Micah man is 18 months!

sweet boy its hard to believe that you are a year and a half already! where has the time gone? 

you my sweet boy are full of life, awe, and love.

 you can be pretty serious sometimes but you still love to have fun and belly laugh. 

 you love to go adventuring and are constantly discovering the world around you. 

when you are at home with momma and daddy you are such a goof ball.

 you are in awe of God's creation and love being outside all.the.time. 

you love both momma and daddy so much and show us by all your hugs and kisses. 

you love reading books, feeding grammy's chickens, visiting daddy at work ad getting truck rides, breakfast, barkely, your friends, geese, going to the post office, dance parties, and so much more. 

sweet boy our prayer for you is micah 6:8

seek justice,

love mercy,

walk humbly.

we love watching you grow up, it's just happening to fast! 

Recipe: healthy oatmeal cookies

Today was Micah's first swimming lesson. We froze! But we still had fun. 

After coming home I was in the mood to bake to try and warm my bones up. I knew that a certain little goober was going to be wanting to eat this so I wanted to come up with a healthy cookie that would satisfy my cookie craving but that I could also feed Micah without having him buzz on a sugar high all afternoon. 

So I present to you...

What you need!

 

1c - steel cut oats

1/2c - raisins

1/4t - baking soda

1/4t - sea salt

1/2t - vanilla

2T - coconut oil

4T - coconut milk (or milk of choice)

2 - eggs

Optional

Nuts, shredded coconut, cinnamon 

Put oats, raisins, baking soda, salt into blender. Pulse til raisins are chopped.

Mix together vanilla, coconut oil, coconut milk and eggs.

Add wet mixture into dry mixture and stir til mixed together.

Form into balls and bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes. This recipe makes roughly 20-22 cookies depending on how big you make them.

These cookies and son AND husband approved and I feel good feeding these to them. 

Hope you enjoy! 

15 months

I thought you just turned one my sweet boy? But time is not my friend and the days slip away far to fast! 

Can I just say how much I love this age!? 

so.much.fun.

Micah you love animals! You know what they say and I hear a lot of mooing, woofing, chirping, baaing, and neighing in a day. 

You also love to run around calling for daddy all day. 

If I ask you if you want to go out side you immediately run to get your shoes and sit down to try and put them on. Once yours are on you grab my shoes too! You love being outside and fight when it's time to come in.

You love to share you snack with me, one bite for you one bite for me. 

If I ask you if your handsome you make a cheese face, which I have yet to snap a picture of.

You give the best hugs and kisses and I hope that never stops! 

There are three pearly whites in that little mouth of yours. 

When we go outside you make a bee line for your little car and 'drive around' in it for as long as you can before getting stuck. You have only figured out how to go backwards and usually end up in the garden. 

Speaking of the garden, you LOVE mud! I don't blame you, I do too! None of my rows are straight and things are popping up all over the place because a little mister decided to crawl through right after I seeded it. 

You make the cutest scrunched up face when you smell the flowers.

If I hear you scream it usually means that the neighbours dog has come over to play and you are so excited you can hardly contain yourself!

When there is music playing your bum is a bopping.

Mowing grass, vacuuming and sweeping are most exciting!

Tuesday mornings you climb up the chair to look out the window and watch the garbage trucks come down the street. 

My boy there are so many things I want to remember forever! The way you talk, the way hand me your blankie and point to the couch after a nap so we can snuggle, and the way love so deeply! 

micah vacuuming made me cry...

yes, its true.

my sweet boy was 'vcuuming' and i sat on the stairs watching and crying.
those of you who know me know that i cry pretty easily but this wasn't a 'oh my baby is growing up' moment.

i had just finished vacuuming the living room and had ran upstairs to grab something and when i cam back down this is what i saw.

he was very content 'vacuuming' so i sat on the stairs to watch him and that is when the tears started flowing.

you see this is how i vacuum:
- turn on the power by stepping on the power switch
- push the vacuum head around
- push the ball back and vacuum the next section

this is what micah did:
- reached his tiny foot up to turn the power on
- pushed the vacuum head around
- put the vacuum head down
- pushed the ball back
- proceeded to vacuum

what i saw was a mirror of what i had just done. my little boy had watched every detail of what i was doing and copied me. he had been playing with trucks while i vacuumed, i didn't even realize he was paying attention.

as i sat there and watched is tiny little foot reach up to hit the power button i was flooded with the realization of just how much impact we have on these tiny humans. he notices everything i am doing even when i don't realize it.

how blessed am i that God would entrust me, me, with this beautiful soul to raise up.

i am blown away!

it is not easy task and i need to look at myself first and make sure i am setting the example in all things and that starts by coming to the Lord in prayer and seeking His guidance and direction.

2 year anniversary

two years ago i became a mrs.

these two years have flown past but at the same time it feels like we have been married so much longer. we have had such a fantastic two years. we have had a share of ups and downs but we have grown closer through it all. i love this man more today than i did two years ago and i can't image life without him. 

 i am so glad that the Lord brought us together and that we get to journey together though the adventure of life. it has been a learning experience and i fully expect that the learning will continue.
 i am so blessed by him! he works so hard to provide for us, he is so patience with me and micah when we are both at our wits end on some days, he makes us laugh daily, and he loves us fiercely.

i am a better person because of being with this man. i catch him reading his bible after a long day and all he wants to do is go to bed, i can text him and ask him to pray about anything throughout the day and he does, he encourages me when i feel like i'm failing at being a good momma to our boy, he can just look at me and tell if i need a break and tells me he will hang out with micah so i can have some 'me' time, and so much more! 

i pray that we have many more great years ahead and that we always fight for our marriage and for each other.

i love you clint xoxo

pictures by branch and twig photography

lately

micah your are just over 14 months old! time sure is flying by.

you like:
- to walk everywhere
- digging in the dirt
- watching the bird fly around
- playing with trucks
- splashing
- sliding
- playing with friends

you say \ sign:
- daddy
- mommy
- all done
- no
- yes
- puppy
- kitty
- tinny (cousin Quinn)
- please
- ni ni (night-night)
- bye
- hi
and i'm sure there are more that i'm missing

you make our hearts burst daily!
even if you are screaming and clinging.

momma heart talk

It seems as though life has been a whirl wind lately and I'm not really sure why. I look at my boy and I see just that a little boy, not a baby. I just blinked and he grew up. I thought I would be sad as he grew up but I am just trying to relish in each moment I am given with him. 

I recently listened to the thrive moms retreat and one of the speakers said something that stuck out to me. 

"relationship over task" 

I tend to be a doer, I need to keep busy or I feel guilty (mom if you're reading this I partially blame you, haha). I feel like I can't have dirty dishes piled up, laundry strewn about, or toys scattered everywhere. 

(First tooth at 13 months + almost 2 weeks) 

But when I look back on my days with Micah am I really going to say, I'm so glad I finished those dishes while

Micah threw a fit because I wasn't sitting on the floor pushing cars around and stacking blocks? 

No!

I have been reminded through several heart breaking events over the last while that each moment truely is a gift. I wish it didn't take tragedy to keep that in the for front of my mind. 

So when Micah gets excited about garbage and recycling day, I'll be there beside him sharing in his joy. Everything is new experience for him and I want to be there to enjoy those moments of joy and excitement. I want to build relationship with my little boy and not get side tracked by tasks that can wait. 

Little man you are such a blessing to me and you are teach me daily! Thank you for being quick to forgive and giving me endless grace. I'm so glad God chose me to be your momma, he knew I needed you in my life. 

micah's favourite books

flip flap match

dr.seuss's abc

click clack moo cows that type

i love you through and through

grandpas are for finding worms

i am sharing

first words

big bear, little bear

these are a few of micah's favourite books right now. he loves touch and feel book, flap books and anything with animals. i am always on the hunt for a good deal on books. we also love visiting the library to find new favourites.

all images from google

a new journey {whole 30}

this week i started the #whole30 challenge because i knew that i was way past due to take control of the way that i have been eating and the way that i think about food.

i need to set an example for micah and have a healthy relationship with food. i need to change the way that i view food. i want to be able to view food as fuel and nourishment and not as a comfort or a way to deal with stress. one of my friends was about to start the challenge and asked if i wanted to join her so that we would both have support and encouragement over the next 30 days. i am so glad she asked because it was the motivation i needed to start this new journey to a healthier me.

i am so ready to have more energy and not feel so tired and sluggish. when i was pregnant fell into the 'baby gets what baby wants' and it led to some very unhealthy choices. now over a year later and i am still stuck in those unhealthy habits. i have so badly wanted to stop but found it far to overwhelming and hard to do on my own. i am not a 'dieter' but i needed a plan to stick to so that i could kick the cravings for sugar, carbs and bad fats i have been having. 

having a meal plan has saved me from caving many times this week. i am pretty flexible and if i'm not hungry for what i have on the menu that day i make something up or pick a different meal from the week. below are a few meals that i whipped up this week. if try and post my meals on instagram @cleaneats_amber if you want to follow along. if you want to know more about the whole 30 progam you can read about it here.

 so far day 4 and 5 have been the hardest for cravings but i can see changes in myself already and can notice how my thinking about food is changing. when i go to grab an afternoon snack i ask myself if i'm really hungry or if i'm just eating bust boredom? or do i need fuel for the rest of the afternoon?

my eyes have also been opened to the amount of additives in food and the insane amount of sugar added into so many food, not just sweet treats. i have always been aware of it just never really paid to much attention to the details of it. 

i am excited for the next 25 days but i know that it will not always be the easiest (hello easter next weekend) but i do know that it will be worth it in the end.

1 year old favourites

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

ok so these may be a mix of my favourites and micah's but either way they are great!

hope this list helps if you are looking for gift ideas for the little person in your life

celebrating micah

people that know me know that i LOVE birthdays!

i love that each person gets a special day to be celebrated and loved on.

on micahs birthday the three of us hung out at home and enjoyed being together.

micah was very excited to get this barn and has played with it every day. he makes noises for all the animals and its hilarious!

over the weekend we had a big party for micah with family and friends.

micah was attached to my hip pretty much the whole time since he's not a fan of large groups of people, it was still great to celebrate him.

the party was a construction theme since micah loves trucks and cars and building blocks.

some of the activities that fit the theme were:

- the 'big' kids got work gloves, pretzels and mini marshmallows. they had to try and build a tower while wearing their gloves. i think that most of the 'building supplies' were eaten instead. 

 - pin the hammer on the builder

 - ring toss with pylons

auntie chloe was giving wagon rides, which was loads of fun!

now we just need nice weather so that we can go outside for wagon rides.

micahdove right into his cake!

 

this little man was blessed beyond blessed with all the gifts he was given. 

he is so SO loved!

 some of his aunties got him some very 'musical' toys. i know of a few nieces that have upcoming birthday and they might get some 'musical' toys too!

 micah needed a break from opening gifts and being crowded. daddy saved the day by giving wagon rides for all the kids.

micah is so blessed to have so many family and friends that love him. we all had a great time eating, visiting and celebrating micah!

thanks erin for snapping pictures throughout that day.