Christmastime is Here Again!

The Christmas season is upon us! Even though it starts trickling in well before Thanksgiving, I typically don't get too involved in Christmas-type things until the day after Thanksgiving.
This year we kicked off the season with a visit from my mom, step-dad, and grandma who joined us in an array of fun Christmas events. It started on Saturday with a trip to Jacksonville to enjoy the decorations, then we headed out again in the evening for the tree lighting in downtown Medford, which included an unsuccessful visit with Santa. Then after church on Sunday, we journeyed to our favorite tree farm in search for the perfect tree to cut down. What a wonderfully full weekend we had!

Anger For Patience

A couple weeks ago our church held a Ladies Retreat, located on site so that as many women as possible would be able to attend. They did this last year as well, and both years were very successful. It was a wonderfully fulfilling weekend, and the Lord used it to speak many truths into my life and used many ladies to do so. One of the people he used was the amazing Jan Elkins. In our last session together she was sharing about communion and explained to us that communion was so much more than just taking a representation of the body and the blood of Jesus. She said that God wants to use communion to make an exchange with us. We give Him something and we get something in return. Jan had us call out things that we have given to Jesus and what He has mercifully replaced that with, such as: Pain for Healing, Darkness for Light, Fear for Peace, Despair for Hope, and the list goes on. During that time the Lord said to me "Anger for Patience". That was the exchange He wanted to work out in my life.

Now, I am not an angry person, but there are things that can really set me off and I can react in an angry way. But I don't want to behave that way. It isn't okay, nor is it something that God wants for my life. So, I have decided exchanged anger for patience and have asked the Lord to show me why I get angry, where that actually stems from, and to take it from me, receiving patience from Him in return. And just this week I have experienced some situations that would normally cause me to react in an angry way, and I have instead reacted in a patient way. Seriously SO amazing!!!

So I would like to encourage you to seek out one thing that you no longer want to define you and exchange that for something better. And the next time you take communion, make that exchange with the Lord and invite great results to be manifested in your life!

Fun Times This Fall

The Connolly Clan has had some fun during this recent Fall season. I love the change in weather all around and that it brings along with it beautiful color in this valley. I love that we get to go on exciting adventures that only come around once a year. And I love spending time with Sean and the kids, as we experience all that this time of year has to offer.

Here are the activities we have enjoyed:


Apple Picking with our friends (and consuming pumpkin muffins & cookies)

Scarecrow Festival @ Hanley Farm (pumpkin painting and a hay ride)

Harvest Festival @ Pheasant Fields (another hay ride and picking out pumpkins)

Making Hot Chocolate (and drinking it while we watched the rain fall outside)

7 Oaks Pumpkin Patch (more pumpkins and a pony ride)

Playing at a nearby playground on a gorgeous fall day

Dressing up for Halloween

Visiting Family in CA for my brother's wedding

Making A yummy treat called Scarecrow Crunch

Taking pictures as we played in the fall leaves

Making warm caramel apple cider

Early Thanksgiving with our friends

Making pancakes into the shape of turkey's complete with eyes, beak, and the little gobbler

Regular Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's



What a jam-packed, fun-filled season it has been!

The Same Outfit

When I was pregnant with Declan my aunt Barbara gave me a couple of gender neutral outfits for one of my baby shower's. They were 18-24 month sizes and I remember thinking when I opened them, "Will my baby EVER fit into these clothes??" ... Well, my first baby eventually did and now my second baby does as well.

It's really sweet to see Inara wearing something that Declan once did. Since we had a boy then a girl, I haven't had the chance to reuse baby clothes, so it warms my heart to see something used twice on two of my kids. I just love baby clothes and I especially love the clothes that my babies have worn.

Inara @ 17 months

Declan @ 19 months 

The Adorableness That Is My Children

This may be a post that most people read and think "Oh my gosh! Barf. Would you please stop BRAGGING about your children???!!!" And if that is you, I apologize AND give you permission to stop reading NOW. Don't even hesitate. But if you don't mind my bragging, then please continue.

I often look at this blog as a way for me to journal/document the special times in life, and, I felt like it was time to "jot down" the adorable things that my two babies have been doing lately. I love having a place that I can reference and remember these times of life. It also serves as a place for family and friends to participate in our adventures, if they so choose.

I am really, really loving the ages of my kids right now. Declan turned three at the end of August and Inara will be 18 months in two weeks. They are both extremely curious about the world around them. Declan is talking non stop and Inara's vocabulary is increasing by the day it seems. I love watching them discover new things and being delighted by stuff that most adults take for granted. Declan is constantly asking questions and Inara will sit and manipulate a toy for the longest time.

Declan loves trains, tractors, trucks, cars, boats, and basically anything that moves. He loves having books read to him and always asks me to read to him at the most inopportune times. He adores his sister, and is learning to be a very obedient, helpful, and honest boy. He is so funny and will make up songs that make no sense at all, knowing that it will make us laugh.

Inara is SO STINKIN' CUTE. Seriously. I am so delighted by her. Mind you, she is a pill a lot of the time. She loves to be held which is frustrating when I am trying to get stuff done around the house. She would have me hold her all day long if she a choice. She loves her baby dolls, wearing sunglasses, putting on clothes by herself (or trying to), playing with Declan, singing, dancing, and reading books.

Now, if I'm being honest, some days are really tough. I don't want to paint this rosy picture that is inaccurate. Some days I want to bash my head into a wall. But I'd have to say that most days are delightful. I have REALLY good, REALLY sweet kids. I love taking them out with me on errands and to story time at the library and to play with friends and to the park. Sean and I are blessed, and so very thankful for them and for the personalities God has given them.

Declan playing with trains & train tracks

Walking hand in hand

Doing art work

Riding in the wagon in our back yard

Inara the Fashionista

Let Go My Soul And Trust In Him

I have been hesitant to write this post for several weeks now. I know that I need to do it, but it is challenging because in it I will have to be real, honest, open, and vulnerable. And that is a little scary. However, by writing it, it will give me a chance to process what I've been going through, and hopefully a chance to minister to others.

I guess this all began back in July when I attended a 5 week class at my church called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. During those five weeks, my world was rocked as I learned things I had never been taught before and was hit hard with truths that my heart had been longing for, but I didn't even know it. There was so much ground that the enemy had a hold of in my life that I was beginning to take from him and give to Jesus.

Then, a couple months ago I was awoken by a nightmare in the middle of the night. It really shook me up and scared me. I internalized the feelings from the dream, and continued to struggle with them for weeks after that. I started to allow fear and anxiety to take over my thoughts, my daily activities, my hopes and my dreams for the future. And because of that, I was weak, and the enemy took it as an opportunity to attack. For several weeks I was continually hit by intense spiritual warfare, and it was brutal. I felt paralyzed by fear. I felt like I was in a cave of darkness and couldn't see light anywhere around me. I felt like I never going to recover.

I have struggled with some anxieties off and on for most of my life, so I was wasn't understanding why this particular experience was proving to be so difficult for me. In the past I would feel anxious about something, and after a couple days at the most, it would dissipate, I would feel better, and then move on with my life. WHY was this time different? I struggled with that question for several weeks, and then it finally hit me: What would I do without the fear and anxiety? It had become such a part of my life that I didn't know how to function without it. And THAT scared me.

But I don't want to be scared anymore. I don't want to live in fear. I don't want to be afraid of going after the hard things. I want to be a woman of power and confidence because that is who God designed me to be. I want to trust and believe in a God who is bigger than my circumstances. I want to stand on the promise that He is in complete control and knows what He is doing. I want to believe without a shadow of a doubt that "The goodness of God endures continually" Psalm 52:1.

There is a song that I have been listening to over and over again lately because of it's powerful lyrics and music, and because it brings me comfort and courage. It's called 'It Is Well', by Bethel Music & Kristene DiMarco. The chorus is on repeat in my brain: Let go my soul and trust in Him, the waves and wind still know His name. May I continually let go and trust in the Mighty One who's goodness endures continually.

Declan Turns 3!

Last Wednesday, August 27th, my baby boy turned THREE years old! We did a couple little things that day to celebrate him (special birthday doughnut, he chose what we did that day) but the big celebration was the following Saturday when we had a Construction Theme Birthday Party! It was a huge success and much fun was had by all who attended.

I Finally Did It!

For about 10 years now I have wanted to get my nose pierced, but I always hesitated for some reason or another. I guess I assumed that the desire would go away because did I actually want a hole in my nose?!? Then, I decided to go for it on my 30th Birthday (which was two and a half years ago) but I was nursing Declan and they won't do a piercing if you are pregnant or nursing. So I had to wait. Then, before I was finished nursing D, I got pregnant with Inara. So, I had to wait some more. Then when I was I was finished nursing her, I would finally be free to do it. If I still wanted to.
Well...she weaned herself about a month ago and I realized with excitement "I can get my nose pierced!".  I asked my dear friend Kim to join me for the occasion...we spent the whole morning together, went garage sale-ing, had a leisurely lunch, then...it was time to get the piercing.
I was super nervous as we drove to the tattoo parlor...I asked Kim questions the whole time since she has her nose pierced too. She was encouraging and supportive and everything you want someone to be when you make a decision like this.
Without going into all the details I will say two things: it HURT and, it turned out to be exactly what I had hoped for. I looked in the mirror when the piercer was finished and teared up when I saw the final result because I was so happy. And for about a day and a half afterward I would just look at myself in the mirror and smile.
It is so freeing to do something for myself that I have always wanted to do. And it actually makes me feel beautiful. EVERY TIME I see myself I think "Wow. I'm so pretty". And that is NOT something I used to do very often.

Melinda, the piercer @ Epic Ink..she is amazing!

There's the needle going in!

Done!

The First of Many

I recently completed a project that I am really proud of. It is the first project of this kind that I have ever attempted and completed.
Since moving to our new house in June, I had been wanting an outdoor table for my kids so they could have a place to sit if they need a break while playing, or a place to eat lunch or dinner on nice days. I didn't want anything plastic...I was thinking something along the lines of a wooden picnic table. I decided to hit up Craigslist first just to see if there was anything out there (I don't go on Craigslist too often) and it payed off!
I emailed the seller and arranged to come look at the table that same evening after Sean got home from work. I was a little worried about how we would get the table home since our car is on the small side, especially with the kids' car seats. BUT as it turns out, the family selling the table lives TWO blocks away from us! How amazing is that? We loved the table, felt like it was a reasonable price, and Sean was able to carry it home.
I ran out to the store the following day to get some paint, cherry red to be exact, sanded down the table, painted it, let it dry and now it is happily residing in our backyard.
I look forward to many more projects of this kind to work on in the future.

Here is the table before:

And after:

Summer Activities

While Summer is certainly far from over and I intend on eking out every last second of warm weather and long days, I thought I would write a post about what adventures we have had so far.

We discovered a small but fun new park just a few minutes from our house, with water & sand play areas. The kids loved it and we plan on going back soon.

Declan was able to enjoy his first ice cream cone. He's had ice cream before on occasion (we are not super big into sweets) but he had never had ice cream on a cone. He thought it was pretty awesome!

We attended the Storytelling Guild's 48th Annual Children's Festival in Jacksonville. It was a pretty hot day and very crowded, but we had fun nontheless.

Our first Family Vacation was in July and we had a blast! If you missed the post about that and are interested in reading it, you should be able to scroll down past this post and find it since it was the last post I published prior to this one.


Summers in Southern Oregon can be VERY hot, and we can also experience many thunder storms. A few weeks ago, the kids and I just happened to be playing out side when one began. It was really neat to watch it, and to watch their faces as they listened to the thunder and saw the lightening.

Christmas in July is a yearly event our friends The Pepins put on at their home. It is an all day extravaganza where we watch Christmas movies, listen to Christmas music, decorate cookies, and have a big meal at the end of the day. Super fun!


One of our favorite places to go is Touvelle State Recreation Site. It lies right along the Rogue River and is simply beautiful. You can go on a walk, have a picnic or play in the water.

At the beginning of August we took a trip to CA to visit my family. We had a fairly relaxed time, which was a nice change from our usually busy visits. We had s'mores, played in the sun, had a tea party and went swimming.

So there you have it. A quick summery of our Summer (see what I did there?).

Vacation 2014

This past week we took our first family vacation. We drove pretty much the length of the state of Oregon, beginning in Medford and ending up in Hood River which is nestled right on the shores of the Columbia River Gorge. It was super fun and super exhausting, just like a vacation should be :).

Day One:
We started our trip by leaving at 8:30am in order to make our first stop in Eugene for lunch. We made great time and ended up pulling off the I5 around 11:30. We had a quick lunch at Cafe Yum, then got back in the car to travel another hour or so and made a stop at the Enchanted Forest. We had taken Declan there two years ago, but he was only 10 months old at the time and didn't really appreciate all they have to offer. Even this trip at almost 3 years old, he was only able to appreciate some aspects of the visit.

We arrived at our destination, Hood River around 5pm that evening and settled in to the vacation home we had rented for the week.

Day Two:

After a rough night of not much sleep for all of us (the house didn't have air conditioning so it was super hot and uncomfortable), we headed out to explore downtown Hood River, do some shopping in the cute stores, and have lunch. After we all napped, we headed out again, down to the the Columbia River to play in the water.

Day Three:

Our third day of vacation consisted of driving into Portland (about an hour west of Hood River) and going to the Oregon Zoo. This wasn't a huge hit with the kids...I think they are still a little young. Inara just wanted to get out of the stroller and run all over the place and Declan was more interested in playing with the zoo key we bought him. Oh and they loved watching the trucks and tractors working on making a new exhibit for the elephants. After the zoo we met our friend Jenna at a nearby coffee shop, napped the kids in the car as we headed back to Hood River, stopped at Multnomah Falls, then after dinner, we walked downtown for ice cream.

Day Four:

This was the one day of our trip that Declan was the most anxious about. We got to ride the Dinosaur Train! Mt. Hood Railroad was holding a special Dinosaur Train excursion and it turned out to be a huge hit for the kids. This was also the day that my mother-in-law had joined us, so Sean and I got to go out on a date that evening.

Day Five:

Our final day of vacation was spent at the Portland Highland Games, held every year at Mt. Hood Community College. This was our third year attending the games and it was the best one yet. We had a fabulous time enjoying all the Scottish Highland culture!

Day Six:

This was the day that we packed up and headed home. We were eager to hit the road and get back to our house and our own beds. But we did make a stop in Eugene to visit our friends, Grant & Jeanine and their boys. It was a wonderful time, where we were able to relax in their home, eat some yummy food, fellowship, and watch the kids play together. What a fun time we had!