Book Club: Month #2

I know I'm a month behind, but I'd still like to tell you about our second book we read in our book club! (My dad thinks I'm a nerd. Every time I talk about my book club he bursts out laughing!)

We read the book "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis.

It was an interesting book, but contains very intelligent language, and I honestly had to use the dictionary every page because there were words I didn't understand. Anyway, the book was about a demon writing letters to his nephew who also is a demon. In these letters, Screwtape (the uncle) gives advice to Wormwood (his nephew) about how to lure his human to be bad and to get him to eventually become evil enough that he would go to hell after he dies. The human, however, has help from the other side, so it's not as easy as Wormwood thinks.

I had a lot of contemplative moments about my own life and spirituality as I read this book. I pondered a lot about my own weaknesses, and wondered in what ways Satan and his followers get to me. This book made me realize that we probably have a demon that is constantly around trying to tempt us and lead us astray. It's made me do better at putting on my "Spiritual armor". Great read that makes you think!

Eli is 8 months old!

My baby boy turned 8 months on the 17th of July! So about 4 days ago. I cannot believe it. I know I say that every month, but, SERIOUSLY, the time is just zooming by. He is such a joy in my life. There are definitely days where I think back to what I did before I had a child, and a sense of longing for some free time and a full nights rest come to me, but they quickly pass as I look at Eli. Then there are other days where I just can't even believe he is ours and he is sealed to Nathan and me for forever!

Being a parent is definitely the most rewarding thing I have ever done, but don't get me wrong, it is also the most difficult. I now have a deeper understanding as to why God commanded us to have families! Being a parent is a very selfless task, and no, I'm not saying I am selfless (yet!), but I know I will eventually become less and less selfish the longer I am a parent.

At 8 months Eli:
*Loves to eat his feet!
*army crawls all over the house! (He started crawling about July 5th)
*laughs
*Scrunches his nose
*Gives mommy kisses!
*Eats whatever mommy and daddy are eating
*Has fallen off the bed and the couch!
*Is figuring out his hands
*LOVES to be outdoors and go on his morning run with mommy in the stroller
*Is starting to pick up things off the floor
*Loves his Gerber banana cereal, bread, and cheerios!

Scrunching his nose :-)

And here is a video of Eli crawling!

Week of Celebrations!

The first week of July was soooo much fun!

July 1, 2014
July 1st was my 24th birthday. I am getting old! ;-) Anyway, I got to start the day off with taking Eli to the dr. (Yippee!) He just had been acting really fussy and not like himself the days prior. I had weighed out the idea that he was teething because he hadn't been running a fever, slobbering, or anything that I thought related to a baby teething. However, the Dr. told me that that is exactly what was going on with him. haha.. so much for "mommy instincts". He looked in his mouth and said, "oh ya, he's teething. His gums are swollen." He also mentioned that it could be a few days or weeks until the teeth come out. (They still haven't come out yet!) After getting back from the Dr. I went to lunch at Cafe Rio and shopping with my mommy! I got to buy clothes with the money that I got for my birthday and my mom gave me a shirt. Then Nathan met us in town, and took me out to dinner at Applebees. It was such a wonderful day!

 Some pictures for memorabilia

July 4, 2014
Happy Independence Day!! This is my absolute favorite holiday. I am so grateful to live in this free land where I can worship how I want, go where I want, be whomever I would like to be, and raise my family how I want. I know that there are a lot of worries and concerns about our country and its future, but I know that God is the true leader of this country, and He is in control. We started the day off by taking Eli to the Idaho Falls parade. We only stayed for an hour because it was so blistering hot! (We didn't get a shady spot) Then we went and staked out our spot for the fireworks and went home. We didn't get to the fireworks until 8 PM, which was a little later then I had hoped, but we still had time to walk around and enjoy the crowd before the fireworks started! Eli did so good! He watched the fireworks for about 10 minutes, and then he kept entertained by the empty water bottle he made into a toy :-).

At the parade!!!

 

 

In his "Independence Day" outfit! red, blue, & white

At the Fireworks: