Willems Family

Karis is 7, Part II

2011-06-27T22:05:00.000-04:00

Her present for her 7th birthday was a trip to Atlanta to stay in an American Girl room and buy an American Girl doll.

Sister saved her money for a year and took $154 with her. My mom joined us and we had a blast on this overnight girls' trip.

The pictures can speak for themselves - there's a bunch. I will say the picture of her swimming just shows she makes friends everywhere she goes!

Happy 7th Birthday, Karis! Part I

2011-06-27T18:56:00.000-04:00

I have to start somewhere, right? I've not edited the first one, and honestly, I have no idea when I will. My free trial of Lightroom ran out. Karis' birthday was on Mother's Day this year. She had a family party because her present was a trip to Atlanta. I can't believe she's 7!

Where's the post?

2011-06-07T20:09:00.001-04:00

Well, I've been a bit sick the last 2 weeks and editing photos so I can blog has not been on the agenda. Making it through the days took precedence.

I was fortunate enough to have a hysterectomy yesterday. Anesthesia always makes me so sick. I'm always hopeful that that knowledge ahead of time will do somebody (mainly:ME) some good, but that was not the case. Today things have been slowly improving and I just took some laps around the floor. Now I'm resting and trying not to fall asleep until I've written something.

I don't do this a lot, because it will get me in trouble BUT Danny has been awesome these last few months, and more specifically, days. Doing things for me that are way outside his comfort zone and serving me and loving me like Christ loves the church. So thankful for him right now.

Our families have been super helpful, too. Letting grandkids spend the night and then watching them for several days so he could be here with me. My mom's getting some kind of super woman award. Karis and Jack spend Sunday night and Monday day with her. Then she brought them to the hospital for Danny to take home and she stayed the night with me last night because I was so sick. Danny brought them back to the hospital this morning and she took them home again and watched them all day.

With any luck, I'll be discharged tomorrow. Then I will have several weeks in bed to work on learning how to edit.

I'm not sure how cohesive this is, but I'm way too tired to even think about proofreading.
Hopefully some pictures soon!

I Lied

2011-05-27T21:18:00.000-04:00

No fun posts with pictures this week after all.

At the beginning of the week I decided to start planning Jack's birthday party for next weekend. I'm having surgery a few days before his actual birthday, so we want to celebrate while we can.

The first person on his invite list was Carter, his cousin. Guess who's going to be in Texas next weekend? So now the party's tomorrow. All family + 2 friends, with less than a week's notice.

I gave myself a $25 budget, but I've spent $34. I promise to take lots of pictures so that I can upload them.

As soon as I teach myself Lightroom. Maybe I'll figure it out before the trial expires.

There's more Superhero work to do, so I better get busy.

Fair Warning

2011-05-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

I have a working camera again.
I downloaded 655 pictures from it today.
I'm learning a new editing software (from the trial version).
A lot has happened since December 31, 2010.
God has been so good to our family this year.
My blog will soon no longer be broken.
I'm back!

In Summary

2010-12-31T23:38:00.000-05:00

2010 has not been the best year for this branch of the Willems Family Tree.

In fact, of the 10 years I've known Danny and 9 years we've been married, this year has been the most difficult one yet. Every year isn't going to be a stellar year with nothing but great things occurring, and if we can look back in 50 years and see that this was the hardest year we weathered, we'll be lucky. In all likeliness, this year is just strengthening us for the next storm to weather, hill to climb, valley to walk thru.

God has refined me this year like he hasn't in a long time and it has hurt. The layers he's peeled back and things he's shown me about myself have been very painful at times, crushing and disappointing at other times, but freeing all the time. God has broken chains of sin that were keeping me in bondage that I didn't even know were there. Weight has been lifted and joy restored as he's grown and stretched me in ways I never thought possible.

I'm still a work in progress and there's more chains to be freed from. Praise Him, who sustained me in the thick of it, and who will be my Sustainer in the coming years.

2010 has also brought joy. Our sweet Zoe was born in April. She continues to bring joy and smiles to the entire family. We were able to go to the beach with my parents twice. That may be the highlight of Karis and Jack's year. We started homeschooling Karis and I have been amazed at the outcome. The week of and days after Christmas have been my favorite (since adding kids to the mix) thus far.

I started this post to record some goals for 2011, but instead I'll leave it as a praise to God for his steadfastness and mercy in 2010.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms of Jesus Christ, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

Christmas Cards

2010-11-28T14:34:00.000-05:00

Shutterfly.com is offering 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers this holiday season. I've ordered other products from them before and loved them. Good quality and quick shipping - can't beat that!

Here are some of the Christmas cards I like: This one is sweet and this one makes me laugh and fits my children well. This one feels retro to me and if I had more money to spend this year I would buy this one, but my guess is THIS will win since I clicked on it several different times in several different searches.

Shutterfly also has flat Christmas photo cards that I really like. I dig the playfulness of this one and the colors in this one. My favorite is this one.

If you're looking for a gift for grandparents or family that lives far away, take a look at their photo calendars. What could be better than new pictures of your angels every month?

Check out Shutterfly for your Christmas cards and for gift ideas for the hard to buy for people in your life!

If you'd like to enter your blog and get your own free cards, go here.

Karis Sews

2010-11-04T00:15:00.000-04:00

I'm one proud mama tonight.

Karis has been wanting to learn to sew for quite some time. I thought a doll quilt would be an easy first project for her. I drew her a grid yesterday and let her color it however she wanted. Then we went to my scrap fabric to find the perfect combination for her Rainbow Quilt. Her daddy drew us a square so she had a pattern for cutting out her pieces. (Yes, I sew. Yes, I'm 30. No, I still can't draw a perfect square using a ruler.)

I demonstrated how to fold, pin and cut your fabric once and then it was up to her. She got most of it cut out before supper. When I got home from Bible study last night she had finished the rest. After school today we ironed, pinned, sewed, ironed, trimmed and sewed some more. I showed her how, but made her do it. There was trepidation on her part about using the iron because she was afraid of burning herself. I told her if she was big enough to use the sewing machine she was big enough to use the iron. Her determination took over and I was honestly amazed at her attention span. We worked for 3 hours straight. I thought it would take her a week to complete. The sewing machine was on the slowest setting.

My camera is broken so this is taken from my cellphone's poor quality camera. She's holding up the pattern she drew and the completed quilt.

She carried it around for quite a while and kept talking about how much her dolls were going to love it. I'm so proud of her creativity and determination. She's already planning her next project!

Life, Take 2

2010-10-26T21:23:00.000-04:00

My sweet Zoe is working her way to being 7 months old. Before she was born I blogged here about her name and some verses I would be praying for her.

She is full of smiles and laughter and joy and life and we just can't help being absolutely smitten with her. I can't imagine her with a name that means anything other than life, unless it was joy. :)

God was so good to look into our little family's life and see exactly what we needed and then let Zoe embody it.

Three (4 months late - also known as picture overload)

2010-10-11T15:14:00.000-04:00

No way this was 3 short years ago!

Jack, you turned three on June 9!

It seems like just yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital.

Your daddy and sister are 2 of your favorite people.

I miss these days.

You've brought many smiles and much laughter into our lives.

Kissing or secret telling? Either is fine with you.

A smiling mess - not much has changed.

Trouble! I know we'll see this look a lot as you get older.

You love the beach and your poppy.

Not sure what to think about Zoe at first - now you've embraced her! (too tightly much of the time)

Curly trouble! I tell people how much trouble you are is in direct proportion to the curliness of your hair. I'm in trouble!!

You are happy, clumsy, silly, strong-willed, difficult, loving, your own person, funny, an aggravator and 3! I'm going to cherish it all because before I can count to

One

Two

Three

you'll be grown and gone and I'll be wanting all these moments back. I'm going to savor them now and cherish them when you're grown.
I love you, buddy, and am praying for the man you will become.
Happy 3rd Birthday, Jackson Daniel Willems

Giveaway

2010-08-16T15:08:00.000-04:00

I normally don't post about giveaways, but I love these hats and would love to win one. You should enter, too!
Kikki's Designs is have a grand opening giveaway. Go here to find out how you can win.

Why I Love Yard Sales

2010-08-14T18:13:00.000-04:00

I apologize now for the quality of these pictures. My camera is broken and these were taken with the subpar camera on my phone.

Yard sales have become a Saturday tradition for me. My mom got me started and now I'm hooked. The kids love to come with me and I normally don't mind, but I love the weeks when Danny offers to let them stay home with him.

This week I bought:
A bug counting came for Jack and an iron that plays music for Karis = $1

8 new puzzles in a box, Princess Monopoly, My Little Pony matching game, 2 Barbie Princess Puzzles, Ariel Puzzle, Jump Rope, Pictionary, Barney Storybook, High School Musical Game (we'll give this one away) = $1

A new mailbox to replace the nasty green with 2 different families' names on it that we currently have = $1

This necklace was tangled and I spent time untangling it and the lady gave it to me free. I also bought a big bulletin board from her that I forgot to take a picture of and now the paint on it is drying =$1

This is a neat black cake pedestal = $2
3 Little House on the Prairie books to read to Karis = $1

3 Veggie Tale Movies, 2 complete sets of alphabet magnets for school, 1 Gap sweater dress, 2 Old Navy shirts, a Braves tee shirt, 1 Dwell Studio outfit from Target, 1 Old Navy pants, 2 Gap fleece pants, 3 bibs and tights for Zoe = $5

Total Spent = $12

You just can't beat that. Many weeks I spend $10 or less but there were some deals waiting on me today. I almost always have a list in mind of what I want and rarely will I pay asking price on something or deviate from my list. Today's list included homeschool activities, treats and winter clothes for all the kids. It was a pretty successful shopping day here.
*********** I also need to apologize for the formatting. It does not look crazy when I'm editing, but is out of whack when I publish. I've got too much else to do to spend time playing with it. Sorry!******

6

2010-06-08T00:18:00.000-04:00

Sister, you have grown up so much this year.

How did the time from 5 to 6 go by so quickly? Two months after you turned 5 we moved back to Tennessee.

You were sad to leave Abigail, the zoo and all your friends.

Less than a week after we moved, you started your first day of Kindergarten.

Poppy had another job at the beach and we got to go and spend a long weekend there. The beach is one of your favorite places.

You loved living where you could see your cousin, Carter, more. You adore him and I think it's a mutual feeling.

Unfortunately, I was sick and there are almost no pictures of the time between Christmas and Easter. This year has deepened your friendship with your brother, even when you fight.

You finally got your wish for a baby sister. You are a little mommy and such a big helper to me. You keep Jack entertained when I need you to and you feed Zoe bottles when I need you to. Your love for her fills my heart with joy.

You have also turned into a little swimmer and ask to go swimming almost every day.

All those things make a year go by in a flash, and before I knew it you were having another birthday.

You are still strong willed, but we battle much less. You are usually easy to discipline and hate to think somebody might be disappointed in you. You are still kind hearted and compassionate and your favorite things to watch on tv are doctor shows or cooking shows. Your heart breaks if somebody is hurt or sick and you are enthralled by all things medical - as long as it doesn't involve you going to the doctor.

You are a fantastic big sister to Jack and Zoe and you take that role very seriously. You are very analytical and literal in your thinking. You want to know more and more about God and how he works. It makes my heart happy to see the Holy Spirit at work in your life, wooing you to Him.

I love you and am so proud of you, sweet girl. I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Zoe's Birth

2010-04-23T23:11:00.001-04:00

(Long & possibly tmi if you're male)

Zoe Kate Willems

8 lbs. 6 oz.

21 in.

5:26 p.m.

April 7, 2010

Horrible picture of me, but this is the fabulous Nurse Amy

Danny and I had to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. on April 7 for my scheduled induction. I was wide awake at 4 because I was so ready to get the show on the road. It was closer to 8 before anything actually got going. In a fun coincidence (except I think it was orchestrated by God) my nurse was the same one from my L&D, Vol I scare. As it got close to 3, we thought Zoe would be making her appearance within the hour. Zoe had other ideas.

It didn't take long to realize that she was face up. I wasn't surprised b/c Karis and Jack were, too. I delivered Karis like that and Jack was able to be turned. I was in a ton of pain even though I'd had an epidural for a while. We tried a few practice pushes and I was in tears b/c of the pain. The next thing I knew, they were calling for the doctor to be there and she wasn't in the room for 5 minutes before she told us we needed a c-section. Zoe's heart took a dangerous dip and she was in an unusual position.

5 minutes later, we were here. This is where things got even more complicated. Her forehead was caught on one side of my pubic bone and her chin was caught on the other side. The umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around her neck several times. She was effectively stuck. There was lots of pulling, tugging and overall jostling my insides around in an attempt to free her. My cervix was torn from my uterus during this process. After a big struggle she came out. Her cry was the best sound I heard all day.

Danny escorted Zoe to the nursery and we thought I'd be in the room in about 30 minutes. Things get hazy for me after this, but I wasn't seen or heard from for the next 2 hours. The doctor later told Danny it was the hardest c-section she's done in almost 20 years. She also told him it took an extra 15 minutes to repair my cervix. Apparently after I was stitched up and about to be taken to my room my heart decided to do funny stuff. My blood pressure stays on the low side of normal and it dropped even lower and my heart rate went up to 180. The doctors had a hard time controlling it. I was supposedly awake during all of this, but they gave me versed and I am pretty much blissfully ignorant. I do remember telling the anesthesiologist that I didn't feel good at all and I remember thinking that I wasn't ready to die b/c I wanted more time with my kids. I don't know that I was close to dying, just one thought I remember having. Eventually I was taken to my room and got to have 3 (I think) visitors at a time.

I don't have a picture of the first time Karis met Zoe on my camera, but it looks pretty similar to this. It still does.

B/c of the heart scare I had to wear some sort of heart monitor for a long time. The next morning I had to have an ultrasound of my heart. My heart is just fine. It turns out I lost more blood during the c-section than they thought. I was given 3 units of blood to help in my recovery.

I finally made it out of bed Friday night and we have our 1st picture as a family of 5. We all look rough, but it had been a long 3 days. On Sunday afternoon all my hematocrit levels and blood pressure and heart rate were good enough to let me go home. Zoe had been given clearance to leave whenever I did.

We've almost been home 2 weeks and it has been my hardest recovery yet. I was told that it would take months for my energy levels to go up and for me to feel like myself again. The hardest part has been having to rely on other people to do everything for me. Danny has been amazing. He's taken care of everything so Zoe and I have been spending most days in the bed. I'm starting to have a little more energy, but it doesn't take much to wear me out. Both of our moms have been life savers. There is no way we could make it through this without them. Some of our friends have also gone above and beyond to help us out and we are so thankful.

We are so thankful that Zoe and I are home and healthy. God showed his mercy, grace and faithfulness to us in a big way during this. Zoe's sweet face makes it worth all the difficulties. She is such a good baby. She eats and sleeps and rarely cries unless I'm too slow feeding her. Sweet Zoe Kate definitely wanted to make a grand entrance into our lives!

Sick

2010-03-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

I hate being sick.

Most of the time I will deny it until there is no possible way to deny it any longer.
I have been sick the last 12 days with what I thought was a nasty sinus infection. I finally decided to go to the doctor on Friday because my ears were killing me.

I did have one raging sinus infection, but was shocked when she told me she thought I had pneumonia. Because I'm 36 weeks pregnant she didn't want to do an x-ray to confirm. She and my OB consulted about the best plan of action and gave me a bunch of medicine to take.

I had to go back today because I was not feeling as well as she and I had hoped I would be. My sinuses are slowly clearing, but I'm still wheezing, just not as bad as I was on Friday. She gave me 2 more prescriptions and an over-the-counter medicine to take.

My personal pharmacy now contains:
Flinstone Vitamins (dr. recommended b/c prenatals made me sick)
1 antibiotic
1 steroid pack
1 sinus medicine
1 cough medicine (it comes in neat little gel bubbles)
2 different inhalers (1 regular and 1 with steroids)
1 over-the-counter medicine

All 7 of those are taken in varying amounts multiple times a day. I'm so very thankful that I'm normally healthy and don't have to take medicine regularly. We're hoping all this medicine will clear me up quickly and have me healthy in time for her birth.

I'll be 37 weeks on Thursday and I have an ultrasound and dr.'s appt. to see how things are progressing. I'm going back to bed now because that's where I'm supposed to be spending most of my time.

I can't wait until I can post again and say that I feel fantastic again. I've got lots of nesting I want to do and not much time to do it in!

Family

2010-03-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

I love my family.

This weather has me a little under the weather. I'm a little congested and have a hard time moving without going into a coughing fit. Once it starts, it doesn't want to stop. It's not fun, but wouldn't be nearly so bad if Zoe wasn't making it hard for me to breathe already.

Danny had plans to go fishing today and I really didn't want him to cancel them like he was planning on doing so I wasn't home with both kids all day. Late last night I finally convinced him to go. Both of our children like to wake up at hours I prefer to be unfamiliar with. Before he left this morning, Danny made them both chocolate milk and had the tv on the right station for the cartoons they like to watch in the morning. I woke up at 8 and found my children happily playing together.

Karis had eaten a bowl of cereal and gotten herself and Jack dressed for the day. Jack said she changed his diaper, too. They've played together very well most of the morning. I'm determined to do laundry, coughing or not, and get a few other things done. Karis cleaned her room and then gave Jack step by step instructions to cleaning his room. They are working together on cleaning the playroom.

As a reward for being so helpful and to make my job easier, they are going to get to watch a movie and eat popcorn for lunch when they finish. I believe today will be a family nap time kind of day.

I was a little bummed that we had to turn down an invitation to the zoo b/c I don't feel well, but listening to my children work and laugh together is a nice reward. Karis is learning a lot about being patient and teaching her little brother. I'm thankful for a husband who is not selfish and looks for ways to serve me and make my life easier... especially in these last weeks before Z arrives.

Hope your Saturday is filled with great things!

Life

2010-03-11T12:49:00.004-05:00

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. -Ps. 16:11

For whoever finds me finds life. - Prov. 8:35

I have come that they may have life and have it to the fullest. - John 10:10

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. - Eph. 4:1

Zoe Kate will be joining our family sometime in the next 4 weeks.

Danny first suggested Zoe, but I wasn't sure because our friends, the Tiemans, have a daughter named Zoe. We considered Alexis/Lexi, Hope, Faith, Kate, Claire and several others, but kept coming back to Zoe. When I found out that Zoe is Greek for the word life, I was sold.

Thankfully the Tiemans did not mind sharing the name with us. There are tons of verses about life in the Bible, but these 4 will be incorporated into my prayers for Zoe. Kate has no special significance as far as meanings or a namesake, it's just a name we've liked for a long time. Jack could very well be Kate if he was a girl.

A song that has spoken to me again and again during the past 10 months is Blessed Be Your name by Matt Redmon.



Blessed be Your name 
When the sun's shining down on me 
When the world's 'all as it should be' 
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

 Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name



Blessed be the name of the Lord 
Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord
 Blessed be Your glorious name  

You give and take away
 You give and take away 
My heart will choose to say
 Lord, blessed be Your name


Right after my miscarriage I could not sing it without crying. Especially the words "You give and take away. My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name." And now as a new life prepares to enter our family, I can barely sing the entire song without tears.  As a caveat, had God not chosen to add a 3rd child to our family, the lyrics would still be true. 


Honestly, there is a little pain in the offering of thanks now. There are times I can't help but think I should already have a newborn who is working on moving up a clothing size now. But that's not the path God had for us to walk and I'm learning to trust him no matter the road and my heart really will sing Lord, blessed be Your name.


Later this week I will post about another difficult journey and more verses to this song and how it's ministered to me, but Jack's asleep and I need to be productive. 

We're all looking forward to meeting our Zoe Kate. (We're just calling her Zoe.)


***************My formatting is all messed up and I can't fix it and don't have the patience right now. Sorry.********************

Eviction Notice

2010-03-02T00:32:00.002-05:00

Dear baby girl (she's still nameless, but not for much longer),

This is your eviction notice. You have 3-5 weeks to evacuate your current home. I'm sure you are nice and comfortable where you are, but you're making my life miserable. If you would be so kind as to shift your foot out from under my rib, I may consider letting you stay a tiny bit longer. But I like to breathe, especially when I can do it without feeling like my ribs are bruised. It's much less painful that way. Also, if you could shift a little so my back will stop aching. The discomfort and heartburn are keeping me up at night. You should know I value my sleep. I'm fully prepared for the sleepless nights that will come when you have evacuated: it will be about quality and not quantity then. I would love a few hours of pain free sleep before then if you can manage. Finally, you are not allowed to grow any larger. 5 lb 2 oz at 33 weeks and 5 days is plenty. I can compromise and let you get to 8 lbs if you'll work with me on the other things. You would still be my smallest baby at that size. Your sister and brother are very anxious to meet you. Karis wants to change your diapers, just not the stinky ones. Jack wants to sing you lullabies and he practices a good bit. Enjoy the next few weeks of quiet and solitude while you can, your little world will be completely different once you meet them.

Love,

Your sleepy and achy mom

We really do almost have a name down. I'll blog it as soon as it's 100%.

L&D, Vol. I

2010-02-22T14:40:00.002-05:00

Want to know my favorite way to spend Sunday afternoons? I'll give you a hint: it has nothing to do with the title of my post. The answer: napping! No nap is as sweet and refreshing as the Sunday afternoon nap.

Unfortunately, that is not how I spent my afternoon yesterday. After repeated symptoms and several phone calls, we decided I better head to the hospital to make sure my water had not broken. 32 weeks and 3 days is a little too early for all that excitement. I called mom and asked her to come so Danny could stay here with the kids and get them down for their naps. Their worlds will be turned upside down when she gets here, I didn't want to start it any earlier than necessary.

I was pleasantly surprised that the ER was empty and in less than 10 minutes, we were on the L&D floor. A litmus test showed that my water was no broken and there was much rejoicing! I was having mild contractions while I was being monitored and was dilated to almost a 2. Lots of water later and the contractions were gone. I was discharged with instructions to take it really easy until my doctor's appt. on Tuesday.

There were several friends and family praying for us while we were at the hospital. I'm so thankful to have people in my life to share our burdens and I'm so grateful that God answered the prayers of His people. Our girl has been given more time to grow and develop!

This morning I slept until 7:30 and then I needed to finish getting Karis ready for school. Danny took her while Jack and I snuggled on the couch. When he got home I went back to bed because I was so cold! I opened my eyes to what I thought was a few minutes later to discover I'd been asleep for 2 1/2 more hours. Danny took Jack downstairs so I could sleep peacefully up here. Most of my day has been spent on the couch, but I think I'm rested enough to fix supper in a few hours.

Hopefully there won't be a L&D, Vol. II until the end of March or beginning of April.

2010-02-21T09:37:00.001-05:00

My computer is back and there will be new posts coming! It died and then had to spend some time in the hospital. Thankful for Apple's extended care plan and a hospital stay that cost me nothing.

I need to update the pantry challenge and then move on to new things. Be on the lookout!

2010-01-12T12:53:00.002-05:00

Last week I did lots of cooking!

With the help of my bread machine I made several loaves of bread for meals. Karis and Jack helped make biscuits, jello and pudding. We were running out of dessert, so near the end of the week I even made homemade pudding. It was a success.

We also ate lots of fruit. Aldi has 3lb. bags of tangerines for $.99 and my kids couldn't get enough of them. By week's end, we were out of bread and finished off hamburger buns from the freezer. Everyone is being a good sport and sticking with the plan.

The menu for this week looks like this:

Breakfasts:

waffles

biscuits & gravy

eggs & hashbrowns

blueberry muffins

cereal

sausage & biscuits

Lunches:

pb&j, chips, fruit

grilled cheese & fruit

pizza roll ups

ham sandwiches, chips, fruit

Dinner:

Leftovers (this is for several nights b/c we had so much left from last week, not to mention what this week will have left over)

Stuffed shells (these were from my freezer cooking in Dec.) & homemade bread, salad

turkey noodle soup & homemade bread

ritzy turkey casserole, salad

Snacks/Desserts:

oatmeal cookies

yogurt

fruit

popcorn

another dessert to be decided

I'm having trouble with this $25/week budget I gave myself. If I had any kind of a stockpile, it might be easier. I spent $33 this week. I had to buy more flour, butter, vanilla and milk, fruits and veggies. I'm a little worries about next week because Jack will need diapers & wipes, Abby will need dog food and we need to eat.

Danny thinks $25 is not realistic, but I really want it to work. We'll see.

Eat From the Pantry Challenge

2010-01-07T12:48:00.002-05:00

Crystal at MoneySavingMom and FishMama at LifeasMom are hosting an eat from the pantry challenge for the month of January and we are participating!

I have done a horrible job of couponing and stocking up since we moved in July. In fact, if I'm honest I haven't done much CVS or Walgreens shopping since last February when I decided to see if I could feed us for $100 for the entire month. ( We still have plenty of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and are just now on our last toothpaste.) I ended up over budget last year, so I'm hoping to do a little better in 2010.

I have no concrete rules for this particular challenge. Others are limiting what they buy at the store to produce, dairy, etc. I'm just trying to use what we have and only buy the necessities to make it. Danny has agreed to be a good sport and support my efforts/meals. I should mention that we normally eat Sunday lunch out and this is not included in our budget.

Thanksgiving brought good sales on turkeys and we had a 15lb one in our freezer just waiting to feed us. Here's what our meal plan for this week looks like:

Breakfasts:

eggs & toast

country ham & biscuits

sausage & biscuits/ eggs

banana muffins

cereal

Lunches:

pizza roll ups

pb & j

ham or turkey sandwiches

grilled cheese

Dinners:

roasted turkey, corn, freezer potatoes, salad

homemade pizza, salad

turkey spaghetti (This is actually the Pioneer Woman's chicken spaghetti and was delicious)

turkey pot pie

fish sticks, fried potatoes

pancakes

leftovers

Snacks/Desserts:

Chocolate sheet cake

Chocolate pudding

Jello

fruit

chips

raisins

We spent $37 at the grocery this week so I'm really going to have to be careful the next 3 weeks. The first week of this challenge and we run out of diapers, toilet paper, garbage bags and paper towels. Hopefully there won't be any surprises for the next 3 weeks!

Paradise

2010-01-01T23:39:00.005-05:00

This is where I'd like to be right now. On a warm beach somewhere listening to the waves lap against the sand and relaxing. Karis, Jack and I were lucky enough to get to join my parents for a long weekend before fall break. It was fantastic.

Even Jack thought so.

Both kids liked building sandcastles with Poppy.

Jack really loved swimming in the ocean with Poppy.

So did Karis. She even wore won of Poppy's hats.

Such a big smile that Danny's mom almost didn't recognize her when she saw this picture. Can't blame her though, it's not often Karis treats us to a smile like this.

See what I mean?

Even though her eyes are closed, they're touching and neither one of them melted from the effort.

Jack looks happy and sweet, not at all like the little terror that he is.

One of my favorites, fake smile and all.

Why has it taken me months to post pictures you ask? Because my internet at home is painfully slow and crashes when I try to upload photos. I'm in Louisville at the Giddens home, stealing their quick internet and attempting to catch up. I have one more set of photos to post tomorrow and then another drought is coming. I left my camera and all the pictures on it at home.

Bug

2009-11-04T10:25:00.002-05:00

I have a few posts I want to write and pictures I need to add, but none of that will happen today.

Earlier this week mom told me I needed to update my blog.

Here's the update: Jack started throwing up around 6 last night. Every hour on the hour he was like clockwork with the puking until 3. He waited until 3:30. I couldn't sleep on my bed because the mattress was still wet. He couldn't sleep on his bed because his mattress was wet. He couldn't sleep on the rug beside the couch because he kept throwing up on it. He slept on top of me. Thankfully, I didn't get thrown up on in my sleep. All 3 hours of it.

No matter how many times I've washed my hands, they still smell like vomit.

Hope your Wednesday is bug free.

Just For My Benefit

2009-09-05T21:49:00.000-04:00

I’ve told a few people this story, but I’m writing it here so I can remember it as the years go by.
Karis was listening to “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” and asked what the grave was. Anytime we talk about Jesus dying, we talk about the tomb. So I explain the grave to her and how Jesus rose again, but how he’s the only one who can do that b/c He’s God, and only God has power over death.
She then tells me that Jesus can’t be God. When I ask her why he can’t be, she tells me, “Because when Jesus was born, God put a bright star in the sky to help people find him. Babies cannot put stars in the sky.”
That’s when I asked her Daddy to use some of his Seminary education and take over. He told her that Jesus was God incarnate. “Incar WHAT?” He explained it to her and she was satisfied.
I’m almost positive that I have never, ever thought like that. She must get it from her Daddy.
*** I also want to remember that right now my favorite thing Jack says is “No Way Hosey Posey!” instead of No Way, Jose! *** I also love to hear him say “It’s Amazing! I’m friend of God”*** Thanks again, Jeff and Annie, for the Veggie Tales cd.

Louisville Zoo, We’ll Miss You

2009-09-05T09:44:00.001-04:00

Going to the zoo was one of our favorite pastimes in Louisville. Seeing the animals and playing in the Splash Park never got old. The time was especially sweet on summer nights when the zoo was open late and we met up with friends.

As we realized our time in Louisville was coming to a close, there was no better way to spend one of our last Thursday nights than at the zoo with the Giddens family. (They have an awesome blog but I’m not linking to it b/c I’m writing this at home with no internet. Sorry, friends, but I don’t have that much time when I’m using free WiFi) I had to get a picture of Karis with her best bud, Abigail, in the wagon they spent so much time in.

Karis loves the splash park.

So does Jack.

I’m kicking myself for not getting a picture of both of our families together. There is no zoo 15 minutes away from us in Columbia. We’ll have to drive 45 minutes and I’ve heard it’s not that great.

I guess that will make us appreciate what we had in Louisville even more. Thank you, friends, for spending one of our last Thursdays at the zoo with us.

Don't Blink

2009-09-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

because when you do, this:

Turns into this:

My baby is in kindergarten and loving it. I had parent teacher conference tonight and he told me she was a joy to have in his class. I about fell over and wanted to make sure he knew whose mother I was! He said she’s shown no signs of being strong willed or stubborn. I’m saying, “ Thank You, Jesus! Please let it continue!” She hasn’t even gotten in trouble for talking too much. I honestly don’t think any of her Sunday school/choir/Wednesday night teachers would have ever said she was a joy to have in class. I’m telling you, it’s a kindergarten miracle all the way around!

Little Bits 'O This & That

2009-09-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

So this blog hasn’t been updated in what, 5 years? Life got crazy, we have no internet, what can I say? I’m writing a few posts tonight that I’ll publish after I drop Karis off at school tomorrow.

Danny left today for Brazil. He’s not coming home until Wednesday. He and one of our pastors are going to meet up with a team from the Brazilian church our church has partnered with as they go on their first mission trip. They’re going to a state somewhere north of Rio to help plant/grow/we’re not really sure of the details a new church. This will stretch both of them. They’ll be riding the bus, eating the same food and sleeping on gym floors with the Brasilians. They did bring a few bottles of water to brush their teeth. They probably won’t have internet or phone access until they’re back in the States on Wednesday. Please pray for them.

Also, pray for me. I’m at home for almost 7 days with a little monster. You think I’m joking until you’ve seen naptime and bedtime around here. Spanking him does no good. Neither does taking things away. He’s rotten, but so sweet during the day. I’m thinking his head full of curls is responsible for such mischief. You know, like Samson’s hair was his strength? Only I’m too attached to the curls to cut them and see if his behavior improves. I’d just like to have some sanity intact when Danny gets home.

Danny does not have full-time employment yet, but God is graciously meeting and exceeding our needs. We also have no insurance currently, so we’re praying for health and protection all around. Danny has been encouraging me to think about sewing/embroidery as a business instead of finding a job. This has been a shock to me, but a welcome surprise. I’ve got a lot of research to do while he’s gone so we can talk about the logistics when he gets home.

The return home has been an incredibly easy adjustment for Karis. We are so thankful. Louisville friends, she has yet to cry or run out of her classes at church. In fact, she fussed when we thought about staying home on a Wed. night so we could rest. I would probably go so far as to say she is thriving in all areas right now, which is a welcome change. Her attitude still rears its head occasionally, but is quickly adjusted and followed by good behavior.

I’ll write a better update post soon, but this is it for tonight.

When It's Hot

2009-06-24T22:49:00.002-04:00

Karis goofs around

Jack tries to hold water droplets

Karis is bribed with a cookie to play in the water so I can get some fun shots of her

I was obviously unsuccessful at procuring more than a quick smile before she hung out on the swing again

Jack got to star in a solo photo shoot because his mama was loving the water drops

If I had a camera with me in Tennessee last weekend, I would have had pictures of Jack jumping off the diving board to Danny. I didn't so use your imagination. You would not get the shot of Jack tripping on his attempt to jump again, falling into the pool while his Poppy and Daddy did not catch him. They said he wasn't under long enough to take more than one breath. Thanks, Poppy, for the rescue. I was told he didn't mind too bad, but was not ready to jump again afterwards. There are two reasons no photo would exist if I would have remembered my camera: 1) Mom and I ran some errands and missed the action. 2) If I would have been there I would have had a heart attack.

Karis finally got brave enough to jump off the side in the shallow end, where she can touch. But only if she doesn't think about it too long and let fear sneak up on her.

My children are a study in opposites.

Much like their mommy and daddy.

Rain Rain, Go Away

2009-06-10T21:14:00.002-04:00

Several weeks ago a rainy day ruined plans the kids and I for a picnic. I had to think quickly because their rainy day blues were about to drive me crazy! After some quick thinking, I decided a camp out lunch was in order.

Lunch was a success, memories were made and both took a nap with no fussing. Rainy day salvaged!

Happy Birthday, Jack!

2009-06-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today, my baby turns 2.

I honestly cannot believe how quickly two years have gone by. I am incredibly thankful that God, in His great mercy and wisdom, saw fit to surprise our family with the blessing that is Jack. He brings joy and laughter to our household daily. For your viewing pleasure, but mostly for my poor memory - a list of things I'm particularly loving about my son:

Jack is full of life and full of joy. He has a smile on his face the majority of the day.
I love that if he thinks it's too quiet at the dinner table, he'll find a remedy. This usually involves something he knows will get a guaranteed laugh from the rest of the family.
He loves to aggravate his sister. It amazes me that he's already figured out what will get a reaction from her.
There is nobody on earth he'd rather play with than Karis, or Sissy, as Jack calls her. He follows her around like a puppy most of the day. Their squeals as they run around playing fill my heart with joy. Except when the screaming turns to whining.
I love how he jumps around and does a happy dance when he gets excited about what he's going to eat. With the exception of oatmeal, this is mostly brought on by sweets.
He loves his daddy. He walks around most days saying "Daddy night-night?" or "Daddy work?" He knows the answer to both of those questions most of the time, but he likes to ask anyway. When Danny wakes up, Jack wants to be right there with him. He loves to sit in his daddy's lap and read books.
Jack loves books. He's slowly enjoying more of his toys, but he still really likes to get somebody to read to him.
Unlike his sister, he's pretty fearless. He jumps, climbs and maneuvers his way all over the place. I've resigned myself to the fact that he will probably have a broken bone or stitches before his fifth birthday.
If he's in a bad mood I can say, "Love you, buddy." He gets a scowl on his face and says, "No love you, buddy." It makes me laugh every time. This can also be done with kisses or hugs.
He'll get a twinkle in his eyes and make a kissing noise until I make it back. Then he leans his head forward and waits for me to kiss him. If I start to walk away before he's ready he'll say, "Mo shoogahs, mommy." This renders me powerless to refuse his request for more sugars.
He loves to play outside. He stands at the window or door and begs to go outside. He shares this love with his sister and it makes me incredibly happy.
Every time we pull up to church he says "Friends, friends." I asked him in the car on the way home from VBS Monday afternoon if he had a good time. He said, "Play friends. Dack play friends. (Those J sounds are a bit tricky). More play friends?"

I could also talk about how he's strong willed and stubborn like his sister, but this list if things I'm loving about my boy.

Happy Birthday, Jack. We love you and are excited to see you grow and learn more this year.

AWANA Awards Night

2009-06-08T22:47:00.002-04:00

Wow! I am so behind in posting. A few weeks ago Karis had an awards night at church for AWANA. She has learned an amazing amount of Bible verses over the last 2 years.

After Danny took this picture he said, "I got the shot." It is virtually impossible to pull the camera out without getting at least one picture like this.

Karis was not paying attention in the group shot. Big surprise, right?

What Not to Say

2009-05-28T09:13:00.002-04:00

In the wake of my miscarriage I have had some interesting conversations. I think human nature wants to find a way to comfort those who mourn or fix the problems of others. Again, in no particular order, here's a list of things that you probably shouldn't say to someone who is grieving.

If you happen to find yourself quoted here (and I don't think anyone I'm quoting reads my blog), please don't be offended. I honestly know you were trying to make me feel better. It's just that I want to help you be better prepared to comfort those who mourn.

At least you weren't any further along than you were. It would be so much worse if you were. I believe that the loss of life is painful if it occurs at 6 weeks gestational age or if it occurs at 6 years of age.
At least you haven't been struggling with infertility for years and this wasn't your only chance to be pregnant. Although I have not struggled with infertility, that does not make my loss any less painful.
Closely followed by, at least you already have 2 healthy children. I am so thankful for Karis and Jack, but I doubt that if my baby had lived even a few hours and then died that anyone would say that.
At least you weren't trying and this was a surprise pregnancy. Honestly, I'm not sure how that's comforting at all. Being surprised does not make the loss hurt any less.
There are a few more at least statements, but I hope you get the idea.

What I think I've decided is that at least statements are not comforting to those who mourn. They really don't diminish the pain of the life lost. Having said that, I appreciate that people care about me enough to try and comfort me. But my greatest comfort comes from knowing I'm being covered in prayer. A sincere "I'm sorry" and "I'm praying for you" are really all you need to say.

God's strong right hand upholds me. He is the best Comforter I know.

An Exercise in Obedience

2009-05-26T13:45:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking about this post for several days. Because I'm feeling blue today, I think it's an excellent time to practice obedience.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I love the absolute commands in these verses. There are no exceptions made. Just the command to always be joyful, never stop praying and to be thankful in all circumstances. It's so easy to think, "God, I would be joyful if only life had turned out differently. God, I can't pray when this is going on in my life. God, how can I be thankful that things turned out this way?"

Today I am fighting the desire to throw myself a pity party and think that I deserve some things. I know I deserve nothing, but man! is my heart trying to deceive me. So let's speak some truths to my heart. Again.

God is good. ALWAYS. God cannot be God and not be good.

The only thing I deserve is death, but because of God's grace I have received the gift of eternal life. While I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.

I'm not sure about you, but music soothes my soul. I've found myself singing this frequently over the last week.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name

When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

O.k. So I haven't been singing the last 2 verses because I don't know them by heart, but they're too good to leave out.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my Hope and Stay

When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

Chorus:
Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

Now for the practice of obedience: a list, in no particular order, of things I'm thankful for.

Danny, Karis and Jack - they can almost always make me smile. I think my children are funny -when they're not being little terrors. My family and the ways that they love me all the time, but especially over the last week. Friends who love me and go out of their way to encourage me and to be the hands and feet of Jesus to me. 2 church families that love and support my family. Long weekends at home, feeling relaxed wherever we go. Rainbows in the sky on the drive back to Kentucky. Friendships that can be picked up where they were left off. Finally, that because of his great love I belong to Christ Jesus and that makes it possible to be joyful and thankful in all circumstances.

I have one more What Not to Wear style post left in me about loss, and then I'll be returning to pictures of my children and family life. If you've read this far, wow! You should get some award. My heart already feels better as I've reminded myself about who I am and Who God Is.

Some of the hardest words to write

2009-05-19T14:32:00.001-04:00

Much to my shock, I found out I was pregnant again on Good Friday. My body has been so messed up that Danny was equally surprised. I called the doctor on Monday and was given a Friday appointment. Because of how messed up things were, there was the possibility that I was already 12 weeks pregnant. I was pretty sure that wasn't the case, but there was really no way of knowing without an ultrasound.

Everything at the visit went well until it was time for an ultrasound. It barely showed anything but a sac and a hematoma beside it. I was then sent to the hospital to have blood work done to check my hormone levels. At this point the doctor said that I was either really early or that I had an ectopic pregnancy. Sunday morning I returned to the hospital and had more blood drawn. One of the doctors called me on Monday and said that my levels were doubling, but she'd like me to come in for another ultrasound. This time the ultrasound showed more of what it was supposed to. The lady informed me that I had a tentative due date of December 24.

I made another appointment for 4 weeks to see the doctor and have another ultrasound so we could see a heartbeat and get a more definitive due date. I'm not normally prone to as much secrecy in pregnancy as I was this time. I told a handful of people and that was it. I didn't even want Karis to know until I saw a heartbeat. Hiding it was becoming more and more of a challenge because I started showing almost immediately. Life continued as normal until Friday.

My friend, Kedra, graciously offered to take Karis and Jack to our friend Rachel's house for lunch. I was hoping to be there in time for dessert. I arrived at my ultrasound appointment several minutes early and was able to go right in without waiting. The ultrasound did not even last 2 minutes before she left to go get the doctor. I knew immediately something was wrong. I even sat up and leaned over so I could see the screen that was turned away from me. I could see my baby, but guessed that there was no heartbeat. When the doctor came in she confirmed what the tech saw and told me that the baby had grown to about 8 weeks, but that the heart had stopped about 1-1 1/2 weeks ago. I would have been 9 weeks last Thursday. They thought that the hematoma they saw in the first ultrasound was preventing me from miscarrying on my own.

I had the option of waiting it out or scheduling a D&C. She told me that because of how far along I was that it would probably feel like real labor and be very messy and painful. She was also worried that it could happen when Danny was at work and I would be alone with the kids. The doctor told me many women tried to miscarry naturally when they were this far along, but then would get stuck and have to have a D&C anyhow. Because we are leaving to go to Tennessee on Thursday and all the other reasons the doctor listed, I opted to have a scheduled D&C.

Once the doctor left the room, the realization of what happened hit me and I couldn't stop crying. I was walked to the surgery scheduling room and was scheduled for Monday afternoon at 2. I came home and cried for several hours. Sweet Kedra brought my kids home for me and thankfully, I was done crying by the time they got here. We all napped for several hours and then Danny treated me to Red Lobster before we headed to Bass Pro Shops.

I did some basic grocery shopping on Saturday and then we went to eat at Evan and Leah's house. I was so thankful to be out of the house and have something else to think about. Sunday morning Karis' choir sang in both services. We went home when she was finished singing in the 2nd service and slept and cleaned up some before my mom arrived. I had committed to something at church that I honestly did not want to do Sunday night, but God knew what He was doing. Again, it was so nice to have something else to focus my attention on.

On Monday morning, mom and I took Karis to get her 5 year shots. Right before we left the hospital called and asked if I could come in early because they were running ahead. We barely had time to gather things together once we got Karis home before it was time to leave. I kept expecting more tears or emotions once we got there, but I was pretty calm. I brought my memory cards to look through while I was waiting. The last one I read before I was wheeled back said, "let us hold unswervingly to the hope we possess, for He who promises is faithful."

I have a history of getting sick with anesthesia, and never in my life have I been given as many anti-nausea meds as I was given yesterday. It was wonderful. The first time I've ever woken up without being sick. Yesterday I alternated between being sleepy and hungry. I was in a little pain, but more awake than I expected to be.

My mom left this morning and told Karis she was going to have to help me out today. Today I was in more pain that yesterday and definitely a lot sleepier. Karis woke me up and told me that she made lunch for her and Jack, and then she woke me up again when they were finished and it was time for them to take naps. She picked up all the toys and sang to Jack while I fell back asleep. Danny woke me up 20 minutes before it was time for him to leave so I would be awake while they were awake. She has continued to be helpful tonight. For all of her strong-willed, stubborn behavior, she has an incredibly compassionate side that was out in full force today.

On Friday afternoon, all I could think about was that no matter how crummy my life situation, God IS still good. His goodness does not depend on life's circumstances. I have been immensely sad, but holding on unswervingly to my hope. I'm thankful that because of Jesus, I have hope to hold onto. I have also discovered that I'm uncomfortable with pity. On Sunday I received a lot of hugs and lots of "I'm sorry." Please don't feel bad if you gave me a hug and told me you were sorry on Sunday. I'm so thankful for friends who care about me and love me. Please consider this your official invitation to hug if you must, but follow it with "I'm praying for you" instead of "I'm sorry."

I believe that for now I'm doing as well as I am and recovery has gone as well as it has because I've been covered in prayer. I've been told to expect my hormones to go a little crazy and that the next 2 weeks will be really difficult. Please continue to pray for me during this time. I don't want Karis or Jack to be affected by any of this, especially my raging hormones. They're not raging at the moment, but I'm preparing myself for the possibility.

My desire is to glorify God in every part of my life... even the parts I don't like. Psalm 63 is my favorite Psalm. Verse 3 says, "because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." I have found comfort and peace in many of these verses and also knowing that before I was ever born, God knew that Friday and consequently Monday would happen. Friends, I serve a big, kind, caring, compassionate, just, holy, unchanging, GOOD God and the plans He has for my life are far better than anything I could come up with on my own. I'm trusting Him to walk me out of the valleys and onto the mountaintops and back again if He sees fit.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which persists even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:-7

Speaking Truth to Me Tonight

2009-05-16T00:24:00.001-04:00

It took 3 stinkin' days for this to load and that's all I have to say

2009-05-13T15:43:00.009-04:00

What to do?

2009-05-10T16:46:00.002-04:00

My rockstar photographer friend, Rachel, called me yesterday and asked if she could bring her camera to Karis' 5th birthday party. I was really excited and said, "yes!!" She even edited them and brought a cd to my house this afternoon while we were sleeping. Now I have so many good pictures to choose from, I don't know what to do. So today I'm just going to post a picture of Jack and a picture of Karis that she took. Enjoy! Thanks again, Rachel!

Uncle Peter Visits

2009-05-04T19:11:00.002-04:00

Uncle Peter, Danny's brother, arrived last Monday for a visit. Karis was very excited for his arrival. Jack had no clue he was coming, but after he left Wednesday spent time searching for Uncle Pete.

I failed to take many pictures of the visit and got none with Jack and Uncle Pete together. This is just Jack at breakfast one morning.

Karis and Uncle Peter spent a lot of time like this during his stay. He brought her a Princess book with a magic pen and some puzzles. As a result, this is how much of their visit was spent.

We went to the park and the zoo. I'm pretty sure that by the time he made it home Wednesday afternoon he was in need of a nap or two to recuperate from Jack and Karis.

For Mom

2009-05-04T18:59:00.002-04:00

These 2 pictures aren't for anything but showing my mom what I was talking about. Rachel and I held a baby shower for Kedra last week. I didn't take many pictures and my skills come nowhere near those of the insanely talented Rachel. I'm going to get her to email me some of the ones she's taken. Thankfully, I don't have any now so there will be no side-by-side comparison to put me to shame.

Silence

2009-04-24T20:13:00.003-04:00

My house is quiet.

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it might be just a little too quiet.

Danny left yesterday for a weekend fishing tournament in Tennessee. Karis ended up going with him (hence the reason for the packing list). Jack goes to bed several hours before Karis and takes longer naps than she does. I was really looking forward to the quiet and opportunity to get some things done.

I'm honestly having a hard time adjusting to the silence. I have gotten used to the almost constant background noise between the 2 of them. I'm finding the silence distracting. I never thought that would be the case.

I took a nap when Jack did yesterday and then we went to Target. He ate a pizza and I bought him a Matchbox airplane. I can definitely say is was a $1.5o well spent. From there we went to Borders and looked at books for about 1 1/2 hours. Jack was very unhappy when it was time to leave because he wasn't done looking at books. By the time we got home, he was ready for bed.

This morning he took a shower with me which was pretty entertaining. Normally Karis plays with him while I shower if he's awake. He is nowhere near trustworthy enough to take a shower and let him play freely. We went to Chick-Fil-A and had ice cream and then we headed to the park. He held my hand and walked the entire walking trail, stopping only to admire the geese and ducks. We were going to stop at the playground, but it was overrun by a preschool. We both took a nap when we got home.

This afternoon we played outside and then he held my hand as we went for a walk up and down the street. We went to KMart to finish shopping their double coupons up to $2 sale and headed to Subway. He made friends with most of the people in there before I finished paying. From Subway we headed to Kroger to buy groceries for next week. The weekend's about to get busy and there really won't be another good opportunity. Jack was so good the entire time we shopped. He ate a banana and 2 pieces of cheese while I unloaded and put away groceries. He's in bed and my house is quiet.

I know Karis is having a great time. She spent the better part of today with Gramama and G-daddy, Danny's parents. I think most of the day was supposed to be spent outside in the yard and garden. She even got to prepare hummingbird feed.

My mom picked her up this afternoon. She'll stay there until Danny picks her up tomorrow night on his way home from fishing and takes her back to his parents' house. I know she's having a great time there as well.

My dad sent this to my phone earlier tonight. She will have a full weekend.

As for me, well, I think I can adjust to the silence for 2 more days. Once they come home, there's no telling how long it will be before my house is silent again.

Because it's been making me laugh

2009-04-22T23:25:00.002-04:00

all night.

During dinner tonight Karis asked if she could go to Tennessee with Danny tomorrow to see her family. After a few phone calls to grandparents, we were packing her clothes tonight. I was showing her 2 outfits that were acceptable to play outside in and get dirty in and we were talking about what bows matched her outfits. "Mama, what if Grandmama or Gdaddy or Poppy or even Bebe doesn't know what matches?"

"I'm pretty sure anyone helping you will know what matches."
"But mommy, what if they don't? I want to match!"
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to make a list for my bag that says what matches and what bows and shoes matches each day so everyone will know."

That is why I'm about to write a list instead of going to bed. What in the world am I going to do as she gets older?!

Easter, Classic

2009-04-22T11:26:00.005-04:00

Jack was still too sleepy to care that Easter morning meant he got to eat chocolate candy for breakfast.

Karis loved the goodies in her basket.

I'm not really sure what Karis was doing. She was really excited and happy all morning. I guess she was afraid we wouldn't know what to do if we didn't get at least one classic Karis pose.

I'd like to thank my mom for helping Karis perfect her silly face the last time she came to town. I can't express my gratitude and appreciation enough for all the wonderful photos that this face has been making an appearance in.

I'm considering this picture a major victory.

As it turns out, getting an almost 2 year old to stand still for a picture is almost impossible.

Karis tries to help, but Jack wasn't really appreciative of her efforts.

Danny tried to help by posing with them, but I'm afraid this picture doesn't capture the victorious feeling of Resurrection Day.

Karis attempted one last, futile effort to get Jack to stand still for an Easter picture.

Danny finally picked Jack up so I could attempt to get a picture of his outfit that was not in motion.

One day I'm going to have them both well fed and try again outside.

God's Provision

2009-04-21T20:47:00.003-04:00

We have been so blessed in the area of clothing for Karis. Danny has a sweet friend who gifts us every season with her daughter's hand-me-downs. This has happened since the first few months of her life. Karis and I both get so excited every time a box comes.

1/2 of her new shoes

20+ outfits

The way God cares about all the little details of our lives never ceases to amaze me.

Alive

2009-04-18T23:06:00.002-04:00

We are still here, just busy.

The pictures that have been trapped in my camera for over a month are going to be freed soon. I was victorious in the hunt for new batteries in the basement.

I am trying to spend less time on the internet and more time being productive. I know I can still blog, but then I want to look at one thing and then another. I'm trying to avoid too much temptation.

We switched winter and summer clothes in our room today. In the process I threw away 2 garbage bags full of clothes and shoes that were too ratty to wear. I also filled up 2 garbage bags with clothes to sell/ give away. It was so freeing, but I think I'll need a few new pieces of clothing. I only have 1 pair of shorts left. I'm not in a hurry, so we'll see what goes on sale. Danny wanted to know how I had so many clothes in the first place. As I was sorting them out, I realized most of them were from high school or shortly after. That makes many of them at least 11 years old. I think I got my money's worth!

I'll try to at least post 1 new picture this week, but I make no promises.

I also need a new post about the things Karis says that make me laugh.

It's Official...

2009-03-31T08:31:00.002-04:00

Jack is sleeping in a big boy bed!

{Pretend my camera batteries aren't dead and you're looking at a picture of a sweet, sleeping Jack in his new bed.}

The corner crib that Karis and Jack slept in was exactly what I wanted when I was looking at cribs while pregnant with Karis. What made ours more special is that it was custom made for us by G-daddy. It's beautiful and served us well for almost 5 years.

{This is where a picture showing off the craftsmanship of the crib would go if all those pictures weren't on the desktop on the basement.}

The only downfall to the corner crib is that I had to make a mattress to fit. We lived in Columbia when K was born and my dad helped me measure, glue and cover a mattress for K. It was starting to show small signs of wear when we moved K to her big girl bed in preparation for Jack's arrival. We decided to toss it in Columbia instead of moving it to Louisville. What a mistake!

Let's just say my craftsmanship is sadly lacking. Jack's mattress had already been repaired once, but recently sank to a state of disrepair. Every time J woke up he smelled like urine. He also learned to remove his sheet and tear at the mattress covering if we weren't quick enough picking him up.

{Do you see the picture of the disgusting mattress here?}

Saturday night I decided it was time for him to move beds. Brilliant me did not have a guard rail for him and so, after being pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily he fell asleep, had a rude awakening when he fell out of the bed about 2 hours later. I guess you can say Jack had the rude awakening. I moved him to the trundle mattress that was on the floor beside him and there he slept until 2 a.m. when our neighbor's party ended. Some of the party goers were in high "spirits" and forgot the time. He fell right back to sleep and stayed there until Sunday morning.

His Sunday nap was a bit shorter than usual, but he slept. Sunday night he went to bed and slept all night. I thought maybe this was too good to be true and yesterday it was. He did not nap at all yesterday. He stayed in his room for 2 hours, but never slept. After baths last night he was eating a bed time snack. I left the room and when I came back, he was sound asleep in his chair. I moved him to his bed where he slept for the next 13 hours.

Today I'm putting the pack-n-play up in his room. If he doesn't nap after 15 minutes, that's where he'll be napping.

I'm excited, but a little sad that he's growing so quickly!

We Interrupt This Internet Break

2009-03-11T23:28:00.004-04:00

to bring you the funniest thing I've heard today.

Karis & I were watching American Idol and when their Ford music video came on she started dancing and trying to sing with them. It was only at the very end that she heard clearly "We will, we will rock you." She immediately replied, " No thank you. I can rock myself."

I'm not sure I've laughed so hard all week and there's nobody here to share with so I interrupted my break and managed to write the longest run on sentence I've written in a long time but I'm not going to fix it I'm getting off the internet and finishing my Bible study homework for tomorrow.

Call If You Wanna....

2009-03-05T22:15:00.002-05:00

I'll be away from the internet for at least a week. It's time to stop letting it control so much of my time. I will still use it for directions, if needed. I can get lost like nobody's business. There are a few recipes I may need to see, but that's questionable. As is a lot of my cooking! :) There are a few shows that Danny and I like to watch together on the weekends, so the 'net will be necessary for that. I'm not sure what else the internet might be necessary for, but I'm not going to let it be much this week.

March's Major Challenge - FAILED

2009-03-02T23:54:00.005-05:00

I am a complete and utter failure at this. I was determined to try and make it work until I had a conversation with Danny tonight. He basically said for the welfare of my family I should NOT go cold turkey. I have had headaches that 800mg Ibuprofin has not touched, I've been so tired and sleeping entirely too much and the nail in the no sugar coffin is that I have been a bear. 2 days and I'm a failure! Danny thinks I should slowly cut back and eliminate foods on a biweekly basis. I agreed and then drank sweet tea. My energy! It returned! My headache! What headache?

Seriously, I have an entirely new perspective on people who are struggling to overcome serious addictions. I mean, if sugar can do that to me, I can't imagine what drugs or alcohol would do to the body. I would seriously consider checking myself in somewhere for 2 weeks until the sugar was out of me. Preferably a hotel on the beach with a spa and room service. :) I'm going to work out a schedule of cutting back. In the mean time, any suggestion for a March challenge?

It's March 2, 2009, and tomorrow I'm going to embark on the most difficult challenge of my life. It will be entirely more treacherous than attempting to feed a family of 4 of $100 for one month.

Tomorrow, I'm giving up sugar for 30 days.

Sugar & I have a love-hate relationship. I love everything about it and it hates my body.

I'm making no crazy promises like I'm giving up sugar forever. Even a year is crazy. My general theory is that anybody can do anything for 3o days.

2 days into this I may be crying about how hard it is and how there is no way I can do it, but this post will be my motivation to keep on.

I'm addicted to caffeine and sugar, not necessarily in that order. I want to live a life free of addiction if at all possible. I'm not ready to completely forego caffeine yet, so sugar is where I'll start.

Won't it be fun to have a different challenge every month this year? What are you challenging yourself to do for the month of March?

Updates on New Year's Goals coming later this week.

The Verdict Is In

2009-02-21T18:30:00.002-05:00

I went shopping for the week this evening instead of tomorrow afternoon because tomorrow is a packed day for us. I don't remember if I mentioned that last Sunday night on my way to the grocery Danny told me that I needed to buy the ingredients to make an entire lasagna for him to take to work Wednesday night. I was not happy about what that was going to do to my budget, so I paid for it in a separate order. Our Sunday school class is eating lunch tomorrow and I also paid for that separately b/c we normally go out to eat on Sundays and that does not come out of our grocery budget. But, in the interest of being accurate my total is indeed the total of everything I bought this month.

Are you ready?

$131.69.

Not too shabby.

I went over $12.54 on my own. I could have easily left a few things off this week to meet the goal, but it's just that; a goal. There is no prize for winning or consequence for spending more. It was just a fun challenge to see if I could feed our family on less this month.

I'm a little disappointed that I went over, but mostly thrilled that we're eating on so little for the month. I've known since October I wanted to try to do this in February so I've planned and saved since then. I'm not sure that on Feb. 1 I could have decided to feed us on $100 for the month and be successful.

My March challenge coming soon. What will you challenge yourself to do in March?

$19 Remaining

2009-02-18T21:29:00.002-05:00

Will I make it? We'll need milk, bread, coke, beef broth, fruit, possibly ritz crackers & cream of chicken soup and who knows what else? The menu changes and evolves as the month goes on and food runs out and some is left over. Oh, we'll need eggs and butter, too. I'll post the final #s next week.

Saturday

2009-02-13T00:36:00.004-05:00

We made pink, heart-shaped pancakes with red sprinkles for breakfast.

Danny took Karis to the $1 movie theatre. 2 cokes, 1 popcorn, 3 hours and $20 later, Karis floated home on Cloud 9.

She knew she would soon be on her way to Abigail's.

Tory had to work on Saturday night. Kedra volunteered to watch Karis & Jack so Danny and I could have a romantic Valentine's night out. Once the kids were dropped off we headed in the direction of Chili's. Because my love language could easily be Chili's skillet queso. When we arrived people were parking across the street because the parking lot was too crowded. On a side note, one of my pet peeves is people making their own parking spaces when none are available where they want to park. I decided no queso was worth more than an hour wait, so we drove off looking for another nice place to eat. (And if you don't think Chili's without children is a nice place to eat, you obviously have not spent the last 2 years living the Seminary life).

We were driving and looking when I spotted IT! There was a Qdoba RIGHT there with an almost empty parking lot. Dr. Pepper, chips & queso and chicken quesadillas also speak my love language. There was even plenty leftover to box up and eat at home another day. When we finished eating it was 7:00. What were we going to do for 2 1/2 more hours? I knew Danny must have had inside knowledge about the state of my heart when he suggested we go to Kohl's. Our nonstick pots and pans are not so nonstick anymore. We had to throw one away over breakfast when one side of Jack's pink pancake came up black. It was not burnt. We discussed pros and cons of nonstick, stainless steel and anodized sets while comparing prices. Nothing was bought, but knowledge was gained.

From there we headed to WalMart. What would you buy at WalMart on Valentine's evening?A $5 scarf, a magazine with good coupons and a pack of gum that's spicy enough your daughter won't steal, of course! Purchases in hand, I called Kedra to get directions to the nearest Starbucks. As we walked around the mall, searching for coffee, we talked about the future. We set some goals, made tentative plans and allowed ourselves a little bit of room to daydream.

Coffee in hand, Danny got behind the wheel again and navigated us to Sonic. Pay attention! I'm about to tell you the most romantic part of our entire night! I ordered a large root beer float and Danny made no comment, even though he knows one of my goals is to lose weight. That's some Valentine's day love, people. We headed back to the Gidddens' home and spent the next two hours enjoying the conversation and company of some dear friends.

A day spent enjoying our children, our friends, good food and each other. Who needs more romance than that? Thanks, Giddens family, for your contribution to our night. We love your family and are so thankful for your friendship!

My February Challenge

2009-02-10T23:08:00.002-05:00

January is the typical month for new challenges and goals we hope to accomplish in the new year. Valentine's day and the occasional leap year are about all February has going for it. (Oh, and my dad's birthday. Happy Birthday Month, Dad!)

In an effort to make February a little more interesting (or to chase away the winter BLAHS, you decide) I have decided to attempt to feed my family on $100 this month. The past 7 months have been such a learning experience for me in menu planning and frugality. Our budget for groceries, diapers, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene, etc. has been around $300 a month. I am having a blast seeing how much I can feed my family on for the smallest dollar amount possible.

That being said, I have no idea if it's possible. We will not starve if I realize it can't be done, but so far I'm happy with how things are going. I should also mention that Valentine's dinner will not come out of this $100 - I'm not that good. Yet! Our Valentine's day normally consists of a nice, home-cooked meal and a small gift. This year I think we'll spend a nice day as a family and then eat steaks after the children are in bed. I'm also going to see how much pink or heart shaped food I can find for Karis to eat. She likes holidays and celebrating as much as I do.

It should also be mentioned that we're not eating beans and rice or Ramen noodles all month. Our menu is penciled in on a calendar for the month. I normally do this weekly, but $100 takes careful planning. I wanted to work with what we already had in the pantry and freezer. Spending $100 in February does no good if I spend $500 in January to prepare and $500 in March to recover. In the interest of full disclosure; we normally eat out once or twice a week on the weekend, but normally don't spend more than $30 on that. Here's what our monthly menu is looking like:

Breakfast is not planned every day, but there is enough of any of this to last the month. I just decide in the morning or the night before what I want to fix.

pancakes

waffles

sausage & biscuits

cereal

scrambled eggs & toast

b'fast burritos

banana bread

blueberry pancakes

bacon, eggs, b'fast potatoes

various fruit & cereal bars

oatmeal

Lunch is almost always some kind of sandwich. Tuna fish, turkey, grilled cheese, ham or pb&j are the reigning champs here. Throw in chips, fruit, yogurt or whatever sound good and we're set. We have no more tuna or turkey for the month, but we should be set on the other 3.

Homemade cookies, frozen cookie dough & boxed brownie mixes will have to suffice for sweets for the month. There may be ice cream still in the freezer and there's still some choc. in there from Christmas. Bananas are on sale this week at Kroger so they will probably make an appearance in this category in a week or two.

For snacks we have popcorn, fruit snacks, granola bars of all kinds, goldfish, chips, cereal & fruit.

Turkey pot pie (that I made & froze with Thanksgiving leftovers), lasagna and January's leftovers were on the menu for the first week of February.

Pork steak, homemade mac-n-cheese & biscuits were on last night's menu. Tonight we had Karis' macaroni fiesta. Took leftover mac-n-cheese + frozen, cooked ground beef in freezer+ remaining salsa+jar of diced tomatoes+taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, salt+a few scoops of sour cream+ a handful or two of grated cheese= delish! Karis helped with the mac-n-cheese last night and was really proud of her handiwork.

Leftovers are on the menu at least twice a week so food does not get wasted.

taco pie (made + froze with thanksgiving leftovers)

turkey quesadillas (thanksgiving turkey)

turkey noodle soup (thanksgiving)

turkey salad sandwiches + soup

sloppy joes

spaghetti

chicken wings

chili

veg. beef soup

roast

My freezer will still have a whole turkey Danny's work gave him for Christmas, turkey potato casserole from Thanksgiving leftovers, soup, chicken, fruit & maybe veggies. We'll still have several bags of chips, boxes of cereal, granola bars, fruit snacks, chicken broth. I am not sure what the coke situation will look like & I'll need some more red meat for sure. I've spent $58 of my $100 so far. Kroger has some great deals this week that are worth stockpiling. I'll post at the end of the month and let you know if we were successful or failed miserably. Wish me luck!

Snow, Part I

2009-01-27T20:23:00.000-05:00

It started snowing last Sunday night and we decided to take advantage of it on Monday. I thought Jack might like it and we were ready to get out of the house. He was looking at a bird and all seemed to be going well. I was hoping we wouldn't have a repeat of last year. Oh Megan, do you recognize his hat? Maybe this will refresh your memory. You know, when he was 2 months old instead of 19 months old. He really, really likes it.
If you thought he was diggin' the snow this year, you were wrong. Here he is moments after that cold stuff touched his little hands.

Karis always likes the snow and will stay out until every extremity is close to falling off because it's so cold. This is one of her goofy smiles she's been giving lately, but at least it's a smile.

It's snowy and icy here today which means there might be more snow pictures coming. We'll see if I brave the cold.

P.s. My cousins gave me a few lessons on my camera over Christmas and I'm trying to put them into practice. I have lots to learn and a long way to go, but these were taken without flash on settings I actually adjusted.

P.s.s. I still don't know what to do with the background and have decided to leave it blank until I figure it out.

She'd Rather Be in Tennessee

2009-01-27T16:27:00.000-05:00

Self Portrait of a Momma & Her Incredible Hulk

2009-01-27T13:00:00.001-05:00

Keeping My Word K

2009-01-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

Keeping My Word J

2009-01-27T01:49:00.003-05:00

Some Christmas-time pictures of the boy I'm too lazy to attempt to edit, but I did take off the camera.

2009

2009-01-21T23:48:00.002-05:00

21 days late for a list of goals for a new year is better than none at all, right? Sure it is. Without further ado, here's what made the cut this year and how I'm doing so far.

Pertaining to my walk with God

Daily quiet time - I've missed a few, but have been so much more disciplined already.
Memorize 1 verse a week- If Karis can do this in AWANA, so can I. Only 2 so far.
More focused prayer time - So far, so good. How do you do this? Lists? Stickies? Cards? In your head?
read the entire Bible - At the beginning of this year I realized that I have never intentionally done this. Where have I been? Danny has some neat Bible software that let me enter what I wanted to read, the timeframe to read it and what version I wanted to read. It has set up a nice plan for me and so far I'm on track.
finish ALL homework for Thurs. morning Bible study - I love Thursday mornings and go unless I have a sick child, but when life gets busy I let the homework slide. Next week I'm starting small - Annointed, Transformed, Redeemed is only a 6 week study. I can do anything for 6 weeks. Remind me I said that in a few minutes when we get to personal health goals!

Pertaining to Family Life

Danny would like to be more spontaneous I'm not sure that we've started on this yet, but January has mostly consisted of travel and work and not left time for much else.
He would also like to find a way to eat steak twice a month. After this weekend, that will be accomplished for the month. I started couponing and really watching what I spent at the end of June. With that, things like steak and some snack things got cut. Danny decided if he was going to work 48 hours a week, we could eat steak twice a month. I still have found it clearanced!
Read daily to kids. This is happening more often that not. Karis has a children's Bible that I l.o.v.e. love! She loves reading out of this one and always asks so many questions. The Jesus StoryBook Bible is highly recommended if you're in the market for a good children's Bible.
Cook breakfast 3 times a week- Again, this one is good so far. Everyone knows I'm not a morning person and my family usually eats cereal, cereal bars or frozen waffles for breakfast unless it's the weekend and Danny cooks it. Then I had to go and get convicted about being lazy in this area. Friends, be amazed. I've been getting up at 7 and fixing breakfast for Danny so he can eat when he comes home from work before he goes to bed. Then I heat the leftovers for the kids when they wake up.

This was kind of hard to break down because some goals fit in multiple categories.

Pertaining to Money

Without Danny's permission to post this, I'm just going to say we want to end the year with no debt. This is the year we get to pay the IRS from when we sold our house 2 years ago. To accomplish both of these, Danny is working 48 hours a week. I've got our grocery budget to between $50-$75 a week, steaks included!
We would like to have more money in savings than we do now.

Oh, and Danny didn't tell me not to post this, he's just at work and I can't ask him. You don't need those specifics anyhow.

Pertaining to Physical Hopes

I would like to no longer be addicted to caffeine. Please notice that does not say give it up. I would just like not to have a raging headache when I don't have the 50-100 cokes a day that my body has grown accustomed to devouring. Right now I'm down to 2-3 a day. They are mostly diet, but I'm not that picky when my head is killing me. Except for Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke....GROSS! My newest love is Cherry Coke Zero. Next week I hope to have this down to 1-2 a day. We'll see.
I would like to lose 40 pounds. I'm thinking losing some of the caffeine may help. A few pounds down, but I want to do it smartly so it stays off.
Eat healthier. Again, nowhere does it say diet. I don't do well dieting. I just want to make healthy choices. My cousin, Tara, had fruit cut and in containers in her fridge that made it so easy to snack. I was inspired and have done the same since we've been home. Everyone eats more fruit this way. I even have been eating grapes instead of candy! Thank you, thank you.
Danny would like to gain about 10 pounds. Wouldn't it be nice to have his metabolism? He's lost a bit of weight during or KY stay and would like to gain some of it back. Working all night and sleeping during the day is part of the problem. This is also a contributing factor to me getting up early to fix breakfast and why I don't mind adding steak to the grocery list. I'm not sure if he's gained any yet, but I'm trying to put it on him and keep it off me. I offered a fat transfusion and he was not amused. I have no idea why.
Exercise for 30 minutes 5 days a week. Um, Kentucky is freezing! I hate to be cold and I hate to be outside while it's cold. How much exercise do you think I get when it's winter? If I seriously want to lose 40 pounds, I can't wait for summer to get busy. Pretty sure I just typed busty and that is definitely not what I meant. I got a Wii and WiiFit for Christmas. It came last week and has been heaven. I've exercised an hour or more every day. Even when my Mii had a protruding belly and a shirt that didn't want to stay down.
Start drinking the required amount of water every day. Any water I drink now is better than what I was doing. I'm still a long ways from this, but hope to be there soon.

Goals pertaining to Me

Limit computer time - This is partly to blame for my lack of blogging recently. Laziness has played a definite part, too. I'm trying to work on this.
Practice discipline - Discipline in one area carries over to other areas so I'm trying not be a a slacker in any area. It's really to early to tell at this point.
Organize house better - Jack's room is done. The kitchen is in progress, just having trouble making some decisions. A few more rooms to go and then I will have to practice the discipline of upkeep!

More goals may be added as 2009 rolls on, but these are what we are starting the year with. What about you? What goals do you have for this new year?

The Look

2009-01-21T18:52:00.001-05:00

I can't find a look I'm happy with tonight. This is fair warning that it might change frequently over the next few days. I can see in my head what I want, I just don't know how to get it there.

Christmas Without Pictures

2009-01-08T14:21:00.002-05:00

We're 8 days into a new year and Christmas pictures are still on my camera. I'll post a slideshow later should you be interested. And by later, I mean sometime before February. I just thought you might want a quick recap of Christmas after my Christmas Eve drama.

Christmas: Up around 6 and showered and got ready. Danny got home around 7:30 and showered. Karis was raring to go so we woke Jack up around 8:15. We opened presents and cleaned up most of the mess and loaded the car. Danny dozed for about 1 1/2 hours in the car after being awake all night working. Karis dozed a little and Jack was wide awake.

We got to my parents' house around 1 and stayed until 3:30. Karis got a digital camera and Jack got a roller coaster. Karis calls it our roller coaster. Also, she's taken over 400 pictures. Also coming before February: A post dedicated to life as she sees it.

We drove the 6 minutes to Danny's parents' house and spent the night with them. Peter, Danny's brother, and his friend Linda were there. We enjoyed the evening until it was time for Karis to go to bed. She decided the only place to sleep was in bed with Danny and I. I had already told her that would not be the arrangement. She screamed and threw fits and Danny was dealing with her and I fell asleep. When I woke up she was getting in our bed and so was he. This was at least an hour later. He was trying not to wake the house up. I got up and was going to sleep in her bed because the couch is really not big enough for all of us.

Then I got mad and decided she was not winning the battle. I picked her up and took her upstairs and told her that she could scream and throw a fit and come get back in our bed, or she could lay down without crying and not get out of bed until I told her it was ok in the morning. The first choice would find the 2 of us in Louisville taking all her new toys away and spending the next 5 days in a cleaning bootcamp. The 2nd choice would find us on our way to Memphis to see cousins and family for the next few days. she chose the 2nd choice and was really, pretty pleasant after that.

Karis, Jack and I picked my brother up from work @ 8 Friday morning and followed my parents to Memphis. All was fun and normal until Saturday night. Jack was playing at my aunt's house in the play room when we heard a loud noise followed by his screams. I ran in the room and the bookcase was on top of his arm and leg. His wrist was swollen and bruised and he had a knot on his head. We iced it for 20 minutes and after he was offered candy he was good to go. I was worried about a break, but he continued to play and put weight on his arm.

Sunday morning Karis and cousins were playing in their playroom and opened the garage doors to ride bikes. The door to the house was left open and I noticed I hadn't heard Jack for a minute. When I walked into the playroom and saw the garage door open my heart skipped a few beats. I ran outside in my pjs and saw Jack about 7 houses down on the sidewalk. I called his name and he thought it was a game and took off. By the time I got to him he was in the street. My heart was pounding. Many prayers of thanksgiving were prayed thanking God for his protection and Jack's safety.

On Monday Jack developed a fever, stopped eating and started sleeping for 14 hours stretches at night and 4 hour naps during the day. I finally took him to the ambulatory care clinic in Columbia on Friday and both of his ears were infected. The doctor thought he was at the tail end of the flu and that's what caused his ear infections.

To be continued..........

(before February)

Christmas Eve Just Got Sweeter

2008-12-24T18:47:00.003-05:00

*************************Updated*******************************************

She came out of her room unprompted and said, " Mommy, I'm sorry I've been so rude and ugly. I had a bad attitude and Jesus doesn't want me to act like that when it's almost his birthday. Will you forgive me and tell me what to do next so I don't lose all my pribeleges?"

Privilege is a new word to her vocab. She was forgiven and I am now sitting outside the bathroom door listening to my children play and laugh in the tub together. We'll watch a movie after Jack goes to bed. Normally, even with forgiveness, bad behavior does not grant rewards.

But it's Christmas. The day before we celebrate the birthday of the Greatest gift ever given. We did nothing to earn His gift. It's freely given even when we rebel and want to do our own thing. I seem to recall praying a prayer when I was younger that was awfully similar to my daughter's confession and cry for forgiveness. And on this night, the eve before the Gift was born, we will celebrate!

My house is filled with wailing and screaming. There is no peace and joy here tonight. We were having such a nice day until Danny left for work. I think that's when Karis fell apart. I've been telling her for 2 stinkin' days to clean her room. It's not even that messy, but she hasn't done it yet.

Danny told her that her room needed to be clean for Santa to come and she went to work. He left. She stopped working. Spankings, threats, nothing seems to be working and she is crying and screaming. She was supposed to watch a Christmas movie with me later tonight, but she has to have a bath and a clean room first. I don't think a movie's going to happen. Jack shoved a DVD so far into the DVD player the tray is stuck 1/2 way out and I can't fix it. The power keeps flashing on and off and messing with the tv where said movie would be watched.

This is absolutely NOT how I imagined my Christmas Eve. I guess she's been too good for too long and a meltdown had to happen.

But why tonight?

Why when I'm by myself?

Why on a night that I'm already a little bummed not to be with family?

In my anger & frustration I even threatened to cancel Christmas for her tomorrow. Good mom of the year for that one, huh?

Hopefully the night will get better and I'll post a nice, happy update later.

I'll be home for Christmas (Eve)... if only in my dreams

2008-12-24T01:32:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and while I'm looking forward to spending the day with the fam, I'm sad that I won't be in Columbia to celebrate with my parents and brothers. The first year I woke up on Christmas morning and was not home home it was strange, but not really sad. I just saw them later in the day and we still took off for Memphis later in the day. But there was always Christmas Eve.

For the 2nd time in my life, tomorrow there won't be.
Last year it was a little sad, but Danny was home and we copied most of my family's traditions. We hung out, went to Christmas Eve service at church and ate a shrimp dinner.

Danny has to work tomorrow and I'm in KY and my family is in TN.

In no particular order, here are some things I'll miss tomorrow.

Christmas Eve Service at First Baptist Columbia.
Leaving there and going to my parents' to eat shrimp.
Opening Christmas Eve pajamas with everyone.
Leaving their house with a bag filled with my dad's presents for my mom that need to be wrapped.
Not necessarily tomorrow, but at some point going Christmas shopping with both of my brothers.
The general family dynamics on Christmas Eve.

I love Christmas day, but Christmas Eve may be slightly elevated as far as family goes.

I 'm not sure if Danny sensed a little of my melancholy over this or if it just worked out, but he changed his schedule so he won't be leaving here until 6 tomorrow night.

I think we'll be skipping Christmas Eve service in order to eat a shrimp dinner together as a family. There will still be pajamas to be opened, and we'll have to make some new traditions of our own.

Christmas day Danny wants me up and dressed by 8 when he gets home. If you know me, you know what a feat this will be. Then we'll do Christmas here and head to TN. Our first stop will be the Dunn house where we'll do a quick Christmas with my family. From there we'll head to the Willems house to spend the rest of the day and the night celebrating Christmas with them. On Friday morning we'll have to be ready to pick my brother up at 8 from work and we'll head to Memphis to celebrate with an extended family. I'm looking forward to seeing all my cousins. Except Ashley, who is back in CA.

We're going to be busy, but it should be fun. May your Christmas days be filled with peace, love, joy and thankfulness as you celebrate the best gift. Ever!

Cookie Party, Revisited

2008-12-23T19:16:00.002-05:00

So I'm a little behind in the updates... sorry! We've been busy and I haven't made myself sit down and finish. A few weeks ago Karis invited some of her friends to come over and decorate cookies with her. For no reason other than my sanity, we cooked slice and bake cookies and used frosting from a can. I don't think the girls minded a bit.

Abigail was deep in thought about how to decorate her cookies.

Sorry, Rachel! I just noticed I didn't rotate this and I'm entirely too lazy to go back and do it now. Georgia is hard to take a picture of! She didn't sit still very long and when she was, my camera was slow on the draw! Georgia made me laugh eating spoonfulls of sprinkles.

Kendall was showing off her hard work. I think she may have already snacked a little bit on her work.

This picture is more proof positive that miracles happen. Karis actually smiled VOLUNTARILY for the camera. No rewards offered, no threats made, no prizes to hold................... I think it was the sugar overdose.

Kendall and Shelby posing by the tree. There were several cameras out if you can't tell by their eyes looking in different places.

I have more pictures of this on my computer somewhere, but I'm not going to dig them out. Laundry is waiting and I think we're going to bake Danny a cheesecake tonight. It's his favorite dessert, I have everything needed and he will have something sweet next week when he comes home from TN.

Coming Soon to A Blog Near You

2008-12-12T00:33:00.003-05:00

Preschool Christmas Party Aftermath

2008-12-12T00:05:00.003-05:00

The preschool Christmas party was last Saturday, but I forgot my camera. Karis is showing off her face painting. Both cheeks were painted and a hand.

She's coloring in the book she got as a present. Big hit, Beth, big hit.

Jack is showing off his present, a new sippy cup. His duck was probably on the floor by his feet.

So, his daddy thinks he needs a haircut. I'm not willing to cut his curls yet, but his bangs really could use a trim. I don't want to do it myself, and Danny won't do it because he doesn't want to be blamed for a bad haircut. We're at an impasse and Jack gets shaggier by the minute.

This one serves no purpose. I accidently hit the add picture button too many times and it wouldn't let me leave the page without adding a picture.

The party was a success and fun was had by both my kids. Sunday was out Sunday school Christmas party but I didn't bring my camera. Sunday night was her choir Christmas concert and still no camera. This time she mostly twirled her hair. Mostly funny because it's so short and I've never seen her do that before. Pay attention to the fabric of her dress because it will be seen again.

Makin' Memories

2008-12-11T23:37:00.004-05:00

Working more than I wanted to last year meant that Christmas was more hectic and stressful than ever before. I don't feel like I put the effort or energy into making memories with Karis and teaching what Christmas is really about. This year, I'm trying to remedy both of those. Actually, I want to make more memories than just Christmas ones. I've really been encouraged during the last Bible study on Philippians about ministering to my family and serving them, not just trying to check off things on my to do list.

That being said, one night last week when Danny was working we had a coffee table picnic. Peanut butter crackers was the requested dinner and I was happy to oblige. Karis told me I made the best peanut butter crackers! Ever. I'll be glad when that phrase is retired. We watched a dvd about the story of Christmas and she loved hearing verses that she learned in AWANA.

She keeps asking to do it again, but for now I'll enjoy the memory made.

Wanna win a Wii?

2008-12-09T22:54:00.004-05:00

I do. It's on my Christmas list, but I think Santa might be scaling back this year. So, I'm going to try to win this one. You should try, too. Go here and try your luck. They are having a launch party on Twitter tomorrow night. Get all the details from their site!

More Proof I'm a Lucky Duck

2008-12-01T17:36:00.002-05:00

I'm sick. I do not like being sick. I especially don't like trying to cough up my lungs and other internal organs. However, that's what it sounds like I've been doing the last few days. Danny has banished me to the house. He said if he doesn't want me breathing on him, friends and strangers definitely don't. Actually, I haven't even been allowed to go in the basement. While I would like to sew, I'm not sad that he's doing all the laundry. He even stayed home from work tonight to take care of the kids b/c he thinks I'm too sick to do it. I told him I could. It would not be the easiest, but definitely doable.

He disagreed. He called in, and then made me go upstairs and take a nap. All that makes me pretty lucky. But this? This is why I'm a lucky duck!

After my nap I was resting on the couch and said, "I wish we had Ramen Noodles."

D: I didn't get any of that.
Me: I wish we had Ramen Noodles.
D: O.k. I'll go get you some.

He took K and they went to the store and returned home my heroes.
I'm under strict instructions that I have to be better tomorrow. I will be most happy to oblige.
If only my lungs will cooperate.

Thanksgiving Week

2008-11-25T20:23:00.002-05:00

So far today I have:

cleaned and rearranged Karis' room
same for Jack, except his rearrange was the other day
vacuumed the house
done 3 more loads of laundry
made an apricot nectar cake
made sausage cheese balls
loaded, unloaded and reloaded dishwasher
made pie crust from scratch (we'll see how it is)
the caramel for the pie is cooking as i type
cleaned and reorganized the refrigerator to make room for the next few days
bathed kids

Left to do:

fold and put away clothes
dust
sweep and mop floors
quick sweep of the bathroom

The plan is to do these during commercial breaks. I'm tired, so I'm taking off until 9. I can actually fold clothe during shows. Karis isn't in bed yet, and I refuse to mop until everyone is sleeping.

Our families will be here tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night. Tomorrow I have potatoes to make, straightening up after the kids will be an ongoing event and if I'm lucky some baby gifts to work on.

Hope your week is filled with love and reminders of all you have to be thankful for. I'm going to try to post a year of blessings post with my pictures later this week.

The Big Picture: These Are the Moments

2008-11-20T01:50:00.002-05:00

Not the best picture, huh? Blurry and poorly edited. I was playing with the settings on my camera and my little Mac editing abilities. Sometimes that looks like my life. Especially the part of my life that has to parent Karis. She can wear me out. I've said before there are days I go to bed weary and feeling defeated. I hate feeling like I'm disciplining her all day. I really don't want to have to say no one more time.

Then there are moments like this. The light is better and the blurriness is gone. We're doing some rearranging and turning Danny's office into a playroom so the kids can be down here when I sew. Karis and I were sitting on the floor in the new playroom last night deciding where things should go. She looked at me and said, "Do you think when I'm big like you are, I'll be as good at you as making things fun? You do lots of stuff and you're really good at making things fun."

If I was a crier, I would have cried. I assured her that she would be fantastic at making things fun when she grew up. Moments like that encourage me to persevere.
A small piece of the big picture is put in the proper perspective.
Amazing what a new perspective in the proper light can do for the same picture, isn't it?

Swagbucks.com: Earn money for searching!

2008-11-18T09:48:00.003-05:00

Have you heard about swagbucks? You earn points for searching that can be redeemed for gift cards. MoneySavingMom posted about it yesterday. I don't know about you, but I use google all day when I want information. Imagine earning money for searches you would do anyhow.

The way to earn the most points is to refer others. Go here and start earning money for next Christmas!

She works hard for the money

2008-11-12T00:49:00.002-05:00

We had a yard sale this weekend and Karis earned some money. She had to give an offering and buy her Daddy a birthday present before she could spend any on herself. She was very proud and excited about what she was finally allowed to buy.

Earning His Keep

2008-11-12T00:46:00.003-05:00

What child labor laws?

Seriously, Jack is fascinated by the vacuum. Karis runs from it.

And the Winner Is....

2008-11-05T00:03:00.003-05:00

moved

These Days are Golden

2008-11-04T10:30:00.004-05:00

It occurred to me the other day what golden days I was living in with my kids. Don't get me wrong, there are days when they get on my last nerve, but they are the source of most of my laughter during the day.
A little blurry, but I love it.

She loves fruits and veggies. She likes to eat red peppers like apples. Don't try to cook them or she won't like it.

I hope the days when they love playing with each other are not short-lived, but I want to capture as many of them on camera as I can.

You can't really see her face, but I adore how he's looking at her in this one.

Jack thinks pointing is funny and he thinks trying to touch the camera while pointing is a riot!

My house may get messy quickly, but most days it is filled with smiles and laughter.

Halloween

2008-11-04T10:26:00.006-05:00

We had a dog and Snow White here for Halloween. We also had several friends over for dinner and games. I was too lazy to edit/rotate pictures of children that weren't my own, so maybe later I'll have more complete pictures. Jack loved his costume, but he got really hot! We also had several carved pumpkins on our porch. Karis really loved these. Danny was most disappointed when the squirrels ate the face out of his Scooby Doo pumpkin.

Note to Self: Do NOT Use Figures of Speech When Speaking to Your Daughter...

2008-11-03T23:54:00.002-05:00

Who Does NOT Think Like You & Takes EVERYthing Literally.

"Karis, you have to go to bed. Your Daddy will shoot me if he finds out I let you stay up this late."

Said when I realized it was 11:30 and she and I were hanging out in the kitchen cleaning up.

"It's ok. I'm not sleepy yet."

"Do you want your Daddy to shoot me?" (Bad, Bad, BAD choice of words and figure of speech. Shame on this momma! Learn from my mistakes and do NOT repeat.)

"You mean with a gun and then you'd fall down dead?"

People, what was I thinking?! I had to explain that was not at all what I meant, but that he would be upset with me for letting her stay up so late if she was grouchy tomorrow. *Even though she wasn't sleepy yet she was asleep shortly after going to bed.*

The Best Day. Ever.

2008-10-31T01:57:00.002-04:00

Dear Kroger,

I have many things to thank you for at this late hour before I go to bed. First, thank you for having an excellent sale this afternoon that enabled me to get some things I was already going to have to buy for tomorrow night. I would also like to thank you for making it so easy to return something(s) without a receipt. No hassle, no fuss, no time in long lines with rude customer service people. Those were all especially appreciated because in a stroke of brilliance I decided to carry Jack instead of put him in a buggy. And finally, thank you for having a trick-or-treat time for the kids. It was so thoughtful to give out apples, raisins and balloons in produce and floral, cookies in the bakery, water in the meat department, coloring books in the pharmacy and candy all over the store. You thoroughly made my daughter's day and made a quick trip to the store fun. Also, when we were on our way to the car she was talking about how nice it was of you to do fun things for kids like her and how 'cited she was to eat her candy. Just was we reached the car she said, "Mommy, this has been the best day. Ever."

Because I am such a fantastic mother, I let her and Jack eat their suckers, cookies, apples, raisins, animal crackers and candy when we got home. Before Supper. I had baking to do and it kept them happy. (I just had to erase a run on sentence, Kroger, so you will take my letter seriously.) After I told her that she could , indeed, have more candy before supper she told me that I was the best mom. Ever. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be the best mom. Ever. Thank you for allowing my shopping experience to put me in such a state of bliss and raise my endorphins so much that I didn't care what my children ate or if they ruined their dinner of pizza (that I bought from you on sale this afternoon for $1.99) or if she had such a sugar high that it would be 11:30 before she fell asleep. You enabled me to be the best mom. Ever.

If Danny was still awake I'm sure he would thank you, too. Because Jack was so filled with candy he thought it would be fun to rub pizza in his hair and on his face. There was no way he could avoid a bath, even though it was not on tonight's agenda. When Danny went to run their bath water and Karis realized she would get to take a bath and watch a video with her daddy, she told him he was the best dad. Ever.

When my bliss faded and the endorphins crashed, so did I, Kroger. I laid down for just a minute beside Danny and Karis to rest my feet, and then I was being woken up 45 minutes later. That's why, dear Kroger, it's 2:15 a.m. and I am just now on my way to bed.

You really are the best. Ever.

In case you missed it...

2008-10-28T10:54:00.005-04:00

Her singing debut! Here's the warmup.

Did you see her keep looking back and putting her hands in her pocket? That's what her buddy Landon is doing and he's right behind her. So, think she's gotten it all out of her system and will be ready to rock the next one?

Nope. I just have to say her daddy obviously taught her how to dance!

Enjoy!

Huber's

2008-10-22T16:03:00.005-04:00

We went to Huber's last Friday and picked apples and pumpkins. We had Kendall with us b/c her mom had to work and her dad had class. Sorry for all the pictures, but I didn't feel like putting a slide show together.

Fall Break

2008-10-22T15:52:00.002-04:00

We went home for fall break and once again ,I forgot about my camera. Except this picture where Granny has just been crowned by Karis. Sometime during this Granny said, "Oh, am I beautiful?"
"No," Karis answered and kept on playing. Poor Granny! Karis loved getting to play with her for a weekend. She's having surgery on Friday and hopefully she'll be more mobile and feel better when it's over.

Exceedingly Abundantly

2008-10-14T16:27:00.003-04:00

Edited to add: Friends, it keeps getting better! Danny came home from work with a $100 gift card to Kroger! They gave them out as thanks for being good employees! That's almost 2 weeks worth of food for us!

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!

That's taken from Ephesians 3:20. I don't know that I'll be using it in the proper context, but this is what came to mind as I was thinking about all we have.

We really needed to do something about the red chair. It was falling apart and Jack was helping pull the tacks out, occasionally chewing on them. We couldn't get rid of it completely because we needed the seat.
I really wanted a deep freeze to store the extra things I made and to keep the good deals I find at the store. Those things don't come cheap and I just mentioned to my parents that it would be nice to find a cheap one on craigslist.
Both of my children needed winter clothes. Karis was in a little better shape because she could still wear a few things from last year. Jack had about 3 pairs of pants, a sweater and a jacket. There wasn't really any room for new wardrobes in the budget, but they needed them.
Danny is an avid fisherman. Or was. When we moved here he sold his boat and only gets to fish when we go home. He tried to do it semi professionally for a while, but it did not work out. He's won a few small tournaments, but nothing big.

We are living on less than we've ever lived on, but need nothing. Our bills get paid, we eat well and we have good friends. There are things we would like to have, but we cannot complain at all. This is how good my God is, friends!

My parents decided to get rid of an over sized love seat that didn't fit their needs anymore. When we were home for fall break they gave it to us.
They also reminded me that we had a freezer in their barn. Several years ago someone at Danny's work gave it to him and because we had no need for it, we gave it to my parents to use/keep. They have 2 other ones and reminded us of the one we had. We also brought that home with us.
Mom and I went to yard sales on a Saturday to look for some clothes for Jack. I took $40, and was determined to get what I could to last. We found a children's consignment sale and I found a lot of clothes for Jack, several church dresses for Karis and her Halloween costume. While we were there mom told me she was giving me $20 to help. When it was time to check out she told me she would write a check for any overage and I would pay her back. My total for an almost complete wardrobe for Jack and dresses for Karis - $58.50. I had emailed my cousins to see if they had anything left over from Canon, and she graciously sent me some jeans, sweatpants, shirts, a jacket and said she would start saving his clothes for us. He's almost 1 year older than Jack.
Karis has had most of her clothes supplied by a friend of Danny. She has been so kind to send clothes for every season, even after we moved. We had not heard from her when we went home and I was tempted to buy Karis some clothes other than the church dresses, but I waited. Today, Danny got an email asking for our address so she could send more. I was actually starting to wonder what we would do if we had to buy her clothes.
Danny got to fish in a pretty big tournament while we were home. On Friday he caught the biggest fish and won $500! He and his partner were in 2nd place going into Saturday. I prayed that God would allow him to place, if not win. I just thought it would be a nice encouragement and reward for all the hard work he does. He called after weigh in and said they won!! There was a nice check and trophy, pictures coming soon. He also got a new rod because his fish ended up being the biggest for the weekend! He made enough to cover the cost of entering and then some!

Friends, let us thank God for giving us all we need and then fulfilling the desires of our hearts!

Changes

2008-09-25T23:56:00.001-04:00

Again with the not liking my template thing. Does somebody want to teach me how to design my own website? Then I can change it up frequently without stress. You know I like change, right?

6 Steps

2008-09-25T13:37:00.003-04:00

Remember when I thought I might write about how I met Danny and all that jazz as a way to start writing more? Well, I thought wrong.

Instead I'll write about 6 steps.

See, Karis is a little bit strong willed and a little bit difficult and a lot compassionate and exceedingly tenderhearted. And funny. Did I mention funny? 'Cause man do I have a hard time fussing at her when I'm trying not to laugh. I was just telling friends at Bible study this morning about her eating cake she wasn't supposed to, but she did not get into trouble because I mostly just couldn't stop laughing. I know, I know, not the best response for a strong willed child. I've been thinking about it this afternoon as I pick up my house and then God spoke to my heart and I stopped picking up the house and picked up my Bible to find what I thought I was hearing. Here's a few verses so you'll know what I'm talking about.

When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he (David) sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod danced with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 2 Samuel 6:13-15

Now, the ark of the covenant is a huge thing and I don't want to take away from it's meaning and all that goes with it. Look it up and be amazed at the holiness of God. But that's not what I'm gonna talk about.

At a Passion conference years ago Louie Giglio spoke on this and the big deal it was that they sacrificed and celebrated having taken six steps. I was reminded this afternoon of the celebration.

Discipline is such a tricky thing and parenting each child in the way that best leads them to a lifelong love affair with the Saviour is sometimes difficult. Balancing disciplining the willful disobedience without crushing the spirit.....but trying not to be too lenient. AUGH! So I was trying to decide if I had done the right thing when my heart heard, "Six steps."

So I'm going to celebrate that she came to me and told me she had been disobedient and that she asked for forgiveness without being prompted. And I'm going to laugh at the memory of her mouth covered in chocolate and know that she's a daughter after my own heart. Why wouldn't she want to eat dessert before and after supper? Sounds good to me. I'm also going to thank God for her personality and ask for wisdom in raising her. And find reasons to celebrate the various 6 steps of life.

The conversation we had if you're interested is as follows:

I had already told her no more cake until after supper.

K: Mommy, I have to apologize to you. You told me no more brownies but I sneaked in the kitchen and ate some and they were very yummy.
Me: You sneaked?
K: Well mommy, I had to sneak because you told me not to. So I crawled on the ground on my belly so you wouldn't see me. Then I ate some brownies and they were delicious! But I can't get all the chocolate off my face. I'm so very sorry mommy, because you told me not to and I sneaked anyway.
Me: Are you sorry you ate the cake?
K: No, mommy, it was delicious! I am sorry you told me not to, though. Can you every forgive me? {Side note: She really did say every, it's not a typo.}
Me: Yes, monkey, I forgive you.
K: Thank you, mommy. Now we can we PLEASE eat supper so I can have some more brownies?

Into the Light

2008-09-23T00:36:00.002-04:00

Blogs are being updated right and left about the mess Ike left in Louisville. We know the devastation was nothing like what other states received, it was just unexpected here. I'll post my perspective about it on my other blog tomorrow.

I've been thinking I would like to do some more writing on this page. Once upon a time I wrote every chance I got. Not online, mind you, but still I wrote. I feel like my vocabulary and grammar skills have taken a nosedive as I've stopped writing. Or maybe the cause is having the majority of my conversations with a 4 year old and a 1 year old.

Whatever. I'm not going for award winning, earth shattering literary works. No, I just want to get into the practice of conveying my thoughts in an organized and well thought out manner.

I've discovered a new to me blog this week and spent some time reading it and the author's account of meeting her husband. My mind filled with memories of the early days with Danny and I even looked at some old notes and cards. I was shocked to discover we had decided to get married after 1 1/2 -2 months of knowing each other! I'm not sure what I expected, we were engaged after 4 months.

Maybe I'll tell of our beginning as one of my first posts. It was a lot of fun remembering the little things today. But tonight the bed is calling my name, teasing me about what time the alarm will go off in the morning and making bets with my phone about how many times I'll hit snooze before dragging myself out.

Night!

Now I have a sister!

2008-09-11T14:49:00.003-04:00

That was what Karis said as Emma was crowded in the backseat with her and Jack.

Baking Cookies

2008-09-11T14:43:00.004-04:00

The first few days of this week were rough. Karis was just SO difficult and not wanting to obey either one of us. Danny and I were both frustrated with her and the amount of discipline we were having to give her. When she woke up from her nap Tuesday I laid out the plans for the rest of the day and told her if she could behave we would make cookies once Jack went to bed. She made it!

Swim Lessons

2008-09-11T14:34:00.003-04:00

My Brave Girl

2008-09-09T00:12:00.007-04:00

Remember my daughter, the chicken? I don't know what happened but she is growing more and more courageous! While we were in Florida we saw kids jumping on these trampolines several nights as we went to get ice cream. Karis could not stop talking about it. She wanted to do it so bad she couldn't stand it, so I finally told her we would wait until her Daddy came. This is her standing in line, watching the other kids jump.

Jack couldn't believe she wanted to do that either!

She decided it looked a little scary but she was a big girl and excited, but maybe she would let Daddy hold her for a minute.

That was the trick. She gathered her nerves and stood by herself to watch again.

She's getting fastened in. The only requirement for this is that you weigh 20 pounds.

Getting ready to jump...

She's off!

And excited!

Sight I never thought I'd see.

Right after this she said that was a little too high and could she go a little lower.

When her turn was over she was a picture of grace, just like her mom!

Florida Stragglers

2008-09-08T23:55:00.004-04:00

Pass it on!

2008-09-01T21:59:00.004-04:00

I have been tagged by Amanda.

The rules are:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules.
3. Tell six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six bloggers by linking.
5. Leave a comment for each blogger.

1. I love love LOVE to read. Almost anything but romance will do, especially if I'm bored. Mysteries are my favorite guilty pleasure, but once I think I've figured out the whodunit? I'll skip to the end to see if I'm right. I go back and finish either way, I just like to know if I'm right.

2. Reading above books makes me pretty much useless until the book is finished. Seriously, I neglect practically everything (sleep included) until I'm finished. I don't read nearly as often as I would like because of this problem. The week we were in Florida I read 12 books. Bliss.

3. I have a strong gag reflex and won't eat most mushy foods. I like the way jello, pudding, yogurt, bananas, etc. taste, but it either takes me a really long time to eat them or I gag. So I skip it. Danny has yet to understand why I can eat some foods and not others.

4. I don't like to cook but I love to bake. If I'm in the right mood cooking is not bad and I have to do it anyhow because we have to eat....but baking, YUM! Bread, cobbler, cake, brownies...I like it all. I don't do this often either because I also like to eat what I bake. This is going to change soon as I am realizing how much cheaper it is to do myself.

5. I am a queen of procrastinating and am seriously lacking some self discipline. Please note that they go hand in hand and relate to most of my other items. God has been really convicting me about these lately, so I'm really working on this. Please, send encouragement/accountability.

6. This summer I have become a serious coupon junky. I have gotten our budget down to $60/week for everything. Until today. I'm going to have some work to do to get back on track. We ran out of everything at once, and I was not prepared. We are eating well and not skimping by and ramen noodles! It can be addicting. I love seeing how far I can stretch my dollars as I Seek to Save.

I tag Kedra, Jennifer, Megan, Rachel, Rachel and Leah.

God IS good, ALL the time...

2008-08-29T14:28:00.002-04:00

ALL the time, God IS good!
That is one of my favorite saying/responses (anybody know the proper word for those? I don't off the top of my head, and I'm not going to look it up now) from our church in Columbia. I loved how it sounded as it was said by hundreds of people, I loved how reassuring it was. Generally, I don't need a lot of reassurance about things. Occassionally, yes. Regularly, no.

God's been kicking my rear end lately, and well, it stinks. I'd really like to say another word along those lines, but I'm trying to eliminate it from my vocabulary. We all know how easy it is to trust His goodness when things are going well. Even a few bumps in the road aren't cause for too much doubt. But when things don't go like we plan, in our timing, doubts trickle in.

God, why isn't this happening? Why is this happening? I know you have a plan, but what about me? What about my plans?

It's not that you can't question God, it's the not trusting in Him. Most of us know Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.

I, apparently, have not been trusting with all my heart. Shocking, huh? It was to me. But somehow, I've let little bits of doubt, complacency, slip in. My head knows that God is good and that he should be trusted in all things. But my heart was trying to rebel a little! I didn't even know it was there until recently.

You know what else I like about that verse? He will make your paths straight. Because sometime it feels like I'm going in circles. I guess the circles are from not trusting whole heartedly and trusting in myself instead. Kinda hard to walk in straight paths when my eyes aren't trained on Him. As long as I'm fully trusting, resting, seeking, then my path is straight, even if it doesn't seem that way to me. God's point of view and line of vision is perfect, when mine stinks. Again, another word I'd like to say.

How lucky I am to have a God who loves me too much to leave me in my sin!

Last for tonight

2008-08-25T23:47:00.001-04:00

A Few Favorites

2008-08-25T23:05:00.005-04:00

Enjoy a few of my favorite pics from the beach while I wait for my slideshow to finish uploading!

More Florida

2008-08-25T22:59:00.000-04:00

Love you, friend

2008-08-25T16:33:00.002-04:00

These lyrics have been in my head all day, and no, they are not the ones for this song.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

And in no particular order...Florida

2008-08-23T11:27:00.002-04:00

For Kim

2008-08-20T23:55:00.001-04:00

He does this before every bite of ice cream.

Blah

2008-08-20T19:47:00.002-04:00

I hate being sick. Yesterday I thought I was maybe starting to get sick, but then I thought it was just sinus stuff. A stuffy nose and a scratchy throat that came and went. Until last night around 11. Then my nose suddenly became Niagara Falls. That, and I thought I was going to throw up. I never did and finally went to sleep.

Woke up thinking I felt better and took the kids to the park for the preschool play date. Big mistake. When we got home it was hello, Niagara Falls again. Were you talking to me? I'm sorry I'm not responding. One ear is stopped up and one has an echo. My insides ache. Danny's at work so not much rest for me. Kids are about to go to bed and I may curl up on the couch with a book.

I will be better by tomorrow night because I'm taking the kids swimming while Danny's in class and then we're going to the zoo. Are you wondering where the Florida pictures are? On my computer waiting on me. I might do that later if I finish my book.

The floodgates are opening again, so off I go.