We're having another...

So, I'm still committed to keeping off of facebook this year and have had no problem thus far, but I find that in certain situations (like this one)... it's faster, cheaper, and much more convenient to share with family and friends via fb.

It's hardly a secret that we're having another baby, but since we already have a boy and a girl we were going to keep the gender a surprise this time around. Our sweet little babe was not up for keeping this secret though and at a scheduled 12 week ultrasound baby {A} revealed themselves! We had our 20 week appointment and ultrasound earlier this week and it was again confirmed!

Anyhow, we had an awesome friend and her daughter take some super cute pictures revealing the gender of our baby on the way (hey, you never know, this could be our final rodeo, so you better believe I'm doing all that pinterest crap this time around)!

I made up a super cute card and was getting ready to order 100 of them when I decided that I would rather save our time, energy, effort and money and use it for getting ready for our little bundle. So I blogged and I got on facebook for 5 minutes to share it! I'm sure Matt will post more pictures when our babe is born and if I find the time to blog while running a household and raising 3 children, maybe he can share that for me too. But I digress...

And without further ado... we're having another...

BOY or GIRL ???

12 years, where have you gone?

Blue or Pink???

We're headed for the blue! 

Covered in blue silly string! 

The "double" big brother and very proud big sister.

Sporting our mustaches! 

What a family this kid is joining!!
 

I never imagined myself with a big family, but we certainly are on our way and we're all pretty excited about it!! Landon can hardly contain himself, he's now getting a brother and while Chandler was slightly disappointed at the thought of not having a sister this time around, she quickly realized she will now remain the sole princess in the Sander's household. 

Seriously, what could be better? And to that I say, "CHEERS!"

So glad I peaced out on fb!

So it's been 9 days since I've been off of facebook and it's amazing, life goes on without it!

I don't miss it and absolutely do not regret following through with this conviction.

Nine days in and I've already almost finished Landon's baby book, organized all of Chandler's baby stuff, so I can finish hers and I've got what I need to start baby A's book too (yes, we have a name)! I've also written out specific prayers to focus on for each of the kids this year (which is something I've been saying I'm going to do since I read Power of a Praying Parent over 3 years ago!) I plan on tracing their hands, writing those prayers on them, lamenting them and placing them in my Bible. After the year is over, I'll do it again and over the years I'll have those prayers to look back on and share with them as they grow up and start families of their own.

Beyond actually getting things done that have been on the "to do" list for years, the daily grind has been a lot more smooth too (or as smooth as it should go with 2 little kids, one on the way, and a husband with a busy schedule). I don't feel so distracted during the day when I'm playing with the kids, cooking dinner, or when my husband gets home from work. I have no need to take 20 minutes out of my precious time to share what I'm doing, where we're going, or what we already did. I don't need to post pictures or keep up with messages or posts I've commented on or liked. I'm focused on what I'm doing or as my College Success professor called it, I'm "being here now," which is a quality you don't find many to have anymore.

This really is the year of getting the things done I've been wanting to get done for so long, letting go of the stuff that just doesn't matter and staying focused on what does!

There are still a few things I want to get in on my routine like reading for pleasure and more physical activity (but seriously if our family could stay healthy and the weather would just quit freaking out, the activity thing would naturally become a lot easier for us)!

I will also admit that I watched The Bachelor on Monday night which is something I probably would not have done had I still been on facebook. In the past, I would've taken a couple hours alone and got lost in the distracting world of clicking, commenting, and liking! Instead, I laid on the couch, put my feet up, turned on 1 of the 7 channels we get (we don't have cable, which also helps keep down the distractions), and guilty pleasured into The Bachelor! Not sure if I'll keep up with it or not, but I'm for sure at least going to try to catch the finale! Ha!

I've realized so much over this short time off of facebook that I don't really feel the need to share with the world what I ate for breakfast.

9 days down and I'm not sure I'll ever go back. Only 356 more days to decide!

Happy New Year!!

Why I'm Leaving FB in 2013

So, I figured I'd take a few minutes just to put into words exactly why I feel so convicted to leave facebook in 2013.

There are a number of reasons and this isn't something I just woke up and decided to do. This is something I have been feeling like I should do for a long time. I've given it up here and there for a week or a month and during those times, I've been so very productive and truly don't miss it at all. In July, during the National Christian Convention I really felt the strong pull to get off, but I came up with a million reasons why I shouldn't (that my friends is called rationalization, we learned a lot about that in youth group when we were teenagers).

I'm not saying that facebook is evil or that you should leave it because I am. In fact, I know there are a lot of great benefits to having it. It's a great way to keep up with friends and family who live far away, a way to get ahold of people quickly or invite them to a party. In our home, we've even used it as a way to sell/give things away or to see if anyone is selling/giving away something we're looking for. My husband uses it to reach the youth and even the parents at our church. facebook can be used as a great tool, I won't deny that, but I will say that it can also be used to boast, to share things that are inappropriate, to make people feel left out (on purpose or not), and it really almost encourages us to compare ourselves to everyone else. I'd be lying too if I didn't mention that facebook is a way for us all to see what people from our past are up to and sometimes (if you're like me), to make yourself feel really good about where you are in your life and where they are not in theirs. Somehow it makes you feel justified for the past or like you came out on top. It's kind of sad actually, but I think if we got really honest with ourselves we'd all admit we've let our thoughts go there to there a time or two and frankly, I don't want to be that kind of person!

At the top of the list for me, it is just a complete time waster! It's easy to get on just to check a message or post a quick picture and then realize 45 minutes later that you haven't even done what you originally got on to do in the first place. As a pastor's wife and mother of two children under 5 with one on the way, time is precious, so very precious.

This is the year for me to stop talking about how much closer I'm going to get with God, how much more scripture I'm going to read and memorize, how awesome I'm going to be as a homemaker, how much more organized and full of fun lessons for our children I'll become and to finally just do it without the distractions! The best part is that it will be between me and God and my family and my best friend who I really and truly do life with. It's not about being awesome and posting it all over facebook. It's about being who God called me to be to the fullest and closing my eyes at the end of the day knowing that He is saying well done, Amanda, or good try today you'll do better tomorrow. I don't need the approval of my facebook friends and family to make me feel good or posts from other facebook friends to make me feel bad or not good enough.

I'm clinging to this passage from Matthew 6: 3-4 (The Message translation),

When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure --'playactors'-- I call them -- treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it -- quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scene, helps you out. 

I love this. It's not about doing and sharing it with the world constantly. It's about sharing and doing for the world (or in this case my family) and knowing that this kind of doing becomes contagious. The kind of doing that is done just because, not because of who is watching. I'll still keep my blog to express how I'm feeling, but that's for me, because writing is something I enjoy and a way for me to have memories in print. It's also to encourage. Not to make anyone feel less about themselves or to brag about anything I am doing because trust in me, if I do something great, it's God working through me, not anything I did. He is the good in me!

2013 is a big year for our family. A new baby is coming in May or June. We'll start homeschooling in the Fall. Even with all of these awesome additions coming our way, I feel less overwhelmed then ever. I have a peace about this year. It's the year for me to cut out the distractions and focus on what really matters or as another wiser mommy has told me, "anything with a heartbeat."


Cheers to a new year!


My facebook will still be active in 2013. There are lots of pictures I need to get off of there and my husband may tag me in a post or two when our new baby comes or maybe even share a blog post with pictures of our growing family. He'll keep an eye on it too, make sure no one hacks or posts something yucky on there, but I will not be on it. Who knows if I'll be back in 2014, but as for 2013, I'm out! 

A Baby, Bunk-beds, and a Blog Name Change are Coming our Way... WE'RE PREGNANT!!

Well, it's officially facebook official... The Sanders will be welcoming a new baby into our family next year! 

I'm Pregnant! 

Trust us, we were just as surprised about 6 weeks ago as you are!

Landon, who is 4 now was absolutely 100% planned. We even tried all the magic they say to try to get a boy and it happened! Chandler Rae, now 2 was also 100% part of our plans. Tried for a girl and bam... got a girl! Baby Sanders number 3 was also 100% planned, but this time by God (my guess is it's a girl, but we won't be finding out until the birth). If you read my blog, then you read this post What Now? back in June. In this post I declared no babies, no dogs, and no moving for the Sanders family any time soon. Then in August you may have read this post, Life is Funny like That. Here I explained why we were moving on such short notice to our surprise! And here I am, just a few months later blogging about (in the words of my children) "a baby in my belly."

It's funny how God works! 28 and a half years on this planet helps you understand this. When we moved we got rid of everything baby! I'm talking everything! From the pack n play that I parted with through tears to just about every piece of baby clothing we had saved! After we moved, I started getting crafty and I really started enjoying the little bit of time I had to do some things I wanted to get done. We also made the big decision to home school our children (that's a blog post for another day), but over the last few months I really and truly have come to the realization that God has blessed us with two beautiful, healthy, funny, smart, and wacky children and that maybe two is what he planned for us. I literally said in my head to God probably about 8 weeks ago, "you know what, two is great. I think I'm good with two, God." Our children on the other hand, have been praying for another baby like crazy. Landon has asked many times how we get "one" in there. He even told us that we should get married again. We explained the best you can to a 4 year old that it comes with some praying and planning and so he did his part and started praying. I'm talking PRAYING. We'd be in the car and he would just say out of the blue, "Dear God, please put a baby in my mommies tummy, amen." This kid prayed so much for a baby, I began to worry what he may think if he didn't get this baby he was praying so hard for. Well, God has blessed us all by answering the prayers of my little ones and sometime in May or June we'll be welcoming that little answered prayer into our family with joy!

This is such a different experience as a mom because Landon was a baby when Chandler was born. There wasn't much involvement or explaining to do. They really don't remember life without each other. This time around they are so involved and excited. They're ready to be big helpers and can't wait for my belly to grow. Landon asked me the other day when the baby shower was because he was excited about having a cake (me too, Landon)!!

In other ways this pregnancy is turning out to be very similar to the others. I'm sick as a dog all day, all night, everyday. I'm craving some pretty weird stuff, but am too sick to eat it, smells of any kind are not welcomed, naps are a requirement, and I will be keeping any and all fast food chains that carry french fries in business for the next 7 months!

Selfishly, I'm not excited to be heaving over the toilet everyday and I'm not terribly excited to lose my figure again (I've worked very hard to get it back), but honestly, none of that will matter when I hold that sweet baby in my arms and love he/she with the same kind of crazy love I already have for my two kiddies.

I'm a little nervous about life with 3, after all we will be out numbered, but I'm more excited about our growing family and all that God has in store for us!

Cheers to a family of 5!

Life is Funny like that...

So if you read my last blog post, you know there were no immediate plans for moving, babies, or dogs for the Sanders family, but isn't it funny how quickly things change? Four years ago we were watching the Olympics with our newborn baby boy in a house that we owned. Four years later we have two kids and rent our current home (a decision we made to make it possible for me to be an at home mom).

No baby or dog (this month at least), but it is official, we are moving. Like I said in my last post (which you can read here), our current home has served us well, but our suspicions about mold issues were confirmed shortly after I posted that blog.

Our oldest (now 4) was a super healthy boy the first 17 months of his life. Two nights into living here, he needed breathing treatments and still does often when he is sick. Our sweet girly (now 2) seemed to be sick so much of her first year and almost always needs breathing treatments. We knew that moving would be in our near future after hearing our suspicions where correct, but we figured we should at least wait until our lease was up (about 6 months from now)....

To make a long story short, after much prayer we have decided to make a move sooner than later. The one thing I needed from God was confirmation and peace (that feeling in your gut that can only come from Him aka best feeling ever), which he absolutely gave me. I must also say He worked a lot of the kinks out for me too, starting with the fact that we've always been on a month to month lease in our current place, which means we will not be breaking our lease (who knew?)

Anyway, we are very excited about the next chapter of our lives and making our new house a home. The kids are little sad to say goodbye to the golf course and a little unsure about having their own rooms, but getting a backyard to play in seems to make it all worth it to them!

It's always a little sad to say goodbye to the house you've called home and done life in for many years, but we will always have the memories and the people we love most with us and that's all that matters! I always find myself going back to Matthew 6:21 when I picture us walking out the door for the last time. "For where your TREASURE is there your HEART will be also." I think it will be the hardest move for me mostly because the kids are old enough to be a part of it this time and we'll have their feeling and emotions to live through too.

As for now, it's all about packing, organizing, donating, trashing, selling, and still having fun and making memories as a family. I've not been on facebook or pinterest much and haven't had much time to read for pleasure (Although, I decided tonight, I'm going to cave and order a book for my kindle next week!) I have managed to squeeze in the Olympics (I'm such an Olympic geek! Confession: I choose Phelps over Lochte hands down no questions and I cry every time I watch Missy Franklin get a medal). Lately, I've pretty much been the queen of, "sorry, I wish I could and/or I'm so sorry I never texted/called you back." I've had to learn how to say no so much more than I would like to, but honestly, it's been a must for us. {If we're friends I hope we still are after this move and hear me say now, "I'm sorry and I miss you, and I'll be able to hangout again sometime in February!" HA!! But seriously, please know, I love you and it's not personal! I just have to do my job as wife, mommy, and homemaker and over these next few months that means I don't have much time to come out and play.}

So unless I'm so inspired that I have to stop packing and blog, I probably won't be posting for a bit. My goal is to move without spending a dime over what we normally spend on a monthly basis, so maybe I'll share some moving tips here and there time willing! Nothing promised though!

It's been fun fitting in a little blogging in the middle of this moving chaos. Writing has always been a sort of therapy for me and since packing makes me feel like I need to go get some therapy, it's works out for me. I decided today that unpacking is going to be less stressful and somewhat fun (ha)!!

Ta ta for now, Phelps is about to go for Gold for the very last time, can't miss that!

Happy Weekend!

What Now?

It's really a very strange thing being an adult... married, kids, bills, responsibility, life changing decisions. How in the world did I get here? I'm 28. Really? I'm 28? "Yes, Amanda, you're 28." Sometimes that seems crazy to me. I can remember 30 being a far off age and now it's just around the corner. I've been married almost 7 years, my baby boy is almost 4, my baby girl is 2 now, so really my babies aren't babies anymore. I'm a homemaker (you know we wipe butts, cook, attempt to clean, play monster jams and barbie, and tend to spend the day in sweat pants covered in the sweat from the mornings run until we maybe get a shower in around 9pm and only because our husbands are like, "Really? Gross"). That's what I do for a living. Oh, and a drive a minivan too. Really, a minivan? "Yes, Amanda, you drive a minivan."

I've been in this reflective stage for a while. Thinking so much about where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going. I don't feel old (and I know 28 isn't old), but life goes on and it's surely going on!

Had you asked me where I'd be when I was 28, minivan driver would not have been a part of my answer (although the minivan doesn't bother me too much, it's spacious, drives nice, and hey, it's sort of a badge of mommy honor).

Truth be told, I'm glad I am where I am. God had better plans then I did, but here I am. My kiddies are growing up before my eyes. C is almost potty trained (Holla!! No more diapers!!), L is starting preschool next year with C to follow come the next year. The house work gets done, usually, and much easier then when they were crawling or baby explorers. I'm finding more time for myself (not a whole lot, but enough to workout, read, and blog occasionally). Kind of a little crazy for me!!

I'm entering this new season of life and lately, I've found myself saying, "okay, now what?... have more kids??? (No! Don't do it! Not now!! Your kids are at such great ages and you actually get sleep at night!! Remember what it's like to get no sleep?? Keep trusting God on that matter, and pray hard that it's not his will right now!!) Should we get a dog??? (Really Amanda, a dog? Dogs poop and pee all over and they chew everything and then you have to take them on walks. No thank you!) Okay, okay, no more kids, no dog, should we move?? You know, get a backyard for the kids to play, have space for Matt to have the man space he's always wanted?? (Not my favorite choice here. You hate moving, Amanda!! Really everything about it... packing, unpacking, feeling unsettled... especially with kids!! And really where you are is pretty great, minus the no backyard for the kids because of the golf course and the AWFUL wallpaper in the living room, but you can live with it, moving is a bad idea!)

The more I think about it the more I keep asking myself why do we have to have a baby, get a dog, or move? Why not enjoy this season a bit? "Kick off your shoes, Amanda, enjoy your kiddies ages, go the the beach because you love it there and you can now, do big kid crafts, cook with the kids, do things you've always wanted to do with them but couldn't because they were too little. Keep getting better at this thing called mommyhood with the two amazing kids you already have. Enjoy the little bit of clean house time you have, keep working out and shoot, get in the best shape of your life, why not, you can!! Keep loving your husband and encouraging him in his new season of ministry. Be more involved, because you can!! Don't feel the need to have more kids, get a dog, or do anything crazy (except get that tattoo you really want even if people will judge you or have something to say about it, it's something you've been wanting for a while and hey, why not??)!! Just enjoy this season, girl, because who knows when the next one will arrive."

So if you were wondering what's next for the Sanders family... no kids, dogs, or houses are in our near future (unless of course it's Gods plan and not ours).

On the agenda for us... enjoy life just the way it is!

So what now for me?? Time to carpe diem the heck out of this season while I'm in it!

Cheers!

The Voices in Our Heads & The Tugs on Our Hearts...

So I've been on this reading kick lately. I have always loved to read, but seriously, I am blowing through books these days. I enjoy reading all kinds of books... fiction, non fiction, devotions, some by christian authors, some not, I just really enjoy curling up with a good book!

This week, I've decided to get a spread sheet of "books I've completed" started and I'm pretty excited about it. Having this will help me keep track of the books/authors I've enjoyed (or haven't) and will also help when someone asks for a recommendation. (I have this forgetful side and book titles falls hard into this side of me.)

After I finished the Hunger Games Trilogy, (Yes, I read them. Yes, I enjoyed them. And yes, my excuse is that I read them because my husband is a youth pastor. I have to stay relevant, okay?) I was looking for something else to start. I checked out the New York Times Best Sellers List and was kind of intrigued by the 50 Shades books. I researched a little, to see what they were about, and discovered that the books are a bit racy. I talked with a few people who had read them and seriously started seeing the books everywhere, so I had sort of made my mind up that I would read them too... I mean, after all, I have to stay relevant right? I'm not writing this blog to knock the books or anyone who has read or will read them, but I will say after much consideration that I have decided not to read them. It's funny too, because the night I was going to download it I had dinner with a couple of other pastor's wives (we have to stick together you know). We were talking book titles and a few stood out to me. I felt a tug on my heart to choose one of those instead and so I did... and out of that one small decision comes this blog post!

With all that said, since then I have read a couple of other books and feel even more convicted that I should not read the 50 shades books. The two books I am so glad that I choose (which came recommended by one of the other pastor's wives) were And the Shofar Blew and The Scarlet Thread. I can not even begin to tell you how blessed I feel to have picked those books over what I feel I may have gotten into with the other choice. Both of these books are by Francine Rivers (most known by her novel Redeeming Love, which I also recommend). These are both christian novels which contain prayers and scripture while focusing on fiction characters going through all of the same struggles many christian families today face. The books are tastefully written and refreshingly not corn ball!

After reflecting on it, I completely feel like the Holy Spirit was what was tugging on my heart to make the choices to read these two novels instead of the others I know I was being tempted to read. There are other obvious things I am doing in my life to try to be a better wife, mother, friend and all around me, but I feel like these books were the perfect escape at the end of the day yet also sent some pretty strong convictions right into my soul.

One being to love and respect my husband with every part of my being. I won't go on too much of a rant here but I feel as though this generation is missing out big time on this. It's so easy especially for stay at home moms or even working moms for that matter to begin to resent their husband and slip into a daily pity party. Love is a choice and as for me and my heart & mind I will choose to love my husband every chance that I get for as long as I get to.

The other message I felt so strongly from both of these books is that time goes by and kids grow up. Petty things don't matter, but the hearts of our children do and playing with them now while they still want us too is so important. I don't want to wake up and wish I had these moments back with them. I attended a high school graduation today and was teary eyed already thinking of my babies walking across the stage to receive a diploma and while that seems almost ridiculous, time goes by and I want the time I spend with my children to forever impact the choices they make and the people they are.

I guess I say all of this to prompt you to feel the little tug on your heart and to hear the little voice in your head because it's more than just a tug or a voice, it's God speaking to you and you have no idea what he may have in store for you and your family if you listen.


Yes, I know that the title of this post is really corny and I use a lot of "churchy talk" in this particular post, but I genuinely mean what I write and I hope that I never turn anyone away from Jesus by the things I write, say or do.