Lots of News!

Things have rapidly been changing for us here in Salina. We've already experienced several ups and downs, but are continuing to love our life here. This week, Michael and I decided that it would probably be best if we rented a home. Michael is still searching for the right job here and we're continuing to seek God's wisdom on what steps to take next. We're currently looking for a place that we can rent for about 6-12 months so we can get on our feet again and hopefully by a house soon. All in God's timing, right? We've been having a lot of fun hanging out with family and friends. We feel confident that God is going to continue to grow these relationships and take them to an unbelievable level.

But, we do have some great news! I have a job!! I recently took a position as an T-LPC at Sandstone Bridge Center here in Salina. I love the ladies I work with and I think my future at Sandstone will be a bright one. I already have a few clients and am hoping to acquire more in the next several months. So, if you know of anyone seeking a counselor, especially if they're seeking a Christian counselor, please feel free to give them my name!

Also, we have chosen a new church home. It feels good to finally have a church family again. Our pastor and his wife are wonderful and we are really looking forward to what God has in store for us here in Salina, by being involved in this church. New Community Church is much smaller than what we were accustomed to in Texas, but we have a strong feeling that this church is about to explode with growth. I was telling my friend Traci that it reminds me of what Milestone Church was probably like when they were just in the cafetorium. Now look at them!! And, boy, was I surprised to take Gabriel to children's church and find out that they were using Elevate curriculum!! The pastor's wife was a little taken aback to find out that one of the actors and writers of the curriculum she was using was now attending her church in Salina, KS!

We've been fortunate enough to attend a few KSU football games with the boys and what fun they've had. Gabriel now knows how to chant K-S-U Wildcats! K-S-U Wildcats! Needless to say, Daddy and Mommy are proud. And the boys look so cute decked out in their purple on game days! We've also gotten to attend a local parade and now, every time we go down Santa Fe with Gabriel, he asks if we can watch the parade. He's in for a treat when they do the Light Up Downtown parade for the holiday season!

I also had the opportunity to attend my sorority's 20th anniversary at the KSU campus. KSU Sigma Kappas from 20+ years back attended a very nice celebration weekend that the active members put together. It was great to catch up with some sisters I hadn't seen in years and others that I had lost touch with. It was funny to learn that the same drama is still occuring at the house, 10+ years after I was there!

Then, just a couple of days ago, we got to experience our first Halloween as a family in Salina. My boys were so cute!! Gabriel was Batman and Dominic was Robin. Both boys were so patient with going to visit all of our family to show off their costumes. And wow, did they rack in the candy. We had so much fun with them, Gabriel especially. It was really great to get a break from the stress of not having our own place - t0 just let go and have fun together as a family. Not to mention all the yummy candy Michael and I now get to steal from our kids!

Strangely enough, we found out that it's going to snow tonight! SNOW!!!! We've been back in Salina for 4 months and we're already going to experience snow!!! I'm so excited! We haven't really gotten to enjoy fall for too long, but regardless, I'm happy for cooler weather. Now we just need to get moved into a home and we'll be set for the winter!

And we can't forget to keep the black knight at bay. :)

9 weeks in

We've officially been back in Salina for 9 weeks now. God has provided in amazing ways. We have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with our family and have been blessed to have been able to reconnect with old friends. Here are some highlights we've been able to enjoy since being back.

1. It's QUIET at night and you can see the stars!
2. We can see our family any time we want!
3. We can walk to the park and play outside because it's not a million degrees outside.
4. Three words: Salina Public Library.
5. Gabriel started preschool and soccer!
6. DATE NIGHTS with FREE babysitting!
7. Season tickets to the community theater!
8. K-State Football games!
9. It takes 10 minutes to get across town.
10. Bogeys, Dairy Queen, and Rolling Hills Refuge....need I say more?





But there are a few areas that we're still seeking guidance on. We'd appreciate any prayers you could shoot our way on the following things.

1. Jobs for both Michael and I.
2. Finding a church home. We've been trying out several churches in the area and have come to realization that we were SUPER spoiled in Keller. Everything from the music to the teaching style was incredible and done with excellence. That's not to say we aren't going to find that here in Salina - it's more of adjusting our expectations and find out where God wants us to be. We are ready to be connected to a body of believers in Christ and develop some new friendships, ones that can keep us accountable to the mission we feel we have been called to.
3. Finding a new home. My in-laws have been so gracious to allow us to stay with them for the past 9 weeks with our two boys. It's been fun hanging out and getting to share meals together. But, we are really ready for our own place. Both Michael and I are ready to find our own "home" and establish some normalcy for our boys. The past 9 weeks of staying here as been such a blessing, but we hope God opens up some doors (literally!) soon to allow us to make our own home here in Salina. And I'm pretty sure my in-laws will be happy to have their garage and their basement back!

Overall, we are very happy with our move back home. We both feel confident that this move home was the right now. Now we wait on God to shine light on the next part of the path. At this point, we feel as though we're in a holding pattern, but for what purpose? Until we figure that out, we'll continue working at being content with where we are. But let's end on a positive note! Here are a few more snap shots of the last 9 weeks here in Salina.

God's Provision

You know when you have a secret that is super awesome, but you've sworn not to tell anyone? I've been attempting to manage that anxious feeling for a while now. Finally, I can let the cat out of the bag.

We're moving back to Kansas!

Right before we got pregnant with Dominic, we had thrown around the idea of putting our house on the market and moving to a bigger house. Moving back to Kansas had always been a pull for us, but we didn't know how we were going to make that work. Then I got pregnant and all plans to put the house on the market got put on hold. I wanted to have our baby in a Texas hospital, using the same doctor that delivered Gabriel. But after being pregnant for a few months, Michael and I started feeling that pull again. We felt the Lord prompting us to put the house on the market again.

But wasn't the market terrible? Did we even stand a chance at selling our house? Although not super optimistic, we decided to move forward and contact a realtor. We met a fabulous group of folks with ReMax Masters and had a very honest discussion with our soon to be realtors, Bill & Pat Evans. The numbers didn't look good. As it stood, we looked at taking at least a $20,000 hit on our house. Yowza! The Evans tell told us to call them when we were ready to make a decision. So, back to praying we went.

As we approached Dominic being born, the pull to move closer to family grew stronger and stronger. We agonized over the decision. We'd made some terrific friends in Texas, Michael had a good job. Moving to Kansas would be crazy...but then when you follow what God wants you to do, you sometimes have to do what seems crazy (you know, that whole "lean not on your own understanding part"). Two weeks after Dominic arrived, I called Bill back. We were ready. Then Michael and I started praying even harder. If we were going to do this, we needed some clear direction from the Lord and He was going to have to provide a way to make this happen. We asked Him over and over again:

"Are you sure you want us to move?"

"Do we stay in Texas or move to Kansas?"

"What about a job for Michael?"

The only answer we heard consistently was, "Trust Me." So that's what we did. And 86 days after making the decision to put our house on the market, we going to be selling our home AND Michael is going to be able to stay on at his job until he finds a new one in Kansas. GOD PROVIDES!

The day we moved in! When we were the only kids on the block!

It's official! SOLD!

I want to extend a special thank you to Bill & Pat Evans, and let us not forget sweet Carla! We could not have done this without you!! There were been a few road blocks along the way, but God has proven His faithfulness through every one of them. Although we'll have to live with our parents for a couple months to get back on our feet, we feel certain that this is the path God has intended us to take. We're trusting Him.

Michael and I are extremely excited about this next chapter of our lives with our boys. Although it's bittersweet to leave our Texas family, especially our sweet church family at Milestone, there is great joy at thinking about how God is going to use us in new and creative ways in our home town. And the grandparents are just a "little" excited!

Milestone Church - we will miss you so much!

So, farewell, Texas. You've been a fabulous home these past 8 years. We'll always think of you fondly.

A New Normal

Right after Dominic was born, I fell into a panic. My life seemed out of control. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage having two little ones. I'd forgotten how demanding a nursing infant could be and throwing in an attention seeking 3 year old was a variable I hadn't fully accounted for. In the hospital, I had my first "What the heck am I doing? Can I do this? How will I love both my children equally?" moment. My friends Sabrina, Kristen, and Shannon got to see this first hand. I began to sob. This was going to be hard and I didn't know how I was going to do it. When were things going to go back to normal? Then my friends gave me some perspective.

"You'll create a new normal."

At the time, I wasn't sure what this meant. Through the blur of my tears, I knew my friends were trying to be supportive and I appreciated them letting me be transparent about how inadequate I felt as a mom. Now, I'm 9 weeks into being a mother of two, and sure enough, I've created a new normal. Initially, it wasn't going so well. But after getting some help from my doctor and evening myself out, I was able to see a little clearer and grasp what being a mother of two was about. It's tough, no doubt about it. But I'm finding that it's very fulfilling. Right before my eyes, my "baby" has turned into a 3 year old, independent, more self-reliant individual. He's actually been a big help. He assists with diaper changes, and helping me carry things when I've got my hands full of his screaming brother. I've also gotten to witness the newly formed bond that Gabriel now has with Dominic. I was so nervous about how Gabriel would take to having to share our attention with this new little person. He's amazed me. He loves his brother so much and wants nothing more than to play with him, talk to him, make him smile, and give him hugs and kisses. The tenderness in his heart overwhelms me and I'm thankful that their brotherly relationship has started off well.


Getting anywhere on time with two children is a skill I have yet to master (and from what I hear from other parents, I may never master it). But I suppose that's part of my new normal as well. We're finally getting into a routine and I even got 5 full hours of sleep last night. (Granted, I did get up after 3 to check on him, just to make sure he was still breathing!) I'm settling into my new role as a mother of "sons," and I'm liking it. Dominic has added so much to our family and we're so happy he's apart of the plan that God has laid out for Michael and I. I'm sure there will still be several adjustments to our life along the way, but I think I'm finally at a point where I can navigate them with a little more grace.

I know you're jealous...

...that I get to hang out with this cutie!



Happy Weekend!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fluff Frenzy

Photo Credit: Love and Whimsy Photography

I didn't know it was possible to become addicted to diapers. Cloth diapers, that is. We are in love with them! Who knew that cute prints and fluffy little bottoms would be something I didn't get tired of?

We've been "CDing" it (cloth diapering) for 7 weeks now and I love it even more than I did when we first started. There are some that would be skeptical about starting to cloth diaper, but let me expel some myths for you about cloth diapering.

1. "I'll have to use pins and old Birdseye cloth diapers. What a hassle, not to mention unflattering."

Nope. Truth is there are so many options out there for cloth diapering mommies and daddies now that it can actually be like trying to find a prom dress. They're all so cute, but which ones do I choose? We have a variety of cloth diapers to choose from, which I like. I'm glad we aren't an "all one system" family. My husband has his favorites and I have mine. Surprisingly, my favorites are prefolds! (These are the ones that are most similar to the cloth diapers our grandparents used. But the upgrade is no pins and they have the most adorable diaper covers for them!) My husband prefers the pocket diapers. These are diapers you can use just like a disposable, except they're reusable! Each night after the diapers are clean and dry, I stuff microfiber inserts into the pocket liners and then they're ready to use the next morning. You put them on baby just like a regular diaper! Diaper changes are fast and easy!

2. "I'll have to spend so much money up front. We just can't afford it."

Well, this might be somewhat true but not completely. When you figure in the cost of buying newborn diapers for the first month or two, you've about covered your cost. The beauty of cloth diapering is you spend it once and don't have to spend money again! (Unless you get sucked into buying more diapers because they're so cute...not that I do that...) Cloth diapering can be done as little as around $100, upwards to $400-500. It just depends on the system you choose. As I mentioned, we chose a mixture of diapers including all-in-ones, pockets, prefolds, and fitteds. To date, I spent around $300 total. That included about 24 different diapers, diaper creams, detergent, snappies and a wet bag. I would have spent this on disposables within the first two or so months.

3. "They'll be so messy. Eww. Can't deal with all the poo."

Seriously? Have you ever used a disposable? They are notorious for blowouts and leaks! Another great thing about cloth diapers is that they fit around your child better to contain blowouts and leaks. Unlike a disposable, cloth diapers have elastic in the back, containing blowouts and leaks better. And washing them is a breeze. Because Dominic is strictly breastfed, his dirty diapers are totally water soluble. At night, I just toss the whole wet bag of diapers in and wash up! No mess, no hassle. When he starts solids, I'll have a nifty little device called a diaper sprayer that will just spray the poo off into the toilet. No dunking and swirling required. And really, if you're afraid of poo, you might rethink being a parent if you haven't had kids yet. Poo is inevitable, as is spit up, vomit, and getting peed on. Get used to it.


4. "It's a total pain to wash all those diapers. And you're using up so much water!"
Wrong. It's easy. I actually look forward to doing my diaper laundry. I know that sounds strange since I dispise all other kinds of laundry. But doing fluffy laundry is fun! How can you deny that a full clothesline of diapers is stinkin' cute? And if we're talking about harming the environment, have you considered how many disposable diapers are just sitting in landfills, NOT breaking down? Billions! Sure, we use a little more water now that we're doing an extra load of laundry a day. But compared to the harm those disposables are doing in landfills, I think my conscience can rest happily knowing I'm not putting another diaper in our landfills.

Photo Credit: Love and Whimsy Photography

5. "They're not practical for out and about usage."
Sure they are! That's why amazing women (and men) around the globe have come up with new and improved cloth diapering systems that cater to busy parents. Packing up a few cloth diapers when I go out is no more impractical than carrying several disposables in a diaper bag. I have a little wet bag that I keep in my diaper bag that the used diaper can go into. Then I take it home and wash it up with the rest of the day's diapers. Now I realize that cloth diapering can intimate folks that are not used to it or have no experience with it. I haven't jumped ship entirely and abandoned disposables all together. If I were leaving my child in the church nursery, at this point, I'd probably send my baby in a disposable. But if it's just me, toolin' around town, we're CDing all the way! They're no more of a pain than changing a disposable and I can use my diapers all over again the next day!

As I stated in an earlier post about cloth diapering, we are not doing this entirely for the "green" reasons. Our driving force behind cloth diapering our son was to save money. Let's face it, times are tough and money's tight in a one income household. You've got to pinch pennies where you can. We've found that cloth diapering our baby is an easy and fun way to do this. I'm not against disposables for others. If that works best for you, go for it. But this system has been life changing for us and I wish I had figured CDing out earlier and had used them for Gabriel. We could have saved thousands of dollars, literally.

If you're throwing around the idea of CDing your babies, I'd encourage you to do a lot of research to figure out what system would work best for you. You might want to use a hybrid system like me, or maybe you've fallen in love with a particular brand. Give it a shot and try it out for a couple months. In the end, if you try it out and don't like it (which I haven't heard many that don't) you can always go back. All you've spent is a couple months worth of diapers. Check out great information websites like theclothdiaperwhisperer.com, kellyscloset.com, jackbenatural.com, and diaperjungle.com. These are just a few sites that have great information and are great places to purchase cloth. Or host a diaper party! I did this (see Febuary's posts for my experience with this), and loved it. It was so informative and allowed me to really decide what kind of system I'd want to invest in. Bottom line, consider it. My guess is you'll fall in love with it too. Then you may be trying to figure out how to come up with extra money to purchase more fluff for your baby...not that I do that either.

The Heart Expands

When I thought about my second son arriving into this great big world of ours, I knew I would love him. But I worried that I wouldn't be able to love him as much as my first son. Gabriel had been our world for the last 3 years. How would it even be possible to love another little being as much as we loved Gabriel? Well, on March 16th, both my husband and I found out that God has the amazing ability to double the size of your heart in a matter of moments.

Tuesday, March 15th started out like any other day. My parents were in town, anticipating the arrival of their second grandchild, and I was thankful to have them to help me with my rambunctious little two year old. That morning I woke up with slight cramping, but didn't think too much about it. I had a doctor's appointment set for 3:00 that afternoon and after visiting with her, we'd find out if this little guy was going to be making an appearance any time soon. After my lovely examination, I found out that I was still only dilated to a measly 1.

Now, Michael and I had been moving forward with plans to have me attempt a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean), but at this rate, Dominic was getting very, very big. We couldn't wait much longer and my chances of having a successful VBAC were fading away. So, we decided that we would go ahead and plan to have another C-Section for March 17th. We chose the 17th because we thought it would be fun to have a St. Patty's Day Baby.

But Dominic had other plans.

That evening, Michael and I decided to have one last "Family of Three" date. We took Gabriel out to eat at our favorite Mexican Restaurant and then ventured out to Target to find a St. Patrick's Day onesie. As I was waddling around (yes, I really did waddle), Target, I noticed I was starting to cramp a lot. Little did I know that a couple hours later, I would start to have contractions. By 9:00pm, my contractions were about 7 minutes apart and by midnight they were sitting at 5 minutes apart.

Michael quickly called my parents to come over from their hotel to stay with Gabriel and he whisked me off to the hospital. I have to say, it was touching and funny to see my husband getting nervous and excited about the arrival of our baby. I was really going into labor on my own, something I didn't get to experience with Gabriel. By 12:30, we were checked into the hospital and the nurses began monitoring my contractions. I had bumped up to a 2, and the contractions were coming on stronger. After deciding that I was not going home and that I was indeed having the baby within the next 24 hours, things began to happen rather quickly. I received my epidural around 4:00am and was soon out of the pain of natural childbirth. Around 10am, I suddenly felt a POP! and I got to experience my water breaking. I know that might seem a bit much to share, but you have to understand, these were all firsts for me. I didn't to go through any of this with my first child. The doctor came into check me and I had made it all the way up to a 7! That was 3 higher than I made it to with Gabriel!

My doctor was wanting to monitor my contractions a little closer and decided to put a pressure monitor in, but as she was doing so, things went wrong. My blood pressure suddenly dropped, which was the strangest feeling in the world. I thought I was going to pass out. Immediately after my blood pressure took a nose dive, Dominic's heart rate dropped. I saw concern wash over my doctor's face and she looked at me and said, "Kristina, we have to get him out now." At that moment, I didn't care what they had to do or what goals I had set. I wanted my baby safe.

"GET HIM OUT!" I cried.

Soon 10 people were in my hospital room, rushing me to the OR. Someone threw the "Daddy Suit" at Michael and told him to get dressed. They quickly took me to the OR and started prepping for surgery. I've never seen people move so fast. I was completely overwhelmed and started crying. Was my baby going to be okay? Could they get him out in time? I had been told that attempting a VBAC was risky and I prayed that God would wrap his arms of protection around Dominic and I. Through my tears, I saw my doctor come over to me and although she was concerned, she was ready and confident that everything would be okay. She took my hand and squeezed it, telling me that Dominic was okay and that they were going to get him out as soon as possible.

Now, from where I was lying, it seemed as though it was taking FOREVER for them to get him out. But Michael told me that from the time they took me into surgery to the time Dominic arrived, it was a only a matter of about 7 minutes. It amazes me how fast and precise those doctors and nurses can be.

Michael was right by my side the whole time. I continued to cry, pleading with him to reassure me everything was okay. Not too long after that, I heard the beautiful wail of a newborn! My baby was here! And he was perfect! Michael joined in with me in tears of celebration and relief that we were now a family of 4! Immediately, I felt God expand my heart. I loved him unconditionally the second he arrived.

Dominic Isaiah was born at 12:48pm on March 16th. He was 9 lbs, 8 oz and 22.25" long. No wonder he wouldn't fit!! When he emerged, my doctor's first sentence to him was, "Well, Happy 3 Month Birthday to you, little guy!"

My doctor also told me that his cord had wrapped around his neck a couple of times and that the pressure of my contractions was difficult on him, hence the drop in heart rate. Thankfully, all was well and Dominic was in perfect condition.


As I sat in our recovery room together with my family, I was in awe at how good God was to us. We now had a beautiful, perfect, little family of four and I was forever grateful. Now begins the journey of raising my rambunctious toddler and an itty-bitty newborn. I love them both more than I ever could have imagined and I can't wait to see how much more I'll love them as time goes on.