Discovering HIS plan

She is listening

2008-11-10T07:26:00.003-05:00

me: Please go back outside with Smiles. She can't be outside alone.
Love: She is not alone! Jesus is with her!!
(goes to the screen door) Smiles, is Jesus with you?

It was a funny moment but also heartwarming. She has taken that lesson to heart! Jesus is always with her!
Singing God's praises for the truth that is written on her heart!

Love's First Kid Run

2008-10-22T21:44:00.000-04:00

Love ran in her first kid run with Daddy this past weekend! She was so excited to run like Daddy. She and Daddy now have another set of matching t-shirts!! I have to wonder if this is the start of something they will share for life. As she grows up, will she follow in her Daddy's shoes and become a runner? Will I become a track or cross-country mom? I will gladly be her cheerleader!!

Halloween Begins!

2008-10-11T17:07:00.000-04:00

This year the girls are Strawberry Shortcake and Apple Dumplin'.
I love this time of year!

ABC Meme

2008-10-10T16:45:00.000-04:00

My dear friend Valtool reminded me recently that he tagged me a long time ago for this meme.

A is for: Attached or Single? Attached for 12 years, legally for almost 10.

B is for: Best Friend? I don't have one best friend. The short list includes Hubbie, Mom and Dad!!

C is for Cake or pie? Both? Cake: My Dad's Carrot Cake

D is for: Day of choice? Every other Sunday when my whole family gathers at my parents' for supper

E is for: Essential item? My Bible - the authority for my life

F is for: Favorite color? I like the cool colors - blue, green, and purple

G is for: Gummy bears or worms? Bears

H is for: Home town? Somewhere in the South

I is for: Favorite indulgence? A quiet morning in bed

J is for: January or July? January, I like it COLD!!!

K is for: Kids? Love - 3 years, Smiles - 16months

L is for: Life isn’t complete without? My Hubbie - I can't imagine living my life without him. (on a lighter note - scrapbooking keeps me sane!)

M is for: Marriage date? January 2, 1999

N is for: Number of brothers and sisters? 1 brother, 2 SIL, and 1 BIL

O is for: Oranges or Apples? Gala Apples!! I hated apples as a kids but then Mom was feeding us Red Delicious. I have learned I prefer a crisp apple!

P is for: Phobias? High see-through floors

Q is for: Quotes? "Be still and know that I am God."

R is for: Reasons to smile? Love and Smiles - my daughters, you never know what they are going going to do!

S is for: Season of choice? Winter!! I like it cold

T is for: Tag 5 people: consider yourself tagged

U is for an Unknown fact about me: I don't know!

V is for: Vegetable? Sweet Potato

W is for: Worst Habit: Wasting the time God has given me on trivial things

X is for: X-ray or Ultrasound? Several ultrasounds - two pregnancies! Words can't describe seeing those pixels blink in time with my baby's heartbeat for the first time.

Y is for: Your favorite food? That first spoonful of ice cream

Z is for: Zodiac sign? Means nothing to me

Z is for: Which zoo animal is your favorite? Elephants and Giraffes - I become a kid around those animals. I will wait in lines of small children to have the chance to touch these animals!!

Sibling Rivalry

2008-10-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

WOW! Love had better look out. If Smiles can do this at 16 months, can you imagine what she will be capable of in a couple of years!!?

Truly Blessed

2008-08-25T14:44:00.005-04:00

I had a moment over something very silly.

I have Dora BandAids in my medicine cabinet, because I have two little girls. It just struck me. I love being a mom.
I have waited most of my life to be living this reality. Truly amazing!

Family Night - School!!!

2008-08-20T08:17:00.000-04:00

In honor of Love starting school, we went to school as a family last night. She helped me make and pack the lunches. She made her sandwich all by herself!! It looked a little "pre-eaten" for my taste, but I think she did a good job for her first attempt! We ate what Love had in her lunch the first day of school - PB&J, fruit cup, granola bar, and a juice box.

Daddy was a good sport and ate all of his lunch! (he is not big on sandwiches or fruit!) Thanks Babe!!

Love and I did a little art too. We did windy and rainy art (in honor of Fay, that is keeping her home from the second day of school!) We sprinkled dry Jello on a piece of paper and stood out in the rain to watch the rain show up on the paper! She also got to blow paint around with a straw.

We ended the evening reading stories and watching Blue Takes You to School.
It was fun to spend time together. I am realizing that the pictures are important but not as important as really BEING with my family!! I know that is the whole point of these nights!

In preparation for Family Night

2008-08-19T19:41:00.000-04:00

Love and I attempted our first homemade pull-apart cake!! I was pretty impressed with the result. I am not sure what is up with me and cupcakes. Mine never seem to turn out right! These were very flat! But they served the purpose.
Can you guess the theme for Family Night?

Let the fashion begin!

2008-08-19T19:21:00.000-04:00

Check out Love's outfit for the day!! Alligator tank top, flower pj pants, brown socks, brown Mary Janes, and pink barrette!
OH MY!! She wore it all day!!

The first day of preschool

2008-08-18T09:59:00.002-04:00

Little girl,
Your mommy is so proud of you! Today is a big day. You take that first step out into the big world. You faced it with excitement and anticipation. You gave me a kiss so I could carry your love with me today. Then you let your teacher usher you into a new wonderful world of learning.
I love you, baby!!
Mommy

Publix Super Savers

2008-08-11T07:35:00.001-04:00

I will post my savings a little later.

I ran into a problem using 2 coupons at Publix. My cashier would only let me use one (I has several items that I had one from the paper and one I had printed) He said that the coupon had one it "only one per customer". I think they are two different coupons and I should be able to use them. I mentioned that the codes were different, he would not back down. I think that phrase on the coupon is open to interpretation.
Opinions?

Ta Da!!

2008-08-05T07:24:00.002-04:00

When we were in New York, Smiles decided to get vertical a try!! Now her favorite game is Up/Down!! So funny to watch her plop down and grin!! She is beginning to cruise a little bit!!

She also decided to try crawling on her hands and knees (instead of on her tummy!) She still ops to army crawl when she wants to get somewhere fast, but we are seeing the crawling more and more.

Then Sings my Soul - I will not be moved - Natalie Grant

2008-07-25T22:07:00.003-04:00

Tonight I learned our women's ministry at church is going through huge change. Change is great especially when God is in control. His hand has firmly been in our ministry for years, the evidence has been far from subtle.

There is part of me that wants to cling to the familiar, the comfortable. Part of me dreads this change, part of me fears this change.

But on the way home this song played on the radio. It was a reminder - I will not let Satan have a foothold in my life because of this. God is in control as He has always been. I will not be moved in my faith. I look forward to the unimaginable things that God has planned for the women of our church.

Join us at here for more great music!!

Our trip to New York

2008-07-24T21:31:00.002-04:00

We had a fabulous trip to New York. Here are just 5 of the 487 pictures we took!!

Hubbie has a small obsession with airplanes which he is passing onto the girls! Love really enjoyed watching the action around our airplane.

This was the whole purpose of the trip: Daddy and Love picking raspberries together! She loved it. She was forever asking to go pick raspberries. She never had much to show for her work though, except a few red stains around her mouth and on her shirt!!!

This is how Smiles kept cool in the 90 degree weather. She loves the water. She really loves to have the water sprayed in her face! No joke, she would sputter then sign "more"!

Love decided to cool off the plants. Grandma was pleased with that, especially when Love watered the tomatoes!!

Here is Daddy and Love picking blueberries. Smiles joined us once and I could not pick them fast enough for her! She kept reaching for the berries on the bushes.

It was a once in a lifetime trip. I am so thankful we went. His grandmother is doing reasonably well. She has lots of work and decisions ahead of her as she cleans out the house and prepares to sell it. She still talks about his grandfather in the present tense sometimes, and she uses "we" a lot too. It was very hard to leave her there alone. But we know she is not really alone, she has a great support system. Family is close by and they keep good tabs on her. As we drove away, Hubbie and I both felt we were forgetting something. I finally decided it was Grandmother!

Family Night - 3 Little Pigs

2008-07-15T19:58:00.002-04:00

The inspiration for the night - Great gift from Hubbie's cousin!

My littlest little piggy

Dinner - Pigs in a Blanket, Straw (Chow Mein Noodles), Carrot sticks, and Cheese bricks

Lots of little piggies!!

We had a guest for family night tonight. Our neighbor's little girl was here. The girls took turns dressing up as the BIG BAD WOLF and the little piggy! I have some great shots of the girls pretending to scare and be scared!! They lose something though with the faces blacked out. Oh well, trust me that are super cute!
It feels great to have really planned a fun evening for the family!

I have a copy cat!

2008-07-13T21:03:00.003-04:00

This afternoon I went to release Love (3 years old) from "quiet" time. As we are cleaning her room, she starts talking about peepee, the potty and her kitchen sink. When I noticed the sink was wet I started paying attention!!
Me: Did you put your peepee in the kitchen sink?
Love: No, I put my peepee in Sweetie's potty (Sweetie is a doll!! It is a doll sized potty seat!)
Me: You did what?
Love: I put it in the potty, then in the sink.

Ok, I did not put her peepee in the sink but I did dump it into the toilet.
I just had to laugh, then explain that Sweetie's potty is just pretend!

Ragamuffin Top Challenge Week #7

2008-07-12T15:01:00.003-04:00

Start weight : 191.2
End weight: 190.4
It was not such a great week. I did lose a pound.

My knee was hurting on Monday so that became the excuse to not walk. Once I was out of the habit the rest of the week was gone before I could think about walking again.

The water consumption has dropped again.

Goals this week:
1. Drink water (2 pitchers)
2. Walk 3 days
3. Avoid eating during rest time!! (I am a huge snacker in the afternoons!)

I am having a hard time getting serious again. I am playing around with losing the weight. The depressing part is that I know I can do it and I am just not making myself to it.

This next week includes travel. I need to make wise choices!!

Then Sings my Soul

2008-07-12T08:57:00.001-04:00

The past couple of Saturdays have been crazy busy and I have not had time to write a post. This past week my baby grew up before my eyes. She is a year old and this week she seemed less "my baby," she is beginning that change from baby to toddler. I heard this song for the first time this week and it really struck me. This is what I want her to know: she will always be safe in my arms. I want to create a relationship with her (and her sister) that allows her to always feel safe in my arms. I want to be the safe place she can run to when others hurt her, when she makes less than wise choices, when life throws her a curve ball. This song helps keep that as a focus!

Your baby blues
So full of wonder
Your Curly Que's
Your contagious smile
And as I watch
You start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight
Knowing

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Story books
Are full of fairy-tales
Of kings and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You'll someday see
The truth for lies

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true
Cause you are never all alone
Cause I will always
Always love you

Hey I
Hey I
Will love

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

In my arms

it will be worth it

2008-07-10T20:28:00.003-04:00

I have been told by a good friend that if I write more I will get better so I am going to bore the two of you that read this blog with any consistency with more writing!

I am really beginning to stress over the up coming trip. I am one who likes to plan in advance. I make lists of what I am going to pack down to the individual outfits (sometimes). It hit me tonight when Hubbie's grandmother called to talk about food for next week, that we are traveling to NEW YORK, flying on an airplane, spending days away from home without our toys, and (I will be honest) our DVD player!!!!

It does not help that the airlines are scaring me with the whole luggage thing. I don't want to pay extra to get my stuff there, so I want to pack very minimally. I am trying to keep it to two suitcases for the four of us. I maybe crazy but I am going to try my darnedest!!

I know it will all work out, I know that no one will kick of off the plane (I plan to dress the kids very conservatively, so it won't be because of revealing too much!), I know this means the world to his grandmother, I know I will cherish the pictures of my girls and their daddy in the garden together, I know I would never forgive myself if I let this opportunity pass by.

Thanks for listening to the rambling!

Friends

2008-07-09T11:16:00.002-04:00

My life has been full of friends the past week! It is a great feeling! Two of my very good friends were gone for the month June - absence truly does make the heart grow fonder! I have missed their friendships while they were vacationing. I realized how much I rely on their support in the adventure of parenting!!
I am thankful for them!

Ragamuffin Top Challenge Week #6

2008-07-06T16:10:00.000-04:00

Monday:
walked 1.5 miles (30 minutes)
ate well breakfast, lunch and snack
drank 3 quarts Crystal Light

Tuesday:
no walk
ate well breakfast, lunch and snack (dinner was my Dad's AWESOME!!! baked beans)
drank 2 pitchers (4 quarts) of Crystal Light/water!!

Wednesday:
Breakfast was more of Dad's beans.
Lunch, snack and dinner on target
no walk
drank 2 pitchers!

Thursday:
walked 1.5 miles (30 minutes)
Breakfast, lunch on track
walked 1.5 miles

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were a complete wash.

I hope this week will be better!! I want to eat better this week. I cheated WAY too often during the five days I was supposed to make wise choices.
I think I need to think about it in those terms: wise and foolish choices. (We are working with our 3 year old on making wise choices!!! So I say those words A LOT!!!) Eating right, exercise, those are wise choices. The root beer I am drinking right now - foolish choice!!

I got the dress!! I can zip it! and it does look really nice on me (maybe I will post a picture later) but... it will look and feel even better if I make WISE choices.

Be encouraged!!! We can be successful!

Goals for this week are the same as last week only add Friday and Saturday!!

Please wake up!

2008-07-02T22:36:00.000-04:00

My youngest was trying to get her big sister's attention. Even though she was sleeping!
I kept asking "Where is sister?" She would look up at the bed and back at me.
Finally sister woke up! Just precious to watch them interact!

Are we crazy?

2008-07-02T20:21:00.003-04:00

In a couple of weeks Hubbie and I will embark on a major adventure: we are taking our girls to NY to pick berries off their great grandfather's berry bushes (just as their Daddy did when he was little).
This is going to involve getting two children, two LARGE carseats, a stroller, carry-ons full of entertainment, and a MIL through airport security. I can't wait!! Got any ideas to make it easier?

But seriously I am looking forward to the memories we will be making. Hubbie's grandfather past away in January and his grandmother is staying in the house through this berry season then she is moving in with her sister. So if we wanted to take the girls we had to do it this year. It sounds like Hubbie's cousins are planning to join us too, that will be great!!

Back on track

2008-06-30T09:25:00.004-04:00

I am going to be real this morning! I have gained back ten of the 15 pounds I had lost. Two weeks of working in the kitchen at VBS with no will power did me in. That and being on my feet all morning turned me into a couch potato in the afternoons.

This is a new week and I am back on track. Goals for the week:

1. Eat balanced(The Formula) Monday through Thursday
2. Friday and Saturday I can enjoy BBQ within reason.
3. Sunday back to balanced.
4. I would like to walk on the treadmill 3 times ( 30 to 45 minutes each day)
5. I want to drink two pitchers of water/Crystal Light each day.

Please keep me accountable. Ask me how it is going.
My MIL is buying me a beautiful dress from Coldwater Creek and I want to it to look great on me.

I got a devotional this morning that struck me:

What I lose today in weight will be gain in other ways tomorrow!

I want to keep the long term goal of being healthy in mind!!

I am hungry.

2008-06-24T16:29:00.002-04:00

But certainly not starving. It has been a good day. I have been praying for the Mocha Club any time I wanted to eat.
I made it through VBS. A note on that: Mid-morning I really got hungry and even a little grumpy because of it. It was not a great day to go hungry but then I realize millions go to work with this same (even worse) feeling in their tummies. They put in a full, hard day of work so they can put something on the table for their family. Very humbling.

Thank you, Kat, for responding to God's tug on your heart. Lives around the globe are being changed because of your obedience!!