My Coffee Cup

So I got this coffee cup for Christmas where I can design the outside of it. I've been dragging my feet on it, but finally decided to get my creative juices flowing. I was surprised at the end result and how well it actually turned out. I love being creative. I feel so refreshed.

Not quite the Target I had aimed for

We ran out of diapers this morning, so this afternoon I reluctantly took both children to Target. Now under normal circumstances, they aren't usually a problem, but today I happened to go right smack dab in the middle of naptime. Yeah, bad idea.

So there I am crawling around Target with a screaming baby in one arm, tugging a tantruming 2-year-old with the other arm, and trying to push the cart with my stomach muscles. I think there should be an ironman for this sort of thing because it takes real physical endurance.

I am taking this Love and Logic Parenting class where I am supposed to enforce consequences on my children when they misbehave. Unfortunately, they decided to do it in the middle of the toilet paper aisle. So there I was counting to 3 and I realized I had to enforce that discipline. So I plopped him on top of some Charmin ultra and told him he was in time out. It was quite effective actually because while I was maneuvering around the crowd that was now forming in the toilet paper aisle all staring at me disciplining my son, Elijah thought I was leaving him. And he promptly stopped screaming and gave me a big toothy grin. YES! Crisis averted. Though the stares from people did not stop.

Of course, Noah is not quite as easy to discipline, being 8 months old and all. And I managed to have all of Target in an uproar whilst waiting to check out. So if you were at Target this afternoon and heard a lot of temper tantrums and screaming- sorry that was me... or rather my children.

The Power of The Supernatural

Some of you may know Randy Miller from the Myriad, some of you may not. At 38 years old, he has been fighting very serious bone cancer for the last year and a half. Over the last year, I have been following his story, via his wife Kristyn's blog: http://kristynmiller.blogspot.com/

So today I was surprised to read that after all the countless hours of chemo-therapy, and intense treatment, his tumors have come back and there isn't anymore treatment they can do for him.

The world would tell us to say goodbye to Randy. All of modern medicine would say "there's nothing more we can do". But we have something else in our corner; we have the creator of the universe. And I for one am not giving up on that.

Lately, God has really been teaching me about his POWER. About the power of the supernatural. Does it seem impossible? Well, that's when God always shines, just when it seems impossible. So Randy, today I pray this prayer over you because I BELIEVE that the Lord is going to heal your body for his Glory. Matthew 21:22 says: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
I believe Randy, don't you stop believing.

Dear Jesus: I lift up Randy Miller to you today. I lift up his body, weak and tired as it is, to you. I ask that you will heal his body, rid it of the tumors and poisons that consume it. The doctors have done all they can do, but there isn't anything The Great Physician can't do. I ask that you will do what humans see as impossible and that through your healing touch, that others may come to experience your power, love and mercy. I ask that you will use Randy's story to reach those who do not believe, for they need something tangible to see.

God, we know you can do it. We believe you can do it. I ask that you will do it. Please heal Randy and completely rid him of the cancer that sits in his bones. I pray this in the Great and Powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Believe it Randy... I do.

There's an app for that

So the whitehouse just came out with it's own app for the iphone this week. What? No wonder the economy is so awful, healthcare is still down the drain, and people are jobless...they were working on an iphone app.

Okay maybe I'm a little cynical, but I feel like I was a little lied to. I voted for CHANGE and all I got was a whole year of the SAME.

I'm pretty sure the campaign slogan should have read:
Yes We Can??

2.5 years, it just trips me out

You are 2.5 years old Elijah, and really you're going on 30. It seriously amazes me what you've accomplished and the little man you've become.


Here's a few things you do that make my days:

*Forget walking, you now run from place to place. All day long I hear your little monster feet running through the house. Yet you run so gracefully, it's like watching a gazelle on the discovery channel.

*You're a huge fan of your cell phone. You talk on it constantly. I'm convinced you talk on it more than I do. Last week I was feeding your brother and you were walking all over the house talking to somebody on that phone. It cracks me up!

* You hate wearing pants, you hate longsleeves and you can't stand socks or shoes. You're definitely a California boy. Did I mention the sunglasses? You are forever walking around with these sunglasses on your face.

*You now call through the house, "Mom" and then proceed to ask me questions, talk to me about the weather, or tell me what's going on in your head. It melts my heart everytime you call my name. I've waited so long :)

*You love to help, whether it's cooking, or cleaning, or just calming your brother down while I make him food or change his diaper. You love to help in any way you can.

*Wrestling has become your new favorite passtime. And you do it every chance you get. Even sometimes when I'm just bent over cleaning something you jump on my back and try to tackle me. Of course, I still win. But I'm figuring that won't last long so I am soaking it up now.

*Your vocabulary is pretty good now. You can say short 2 word sentences. Mostly relating to play "go out"or food "eat, wa-wa(water), heese (cheese) or your brother.
You love to say "Ohay Oah" (It's okay Noah) and "Stot Oah!" (Stop Noah!)
You also say "It's hot" or "it's cold" depending on how you feel.

*Of course, trains, trucks, and motorcycles are your favorite toys. You are in constant play with them, and are excellent at sound effects.

*You are the most sweet, most gentle big brother. You ask to play with him constantly, and always get down on the ground and talk to him, kiss him, hug him and entertain him. He is your best bud and I know how much you love him.

*Music is your passion. Everytime music is on you are keeping time with your hands, or singing. You make everything a drum, and we have since bought you a drum set. But you refuse to be fooled by your "toy" and insist on playing daddy's real ones.

You make me laugh all day long and are wildly entertaining. In fact, that's just the way you like it. Elijah you are the music of my heart and I am so proud to be your mama. Just don't grow up too fast okay?

I'm With CoCo

Dear NBC:

Conan O'Brien is one of the funniest guys I know. He's made funny his business for over 20 years, 17 of those have been spent with you. It is amazing to me how you could throw that kind of relationship away over a few meesly ratings in the over 45 crowd. Integrity used to mean something to you people...what happened?

I'd personally like to thank you for alienating millions of loyal viewers ensuring abismol numbers for the former now current host. Heck, if it wasn't for The Office and 30 Rock, I'd get rid of you altogether. As it is, I am content to simply boycott all things Jay. Hope you enjoy crappy ratings and the demise of a show that's been the foundation of your network for 55 years.

As for me... I'm with Co-Co.

Sincerely, Erin Warkentin (a representative for Americans everywhere)

My Resolution: Part One

So, it's been a bit since New Year's, but my resolution was so complex it took some organization. So here I am, 2 weeks later blogging about it.

A major thing I hate about myself is my lack of motivation in the kitchen. I have never been that great of a cook, and was not cooked for growing up. So I am always stumped in the kitchen and usually just give up. This year, I decided that my New Year's Resolution would be to become a better cook. And in essence, a better wife and mother.

In becoming a better cook, there were a few things that I had to change, or rather that I am still working on changing. The first thing I had to change, and the subject of my blog today is where I grocery shop. Now if you know me well, you will know that I am a frugal lady. Any way to stretch a dollar. With Noah eating solids, our food bill has gone up and we have really had to pinch pennies. Which has forced me to be a Winco girl. Unfortunately, quality food is not their motto. So I have decided to challenge myself to be a coupon clipper. And to shop at Safeway.

Cool thing a friend taught me about Safeway. You can go online and type in your zipcode which will give you all the weekly specials in your area, and also the coupons. You can actually load it onto your Safeway club card so that when you go shopping, all you have to do is scan your card through. You don't have to go through the hassle of actually cutting out the ads. Virtual coupon clipping is AMAZING!

So to begin step one of a 3 step process of becoming a better cook, I took the plunge yesterday and started shopping at Safeway.We loaded the cart with things that I had deligently searched through coupons for and then we went with what the weekly specials were. I was impressed with how well we did. Of course, for the box things we still ended up at Winco, which made for a REALLY LONG day with 2 toddlers. But I kept telling myself it was worth it. And I really hope it is.

Today I impliment Step 2 of my 3 step plan. I'll blog on that tomorrow.

The End of My Rope

The End of My Rope, that's where I've been the last 3 weeks. If you could imagine me holding onto a very thin chord dangling on the edge of a ravine... that's where I've been hanging.

While my children are both true gifts, they have tested every ounce of patience within me. I honestly didn't know I had this much patience, and I am pretty sure I didn't until they came along.

Between Noah teething and Elijah hitting the tantrum stage head-on, it has been non-stop crying, screaming, whining and wailing....and also the kids were loud.
Even now, as I write this, the time out corner (well-worn from use) holds a screaming toddler begging to come out.

It's hard to explain this mom-fog I'm in. When the house is trashed, there's nothing in the fridge and the clothes are all dirty it's pretty easy to wonder what in the world I did all day? Heck, most days I wonder that myself. But I live in a kind of mythical world. A world of bruised knees and noisy firetrucks. A world of macaroni-covered floors, and land-fill sized diaper mounds.

In this mythical world it's amazing what miraculous talents I acquire as I rock and console one child, and encourage and teach language to the other, all while picking up what I can off the floor and wiping a combination of peanut butter, boogers and baby puke off of my clothes. This is my world. And try as I may to explain it to those who have not entered this world, or do not live in it fulltime, I find myself realizing that it is not something that can be explained. It's something that can only be experienced.

Each day I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, if I'm gaining any ground, or if anyone is even out there on the other side of these lonely walls? For while it is these walls that protect me, and keep me safe and comfortable it is also these walls that confine me and make the noise and chaos around me even more noticable.

My only comfort is my trench-buddies. The other mothers out there who've been through war, and continue to crawl through the mud each day. We are bonded in a way no one else can really understand. I take comfort in knowing that though I cannot always see them, I know they are behind their walls fighting their daily battles just like me. My comrades in arms.

It's a crazy thing this motherhood. It stretches your abilities, tests your limits, puts an incredible amount of pressure on you. And just when you feel like you might totally crack under pressure and lose it, just when you're hanging on by that tiny chord dangling over a ravine, you see their tiny smiles or hear their boisterous laughs and it reminds you exactly why you're on this ledge.

The Strangest Coincidence

If you know me, it is no huge surprise that my wedding day was not picturesque. The stories that have come from that day have lived in infamy in my home. But the strangest story was only just discovered today...5 1/2 years later.

I was finally getting around to scanning my wedding pictures when I came across a familiar face in a crowd of people. Now most would find that normal at a wedding, but because my wedding was so far away it was FILLED with people I did not know, so it was odd to me to see a now very familiar face.

To really get the irony of this picture, I have to explain the backstory:

During my time in Georgia I worked at a small post office. I was trained by a very pregnant girl named Meagan. She was nice and as we traded stories, I realized that our families knew eachother. I took over her job, she had a baby and we didn't see eachother again. Then, after moving to California, by chance we became friends on facebook.

Over the course of several years we became really good friends. We found that we had a TON in common and were bummed that we only discovered this fact AFTER I had moved 3000 miles away.

Fast forward to today, when I was so surprised to see her face in one of my wedding pictures. At the time, she was a total and complete stranger to me. I asked her about it and she sheepishly responded. She had confessed that she had indeed attended my wedding, and remembered it quite vividly. How funny. She was so embarrassed that she had crashed it and was so apologetic. Especially since, it was not a day I like to remember.

I just told her that she got to be a part of a very small group of friends that DID attend my wedding. She just wasn't my friend at the time.

What were the odds?

I'm in Girl Heaven

The best Christmas presents ever: Breaking Dawn in hardback and the last 2 seasons of Felicity.



So I have loved Felicity since I was a teenager watching the good Ole' WB. But, as the new millenium started, the show came to a close and was lost in a vault somewhere. In college I was reckless with money and bought the first 2 seasons of it. I watched it religiously. But overtime I sort of forgot to buy the last 2 seasons. 8 years later, Christmas morning comes and I am in heaven.

As much as Tim despises Twilight, he hated for me to have 3 of the books and not own the 4th, since Breaking Dawn is my personal favorite.

What can I say? My man knows me well. Since that morning, I have been watching non-stop episodes of Felicity and going to bed whilst reading Breaking Dawn. Could life get any sweeter?

Living the Dream

My husband has always been a musician. When I first met him, he played guitar and sang as a worship leader. He loved what he did. But he always made mention of learning to play the drums. I would smile at him as he would play the drums on his steering wheel during road trips. Or anytime a 6/8 time song would come on, I'd watch his hands play imaginary drum sticks.

It was a dream... a silly wish. Over time, music began to take a backseat. He became a husband, and then a father. There was less time for music and his guitar began to collect dust. But there was always this tugging, a longing in his heart to learn how to play the drums.

A few months ago he mentioned how he had wanted to accomplish this goal by age 30. I never realized it was something he was so serious about. And realizing that he only had about a year until he turned 30, I figured I better get to work.

After a whole lot of scrimping and saving and shopping and bartering, I finally found a drum set that would suit his needs. Keeping it a secret was hard, but Christmas morning I finally got to see his shocked face. He was in total disbelief. Ofcourse, our garage was nowhere near ready for this new set, so we started the long process of cleaning it out.

This was the face I had been waiting to see. I watched as he set up his drums and started tapping away. I am so happy to be a part of a dream-fulfilled for him. I cannot wait to see him really enjoy it.

Of course, I had to add some finishing touches to his little part in the garage, to make it more vibrant and full of fun. Here is the result: