2018 Walk for Life: Complete

What an incredible day. I personally had a really hard morning and was not feeling "all-in" even as I made my way to the pregnancy center at 9 a.m. but the Lord redeemed it and reminded me that he does bless those who walk with him.

One of the best parts of the walk is the fellowship that happens throughout the entire event. People from all over the city who stand behind Alpha and believe in protecting life are gathered in one place for one purpose. To bless. So even before the walk begins I was able to connect with people and that turned my day right around. There were so many people from my church there helping with registration and preparing to walk. There were also a few people I hadn't seen in a really long time there as well! 

And then the teams gathered together and I was blessed to be on this mama-team! I had met Brittany at last year's walk and since then she had a baby girl! And Brittany had her mother and her mother-in-law join her on the walk; my friends Beth and Jenny came along with me (but they both knew Brittany as well!) We are all mothers and collectively have over 12 kids (I failed to ask Brittany's mother-in-law how many children she has).

We had a really great time walking to M's house with all of our gifts. Seriously, those bags were full! When M opened the door, she smiled a big beautiful smile and laughed. She turned to her son and said "They're here! Come and see!" She was so excited for us to come. M is the mother of 4 beautiful children and doing her very best to raise them right. She stays home with them and keeps them active in things like karate and Mandarin classes and does a lot of activities with them at home. They live in a very small home in a not so great part of town. She shared a little of her story with us so we could pray for her. 

After we filled her table with gifts and prayed for her and her children we continued on our way to the park where the all the teams were gathering for a celebration picnic. I wasn't able to stay to hear the grand total fundraising amount but trust it will provide for Alpha to do what they do! I believe there were over 180 walkers and nearly 40 families visited!

Just imagining the number of families impacted this morning by the teams that delivered gifts to their doorsteps is quite breath taking. Forty families were told they were loved today. Forty families were told they matter and their children matter. Life matters. This was such an amazing day.

Thank you to everyone who partnered with me in prayer and financially. I had set a goal of $500 and while I didn't quite reach it, but I was really close. Including a few last minute checks received the total was $480!

Let's do it again next year!

What an incredible day. I personally had a really hard morning and was not feeling "all-in" even as I made my way to the pregnancy center at 9 a.m. but the Lord redeemed it and reminded me that he does bless those who walk with him.

One of the best parts of the walk is the fellowship that happens throughout the entire event. People from all over the city who stand behind Alpha and believe in protecting life are gathered in one place for one purpose. To bless. So even before the walk begins I was able to connect with people and that turned my day right around. There were so many people from my church there helping with registration and preparing to walk. There were also a few people I hadn't seen in a really long time there as well! 

And then the teams gathered together and I was blessed to be on this mama-team! I had met Brittany at last year's walk and since then she had a baby girl! And Brittany had her mother and her mother-in-law join her on the walk; my friends Beth and Jenny came along with me (but they both knew Brittany as well!) We are all mothers and collectively have over 12 kids (I failed to ask Brittany's mother-in-law how many children she has).

We had a really great time walking to M's house with all of our gifts. Seriously, those bags were full! When M opened the door, she smiled a big beautiful smile and laughed. She turned to her son and said "They're here! Come and see!" She was so excited for us to come. M is the mother of 4 beautiful children and doing her very best to raise them right. She stays home with them and keeps them active in things like karate and Mandarin classes and does a lot of activities with them at home. They live in a very small home in a not so great part of town. She shared a little of her story with us so we could pray for her. 

After we filled her table with gifts and prayed for her and her children we continued on our way to the park where the all the teams were gathering for a celebration picnic. I wasn't able to stay to hear the grand total fundraising amount but trust it will provide for Alpha to do what they do! I believe there were over 180 walkers and nearly 40 families visited!

Just imagining the number of families impacted this morning by the teams that delivered gifts to their doorsteps is quite breath taking. Forty families were told they were loved today. Forty families were told they matter and their children matter. Life matters. This was such an amazing day.

Thank you to everyone who partnered with me in prayer and financially. I had set a goal of $500 and while I didn't quite reach it, but I was really close. Including a few last minute checks received the total was $480!

Let's do it again next year!

MOMcon: First Year Experience

Last month my friend Beth and I left our children with the dads and traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for a three day conference put on my Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). This is a conference I have had my eye on for three years but it just didn't workout to go until this year. And I'm so thankful we went.

Mothers of Preschoolers is an organization I have come to love; they bring moms into community all over the world. Essentially, it's a moms group. We meet twice a month in San Francisco, but there are over 4,000 meetings happening worldwide! MOPS provides us with a curriculum, support, encouragement and reminds us of a bond we share with women around the world.

This year, I attended their annual conference (MOMcon) with two hopes in mind. 1) That I would be inspired to be a better mom and 2) grow as a leader (of my family and also my MOPS group I currently coordinate). And the conference did not disappoint. I will admit that on the first day I found myself tearing up multiple times for the sole reason that I was overwhelmed that I was actually there and I think deep down my soul was preparing for change.

The speakers they had on the main stage were amazing. Each one delivering a super-encouraging word of truth I so desperately needed to hear out loud. Some of the strongest words spoken all weekend were "You are loved." Have that on repeat and I started to actually believe it. "I am loved. I am a child of God. He cares for me. He has a plan for me." I tell my kids that all the time and know it is true for them, but often discard it for myself. But it is TRUTH. The Best Truth.

The worship was led by Vertical Worship and they were amazing. I learned a lot of new songs and enjoyed worship in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. Release. Trust. Love. Adoration. Restored.

The workshops I attended were on a wide variety of topics but I really loved each and every one of them. I'm just going to list them for my own sake below:

Mobilizing Your Community to Fight Human Trafficking and Slavery - International Justice Mission
Deciphering What we Put on on Our Bodies - Lisa Bronner
Helping Your Stressed out Brain Chill Out - Jennifer Degler
The Art & Beauty of Living and Loving Beyond Race - Lucretia Berry
Are My Kids On Track? - David Thomas and Sissy Goff
Ending Shame - Hillary McBride

The other things the conference offered were a marketplace to do some shopping which was really fun (no kids to stop you there!), a mom's night out where Beth and I went out to eat and then chatted with my sister late into the evening and a 90's themed MOM PROM (dance). Yes, my sister Molly came from Wisconsin which was totally icing on the cake.

We stayed a few blocks away from the convention center at an AirBnB which worked out perfectly. We had our own space, it was quiet, we had a kitchen and made our own meals and it was nice to get a walk into our busy days.

Okay, to recap the things I LOVED about MOMcon:
 - Meeting Mandy Arioto (president of MOPS) and hearing her speak several times
 - One-on-one time with my friend Beth. We spent so much time talking I didn't even read the books I brought with me!
 - Hearing so many great speakers and coming away with so many resources
 - Meeting other women in leadership roles from our area and really getting to connect (in airports)
 - Feeling more connected to MOPS in a global sense and more equipped to lead my local group.
 - Getting to hang out with my sister and dance together

If you have a chance to go -- I would say "GO!" I am hoping to go again in 2020. Next year it's in Florida and it's just too far for me, but it might not be for you!

Last month my friend Beth and I left our children with the dads and traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for a three day conference put on my Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). This is a conference I have had my eye on for three years but it just didn't workout to go until this year. And I'm so thankful we went.

Mothers of Preschoolers is an organization I have come to love; they bring moms into community all over the world. Essentially, it's a moms group. We meet twice a month in San Francisco, but there are over 4,000 meetings happening worldwide! MOPS provides us with a curriculum, support, encouragement and reminds us of a bond we share with women around the world.

This year, I attended their annual conference (MOMcon) with two hopes in mind. 1) That I would be inspired to be a better mom and 2) grow as a leader (of my family and also my MOPS group I currently coordinate). And the conference did not disappoint. I will admit that on the first day I found myself tearing up multiple times for the sole reason that I was overwhelmed that I was actually there and I think deep down my soul was preparing for change.

The speakers they had on the main stage were amazing. Each one delivering a super-encouraging word of truth I so desperately needed to hear out loud. Some of the strongest words spoken all weekend were "You are loved." Have that on repeat and I started to actually believe it. "I am loved. I am a child of God. He cares for me. He has a plan for me." I tell my kids that all the time and know it is true for them, but often discard it for myself. But it is TRUTH. The Best Truth.

The worship was led by Vertical Worship and they were amazing. I learned a lot of new songs and enjoyed worship in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. Release. Trust. Love. Adoration. Restored.

The workshops I attended were on a wide variety of topics but I really loved each and every one of them. I'm just going to list them for my own sake below:

Mobilizing Your Community to Fight Human Trafficking and Slavery - International Justice Mission
Deciphering What we Put on on Our Bodies - Lisa Bronner
Helping Your Stressed out Brain Chill Out - Jennifer Degler
The Art & Beauty of Living and Loving Beyond Race - Lucretia Berry
Are My Kids On Track? - David Thomas and Sissy Goff
Ending Shame - Hillary McBride

The other things the conference offered were a marketplace to do some shopping which was really fun (no kids to stop you there!), a mom's night out where Beth and I went out to eat and then chatted with my sister late into the evening and a 90's themed MOM PROM (dance). Yes, my sister Molly came from Wisconsin which was totally icing on the cake.

We stayed a few blocks away from the convention center at an AirBnB which worked out perfectly. We had our own space, it was quiet, we had a kitchen and made our own meals and it was nice to get a walk into our busy days.

Okay, to recap the things I LOVED about MOMcon:
 - Meeting Mandy Arioto (president of MOPS) and hearing her speak several times
 - One-on-one time with my friend Beth. We spent so much time talking I didn't even read the books I brought with me!
 - Hearing so many great speakers and coming away with so many resources
 - Meeting other women in leadership roles from our area and really getting to connect (in airports)
 - Feeling more connected to MOPS in a global sense and more equipped to lead my local group.
 - Getting to hang out with my sister and dance together

If you have a chance to go -- I would say "GO!" I am hoping to go again in 2020. Next year it's in Florida and it's just too far for me, but it might not be for you!

Book Club: Caroline

I grew up reading and watching the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder so when one of my book club friends recommended Caroline: Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller for our September read I was all in. 

Caroline is a novel about the move from Big Woods to the Kansas prairie from Ma's perspective. The 1800s were (needless to say) very different from our present day in regards to travel, homemaking, raising children and even marriage. Ma's life was hard and submitting to your husband's dream of moving across unknown lands to stake claim in Indian territory would be right there at the top of things I don't know if I'd do . . . loading up all your possessions into a horse drawn wagon for not only a few weeks but months with your preschooler and toddler and a baby on the way, cooking over open fires, rationing provisions, crossing frozen lakes and forging rivers sounds nothing like my move to California!

The book was really interesting in that the author retells a story I knew so long ago with an adult perspective and more facts than Wilder shared. But excited as I was to read the book, I can't say it was an easy read. It seemed a little slow at times and I had a hard time coming back to it. 

I did appreciate the scenes about their marriage as that was never really shared in the original series. I also appreciated getting an insiders take on Ma's restraint in showing emotion and speaking. I can't say I agree with how the culture was back then but I found it interesting and a good reminder of how strong women were. I admired her ability to hold herself together in such difficult circumstances while having so much being physically asked of her. 

I grew up reading and watching the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder so when one of my book club friends recommended Caroline: Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller for our September read I was all in. 

Caroline is a novel about the move from Big Woods to the Kansas prairie from Ma's perspective. The 1800s were (needless to say) very different from our present day in regards to travel, homemaking, raising children and even marriage. Ma's life was hard and submitting to your husband's dream of moving across unknown lands to stake claim in Indian territory would be right there at the top of things I don't know if I'd do . . . loading up all your possessions into a horse drawn wagon for not only a few weeks but months with your preschooler and toddler and a baby on the way, cooking over open fires, rationing provisions, crossing frozen lakes and forging rivers sounds nothing like my move to California!

The book was really interesting in that the author retells a story I knew so long ago with an adult perspective and more facts than Wilder shared. But excited as I was to read the book, I can't say it was an easy read. It seemed a little slow at times and I had a hard time coming back to it. 

I did appreciate the scenes about their marriage as that was never really shared in the original series. I also appreciated getting an insiders take on Ma's restraint in showing emotion and speaking. I can't say I agree with how the culture was back then but I found it interesting and a good reminder of how strong women were. I admired her ability to hold herself together in such difficult circumstances while having so much being physically asked of her. 

Super Birthday Boy

We had William's 5th birthday party last weekend -- it was super hero themed for a couple reasons. 1) my kids are constantly playing super hero vs. bad guy or good guy vs. bad guy and 2) I had a lot of t-shirts that could be recycled into super hero capes for zero dollars!

William was so excited to have a superhero themed party and couldn't wait for his friends to join him. While we were setting up in the park, he kept asking, "How much longer until my friends come?" Too cute. Patience little one.

William requested a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Easy right? Well, not if you're trying to make a "healthy cake!" For some reason I thought I needed to save all the little guests (all younger than William) from the sugar high! The cake I went with was an almond flour cake which was gluten free and dairy free if you didn't eat the frosting. The chocolate frosting was low-sugar. But then I had to go and add the icing decoration (get it, it's like the Superman emblem?) which was neither low in sugar or healthy... sorry friends.

We had just a few other munch-able snacks which everyone seemed to enjoy. For the first time ever I didn't end up which a bunch of leftovers after the party!

The kids had a great time running around in the masks and capes. And Stephen ran around so much I barely even saw him! And then there was this (below) . . . thankfully Chris was standing watch and caught him!

William Bradley, we love you so much. Sometimes I look at your face and feel overwhelmed by how much you've grown, how much you've learned in the last year, how much I love you. When you laugh and your dimples really show I just can't look away. You are so beautiful (I mean handsome!).  You make me laugh with your playfulness and I'm thankful for the fun you bring to our family. 

We love you SuperBoy.

We had William's 5th birthday party last weekend -- it was super hero themed for a couple reasons. 1) my kids are constantly playing super hero vs. bad guy or good guy vs. bad guy and 2) I had a lot of t-shirts that could be recycled into super hero capes for zero dollars!

William was so excited to have a superhero themed party and couldn't wait for his friends to join him. While we were setting up in the park, he kept asking, "How much longer until my friends come?" Too cute. Patience little one.

William requested a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Easy right? Well, not if you're trying to make a "healthy cake!" For some reason I thought I needed to save all the little guests (all younger than William) from the sugar high! The cake I went with was an almond flour cake which was gluten free and dairy free if you didn't eat the frosting. The chocolate frosting was low-sugar. But then I had to go and add the icing decoration (get it, it's like the Superman emblem?) which was neither low in sugar or healthy... sorry friends.

We had just a few other munch-able snacks which everyone seemed to enjoy. For the first time ever I didn't end up which a bunch of leftovers after the party!

The kids had a great time running around in the masks and capes. And Stephen ran around so much I barely even saw him! And then there was this (below) . . . thankfully Chris was standing watch and caught him!

William Bradley, we love you so much. Sometimes I look at your face and feel overwhelmed by how much you've grown, how much you've learned in the last year, how much I love you. When you laugh and your dimples really show I just can't look away. You are so beautiful (I mean handsome!).  You make me laugh with your playfulness and I'm thankful for the fun you bring to our family. 

We love you SuperBoy.

2018 Walk for Life - 18 Days and Counting

September was a really busy month for me. We had our first two MOPS meetings, I went to MOMcon and put together a MOPS booth for a community event. Not to mention William still getting into the grove of school. Whew! It's October! And although October starts with William's birthday and seems to be the kick off for all things fall, it is also the month that Alpha Pregnancy Center has their Walk for Life event. If you know me, you know I do this nearly every year! I missed one 5 years ago because, well I had a baby. Which was a valid excuse but I was bummed to miss it.

So, now it is October 2 and the Walk is just 18 days away. Its time I let you know that I'll be leading a team again this year! So, if you live in the area and you want to join me, please do! Just go to http://www.alphapc.org/walk-for-life-2/ and register! Then meet me on October 20 and we'll do this thing together!

Or if you don't live in the area or you can't join me in the walk, please consider donating to the cause! Alpha does so much to support the women who go through an unplanned pregnancy and they really can't do it without you! If you can support me please do so online (just click the image below and it will take you to my giving page)

My goal this year is $500 and I know with your help I can meet that goal. And hopefully with your help I'll have a big team to walk with too!

September was a really busy month for me. We had our first two MOPS meetings, I went to MOMcon and put together a MOPS booth for a community event. Not to mention William still getting into the grove of school. Whew! It's October! And although October starts with William's birthday and seems to be the kick off for all things fall, it is also the month that Alpha Pregnancy Center has their Walk for Life event. If you know me, you know I do this nearly every year! I missed one 5 years ago because, well I had a baby. Which was a valid excuse but I was bummed to miss it.

So, now it is October 2 and the Walk is just 18 days away. Its time I let you know that I'll be leading a team again this year! So, if you live in the area and you want to join me, please do! Just go to http://www.alphapc.org/walk-for-life-2/ and register! Then meet me on October 20 and we'll do this thing together!

Or if you don't live in the area or you can't join me in the walk, please consider donating to the cause! Alpha does so much to support the women who go through an unplanned pregnancy and they really can't do it without you! If you can support me please do so online (just click the image below and it will take you to my giving page)

My goal this year is $500 and I know with your help I can meet that goal. And hopefully with your help I'll have a big team to walk with too!

FIVE YEARS OLD

Today William is a five year old. No longer a preschooler as he is in Transitional Kindergarten (and extra grade for those who have fall birthdays and missed the school cut off). He loves it! He loves making friends; sometimes I'm surprised by how outgoing William is with new people. He will join anyone at the playground if it looks like fun. Even if they are a lot older or bigger. He loves learning new songs about the alphabet, sounds, animals, and ones that are just silly. He is writing more letters and numbers already after just 6 weeks of school. I can't believe how much he has learned in such a short time. He is a sponge!

William still loves reading. I hope this passion never goes away! We've graduated to chapter books for the most part but he still loves listening to any story I read. His favorites include the Magic Tree House Series and Heroes in Training series. He also really loves sitting on my lap still. Sometimes it feels like he wants to be even closer than that! Being gone from mom everyday has made him a little more attached in the afternoons. It's all good -- I like feeling loved!

He is really into super heroes and good guys vs. bad guys . . . and weapons, fighting, and wrestling. He has even taught his two year old brother to run around saying "pew, pew, pew" while holding up his hand-gun. Stephen and William play really well together for the most part! I'm so thankful for their brother-bond.

I haven't had him in for a check-up yet but at 4 1/2 years old he was 43 pounds and 3'8" tall. I know he has grown since then because 4T clothes no longer fit! But his feet are the hardest to keep up with!

In the past six months, he has learned to ride his pedal bike (no longer a balance bike!). He even rides a tag-a-long on the back of Chris's bike to school each morning. He has also gotten a lot more comfortable swimming! We gave him a pair of goggles to wear to his lessons and it was a game changer. He is like a fish now and has no fear about getting his face in the water. Such a brave big boy we have now.

This year he went to his first Giants game with dad! He also went on a few trips: a one-night camping trip with friends, a week in Wisconsin in June, two weeks in Texas in July, and a day spent apple picking.

Speaking of eating, we usually stick to a very routine meal plan for William as there are very few things he will eat without complaint. But his palate is growing for things like tacos and pizza! Broccoli is the only green thing he will eat and that takes some talking into and fruit is getting to be a challenge these days too. So what does he eat?  Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, yogurt with granola, cereal, cheese and meat with crackers, and broccoli... and milk. Lots of milk.

It's been a really fun year of watching this little guy grow, learn and change before my eyes. Now I just need to get some more photos of him before he grows some more!

** Check out his birthday party post: http://embabiak.blogspot.com/2018/10/super-birthday-boy.html

Today William is a five year old. No longer a preschooler as he is in Transitional Kindergarten (and extra grade for those who have fall birthdays and missed the school cut off). He loves it! He loves making friends; sometimes I'm surprised by how outgoing William is with new people. He will join anyone at the playground if it looks like fun. Even if they are a lot older or bigger. He loves learning new songs about the alphabet, sounds, animals, and ones that are just silly. He is writing more letters and numbers already after just 6 weeks of school. I can't believe how much he has learned in such a short time. He is a sponge!

William still loves reading. I hope this passion never goes away! We've graduated to chapter books for the most part but he still loves listening to any story I read. His favorites include the Magic Tree House Series and Heroes in Training series. He also really loves sitting on my lap still. Sometimes it feels like he wants to be even closer than that! Being gone from mom everyday has made him a little more attached in the afternoons. It's all good -- I like feeling loved!

He is really into super heroes and good guys vs. bad guys . . . and weapons, fighting, and wrestling. He has even taught his two year old brother to run around saying "pew, pew, pew" while holding up his hand-gun. Stephen and William play really well together for the most part! I'm so thankful for their brother-bond.

I haven't had him in for a check-up yet but at 4 1/2 years old he was 43 pounds and 3'8" tall. I know he has grown since then because 4T clothes no longer fit! But his feet are the hardest to keep up with!

In the past six months, he has learned to ride his pedal bike (no longer a balance bike!). He even rides a tag-a-long on the back of Chris's bike to school each morning. He has also gotten a lot more comfortable swimming! We gave him a pair of goggles to wear to his lessons and it was a game changer. He is like a fish now and has no fear about getting his face in the water. Such a brave big boy we have now.

This year he went to his first Giants game with dad! He also went on a few trips: a one-night camping trip with friends, a week in Wisconsin in June, two weeks in Texas in July, and a day spent apple picking.

Speaking of eating, we usually stick to a very routine meal plan for William as there are very few things he will eat without complaint. But his palate is growing for things like tacos and pizza! Broccoli is the only green thing he will eat and that takes some talking into and fruit is getting to be a challenge these days too. So what does he eat?  Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, yogurt with granola, cereal, cheese and meat with crackers, and broccoli... and milk. Lots of milk.

It's been a really fun year of watching this little guy grow, learn and change before my eyes. Now I just need to get some more photos of him before he grows some more!

** Check out his birthday party post: http://embabiak.blogspot.com/2018/10/super-birthday-boy.html