Daddy's Games Are SO Fun!

I'm going to start uploading videos here for a while...I feel like I'm overloading Facebook a little. I know it's mostly family and close friends who view here; that seems more fitting.

This is a new game Daddy plays with Gabrielle. He's so fun!

Day 4: My Parents

Did someone say that these were supposed to be in consecutive order? :) Yeah, I didn't think so.

Where do I begin? My parents are so special to me. I love them so much and am thankful for them even more. They helped shape me into who I am today. They taught me to love God and to keep Him first. If that was all they taught me, I would be so blessed...I know. But they taught me so much more.

My father is a great man. He is a great man of God and was/is a great father to me and my two brothers. Some of my greatest memories are those when it was just me and my dad out shopping. He would often pick up something for me, that I had mentioned I liked, even if it wasn't really in that category of the budget. I always felt special when I was with my dad. Probably one of my proudest moments with my dad was when we had taken a road trip to Mexico while living in California. We had stopped at a little taco stand and as we were getting ready to leave a man came to over to our car, opened the back door and sat on my brother. My dad told him to get out of the car but he didn't move. With out any hesitation my dad got out of the car (used words that I can't remember) and was ready to "handle" the situation. Although he didn't have to do anything, the way he got out of the car was enough to get the man on the move, we all knew he was ready to handle business. I was so proud of him that day knowing that he would do anything in his power to protect us.

My mom is a virtuous woman. I admire her as a woman of God, wife, and mom. She is such a loving, caring, and loyal woman. When I was little, I had a time when I had to be in the hospital for 6 weeks. What sticks out to me about that time of my life is that during that long stay in the hospital, I can't remember ever being alone. I'm sure there were times when she wasn't there but it must have been so little that I can't remember them. She put her whole life on hold to care for me while I was there. There might not have been much phsically that she could do, but emotionally and spiritually she was making a great impact. I know her believing played a huge role in my healing. That's an example of how she cared for us. She gave her whole heart in raising us up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

You know your parents did a good job when you find yourself often thinking, how would they handle this situation? Of course, they would be the first ones to tell you that they were not perfect parents (and hey, who is) but if my children love God and love us even half as much as I love my parents I will feel we did a great job.

Day 3: My Spouse

Sorry, I'm a little late on this. Our weekend was a bit busy.

My spouse. I touched upon this the first day but I just love that man of mine, so I don't mind at all speaking of him again. My husband was best friends with my brother before we ever had an attraction for each other or dated. So our relationship is based first on our love for God individually but also on our friendship. We geniunely enjoy each others company.

My husband is a funny man. I love that about him. He knows how to keep situations light and entertain a crowd. He can also laugh at himself which I am so happy about. I just love to poke fun at him.

Probably my favorite thing about my spouse is how he helps me to be my best. He helps me strengthen my strong areas in life and lovingly encourages me in my not so strong ones ;) He thanks and praises me often for what I do as a wife and mom.

Eddie has a lot of wonderful qualities that I could write a book about. I will spare you from all the mushy gushy details. Just know that I love him dearly :)

Day 2: Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

Well, this one will be short. There's not a lot of meaning behind it :) I wanted it to be all M's, including our last name and to state that the blog would be centered around our family and the things we do in life. McInnis Memorable Moments seem to have a ring to me and so here we are!

30 Day Blog Challenge

Today I am starting this 30 day blog challenge. Each day you discuss something different about yourself/family. Today's topic is to introduce yourself and put 15 interesting facts about yourself. I don't know how "interesting" they will be as that term is all in the eye of the beholder but I will do my best.

Introduction:

Hello! :) My name is Janelle, I am 30 years old, and I endeavor to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I am married to a wonderful man, Eddie, who impresses me daily with his ability to handle so much in life. He is an awesome husband and a fantastic father. He loves our children so much and can communicate with them in an amazing way. Back to me, I stay home with our children, which is my "dream job." We have a 3 year old boy, Jalon and a 4 month old girl, Gabrielle. I enjoy shopping (I should say bargain shopping as I only buy stuff if it's on sale or a great deal), watching movies, and some decorating (when I have the time). I am a pretty simple girl who is content with the simple things in life. With God, my hubby, kids, and friends I feel truly blessed.

1. I love people. I am not as social as my husband and even come from being a pretty shy/quiet girl but I love being around people. I feel refreshed after spending quality time with friends. I love helping others and I enjoy learning from others.

2. I love wine. Nuff said.

3. I love coffee. I am proud of myself for kicking the habit though. I can drink a casual cup a couple times a week and that's enough for me.

4. I think seafood is gross! I mean, really gross. Just ask my husband who played a prank on me, tricking me to eat some. Not funny!

5. I love the beach.

6. I don't like sand.

7. I went to 9 different schools.

8. I'm not a good swimmer

9. I go a little nutty if my house isn't clean. Again, ask my husband.

10. French food is amazing.

11. I love the outdoors.

12. My wedding day was one of the greatest days of my life.

13. The days I gave birth to my children are a close second.

14. I don't wear shorts.

15. It should not take someone this long to come up with 15 interesting facts about themself.

A Busy, Wonderful Life

It has been a long time since I have been on here. I actually don't spend much time on the computer in general. I am pretty good about keeping Facebook updated with photos but that's about it. Something has got to give when trying to be a good momma...and this is one of the things that had to give, for a while. I am going to endeavour to update it more often.
Our family is doing great though. Eddie has a new position at work. He moved from a financial analyst to a management transaction support lead. He will managing a team. He's so good with people, this position is right up his alley.

Jalon is doing well too. He's my big helper. He is even starting to take on a few little chores. It blesses him and builds his confidence when he can do something successfully that is helpful to the family. He's been in a acting class for the past few weeks now. He really enjoys it and there will be a little play they do in a couple weeks. I'll have to record that and put it on here. Jalon was also a part of filming for a tv commercial. I'll record that too :)

Gabrielle is getting big...well, bigger :) She seems so tiny to me and definitely is compared to Jalon at this age. But I think her size is about average or a little below. She's a happy girl though. She smiles and talks often. Her sleep seems to be a little more predictable the past couple of days. She has been sleeping for 7-8 hours at a time. I couldn't be more thankful for that! We don't nap during the week much anymore so this helps me to get through the day (and not be a grump :)

I am doing good too...I am almost back to pre-preggo size. A few more pounds to go. Some of my old jeans even fit (with a little muffin top, woah, TMI :) Life is good. It's definitely busier than ever but I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, a side note, are we the only ones that wonder what we used to do with our time before we had kids...I thought we were busy then.

Attached are a couple recent pictures...

Gabrielle Joy is here

And she has been for 4 weeks now. We are all doing great and adjusting well to a family of four. Jalon just loves his sister and we couldn't be happier about that. He's a big 3 year old now and growing like a weed. Gabrielle started smiling a week ago...I've been trying to catch it on camera. She slept a 5 1/2 hour stretch last night. Woo Hoo! Here is a video of her; she doesn't do a whole lot yet :-) But fills our heart with love and joy.