Surviving the Storms

This has been a year of change. A lot of things have already changed and a lot of things will change soon. Terrible things have happened. Things that keep me up at night, praying and wondering what I should be doing to make everything all right again. Wonderful things have happened too. I just need to look through the thousands of pictures I have taken to see that. 
I am not the same person I was when this year started. I have become more careful in my relationship with Joe. I am more careful to not take him for granted, to be more considerate and kind, to savor the moments with him just as I try to savor all the times that I have been given with my children. I have become more honest, more open, more vulnerable. I have been more intentional to teach the truth to my children and to teach them the foundations for living a moral life and that it is critical that we live in a manner pleasing to God whether or not anyone is watching.   

One thing I heard in church last week really resonated with me during this time of change and introspection, and I haven't been able to stop processing it because I believe it to be so true.
Our pastor spoke from Matthew 7 and he taught how so many people are believers of certain parts of the Bible. They ask God to add on a room addition to the beautiful house they have already constructed. They want God to make their home a little shinier, look a little better from the outside, be a little stronger. They want to force the teachings of the Word into the spaces of who they already are. They cut bits and pieces from the text, hang them on the walls, and say, "Yes, that feels better. That looks nice." 
However, this is not the way we are  to live. The Bible is to be the rock on which we build our house. If we had parts that were constructed before we met Christ, we are to tear them down and let God and his Word start a new building on that rock. We are to align our life to fit the entirety of the Word of God, not just the parts that feel comfortable to us. Only then will we be ready for the storms that will inevitably crash and threaten to crumble the houses we have constructed. 

Matthew 7:26 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”  28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

I have been working on lessening the fear in my own life as well. I will not be afraid for what can man do to me? 

Psalm 112. 
"Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

Activities in Orange County that cost a few bucks but are well worth it!

1. Big Air Toddler Time!! For Kids 7 and under.Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10-1. $8 per kid. Adults don't have to pay unless they want to jump the whole time. I always get a few jumps in and it is ok. My boys LOVE this place. Giant trampolines, foam pits, rock climbing walls, balls everywhere, and more. What's not to love!! 

2. Cal Elite Open Gym. 12-1 PM Monday-Friday. $5 per kid. Adults are free. Great deal and there is so much to do it will wear your active kiddo out. Foam pit, trampolines, awesome bars and trapeze, balance beams. Boys LOVE this place as well!! 

3. Preschool classes at the OC ZOO!! Your child has to be 3 or 4 years old, and they ask you not to bring siblings so it can be tricky. But this class is fantastic! They have a schedule so check their website or call 714-973-6846. It is 10:15-11:15, includes 3 awesome art projects, animal visitations, animal learning, and a trip to the OC zoo after the class for as long as you want for only $5!! Adults are free. The zoo is inside the Irvine Regional Park and last time we stayed 9 AM-1:30 and made a big day out of it!! This park is one of my favorite places in Orange County. So many gorgeous Oak Trees. ;-) Check it out. ;-) 

Preschool Activities: Part 2

I've been trying to bring back the preschool activities into Max's life since Eli gets a whole bunch of structured activities every day. We have been doing a lot of them with friends which is even better. Here are some ideas if you have preschoolers. 

1. Cereal necklaces. Thread with yarn covered at the end with tape. Then they can eat them when they are finished. 

 2. My boys favorite way to paint is Smash Paintings. Fold a paper in half and paint on one side. Smash really hard and open for a surprise. I love these dot pens but any paint works.

 3. Games!! I love games so we have been playing them a lot lately since the boys are old enough now, and they are great learning tools. Some great ones we have played this week are: Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid, War, The Ladybug Game, and Giant Puzzles.

4. Tennis ball smash paintings. We did this the day it rained. We put tennis balls in rain water buckets and smashed them and rolled them and splattered them on the sidewalk. ;-)

 5. Treasure Hunt at the park. I brought alphabet magnets, crayons, and a few pieces of candy to keep the kids looking and hid a ton all over the park. The kids looked for everything for a long time. Then you can have them use the magnets for projects later, they also stuck to the metal benches!! I brought paper to draw with the crayons as well. Max loves this activity and will even hide things for himself to find now. ;-)

Pedego!

Joe and I got the opportunity to try out a fun new activity! It's called Pedego or the electric bicycle. It was such a blast. We both loved it!!! It's a combination between a bicycle and a motorcycle. You can pedal like a regular bike as much as you want and then if you want a break or want an easy way up a big hill you just either rev the accelerator and zoom forward or use pedal assist which gives you power with every pedal!! We got to go on an hour and fifteen minute guided tour for free with his work, and we saw 14 miles of beautiful Irvine bike trails. We went on a ton of trails that I have taken the kids on before, but it is so much more beautiful going 15 miles an hour. ;-)

It is only $14 an hour to try it out. I would definitely go for it! The store we got to try the bikes out at was this one:

Open Daily 10AM - 6PM

4624 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92604

(949) 274-7944
info@pedegoirvine.com

Adventures with a half empty jogging stroller. Part 2. Hiking Orange County.

So it's been hot. Which makes it a little harder to get out and hike, but we did enjoy two awesome hikes lately. We got to do them both with Eli, which was fun! 

#1. The first was O'neill Regional Park hike. In order to get to this one you drive to Alicia till it ends and turn right on Rancho Santa Margarita. Turn left on Avenida de las Flores and left on Via Con Dios. Take this road around until you see the fence for the park on your left. There will be a small opening. Park on this street and head inside. This park is huge so there's an endless amount of land to explore. We like heading down the hill towards the nice playground. There's also a beautiful shady, grassy area on the way for picnics. We caught a praying mantis while we were there which was the highlight. Last time it was a lizard. ;-) 

#2. The next hike is one we will be doing a lot this year. It is called the Aliso Creek Trail, and a great way to get to it is to park at Grace Christian School. From there take the sidewalk for a few feet toward the creek until you see the trail. We took it as far as it went, and it was a really peaceful trail with a storm drain creek on your left. We went the day of the rains so it was really flowing. ;-) 

Adventures with a half empty jogging stroller. Part 1.

I am a list writer. I love accomplishing little goals on a daily and weekly basis so as my life has changed quite a bit this past month, I wrote out some goals for Max and I's time together. 

Some Weekly Goals:

One adventure morning a week where we can spend some money like at a jump house. ;-) 

One hiking adventure morning a week. 

Two playdates a week, one being an event I host with a craft/science project through my moms club. 

Today was our hiking adventure morning!! I will try and remember to post the hikes we do so that if you live in the OC you can check them out. 

#1. Last week's hike was Aliso & Wood Canyon Wilderness Park Trail. Drive Down Alicia toward the beach, pass pacific park, and you will see the trail on your right. Our whole family loves this trail. It feels away from civilization more than the majority of OC trails. Max and I enjoyed a spirited walk for an hour and then explored Dino Park on the way home. 

#2. Today we did Mission Viejo Lake, a 3 mile hike with the fabulous Flojo park as a halfway stopping point. I parked in the Lakeview Academy parking lot and hiked around so that I did the uphill stretch first. Best on a not too hot day. ;-) 

I have a lot more ideas and can't wait to conquer them all! ;-)