play time from the eyes of Channing

We've done a lot of playing lately with friends. Here are some pics of my adventures. Hope you enjoy! LOVE, CHANNING

 I love sitting up now. No help, please.

 Lunch with Nana & Mimi in Raleigh

Hanging out at the park

Titus (above) & Levi (below) are brothers. We've had some playdates at their house on Post. Mommy got to learn how to open her hood one day at the gate when she was having her car inspected to get on base. She was reminded of how much Daddy does that she doesn't have to even think about!

 Tori (above) & Twila (below) have been begging to take care of Channing. They have volunteered their mama numerous times as a babysitter. Finally, mama decided to leave me & go on a date with Daddy. I was in great hands with the Matthews family.

"Hey Jack! I'm back here. Wanna play?" 

   Jack preferred the Radio Flyer to Channing...looks like he's having fun.

A thumb war with my buddy Cole at our Happy Heart Breakfast. Mommy always seems to come away from those gatherings with a happier heart & a full tummy too!

worship....

 A friend took this the other day. I had no idea she had taken it until she tagged me in it. But I remember the moment. My child was taken care of. I had no responsibilities at the time & I was able to just worship. But it's had me thinking. I need to be like this all the time. COMPLETELY SURRENDERED. Oh it's my heart. It's what I truly desire but so many things get in my way.

I need to worship though. ALWAYS.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

It doesn't say when it feels good or when the circumstances are as we wish. It says GIVE THANKS. It's a command. And then it goes on to say, HE IS GOOD. Isn't that so true? Can't we really say that from experience over & over? So I need to worship.

When people disappoint me. WORSHIP. When criticism comes. WORSHIP. When money is tight. WORSHIP. When my baby is sick. WORSHIP. When my attitude stinks. WORSHIP. When I don't understand the circumstances. WORSHIP. When I'm lonely. WORSHIP. When marriage is hard. WORSHIP. When John has meetings 4 nights out of the week. WORSHIP. When problems arise. WORSHIP. When I just don't want to. WORSHIP! And when things are stinkin' awesome, I better NOT forget to....WORSHIP!

Dare you not to smile.....

Another first...

Channing got to attend his first big concert this past weekend. Winter Jam is a tradition! We love it. Awesome Christian music for $10. Can't beat that! So we decided to take our little fella. Though it may have been more of an attention grabber than I would have liked, I made sure his sweet little ears were protected. Sometimes I wished I had a pair in my size because it was so loud. I was thankful that he didn't seem to mind the ear protection at all.



Running....

I'm working on becoming a runner. I've always been a runner. I've ran from a whole gamut of things throughout my life.....heartache, help, my relationship with Christ, relationships with others, at the first sign of trouble, love, pain, the truth,...gosh the list goes on & on. But I am so glad that I've finally taken up a new type of running. Running to help my body be healthy! And you know what? I'm loving it & I really look forward to it every other day.

I run in the path of your commands,

for you have broadened my understanding.

Psalm 119:32

Fun in the Sun

Today it was a beautiful day! We took full advantage of John's day off & the lovely weather. We woke this morning & I made coffee & homemade blueberry muffins & we studied some of God's word. Such good family time! After Channing's morning nap we headed to Raven Rock State Park & took a short hike. It was much shorter than we anticipated because it was a 88 degrees out &carrying an 18 pound Channing on you makes for one hot momma & one hot fella. If there is one thing Channing hates, it's getting hot. Despite the shortness of the hike, we enjoyed our time together.

We headed to one of our favorite parks in nearby Angier, NC. It's beautiful and not too far from an ice cream shop called Sunni Sky's that makes all of their own ice cream. You can get a kiddie cup for $1.50! Not too bad. Just remember your cash because they are still old school & don't take any cards. We also got to catch up with Evalyn & Sarah who are now at Campbell. They were both in our first youth group. I still can remember when sweet Evalyn accepted Christ as her Savior!!! Sweet, Sweet memories. So hard to believe that they are about to finish their freshman year of college.

 

 Frisbee Golf

John is serious about frisbee golf.

 

  Off roading in the stroller with Daddy.....just the beginning.

 Sarah & Evalyn

Sunni Sky's...yum!

I could just pinch those cheeks off!


At the end of the day, he was all tuckered out!

Raising a Foodie!!!

No big surprise that Channing is a child that LOVES to  eat. I mean really? Do you know who his parents are?  Just this past Sunday evening as he was kept during small group by Mrs. Jadiene, he showed us just how ready he is. She was carrying him in the Bjorn and passing out cookies to the other boys & girls. Channing was not about to be passed up! He grabbed the cookie from her hand & put it RIGHT TO HIS MOUTH! 5 months old! He wasn't really sure what to do with it then, and the cookie fell to the ground but he understands the concept! Just another reminder that our kids are watching us intently & that they mimic what they see.

Dad taking a try at it!

BUT, it has already been a conviction of mine that just as I teach him to eat, he will be taught healthy eating habits as we change ours &the importance of exercising. I picked up the habit of being an emotional eater and as I've worked through that as an adult, I am so grateful to have the knowledge to  break that generational habit through God's help! Already this kiddo LOVES & I mean LOVES peas! He's also had bananas, sweet potatoes, applesauce, carrots, and blueberries.

MMmm...blueberries & bananas.

Sunny days...

We've really been enjoying the WONDERFUL weather we've had the last few days. John went out of town on a conference with Pastor Andrew & Pastor Kevin last week which left Channing & I here to play for few days. I love & hate those days. I love them because I don't care about the house or the meals. I eat a peanut butter sandwich & call it a day & just play with my fella! Channing was MORE than ready for some daddy loving though when John got back! We also got to visit with my family twice recently (I'll post pics later of that from John's computer) & enjoyed a few hours with our sweet friend Mere & Eric.

The big news in the Berry house is that Mommy is home FULL TIME! In January I went back to teaching preschool 3 days a week & tried my best to make it work. But it was took too much away from my family even being gone as little as I was. After a full month of prayer about it, I knew what I had to do. I did not want to live with REGRET. Really at the end of my life will I say " Wish I had worked more?". I seriously doubt it. I'm going to say "Wish I had invested that time in my babies." So we are trusting God with what seems CRAZY at the world's standards and choosing to live with LESS! Really I think we will find, as we have already in 2 weeks, that LESS REALLY IS MORE!

 More time together. More peace. More investment into our baby boy. More intentional discretion between needs & wants, but oh so worth it!

 Being home full time has really allowed me to thank God each day for the time I have with Channing. I am truly trying to be intentional with our time together. We've been studying different scriptures. I've memorized 4 new ones this week and I practice each one with him. I'm trusting God's word in 2 Timothy 3:15 "From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."  We have these awesome TRUTH CARDS Aunt Coley & Uncle Brandon (who we miss by the way & can't wait until they are in Charlotte where we can see each other more often!) gave us for Christmas that we've been working our way through.  As we pray each day I earnestly ask God to draw Channing's heart to him at an early age. I'm going to be sure that I'm doing everything on my end to be sure that Channing understands the importance of Christ in his life. This week I also got to enjoy my first MOPS meeting & I loved it! I always marvel at how the Lord provides exactly the encouragement you need at the right time. I hope you find him to be that faithful in your life too. Here are a few more pictures of our cute bundle of joy. Oh how I wish you could love on him in person. He's such a little love bug!

I LOVE this happy boy!

We had a great little visit with the Marshburns!

A serious morning talk.

Mom, I'm ready! I thought we were going walking? Why are you taking pics again?

That's His Story & He's Sticking to it!

Happy Boy....

I know it's tempting, but try not to attempt to pinch the thighs or cheeks that are on your computer screen. I know it's hard, but you can do it!