some of these things that I've haphazardly obsessively pinned to my various boards.  So, on Saturday, I packed up 4 bags of a few carefully selected items and schlepped them and me, and Aidan off to a friends house to bake.  Yes, it would have been more convienent to bake in my own kitchen where I have obsessively organized everything I'm familiar with everything, but by taking it all to a said friends house, I had built in baby sitting, since Nick was working.  I had intended on  making Samoa Cupcakes, the recipe for which I found on Pinterest and then on this blog.  As the night progressed, I changed things up, and ended up making Samoa Layer cake instead.  So, here's the recipe that I did end up using.

Cake

• 2 cups  sugar
• 1-3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa (I used Stop & Shop)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons coconut flavoring
• 1 cup coconut, packed
• 1 (scant) cup hot hot water (I brewed a small cup of water through a Keurig and used that, perfect amount)

1. Preheat oven to 350° and butter/flour 2 - 9" cake pans, make sure to use flour/butter ( I used pan spray, and my cakes stuck.)
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and coconut flavoring.  Mix well.
3. Stir in coconut, then add boiling water.  Mix on low until incorporated (Batter will be very thin)

4. Split batter into cake pans, Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool completely
.
For the Salted Caramel Butter-cream

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup caramel topping, plus more for drizzling (I used Hershey's Caramel Topping)
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Cream butter until fluffy.
2. Add in vanilla extract and caramel topping.  Add powdered sugar (3 cups to start, then add more until you're happy with the consistency) and salt and mix until smooth.  If icing is still too thin add a bit more powdered sugar (the consistency differs based on the type of caramel topping you use)

3. Wait until cakes are completely cool, take out of the pans.  Place 1 cake on a cardboard cake disk or plate, frost top and sides so you have a completely evenly covered cake.  Place second cake on top of the first cake and frost top and sides, blending into the bottom cake. 


For the Homemade Chocolate Syrup

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s special dark)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients except vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-heat, and whisk until smooth.
2. Bring sauce to a boil and continue to whisk until sauce becomes thick.  Remove from heat, let cool slightly and drizzle over cupcakes or store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.

To Finish:  4. Toast some coconut in a dry skillet on the stove at medium-high heat, until brown.  Sprinkle coconut onto the cake.  Using small squeeze bottles (or simply a spoon) drizzle with chocolate sauce and remaining caramel sauce.

Seriously...AMAZING...VERY rich, but soooooo good!!  I am a fan.

Guest Post By Allison

Today we're sharing a guest post with all of you from our friend Allison...Here's a quick Bio:

My name is Allison and I am a fun-loving, adventurous being. When my job doesn’t have me traveling I normally guest blog, ride my horse, or hang out with friends. I normally write about natural health, but I am passionate about writing posts regarding natural stress relief and DIY projects that can help ease the mind when a loved-one has been deployed.

 And here's today's post:

Keeping Love Alive while your Partner is Deployed

It's painful and difficult to have someone who is as loved as a family member or partner be deployed to a far off place, especially during war times. Coping with the pain and loneliness can be a challenge, but there are ways to relieve the tension and still live contently until their return. Achievement and personal growth are sometimes key for surviving such an emotionally straining time period, so here are some suggestions for moving forward and staying distracted during a soldier's deployment.

Arts and crafts are often used to create a stress relieving atmosphere. Crafting lanterns is a great way to light up life and fill the home with something different and beautiful. Customizing cushions with sayings, poetry and words of affirmation help to reaffirm love. Re-decorating the home with paint, wall paper, homemade art and various supplies will help encourage a sense of purpose, a necessary feeling to thrive. Thankfully, the internet makes it easy to find how to guides for all kinds of unique and interesting crafts, so there's no need to worry about whether or not there's anything to do.

Often times the greatest gift available to a soldier is simply encouragement and love from their families. Sending whatever is allowed, including homemade snacks and love letters, helps the soldier to understand that they're cared about and appreciated. A long distance call or Skype sessions can also relieve the stress of you both. It's mandatory to let them know that they're important and welcome, that they're worth their weight in gold and that the country is a much better place with them alive. Believe it or not, most soldiers don't have any idea how much people individually care for them.

In addition to kind words, support, crafting and love, pets and hobbies help to create a comfortable environment for the home. Beginning a home based business, joining a common interest group, joining a faith, buying a cat, or cleaning out the house can cause a change of perspective and help everyone to see past the negatives of life and find the positives that help couples stay together and make life worth living. Have fun, stay positive and remember that love is abundant.

At Peace...

That's the only way I can explain things right now.  I'll be the first one to admit that things have not been all rainbows and butterflies since Aidan was born.  Don't get me wrong, I love my son, and my husband, and I'm thrilled to finally be starting our family.  But, there have been bumps along the way.  I've battled bipolar disorder for as long as I can remember.  Being pregnant and then nursing meant that I have been off meds.  A sacrifice that is 1,000x worth it, but has been getting the better of me lately.  I digress, this is not the point of this post. 

The point of this post is where I found myself Saturday night.  Nick had gone back into work after being home for less then 12 hours.  That meant that he was going to be gone for more then 36 hours.  Not the first time that this has happened since Aidan joined us, and hardly the last time it will happen.  Friday night was particularly hard.  Aidan was super fussy throughout the day, and it took me over 2 hours to get him to bed for the night.  {I know, I know, he's a baby, babies cry, I get that, really I do}.  So needless to say, I didn't sleep much Friday night.  When Nick came home, he took over, and let me get a much needed nap {about 4 hours worth!}.  I got up, we did our thing, gave Aidan a bath, hung out, and got ready for Daddy to head back to work.  I was refreshed, and ready to take on the rest of the night and the following day.  Or so I thought.  Saturday night was another hard night, taking close to 2 hours to get Aidan down for the night again.  Around 11pm, I was sitting on our bed, with Aidan screaming bloody murder in my lap, rocking him, and praying, really praying for some guidance.  I needed help.  I was at my wits end, and on the verge of tears myself.  I prayed begged for God to show me what to do, to help me somehow.  Finally, Aidan fell asleep, and I was able to put him down in his pack n play without him waking up and laughing at me the second he touched the mattress.  I had been thinking throughout the evening about going to church the next morning, and trying to figure out where the right place to go was.  I had not found a "home" church since we bought our house.  Then I remembered seeing a church earlier in the week when I was driving through a nearby village in Connecticut.  I decided to look it up online, and see what I thought.  When I looked up New Song Assembly I instantly liked what I saw.  Something about the website just made me feel welcome.  I decided that if Aidan slept well, and if I could get us both ready in time the next morning, we would head there to see what it was all about.

The next morning, I was awake well before I needed to be to get ready for church, but Aidan was not.  I knew that I could wake him up, and get him ready, but I didn't want to risk waking him, and him being in a bad mood and fussy during church, so I let him sleep.  I also knew that I could get up and get myself ready on the off chance that he would wake up in time for us to be out the door.  For some reason, I did not.  Eventually, Aidan woke up, and I set to getting ready, still not convinced that we were going to make it out the door.  I literally got in the shower at 9:50am...service started at 10:30...this was going to be tight.  I took a "mommy shower," you know, the kind that you take when you know that your child will be screaming bloody murder by the time you're done?  To my surprise, he was not screaming...he wasn't even crying...he was cooing and laughing and all smiles when I peeked in on him before getting dressed.  I'm not really sure how, but we managed to make it out the door at about 10:10.  We made it to church on time, and even had time to say hi to some of the other families there. 

As soon as I set foot into the sanctuary, something just felt right.  I can't explain it, and wouldn't even try, but it's like I knew that this is where I belonged that morning.  Service was fantastic, and Aidan was amazing the whole time.  Not one cry, hardly even a peep out of him {although he did start to chatter right before communion.}  By the end of service, he was out like a light.  Others around us offered to help me carry him and our things downstairs for fellowship.  During fellowship, I discovered that one of the couples that had been sitting behind me are friends with one of Nicks co-workers...small world, huh?  We began to talk about another local church that was playing Courageous that night.  I looked it up on my trusty iPhone, only to discover it had been played the night before.  We were all kinda disappointed.  Then one of the families offered to have a few people over that night to watch it at their house.  They invited me to come along.  At first I hesitated, as I know that evenings are kind of difficult for Aidan and he has a tendency to fuss.  I explained this to host of the evening, and after some encouragement, I decided to join them.  Again, it just felt right. 

Long story...well...long, Aidan and I headed out Sunday night to watch Courageous with a few other people from church.  What an amazing movie {more thoughts on that in a later post}, and what an amazing night with new friends!!  I feel as if God has answered my prayers in showing me the way to New Song.  I feel that Aidan and I have found our church "home."  I'm not sure what God has in store for my family, and our new friends, but I know it will be something great!!