The Barefoot Bradford's

Anything to make my life easier!

2011-11-15T09:48:00.004-06:00

So I'm a newbie to this "freezer cooking ahead of time" thing. My life has gotten considerably busier and more exhausting since Jake started kindergarten. Every minute is valuable and the minutes between 5:00 and 7:00 are crazy and chaotic! Hungry children, tired mommy, messy house and late daddy. So I'm on the hunt for quick and easy dinner meals and this new book might just do the trick! I'm all about cooking on the weekend and freezing it for the week ahead. I need all the help and lessons I can get so I plan on reading The Money Saving Mom's Guide to Freezer Cooking from cover to cover. While you're visiting her website make sure and check out her budgeting basics book, The Money Saving Mom's Budget! Let's take back our sanity, freezers and bank accounts.

Amazon copy of The Money Saving Mom's Budget - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451646208/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=monsavmom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1451646208
The Money Saving Mom's Freezer Cooking - http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/11/get-a-free-copy-of-my-brand-new-freezer-cooking-ebook.html

Finding Joy

2010-12-29T10:46:00.003-06:00

This motherhood thing is quite the journey. I am thankful everyday for the gift of my 2 boys. They are the most handsome little men I know. Jake is 4 years old going on 12. His brain seriously works faster than mine. He talks non-stop and asks question after question. His energy is ceaseless and his creativity awe-inspiring. What a treasure he is! Judson is 20 months and trying every last nerve that I have. He can go from super-sweet to tantrum-throwing in a matter of seconds. He's learning to say words and it's so fun to hear him make new sounds. Yet, the shrieking when he doesn't get his way or just wants to be held is unnerving. His smile and curls can melt your heart.

My husband loves to listen to Brian Reagan. Over the holidays we fell asleep laughing to his hilarious jokes. One of them was about his little boy. He joked that we as parents get caught up in the frustration of the moment and miss the joy in our little one's heart. Like when they spill a glass of milk (as is completely normal in ALL children), my mind jumps to the inconvenience of cleaning it up and steals the joy from a moment that could be funny and inconsequential.

So, the Bradford motto for 2011 is (drum roll, please)........."The joy in my little boys' hearts!" I commit to try and find the joy in all situations with my sweet and crazy boys. They are little people learning to live in a big world and I must guide them through it with joy and laughter, not yelling and scowls. They find joy in so many things, each and every day. Why shouldn't I? My track record with 'not yelling' is not so good. It's an easy fall-back when the moment gets heated, but I will continue my effort to be a laid-back, loving-at-all-costs, take-a-deep-breath, remember-their-smile kind of mom.

A new love for South Africa

2010-03-28T22:29:00.004-05:00

I am so excited to share some stories from my 10 days in South Africa. It was an amazing trip full of God’s goodness and grace. I could feel the prayers from the moment we left home so thank you for everything!

We arrived in South Africa (after almost 30 hours on a plane including layovers) at midnight. It was nice to crawl into bed and go straight to sleep. We stayed at a Christian camp called Skogheim. It was like a mini-house for our Rockwall and Firewheel team. We ate South African inspired food everyday in the cafeteria and enjoyed coffee and tea ALL the time. The food was great – sometimes odd – but for the most part really good.

We spent the week ministering at many different places. We did a kids club for 4 days at Murchison Primary School. One of the days we estimated 500 African children. They were beautiful! All dressed in school uniforms and very excited to meet our American teenagers. They were a mix of speaking English and Zulu so we used translators quite a bit. We did bible stories, crafts, basketball, soccer, and of course, snacks!

We visited 2 other schools – one where we led a leadership day for 8th graders and one, a high school, where we did a school assembly and 2 of our students shared their testimony along with a gospel presentation.

One of my favorite days was a Toms shoe drop at St Martin’s School for the mentally challenged and hearing impaired. We handed out 320 pairs of shoes to children of all ages. This is where I met “Z” (can’t pronounce her name). She had down syndrome and was probably 6. She was so excited to receive her new shoes. She hugged me so hard she knocked me over! We also did Toms shoe drops at the Murchison School, Genesis Care Center, Assissi orphanage and Reheboth orphanage.

The Genesis Care Center was created by Norweigans Settlers Church (our Lake Pointe partner church) for men and woman who are released from the hospital dying from HIV/AIDS. Many of the people that come to the care center pass away but some are so well taken care of that they get healthy and are able to go home. Our students prayed with the men, women and care takers. I met a woman named Faith. She was mid-20’s and had a 5 yr old son. Her smile was gorgeous! She asked that I pray for strength to return to her legs so she could get up and walk again.

My heart is automatically drawn to teenage girls so when I met Precious I was ecstatic. She was a 10th grader and found us at the Murchison school one afternoon. Precious had lived in children’s homes for 4 years as a child but was now living with her brothers. She was writing a report for school on teen pregnancy and showed it to me. It was full of God’s truth; about waiting until marriage and saving yourself for that one special man. I was able to give her a Zulu bible and an English bible. Greg taught her to use his camera and she took a picture of Greg and I.

I also found my African Jud! He was almost a year old and was living at the Reheboth orphanage. The orphanage was started by a couple who had never stepped foot on South Africa. They received the need for an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS by email and sold everything to move there. The children live with ‘house moms’ (4-5 children per house) and go to school, play, enjoy life and get the care and medicine they need for their disease. This is Greg’s favorite place in all of South Africa so it was really special for me to finally see it in person!

The missionaries we served with and the staff members at the church are amazing! They seek to love those that are lost and dying each and every day. Cala and Steve Flippo (the missionaries with IMB) served in student ministry in the states for years before selling everything and moving to South Africa, also having never stepped foot on the country before. What a sacrifice!! They are amazing people who LOVE God and LOVE South Africans.

There are so many more names of people I met, each serving God faithfully. This trip was inspirational. You can’t come back unchanged. I am SO grateful to have gone and so excited to hopefully go back one day. Thank you for your contributions to my trip and for your prayers. I felt them! My biggest prayer request was to fully engage and not miss the boys too much – both were answered!

Seasons of Life

2009-07-06T21:24:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of having lunch with a former student today. Her name is Grace and it describes her perfectly. Along the way God allows you to join the journey of special people and Grace is one of those people! She graduated a year early from UT Austin and will be going overseas as a missionary to Italy (tough place, huh?). I am so proud of her. We joked a little at lunch how sending your personal thoughts out into cyberspace is so easy so here goes....

I got in my car from lunch and felt so blessed at hearing Grace's story. I remember those college/single days when it was you and God ALL the time. If you wanted to stay up till 2 am reading your Bible you could. If you wanted to take a day and sit by the lake and think about God you could. God was so PRESENT and your time with Him was often. Marriage seemed to change things...time with God was still special but now you had another human being to spend time with and typically you were up till 2 am with your husband! Motherhood changes things even more...and multiple children changes things A LOT!

Here comes my honesty...sometimes motherhood is a desert. You are so consumed with diapers, feeding little ones, picking up toys, doing laundry, staying emotionally balanced that God is...well, where is He? Of course He's present but it looks different. Church is like a breath of fresh air (free childcare, woohoo!) and sitting in service (with no little voices breaking in) in so peaceful. I am SO excited to be in His presence. At home I am so busy and so tired by 8 pm that I literally fall into bed and don't think twice. Listening to Christian music in my car (when I can convince Jake that we really don't need to listen to Elmo this time) is amazing. I sing, I focus, I pray. As soon as the car door opens the focus is lost on keeping up with diaper bags and surviving the Texas heat. I mourn the days of God-time all the time. I know this is a season and one day, when the kids are grown and gone, that time will be mine again (let's not go there yet because that is scary and means I will be very old).

I love my Savior. I love the gift of my 2 precious boys and amazing husband. Even though I whine I love the chaos and excitement that comes with a full house. But sometimes my desert seems very dry and I long for the refreshing drink of a day with Jesus.

Life with 2

2009-06-19T22:15:00.004-05:00

Life with 2 kids is definitely different than life with 1. Here's my reflections...

1. You can tell by my previous post that finding time to blog is few and far between. There are always a million things to do when both boys are sleeping or entertained. Those quiet moments to myself are long gone.
2. Taking a few minutes to use the restroom used to be somewhat uneventful. There's usually a little one popping their head in to see what mommy is doing but now that is coupled with a screaming infant from the other room. Take my time? Never, always rushing to get done!
3. Running errands is doable but tiring. I took both boys to my chiropractor appt last week and came out an hour later exhausted. This is me...using my toe to make the baby carrier rock so that Jud will sleep, bending down every few seconds to reinsert the pacifier, answering a million questions from Jake (I kid you not...Jake can ask a lot of questions), trying to make conversation with the other patients who always seem to comment on how big Jud is (Yes, he's 8 weeks old and 14 pounds), praying that the Dr would finally call my name and convincing myself that bringing them both with me was not a horrible idea. When I got in my car I was "done" which basically means "nobody talk till we get home because I need quiet!"
4. Laundry - why do we have so many clothes?
5. Meals - I'm used to eating what's left on Jake's plate since he tends to want whatever is on mine. Now I don't even have time for that, so grabbing a handful of pretzels is all I can hope for.
6. Sleep is so precious. I can never have too much. Please let me have more!
7. Having 2 boys is amazing and I can't wait to see how Judson's personality develops. He is a wonderful baby and I pray he and Jake will be best buds.

If you need to laugh today...

2009-05-26T20:00:00.002-05:00

I read the most hilarious (and realistic) article in Parents Magazine. It allows a new mommy to share her deep and honest thoughts about how her life has changed. Here's my favorite paragraphs - this is so true!!

"I see how people look at me-with that mixture of pity and disgust-in my old nursing tank covered in spit-up and the same maternity shorts I wear every day. I'm like The Elephant Man. I put my daughter in fancy clothes to comepensate for the monster pushing her around. I see the stares. I know what you're saying. You small-pants-wearing Miley Cyrus fan. I just had a baby. I am not always this fat."

And...
"I should have slowed down and enjoyed my freedom more when I had the chance. I used to beat myself up if I slept past eight or stayed out too late. I was a fool. A fool. What did I know? Oh, to do anything at a leisurely pace - shop, eat, read the newspaper-and anything without having to wear a monitor. Waiting. Listening. For her."

But...
"I'll never be sorry for deciding to become a mother, though. There may be no going back to my old body or my old lifestyle, but having (insert child's name here) is worth everything I've had to give up and then some. But you already know that."

Definitely Brothers

2009-04-30T16:16:00.002-05:00

We took a picture like one we took of Jake three years ago. It's amazing how similiar they are! Judson has the darker hair. Definitely brothers.

Love at first sight.

2009-04-24T09:33:00.004-05:00

Baby Bradford is officially here and so handsome. He came out a healthy 8 lbs. 8 oz. and 20.5 in long. Everyone kept commenting what a big baby he was! So the perfect name was obvious...Judson Hart Bradford. Labor was incredible and I would do it again tomorrow!! We went in at 8 am and my doctor broke my water around 9. We started a little pitocin around 9:30 and the epidural was not far behind. After the epidural they cranked up the pitocin and I was ready to push by 12:30. Daddy almost missed it because he was having a hamburger downstairs. Who would've thought he would come so quick? 5 pushes later Judson was here!! Giving birth is the most incredible experience ever! It's truly a miracle of God. I am so blessed to have 2 amazing boys.

And thou shalt learn patience.

2009-04-14T20:24:00.003-05:00

So for those wondering I have not had a baby yet! I think I got my hopes up and this little one decided he was happy right where he was...in the womb. My last doctor visit did reveal that I had dialated to 4 cm but that hasn't encouraged anyone to make his appearance. I will keep waiting!

I know my blog is soon to be filled with pictures of the new Bradford Boy so I decided to post some recent Jake pics. He is our first love and still a cutie patootie! He is way excited to be a big brother and has much to teach this baby.

The countdown begins....

2009-03-28T13:06:00.002-05:00

So I've prayed all along to have an exciting delivery story and to have this baby early...and it just might happen! I went to the Doctor last Thursday and she said I am already dialated to a 2 and 50% effaced, which means I'm moving towards labor!!! She said to go home and pack a bag because I could go into labor anyday OR I could stay this way for the next 4 weeks. Greg was totally freaked out. He asked if we needed to tour the hospital again...um, no. I think I remember where to go! He's worried we won't know what to do and I assured him that I was in charge of pushing and he was there to be my cheerleader!
I have no idea when God will decide for this baby to come but I'm a little worried - still much left to do. I have 2 more girls' events at church, the baby's room is not done, the garage needs cleaning and where is the baby's car seat? I'm on a mission to get things done!!

If only I could go to prom one more time....

2009-03-13T20:18:00.002-05:00

So this semester the Lake Pointe Girls Ministry co-sponsored Operation Prom Dress. We collected gently used formals to give to teenage girls who could not afford their own. We are going to sell the rest of the dresses at a community sale on March 21 at the Hilton Harbor from 8 am to noon. All proceeds will benefit orphan care in South Africa. I have 2 amazing ladies taking the lead on this and one of them prayed for 1000 dresses. I seriously thought that would never happen but.......it did! We have over 1000 dresses (both short and long) in a portable at the church. We have bridesmaid dresses, a wedding dress, 80's dresses, name brand, brand new (seriously, the tags are still on), scary-scary and more. I am AMAZED!!! Pinch me for my unbelief because this is amazing! Anyway, come shop! If you need a formal, semi-formal or just something to vacuum in then please come. The money goes to a great cause and we are pricing them from $5 to $50 (that's right - $5!!!!). The lady who prayed for 1000 dresses also prayed to raise over $25,000 - come prove my unbelief wrong again and donate!!

Dreaming of Baby Boy #2

2009-02-13T20:11:00.004-06:00

So I found 2 of my favorite pictures of Jacob as a baby. He was such a cute baby (still is...but now he's such a BOY!). I wonder if this next little baby boy will look like his brother or be different? I think Jake is the spittin' image of his daddy. Maybe this sweetie will have some more of his momma in him. I can't wait to find out.

So this time it's about me!

2009-01-02T15:40:00.003-06:00

So I normally blog about my family with cute pictures, but not this time. This time I need to talk about me. This pregnancy has been so hard. I can't say that I remember my first pregnancy that well but I do think this one is different...and harder. I was horribly sick for the first couple months, then that subsided but the occasional nausea has stuck around. Every few days I wake up sick for an hour and then it goes away. YUCK! My back is like that of an 80 yr old. I have been to the chiropractor countless times and it is still not better. My body is weak. YUCK!! My emotions are crazy. I cry at random times, I am moody, tired, without patience for my 2 year old, and I move as slow as a turtle. And the cherry on the top is that I am just now 6 months which means I have 16 weeks left to go. YUCK!!!! I am super thankful to be carrying this sweet boy and ecstatic to hold him for the first time. I just have to get there. I am wading through the yuckiness of pregnancy and praying to make it without permanent damage to my husband and child. Please tell me this is normal!!

Here comes Santa Claus...

2008-12-19T20:57:00.003-06:00

Jake loves Santa. He calls him "Ho-Ho." We went to Northpark today to take pictures with Santa (the greatest Santa I've ever seen) and most of the little girls cried the moment they sat down in Santa's lap. Jake was ready! Santa said he'd bring Jake a surprise at Christmas and Jake immediately said, "What is it?" At Mother's Day Out Jake told Santa he wanted a transformer for Christmas. Not sure he knows what a transformer is, but being the great parents we are he'll get one for Christmas! I love this time of year! Having kids definitely alters your focus - you are way more consumed with toys and presents. It's always good to be reminded to keep your thoughts on what is most important...the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

And speaking of baby boys....we are having another boy! Pray for me. I'm officially outnumbered in the Bradford household.

Hello Hawaii!

2008-11-02T21:54:00.007-06:00

Greg and I had a dream vacation this last week in Maui!! I have been begging for a beach vacation since we married (almost 8 years ago) and boy was this a good one! We relaxed on the beach, ate great food and got a pretty good tan. The hotel was wonderful and the beaches were spectacular. It was truly an incredible week! Yes, I did go 14 weeks pregnant, but trust me, I looked way better in a bathing suit pregnant than 85% of the rest of the people there. It's amazing what people feel comfortable wearing on the beach!! We did miss Jake (who wouldn't when your kid is as cute as mine?) but you always need to time away to reconnect with your husband. And what better place than Hawaii?

Way Cute Firefighter

2008-11-02T21:45:00.003-06:00

So all my son talks about is firefighters. We read books, see them on the highway and LOVE firefighters. I was desperate to find a costume for Fall Festival but alas, the toddler world is slightly limited on options. I tried bidding on Ebay and with the Lord's provision lost the bid (I was bidding WAY too much). We had settled for a quarterback but my heart ached. I want to be THAT mom, the one who always meets her kids' dreams no matter what! Just kidding! I just wanted to find a firefighter costume!! I had one last chance at Party City and there, shining with light from heaven, was the firefighter costume I had been searching for. So, I have officially attained Super Mom and have the CUTEST firefighter ever!!

I love October!

2008-09-29T21:35:00.004-05:00

I've finally decided...I love October! Cool weather, changing leaves, and pumpkins. We took a family trip to the Arboretum this past weekend to visit the pumpkins. Jake was like a kid in a candy store. He ran and played non-stop. We snapped some pics along the way and I have to say (in the most neutral of terms) that my kid is definitely the cutest!

Jake loves school but does school love him?

2008-09-29T21:30:00.002-05:00

Jake loves school (Mother's Day Out). He talks constantly about his lunchbox and backpack. Everytime we go to church he wants to take his lunchbox, even for Sunday morning. He is super friendly and takes a nap like a pro. But...time-out is becoming a habit. I think the combination of energy, a mischievous smile and advanced verbal skills make him a challenge. He knows he did wrong but still does it! And then looks so cute afterwards that it's hard to be upset. We're searching for the right technique to teach our charmer how to obey!

I'm Pregnant!

2008-08-25T12:04:00.002-05:00

It's a miracle baby! Last Tuesday Greg and I went in for my pre-op appointment for a surgery I was supposed to have today, August 25. I have endometriosis and we were going to do another surgery to clean it out so we could try for baby #2. The nurse did a pregnancy test and announced to us that "We would be canceling my surgery!" Praise God! It's truly a miracle in so many ways. We are so thankful that God would bless us in this way. I don't know an exact due date but it should be the end of April!!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." James 1:17

He says the cutest things.

2008-08-02T00:14:00.004-05:00

Jake says the cutest things. Something new almost every day!! Yesterday he said, "I cheer for you mommy." I have no idea where he heard that or how he knows what "cheering" is. It was precious!! Now he cheers for me often. I love this sweet little boy, even when he's in full swing of testing every boundary known to man and moms!

Let's Get Together...Yah, Yah, Yah

2008-07-21T13:29:00.003-05:00

My old high school friends joined me for lunch on Saturday down in Austin. We hadn't seen each other in over 10 years! It was so fun catching up on life and reliving old times. Everybody is beautiful (just like they were in high school). We shared struggles and talked, talked, talked. It's so great to see how God continues to use friends from long ago to impact your life today. I am so honored to have shared life with these sweet friends and look forward to praying for our futures!

Don't they look cute?

2008-07-17T11:26:00.003-05:00

Jake and Savannah loved playing at the beach together at High School Camp. They will forever be camp sweethearts!

A Water Baby

2008-07-17T11:20:00.004-05:00

Jake is such a water baby! He loves to swim. This summer we went to High School Camp in Panama City, FL and went to the pool or beach everyday. He loved the sand (and the fact he got to use his bulldozer to scoop the sand up.) We took a short family vacation to Marble Falls before Middle School camp and stayed in the hotel pool all day. It looks like he's working on his career as a swimsuit model! I love the fact that my child loves the water, but not so much the fact that it means mommy has to wear a bathing suit often!