tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35386819604748849452024-03-19T07:02:47.429-05:00A Day in the Life of a SAHMA Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-77389799974798175732013-01-04T14:16:00.003-06:002013-01-04T14:16:39.844-06:00New Year = New Me = No Excuses<em>Ephesians 4:22: <span class="text Eph-4-22" id="en-NIV-29295">You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29295I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup> your old self,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29295J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup> which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29295K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Eph-4-23" id="en-NIV-29296"><sup class="versenum">23 </sup>to be made new in the attitude of your minds;<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29296L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Eph-4-24" id="en-NIV-29297"><sup class="versenum">24 </sup>and to put on<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29297M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup> the new self,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29297N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup> created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29297O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup></span></em><br />
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New Year = New Me = No Excuses. A couple months back I took a leap of faith & went to a free session of bootcamp instructed by a friend of a friend. I got hooked right away and started with one day a week, creeped up to two days a week and will be committing to three days a week starting Monday. And so will my husband :) Oh, and another friend has joined me...I'm adding more and more accountability partners - one of my BFF's goes with me (my other two BFF's want to come but live too far away) and I have another friend who attends and we carpool...that's major accountability! <br />
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So, why am I getting myself up at the buttcrack of dawn (haha, had to throw that in there)?! Well, I had three babies in four years. That is far from kind to a woman's body. I was in the fittest shape of my life before I got pregnant the first time. And then I got pregnant again. And then again. I had little time to get back in shape in between pregnancies. So, now that we are Officially done, I feel like I can focus on getting my body to a place where I feel comfortable in my skin again. Plus, I want to teach my children healthy habits and one of those is through regular exercise. In fact, my boys ask about us exercising and I love it! It's so cute too when they try to pick up a weight or do my Jillian Michaels DVD with me. <br />
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Onto my main point here. This is about more than just getting into physical shape. This journey is about getting into mental and spiritual shape. What do you mean, you ask? Well, this is practicing my self-discipline. I've been doing some soul-searching lately and have discovered that self-discipline is more than simply mental strength. It's spiritual strength as well. Since I was a kid, I have struggled with a mammoth-sized sweet tooth. I mean finish off a 13x9" pan of rice crispy treats. by. myself. I could take down a bag of candy or box of cookies in record time. No kidding. I would just eat a salad or something light for the meal closest to my sweet tooth attack. That balanced things out, right?! Not so much. I saw that my kids were watching. I was caught. Sneaking a handful of M&M's when I had just told my kids "no" to having them. It's bigger than simply wanting to be healthy, to keep the extra pudge off, to keep my arteries clear. I was/am dealing with an addiction. I have used sweets as my escape for years. Whenever I am tired, having a long day, the kids acting up, fillintheblank I would grab a sweet treat. I would tell myself I "needed" it to feel normal again, to justify the indulgence. Whoah. This wasn't working.<br />
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So, for the month of December, our bootcamp group chose to give up something beloved. Mine was sweet tea. Eeekkk!!! I'd already dumped the Coca-Cola (and replaced it with sweet tea...not much better). The first three days were hard. Very hard. Then it got easier (but not easy), until the end of the month. For awhile, I was dreaming about the day I could get a sweet tea again. And that day came and went. And I didn't want one! And I still don't want one. I realize how much progress I've made and I don't want to regress. However, I had to admit to myself that I had replaced sweet tea with sweet treats. Uh oh. So, around Christmastime, I decided to give up chocolate. Baby steps here. It's been over a week and I'm alive!!! It hasn't been as difficult as I expected, maybe it's because I had sweet tea to warm me up to this challenge. <br />
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But there's more here. I've been praying, asking for more, asking for wisdom on how to get this under control, for revelation on why we, as humans, work on self-discipline. I received a piece of it two weeks ago...I told my husband, I think we work on self-discipline because as God's people, we are in spiritual warfare. Therefore we must be well-trained and always on-guard to defend what we know and believe. But if we are not trained physically and mentally (what seems to be the "easier" parts), then how can we be trained spiritually? It was a lightbulb going off in my head but I felt there was more. And it hit me this morning as I was reading Matthew 4. Jesus was tempted after being in the desert for forty days. He was tired, hungry and alone. All the same excuses I used to allow myself a sweet treat. Yet He resisted Satan's temptations to alleviate each of those things. Boom. There it is. If I cannot resist worldy temptations when I'm tired, hungry or alone, then how good of a Christian can I truly be? How can I resist any other temptation in this world? So, this is why my goal for this year is to work on my self-discipline in the areas of exercise and eating healthy. It is truly about making lifestyle changes, not just temporary changes so that I can go back to how I was before. And I must "put off<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29295I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup> [my] old self,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29295J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup> which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires...<span class="text Eph-4-24" id="en-NIV-29297">put on<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29297M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup> [my] new self,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29297N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup> created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:22-24). </span><br />
<span class="text Eph-4-24"></span><br />
<span class="text Eph-4-24">As a Christian, I must "honor God with [my] body" for it is a "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinth 6:19-20). Who's with me?! </span><br />
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A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-45375250369539624182012-05-30T09:54:00.001-05:002012-05-30T09:54:29.678-05:00A True ConfessionWant to hear a true confession of a FT SAHM? Lately I've been fighting burn-out. Yup, I said it. I write this after I spent the last 30 minutes cleaning up Coca-Cola all over my kitchen. It. Was. Everywhere. I mean everywhere. I had to get a chair to clean it off the wall, it was at least 6-feet up. It was on the kid's table, the big table, on the window, blinds, wall art, door...you get the point. Owen had gotten into the pantry (like he so often does), however we rarely have soda in the house (I bought it for his birthday party on Sunday). So, I didn't think anything of it and put the box on the floor. Big mistake. Owen found it, stacked the cans on his table & Cole accidentally knocked it over and one burst open. Who knew 12 ounces was so much. When I go to drink one of those, 12 ounces doesn't seem to go far and I'm looking at the bottom of the can wondering where the rest of it is?
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But seriously, I wonder how other full-time stay-at-home-moms (FT SAHMs) fight burn out? Or am I the only one? I can't imagine I'm the only one. But I feel guilty admitting this. I don't want anyone to think I don't love my children because I do. I just get tired of always cleaning up messes (which more times than not could've been prevented like this morning's incident), constantly refereeing fights and arguments, changing diapers or taking someone to the potty or having someone stare at me or flush the toilet as I potty, the yelling, whining, demanding, and constant reminders to use manners and speak politely, and some days not having Any adult interaction until my hubby gets home. I know this is what I signed up for when I chose to stay home full-time, I get it. But doesn't most everyone get a little tired of their job at some point?
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Sometimes I think how great it would be to work and come home to a clean house because no one has been here all day to make a mess, to be able to afford someone to clean my house or do my yard, to be able to afford to have my car detailed (or even pay to go through the car wash....yes, that sounds ridiculous that I don't have money for a car wash, I probably do if I emptied my change cup but I choose to spend our "blow" money on other things like a quick meal when I'm having a long day or for other odds and ends that come up throughout the week). How nice it would be to only referee the kids for a few hours each day instead of 24/7. How nice it would be to have a haircut more than twice a year. Or to have a pedicure more often than just on special occasions. I know that haircuts and pedicures might go a little ways in helping me to fight burn-out but you see, just because we can "afford" for me to stay at home does not mean that we are rolling in the dough as some may assume. Those who "afford" for a spouse to stay at home full-time make big sacrifices financially. I'm not saying that we scrape by because we don't. But we do live on a strict cash budget. And by "cash" I mean no "financing" options nor credit cards nor any type of payments (except mortgage) in this household. I'm just trying to get my mind straight here. If anyone wants to share their burn-out protection suggestions, I'm all ears! And before anyone goes getting all judgmental on me here and says I need to make some time for myself before the kids get up in the morning (or after bedtime, get real here people), to do a workout or bible study, understand that this job is tiring. Sometimes more tiring than when I worked the night shift (and I am not a night person). I won't bore you with the details, but just know that having three children ages three-and-a-half and younger does not make for long restful nights of sleep. So being asked to get up at 5:00 to be up before everyone else and have time to workout, read, shower or do anything is asking a lot of an already sleep-deprived person.
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Don't misunderstand me, I'm not throwing a pity party for myself, I'm not asking for one of my overly-generous friends to take me for a pedicure, I'm just wondering how do I fight burn out and to stay in the right frame of mind for my children? I'll tell you what I've done so far. Pray. First, I give thanks for my healthy children. Children who are healthy enough to make messes and be healthy enough to fight over the same toy. I give thanks that I could afford to throw Owen a birthday pizza party with framily (family + friends who are family). I give thanks that there were leftover cokes so mommy can enjoy some caffeine later today :). I pray thanks that Cole is asking for his third helping of applesauce after his breakfast before I've had even a sip of water (or coffee) or a bite of my own breakfast. I pray thanks that we were able to budget for the boys to be in school two days a week for the summer so that I could get caught up on things around the house and schedule a yearly physical, eye exam, dental appointment, etc. Then I pray for a better attitude. I pray for my anger to quiet (as I scrub sticky soda off my baseboards). I pray for motivation to get back on track for the day. I pray for a refreshed spirit. I pray to be excited to spend these moments with my children. I pray to recognize the big picture, that in just a year, Cole will be in pre-K and I won't have him at home full-time anymore; that I recognize these moments are just that, moments and then the next stage of life begins. I pray to remember why I chose to be a full-time stay-at-home-mom...so that I don't miss these moments. I missed Cole's first crawl because I was working and in school...nothing was worth missing that. Nothing. I chose to be a FT SAHM because my children are only this little once. And I can't get that time back. I love my "job" even though I don't like to call it that because in the grand scheme of life, it is WAY more enjoyable than just a "job." I. just. pray. I'm taking a lesson from what my children are being taught at church "I give thanks." And one of my favorite verses is from Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God..." It will all be ok!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-2271269124272767932012-05-11T08:04:00.003-05:002012-05-11T08:04:36.470-05:00Dear DaughterGenesis 3:16 "To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.""
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Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
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Dear Daughter,
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I write this as you and Owen are snuggled next to each other in my bed, I love that he loves you so much. Cole would be right here with us too (well, on his own side of the bed with remote in hand watching cartoons) if he weren't still asleep in his own bed :) I write this on your 3-month birthday. I write this because the last 3 months have been many things from exciting to exhausting. From fulfilling to challenging. I write this because I love this story. I write this because I do not want to forget!
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When we found out we were pregnant with you we were a bit surprised. After having dealt with Owen's colic for 7 months, I didn't feel I could handle another baby. But God knew otherwise and as always, had his own plan. In fact, just two weeks before making our family of 4 permanent (catch my drift, ha!?), we found out we were expecting you! What were we thinking trying to overpower God's plan? I am forever thankful His plan won out over ours!
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Each of my pregnancies were a little different, but this time around the morning sickness was B-R-U-T-A-L...even landing me in the ER. And just to keep things interesting, I decided that I did not want to find out what we were having until you were born. It took some convincing for daddy to be on board with not finding out (he is a BIG planner, you know!). As I wrote in an earlier post, there was something romantic about NOT knowing the sex of our baby - something special about waiting 10 months and having that ONE moment in life where the doctor yells out "IT's A..."! He was on board! And maybe the wildest of my ideas was that I wanted to give unmedicated childbirth a fair shot. I'd had epidurals with the boys...Cole's delivery was uneventful but Owen's was a bit scary when my blood pressure dropped...Daddy was 100% on board with whatever I chose during labor & delivery...just the support I needed...but, eeek!
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My labor & your delivery were so amazing. I do not want to ever forget. At my 38+ week appointment, measurements were way off (not unusual, we'd been through the same with the boys) and the ultrasound was not 100% reassuring, so our doctor sent me to be checked into L&D that night. And while I was induced (not really the decision I wanted but what was best), the remainder of L&D was unmedicated. I mean absolutely zero zip zilch pain medications. I had several ladies in my life who encouraged me & had suggested the Bradley Method, so we gave it a shot. Going from 1cm-7cm was "easy," relatively speaking. Don't get me wrong, it was a WORKOUT...staying focused - remember to belly breathe through contractions, focus on relaxing, allow daddy (aka coach) to talk me through contractions. As I got to 7cm, I knew it. I knew it because I whispered my safety word to coach...this was the word I chose to use if I got to the point I couldn't take the pain & wanted the epidural. Uncle. He ignored me, he knew I was SO close & I would regret opting out at this point. Oh words-I-can't-say-in-front-of-my-children! Going from 7-10cm hurt like I never imagined. There is about a 30-minute period that I don't remember and it's probably for the best. Coach referred to it as an 'exorcism!' Ha! I do know however that there were some bad words & that I was SO sore in my arms & back the next day (along with a bruised nose bridge...what was I doing?? Ha!). I remember as I reached the "I have to push & there's no stopping me, where is the doctor" point, a nursing assistant got in my face & snapped me into shape like a drill sargeant. I was so thankful for her! But boy, when the doctor walked in, I refused the stirrups (at some point) & pushed for only 90 seconds! And yes, it does feel like your body is on fire and that it is ripping open, but (thankfully) in reality it is neither of those & temporary. I have not heard anyone mention this before (maybe because it's too graphic for some) but feeling you being born, Feeling you enter this world was worth Every labor pain. Every. Then the OB said, "ok dad, what is it?" I didn't even give daddy a chance, I sat up, looked & yelled out "GIRL!!!" I think daddy was too much in shock to say anything :) After he cut the cord & you were placed on my chest, I just sobbed. Sobbing of complete joy! I AM so blessed to have two mama's boys, of knowing how special my bond is with my boys, that my heart swelled knowing daddy would now get the oopportunity to be wrapped around his child's finger :) And I know that someday my boys will marry and while I can never be replaced as their mother, they will have another woman in their lives. But having a daughter, I know I will always be The woman in your life.
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I love each of you more than you will ever understand until you have children of your own. I love each of you will all my heart & soul, with every fiber of my being, for always & forever, amen!
<br /><br />A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-23466521930664525012011-12-08T06:53:00.019-06:002011-12-09T15:26:14.618-06:00All in a Day's Work<br /><em>Ever wonder what it's like to be a Stay at Home Mom?! Well, here's a rundown of what my Wednesday was like...</em><br /><br />Up at 4:00am...potty break...7 months prego & can't go back to sleep...finally get out of bed around 5:30am...work on our budget since it's payday<br /><br />Cole up at 6:00am & Owen up at 7:00am...breakfast and cleanup (it's craziness, but I'll spare you)<br /><br />Our goal for the morning is to purge toys that the boys hardly ever or never play with anymore. Christmas is in two weeks and it'll be like Toys R Us up in here. <br /><br /><em>All hell breaks loose.</em><br /><br />Timeouts. Spankings. Disciplining for hitting baby brother. Endless.<br /><br />As I put up toys that we are going to keep, the boys are right behind me taking them back out...argh!<br /><br />Time to get ready for gymnastics. I take a half shower (no time to wash my hair...oh well, the other mommies understand). During my whole 5-minute shower, the boys have managed to throw my shoes EVERYwhere...on the floor, shelves and in the laundry basket. Then Cole says "mommy's undies stuck on the shelf!" What?! Yup, he found a pair of my undies and somehow got them stuck up on the top shelf...it's about 7-feet high (or something like that, I'm short so I dunno know). They're still stuck up there today.<br /><br />Get Owen dressed...onto brushing our teeth. Owen climbs up the step stool before I get in there and he's using Cole's toothbrush. Moving on. As I'm fixing Cole's hair, I look over to see Owen reaching his toothbrush into the toilet...I squeal. He stops. Must stay one step ahead of this little guy!<br /><br />I FINALLY get Cole dressed (he's entered this phase of not wanting to get dressed...boys). We're out the door. Oh, I made sure to take him potty before we left. I KNOW he has to poop, but I don't DARE put him in a pull-up...he's been potty-trained way too long! In the middle of gymnastics, his teacher comes running towards me carrying Cole. Oh crap. Literally. She says they were jumping on the trampoline and worked it right out of him. Crap. I practically throw Owen at his instructor and run Cole off to the bathroom. Get him cleaned up (hooray for an extra set of clothes and undies in the car). Back to class. Thankfully the instructors are understanding and say they have dealt with MUCH worse. I don't even want to know. <br /><br />As we leave the gym, Owen decides to have a meltdown. Oh joy. Hard enough to handle those when I'm not prego, but after having Braxton Hicks all morning, carrying a screaming squirming 18-month old is going to make me drop one of these babies, if you know what I mean.<br /><br />We make it home. Yay! <br /><br />As I'm making lunch, I hear a crash and a muffled "mom, hurry over here" cry. Owen has fallen head-first into a small toy box we keep in the living room. It was full prior to the toy purge, but afterwards, it was hard for him to reach the toys at the bottom. Cole promptly tells me "Owen real stuck!" I look over to see this... <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuugMvbTkLVq9jr8V52tfdxxYCm_EWkSnXrLo-K5Ibjc3RrnbM6UQjGMLWFU_yVy3uK5w4Cjst7bpsWlG1BsKIf9Vn1_kcW3NAmDNQjW_LOwNPIH5MhxNGTrwTh8ko5Sk5Yt8hewKpfWQ/s1600/owen.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuugMvbTkLVq9jr8V52tfdxxYCm_EWkSnXrLo-K5Ibjc3RrnbM6UQjGMLWFU_yVy3uK5w4Cjst7bpsWlG1BsKIf9Vn1_kcW3NAmDNQjW_LOwNPIH5MhxNGTrwTh8ko5Sk5Yt8hewKpfWQ/s200/owen.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684236728134878146" /></a><br /><br /><em>I'll spare you the details of all the boring tasks I completed during naptime, but let's just say it's a whirlwind once the boys fall asleep...my to-do list seems to grow rather than shorten so I have to work like a madwoman. </em> <br /><br />With all the craziness aside, my boys certainly have their moments of sweetness and compassion. For instance, when Cole gets up in the morning (the boys now share a bedroom in preparation for baby #3), he quietly closes the door leaving it slightly cracked so that Owen can continue to sleep :) So sweet! And in the middle of the toy purge, I decided to lower a bookshelf full of text books (I've done it a million times trying to get it just right), but this time the shelf tipped and all the books fell on my head and around me. Before the books were done hitting the floor, Owen was by my side (as close as he could get without being smashed himself), whimpering hysterically. He then starts frantically grabbing at books trying to get close to me. Poor guy needed more consoling than I did! But it sure put a smile on my face to see how concerned he was. Sweet boys! I love them and all their craziness!<br /><br />And even though I am one pooped puppy at the end of the day, I sure get joy out of making my husband laugh as I share the craziness that happens in our house in a day :) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9iuF3ZTlSMMBHa0ds4SOyU7XSd3gnVe3OUbYAjrJ1uCg5qv94QC4_QPofmFH2_blekpaRk8q9gXPFaDi9g0nmuaYLobxV98JvZF3yE_a1VY69e6-cUaggT9ZEKUJJUg3AONaMZHtuhk/s1600/_MG_6590.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9iuF3ZTlSMMBHa0ds4SOyU7XSd3gnVe3OUbYAjrJ1uCg5qv94QC4_QPofmFH2_blekpaRk8q9gXPFaDi9g0nmuaYLobxV98JvZF3yE_a1VY69e6-cUaggT9ZEKUJJUg3AONaMZHtuhk/s200/_MG_6590.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684242125287544434" /></a>A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-91480326718437808132011-12-02T07:12:00.016-06:002011-12-02T08:08:30.867-06:00GivingDeuteronomy 15:10 - <span style="font-style:italic;">Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.</span><br /><br />Every Christmas we try to give some sort of gift to those in need. This year, I decided we would give in a few different ways. One gesture we are keeping secret (except for the recipient), the second gift we donated this past week (discussed below), and the third we plan to go in with other members of our family & adopt a child or family from the Angel Tree. The reason I share this is in hopes that it encourages you to give if you don't already, I absolutely believe that you will be blessed many times over for even the smallest gesture! And for anyone who is still skeptical about couponing, maybe this will help sway you towards the coupon side (and save you some big bucks!).<br /><br />So, I decided I wanted to take a set amount of money, work my coupon magic and donate items to a local charity. Here's how it went. I took $105 to CVS and purchased $185 worth of items...that is a 43% savings! I called a local charity to find out their needs at this time and tailored my shopping to what they needed most in their stockpile.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPL4Y6EtXulA-m7kuPOVvmn2l6ANJX0GmODKNtfUnZiLPlMnMlFL1hH7Co94VKo7Td7xYZlew1QJN90NBNOkP38FnwSasF8r4aY1Yrehe-vjNwH0-khZWkf-LNAX8sWl4AdpZXygbGIQ/s1600/cvs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPL4Y6EtXulA-m7kuPOVvmn2l6ANJX0GmODKNtfUnZiLPlMnMlFL1hH7Co94VKo7Td7xYZlew1QJN90NBNOkP38FnwSasF8r4aY1Yrehe-vjNwH0-khZWkf-LNAX8sWl4AdpZXygbGIQ/s200/cvs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681530393584837970" /></a><br /><br />Transaction 1:<br />(4) Pantene $6.97/for 2 (on sale) - $3/off 2 & $1/off 2 = $9.94<br />(9) Jumbo packs of Pampers @ $9.50 (on sale) - (4) $2/off 2 bags = $77.50<br />(1) Jumbo packs of Pampers @ $9.50 (on sale) - (1) $1/off 1 bags = $8.50<br />(1) Tide $5.94 (on sale) - $0.50/off 1 = $5.44<br />(3) Puffs $0.99 ea (on sale) - $0.25/off 3 = $2.72<br />(3) Dawn dish soap $0.99 ea (on sale) - $0.50/off 1 & $0.50/off 1 & $0.25/off 1 = $1.72<br /><font color="#008000">SUBTotal before tax = $105.82</font><br /><font color="#0000A0">*Special Promo this week, for every $30 you spend on specified products, you get a $10 gift card, I received $40 in gift cards because my balance BEFORE coupons was $120.82.<br />*I got (1) $10 gas card to donate and $30 in CVS gift card,</font> so onto...<br /><br />Transaction 2:<br />(2) Always $6/for 2 (on sale) - $1.00/off 1 & $0.50/off 1 = $4.50<br />(1) Glide floss $4.29 (on sale) - $0.50/off 1 = $3.79<br />(1) Crest 6oz toothpaste $4.69 (on sale) - $0.75/off 1 = $3.94<br />(1) Crest double pack 8oz toothpaste $8.29 (on sale) - $0.75/off 1 = $7.54<br />(2) Crest mouthwash 500mL $4.89ea (on sale) - (2) $1.00/off 1 = $7.78<br /><font color="#008000">SUBTotal before tax = $27.55 (I then used the $30 CVS GC and owed $0.30 out of pocket to cover tax!)</font><br /><font color="#0000A0">*Special Promo this week, for every $10 spent on Crest ProHealth, get $5 ECB, I earned one $5ECB (I goofed and came up $1.24 short to get my second $5ECB...but had the boys with me so I didn't have time to go back).</font> So onto...<br /><br />Transaction 3:<br />(2) Old Spice deodorants $5/for 2 (on sale) - $1/off 2 = $4<br />(1) M&M (impulse buy to keep boys from running out of patience, plus needed to get to $5 to use all my ECB) = $1.19<br /><font color="#008000">SUBTotal before tax = $5.19 - $5 ECB = $0.71 out of pocket to cover tax!</font><br /><br />BOTTOM LINE...had I just walked in and bought all these items on a random day, I could have paid up to <font color="#008000">$184.35</font> <span style="font-style:italic;">before tax</span><br />If I got lucky on my random day and the items were all on sale, I would have paid <font color="#008000">$141.82</font> <span style="font-style:italic;">before tax</span><br />However, I did about 30 minutes of planning with coupons and promos before going to CVS & only paid <font color="#008000">$105.82!!!</font> That equals a <font color="#008000">43%</font> savings from retail and <font color="#008000">26%</font> from sale price!!<br /><br />Anywho, my point was to give more than just cash, but to use something I've been practicing and am enthusiastic about to give even more than I imagined! Good luck to you & I hope you find some way to give this Christmas season!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-69400889375116908362011-11-18T08:30:00.002-06:002011-11-18T08:36:29.775-06:00Being Green(er)So, last Friday (I tend to post on Fridays, anyone else notice that?!? Maybe I'll write about that one day!) I posted about <a href="http://babychesser.blogspot.com/2011/11/being-green.html">recycling</a>. But, there are many other ways to be <font color="#00FF00">green</font> around your home (and thus teaching your children about being <font color="#00FF00">green</font>). It's about making it a habit. If something is a habit, you're more likely to do it regularly, right?! Well, here are some simple outside-the-usual-recycling-box things that we do around our home to do our part in being <font color="#00FF00">green</font>:<br /><br />1. Use reusable shopping bags. Now, although I preach this, I am terrible at remembering them at the store, especially the grocery store! Once in awhile I will remember them if I'm going clothes shopping or something, but for some reason it slips my mind at Target & Wal-Mart. Anyhoo, I decided to place them in the front seat of my car in hopes that I will remember :) Plus, Target gives you $0.05 off for each bag you use and Whole Food gives you $0.10!<br /><br /><center><span style="font-style:italic;">Say "<font color="#00FF00">green</font>"</span></center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oF-i_uiEXf31AT5kQxUvzb8IqR5eP-cGmsiuHg0nclBKplMN0nfxJld40PatVhYwFT7KKzvKwVEZ6PbunqYp1RRhMEFDjjv9GP1EGhfCJf7zLJdvrmNz55uqGkaSajSDcNIMBFGDB8Y/s1600/IMG_5984.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_oF-i_uiEXf31AT5kQxUvzb8IqR5eP-cGmsiuHg0nclBKplMN0nfxJld40PatVhYwFT7KKzvKwVEZ6PbunqYp1RRhMEFDjjv9GP1EGhfCJf7zLJdvrmNz55uqGkaSajSDcNIMBFGDB8Y/s200/IMG_5984.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676049225765152386" /></a><br /><br />2. Reuse your dryer sheets!!! Who woulda thunkit?! Those little suckers are packed with a lot to give. With Bounce sheets, I will dry two loads of laundry, saving the sheets from each load and then use those two for the third load instead of grabbing a fresh sheet. If I'm using a cheaper brand (will remain nameless, ha!), I will use three sheets to get the softness I'm looking for (I'm very picky!). I can typically reuse a dryer sheet about two - three times before I've decided it's been beat up enough.<br /><br />3. Unplug appliances. We have some lamps we use daily & those stay plugged in at all times (along with the televisions). However, all of my small kitchen appliances (even the ones I leave out on the countertop) stay unplugged unless I'm using them. Same goes for the boys' humidifiers, iPhone chargers & computers. <br /><br />4. Purchase & use cloth napkins. For some reason it really bugs me to use paper napkins! I'm quirky like that. I will even save the extra paper napkins from restaurants. Anyways, I purchased some cloth napkins & they have worked out great! I just throw them in with my usual towel laundry loads and it doesn't create any extra loads (better for the environment and your wallet)! They quickly paid for themselves. Plus, they just look nicer on the table :)<br /><br /><center><span style="font-style:italic;">Speaking of laundry, Baby O likes to get into things...</span></center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNSW4_XaKsm8rmDQkVKGKfJpnLCrZ_n74XD5Jis4Q1zCtm8MqycGtkD4GzY4r33_9ryTEyv3pcMa0o8x2upDiA_Tk8YFK61okSQH63DojQeimtUReS5EwACcYDILayMkuBYfiESdj_2o/s1600/IMG_5978.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNSW4_XaKsm8rmDQkVKGKfJpnLCrZ_n74XD5Jis4Q1zCtm8MqycGtkD4GzY4r33_9ryTEyv3pcMa0o8x2upDiA_Tk8YFK61okSQH63DojQeimtUReS5EwACcYDILayMkuBYfiESdj_2o/s200/IMG_5978.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676049221148990978" /></a><br /><br />There are other things we/I do that have become so much of a habit that I can't think to name them here. When I do, I'll share for anyone interested in doing their part :) If you have any ideas/suggestions for being <font color="#00FF00">green(er)</font> around the home, please share, I'm always looking to improve!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-77689842813569621032011-11-07T09:19:00.040-06:002011-11-11T07:17:56.532-06:00Being GreenAnd no, I'm not talking about being <font color="#00FF00">Green with envy</font> or the color of <font color="#00FF00">Kermit the Frog</font> or wishing you had more of it in your <font color="#00FF00">wallet</font> :) I'm talking about being <font color="#00FF00">Earth-friendly</font>! <br /><br />After spending nearly a decade in Austin, TX, we picked up some <font color="#00FF00">Green</font> habits, one of them being recycling. And while Tulsa offers curbside recycling, I opted-out because they only accept a few of the many recyclable items in their bin. Thankfully, Tulsa also offers a great resource for recycling household goods...<a href="http://metrecycle.com/">The Met </a> <br /><br />So, I created our own little <font color="#00FF00">"recycling center"</font> in our garage...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAyLKcIf8o8dTvGpXoJ1G47vIfdXQhbxTKpSdxzu25NRdXsXnD6zLlP_fcEpWiU7TuRCua7D-EUstJBeSPzrVhh8rHF5oR-bhViEhPsrDG9K7Dv6j0v0Rb0oAdE8s3I2COxF1N3w2lK0/s1600/IMG_5993.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAyLKcIf8o8dTvGpXoJ1G47vIfdXQhbxTKpSdxzu25NRdXsXnD6zLlP_fcEpWiU7TuRCua7D-EUstJBeSPzrVhh8rHF5oR-bhViEhPsrDG9K7Dv6j0v0Rb0oAdE8s3I2COxF1N3w2lK0/s200/IMG_5993.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673724750033329938" /></a><br /><center><span style="font-style:italic;">Doing their part!</span></center><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPMbPlmM9ua4lzPiuaPt9hIgt_6B3m7zhF-VMH9rIS8vHJzBrWR8oNx9mMSmzz2zt37ToA0WgFqvd8cYHvBzcfJkOSQaq1RjkSfzmUqmfL-ediro18Wx4TzUYWW-aPmPGVqyiGO71VDg/s1600/IMG_5988.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPMbPlmM9ua4lzPiuaPt9hIgt_6B3m7zhF-VMH9rIS8vHJzBrWR8oNx9mMSmzz2zt37ToA0WgFqvd8cYHvBzcfJkOSQaq1RjkSfzmUqmfL-ediro18Wx4TzUYWW-aPmPGVqyiGO71VDg/s200/IMG_5988.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673724744323919218" /></a><br /><center><span style="font-style:italic;">Excited about recycling!</span></center><br /><br /><br />Here's how we have it set up...<br /><ol><li>We separate out all the recyclables (as preferred by the recycling center). Items that the BA location accepts include: <br /> <ol>#1 Plastic <br /> #2 Plastic <br /> Glass <br /> Paper Goods (magazines, newspaper, office paper) <br /> Paperboard (boxes that Kleenex, cereal, toothpaste, etc. come in) <br /> Aluminum Cans <br /> Batteries (household batteries - not just car batteries!) <br /> Plastic Lids<br /> Plastic shopping bags - reuse asl trash bags or take to Wal-Mart for recycling<br /> Paper shopping bags - I reuse almost all of what I have</ol><br />When we use up a Plastic, Glass or Aluminum item, we rinse it out (if needed), remove any outer stickers or paper/plastic wrap & place it in the corresponding bin. With Paperboard, we remove any inner plastic bags or attached plastic (like with cereal & Kleenex boxes).</li><br /><br /><li>Once a month we take Paper Goods to our church and dump it in their Green paper bin (looks like a dumpster). Many schools and churches have these in their parking lots and they get money for recycling paper goods. So not only are you helping the environment, you are helping your local school/church! A tip: usually these items do not need to be separated, you can simply dump all your paper items into the bin.</li><br /></li><br /><br /><li>Once a month the boys and I take the remaining recyclables to The Met in Broken Arrow. There are usually people there to help unload the items and place them where they need to go (this is nice when the kids are in the car with me). This particular location works with the Gatesway Foundation...again, not only are you helping the environment, but you are helping a local charitable organization and others in need!</li><br /><br /><li>Note: The Met doesn't take Plastic Lids, but Aveda in the mall accepts them.</li><br /></ol><br />Recycling is a small thing we can do to make a big difference - it provides products that can be broken down and reused as well as minimizing our landfills and leaving the Earth a better place for our future! Check out <a href="http://metrecycle.com/">The Met</a> for the closest recycling location to you!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-9784582744232632692011-11-04T08:20:00.026-05:002011-11-04T09:36:32.189-05:00Try, try againProverbs 4:25: "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you."<br /><br />Goals. Does reading that word make you cringe?! My confession...sometimes setting goals makes me cringe...identifying area(s) that I would like or need to change within myself and then holding myself accountable. Cringe. It can be hard! However, other times I find it energizing to challenge myself to be a better person. Depends on the goal and what mood I'm in :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-WxGQIljPeWHcwM0sepB9iv3NmHc4sbbBETihSjHsTtpSTQ_wv2lY-8uVU76dMvQYHk-BOaBK8vEYOTMpzu6yOhvmkurZ5J-JDbLYeIUki2FJTCyvPsnGIQul6JLA0Y5uWhv1_906wM/s1600/IMG_5862.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-WxGQIljPeWHcwM0sepB9iv3NmHc4sbbBETihSjHsTtpSTQ_wv2lY-8uVU76dMvQYHk-BOaBK8vEYOTMpzu6yOhvmkurZ5J-JDbLYeIUki2FJTCyvPsnGIQul6JLA0Y5uWhv1_906wM/s200/IMG_5862.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671143697841106674" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Cole playing with a glittery spider...I'm a bit phobic of spiders but I'll take one for the team...cringe!</span><br /> <br /><br><br /><br><br /><br><br /><br />While in Nursing school, I learned more than just how to be a nurse, I learned a lot of lessons that can be applied to life in general. One of those was setting and measuring goals.<br /><br />Tip #1: How to create goal(s)...first, assess what it is you want to change. Then determine what you would like the end result to be, make a plan for change and implement that change. Lastly, evaluate the progress and continue the process until you reach your goal.<br /><br />Tip #2: Goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART). In other words, it's not very effective to say "I want to change the way I eat." It's much more effective to say "I want to eat healthier by eating all my meals at home for one week." You see the difference?! Confession: Craig and I used to be guilty of creating overly-general goals. They proved themselves to be useless. <br /><br />Tip #3: It can help to write your goals down and/or share your goals with someone. Something about seeing it on paper can really increase your motivation and sharing your goals with someone holds you accountable. I also like to assign us a "grade" based on how we are doing. This helps us measure our progress and identify areas for improvement.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxE9AkS3YVX0KuqHwv__Gz3rUfzaocGAVvWa2qA9lhKFTsz1YeWRytjbZUPOhmgboQsZgLY_N-syNMPoyXWtoX31twaVLzNL9QtB87G90hyS66BjNk7OeDt0N5Ze5FE4ZAWgvV4cvTqU/s1600/IMG_5915.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxE9AkS3YVX0KuqHwv__Gz3rUfzaocGAVvWa2qA9lhKFTsz1YeWRytjbZUPOhmgboQsZgLY_N-syNMPoyXWtoX31twaVLzNL9QtB87G90hyS66BjNk7OeDt0N5Ze5FE4ZAWgvV4cvTqU/s200/IMG_5915.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671149235711622130" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Too fun not to share this one!</span><br /><br />Overall, we feel as if we've done a good job at setting BIG goals and meeting them. But in the process of working on these BIG goals, the little ones have gone by the wayside (something about working full-time while going to school full-time and "working" part-time at clinicals all while having a newborn)! Things such as exercising regularly, eating at home, keeping a clean house, etc. just weren't as important at the time. <br /><br />So, fastforward almost three years and we are finally revisiting our smaller goals. Each Sunday, Craig & I review the week ahead and have begun discussing what we want our weekly goal to be. Our first goal was to eat out less...and to make it SMART, it was to eat every dinner at home and allow one lunch "out." The first two weeks, I gave us a C and a B+. This week, we get a HUGE A+!!! This has been a long-running challenge for us and now that we have children, we want to set a good example. And the point of today's title is that even though you may not accomplish your goal on the first try, try again! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkBVNaTIyRGfFWynN7SZ7i7dRdaWqZ64e0FmfR6_35-m1-g5fAEM9VOHhjynIadDlKPU0Fabdpv7a3GGXokqIoi-HfFpPYKgDZzZR-VSUGK8Jl5-vE2_slXgKmktfSbA90npo9UBE7uk/s1600/IMG_5868.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkBVNaTIyRGfFWynN7SZ7i7dRdaWqZ64e0FmfR6_35-m1-g5fAEM9VOHhjynIadDlKPU0Fabdpv7a3GGXokqIoi-HfFpPYKgDZzZR-VSUGK8Jl5-vE2_slXgKmktfSbA90npo9UBE7uk/s200/IMG_5868.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671146138498655762" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Owen loves corn on the cobb...I wish I had a pic of it after he was done!</span><br /><br /><br><br /><br><br /><br />Next week, I plan to write about being Green (aka Earth-friendly)...one of my goals that I've had for my family for a long time (and actually something that we've successfully stuck with over the years)! BTW, it's also one of my quirks :)A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-20183928423804325322011-11-02T21:44:00.024-05:002011-11-03T08:22:56.280-05:00Happy Howmuchfunween!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5H13owY4lsHQl9PsEry-zubPHKsoJZLI4OdayRniFut12F_OzZ5Q6_dPTuIQaJLOlrXFFI2FyeGZyzJdkQCCPe_YGZGOS1eplv1Ck2OaQA97PcDyeMKk9Sv7BLdQOw79-XiLS1fiysI/s1600/IMG_5961.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5H13owY4lsHQl9PsEry-zubPHKsoJZLI4OdayRniFut12F_OzZ5Q6_dPTuIQaJLOlrXFFI2FyeGZyzJdkQCCPe_YGZGOS1eplv1Ck2OaQA97PcDyeMKk9Sv7BLdQOw79-XiLS1fiysI/s200/IMG_5961.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670757312201907522" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The ToT Group - Lou, Owen, Cole & Bailey</span><br /><br><br /><br><br /><br />I've always loved this time of year! First comes Halloween (I admittedly was one of those teenagers who continued to dress up and trick-or-treat well past the acceptable age...thankfully I look young for my age so I pulled it off easily). Next comes Thanksgiving with all the yummy food, time with family & cooler weather. Then there's Christmas (undoubtedly the BEST holiday of the year) with more yummy food, family time & of course the celebration of Jesus' birthday! And then there's New Year's...how exciting it is to begin a new year of life and feel as if you get a "fresh start" every 12 months! Well, I don't want this time of year to go by too fast, so back to Halloween :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-9VYSwT8eCE_NbE3Ce6faz1Izz7E7G4hn6CwBNz1SzlycEUe6xZl0KoOqvBzW0LjkAVOim-GRsY6sevZAHGVB7aAA71Zu7htrGeE8GHkRTsNWnluSC6Fkv2WRKWvVEE0vJqK7tyDgCs/s1600/307257_10100275275273112_17106528_46252077_857121191_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-9VYSwT8eCE_NbE3Ce6faz1Izz7E7G4hn6CwBNz1SzlycEUe6xZl0KoOqvBzW0LjkAVOim-GRsY6sevZAHGVB7aAA71Zu7htrGeE8GHkRTsNWnluSC6Fkv2WRKWvVEE0vJqK7tyDgCs/s200/307257_10100275275273112_17106528_46252077_857121191_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670597408120392466" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Cole was Thomas the Train at the church's Trunk or Treat...silly boy!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Z3AR4UlHn6V-rpDtffmUPl-PePcwQ-DGmCJylwezNAcC3NmbjGdzmVjv8URhhrA8lsJBUjm4zXLM6DJ3Mjbc8aACSlLyBA1On2wfVLKf0-NmSwls2ykT1sugu_NPibYXreT1PbN5aCI/s1600/IMG_5909.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Z3AR4UlHn6V-rpDtffmUPl-PePcwQ-DGmCJylwezNAcC3NmbjGdzmVjv8URhhrA8lsJBUjm4zXLM6DJ3Mjbc8aACSlLyBA1On2wfVLKf0-NmSwls2ykT1sugu_NPibYXreT1PbN5aCI/s200/IMG_5909.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670597413613965730" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">And Owen with his wobbly waddle made a perfect Frankenstein!</span><br /><br />Anyhoo, I thought I would post some pics of the boys enjoying Halloween (and especially for our out-of-town friends...which btw, I need to see pics of your kiddos dressed up asap...you know who you are!). The boys had a BLAST this year! Cole finally understood what it meant to Trick or Treat and really enjoyed dressing up! Owen just wanted to be like big brother, so he quickly followed suit :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrZCf1XffbdBbAliJ1rqzTcX1bikbla7K5ztwrKbMcYbZa5PULGHOlnsfrHhAKSLz8hFddxi9DolTBuIkfbb5ms0KCtGak54Mt56DO3-qk-hDkb_FVQAiBtF5MrTOLWPoxHSKbmz3LGs/s1600/IMG_5930.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrZCf1XffbdBbAliJ1rqzTcX1bikbla7K5ztwrKbMcYbZa5PULGHOlnsfrHhAKSLz8hFddxi9DolTBuIkfbb5ms0KCtGak54Mt56DO3-qk-hDkb_FVQAiBtF5MrTOLWPoxHSKbmz3LGs/s200/IMG_5930.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670597431277759906" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Last-minute change...Cole decided he wanted to wear last year's costume as Nemo...ended up being a huge hit!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLExNoxp2i9xX4M-5CNFsJCzzXYDuPNQ9f-SjNp9c3iRaccq9v4Mz0OECIkb3rj05vCAgjXq3JcrJgbA_IAm1g5FzmkgkX32lVVXolI8gYkfsQwJiznHVbm0CBD5ob4D2Ep2VoFtDTo0/s1600/IMG_5929.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLExNoxp2i9xX4M-5CNFsJCzzXYDuPNQ9f-SjNp9c3iRaccq9v4Mz0OECIkb3rj05vCAgjXq3JcrJgbA_IAm1g5FzmkgkX32lVVXolI8gYkfsQwJiznHVbm0CBD5ob4D2Ep2VoFtDTo0/s200/IMG_5929.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670597427244633010" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">And my little Franken Baby!</span><br /><br />Between treats from Mimi & Papa and Grandma & Grandpa, Trunk or Treat at our church, Pumpkin Town with Mimi & Papa, and then a potluck & neighborhood ToT with neighbors and friends, we had a T-O-N of fun!!! So much fun that Cole had a "Halloween Hangover" the next day :) We hope everyone had a fun & safe holiday!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjEtdJHQBlAbXkqq_G1A22nl3eZDCLcLDSeAl9LWYZzrUW0j7dIa2uhI0NqdND7SsXZk9stiv9Ym8jvSMTDMOolPqfu7Xbbi1vTmq_MplqULOmyqrMet57VFhERj_iP9L7oeqtHGkdXU/s1600/IMG_5972.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjEtdJHQBlAbXkqq_G1A22nl3eZDCLcLDSeAl9LWYZzrUW0j7dIa2uhI0NqdND7SsXZk9stiv9Ym8jvSMTDMOolPqfu7Xbbi1vTmq_MplqULOmyqrMet57VFhERj_iP9L7oeqtHGkdXU/s200/IMG_5972.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670597443808650322" /></a>A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-64307997219403885692011-10-14T08:22:00.003-05:002011-10-14T08:23:13.545-05:00IT'S A...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MFksn9KbhJMC1WRwrvumfj0k1Nvu40cgtcP4xwtuRZBb12m4hfPUqf85PWgqRUI3glD97-CHQQr9lqC9MsJcK-vjdyJx8-sOsgYAtLYkx5Pp2tFhBvZKBr3WbQBld3egTqxq7wFYuN0/s1600/baby.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MFksn9KbhJMC1WRwrvumfj0k1Nvu40cgtcP4xwtuRZBb12m4hfPUqf85PWgqRUI3glD97-CHQQr9lqC9MsJcK-vjdyJx8-sOsgYAtLYkx5Pp2tFhBvZKBr3WbQBld3egTqxq7wFYuN0/s200/baby.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663099963577026210" /></a><br /> BABY!!! <br /><br />Cruel, I know, and not like me to tease. But now you know as much information as we do! Yes, it's true, we will not be finding out the sex of baby #3 until he/she makes his/her arrival in February. It's funny, when I tell people that we aren't finding out the sex of this baby, I get one of two <em>very</em> enthusiastic responses:<br /><br /> 1) Oh, that is awesome! I wish I had/I want to do/I did do that with my kid(s)!<br /><br />or <br /><br /> 2) What?! Why?! That's going to drive me crazy! <br /><br />The second response always makes me laugh because it should drive ME crazy being the mom, right?! Yet it's driving others crazy :) I should've expected this since we kept the boys' names a secret until they were born (which drove family and friends bonkers). And yes, we will keep the tradition running strong with this one! Maybe we have names picked out...and maybe we don't. Ok, I'll throw you a *small* bone, we're fairly certain we have decided on the names (one for a boy and one for a girl), but my lips are sealed...don't hit me! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7pOqzGqJgbowN3Wqt6wj4QsLHIAS0MdXQkDqbyhTRZytrZY7_Mxyzj3sxMlpdNnP_1dK-S6yqGiFlH92LBhgxDVM_3pnqztPALY6ZnSM_x5LHCwR-ICef-IkfbV4eyCxSvXmVSWynpY/s1600/baby+3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7pOqzGqJgbowN3Wqt6wj4QsLHIAS0MdXQkDqbyhTRZytrZY7_Mxyzj3sxMlpdNnP_1dK-S6yqGiFlH92LBhgxDVM_3pnqztPALY6ZnSM_x5LHCwR-ICef-IkfbV4eyCxSvXmVSWynpY/s200/baby+3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663099990225829234" /></a><br /><em>Here is another pic from yesterday's sono...the little bugger was stubborn & wouldn't give us a good face shot but he/she did give us a high-five!</em><br /><br />So, why do we (or mostly I) not want to find out this time when we found out with both the boys? I think there is something special and a bit romantic about waiting nine whole months to have that moment of excitement in the delivery room! And with the boys we were in a different place in our life where we felt we needed to be able to plan ahead. This time, baby #3 was a <em>huge</em> surprise in itself :) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGN-zVee2fhQMP463BeplgOIiPkaMOJ3dvMeQiPllHT2DbAAihbTRULtUD17akpAXscClyOSWaXE8Q-sNQdoi7sWMHTyWbhe6K3U9Rdfx1ujuZ0GaHFZsaZo0Qxwn1JvKZbriaKcagemE/s1600/baby+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGN-zVee2fhQMP463BeplgOIiPkaMOJ3dvMeQiPllHT2DbAAihbTRULtUD17akpAXscClyOSWaXE8Q-sNQdoi7sWMHTyWbhe6K3U9Rdfx1ujuZ0GaHFZsaZo0Qxwn1JvKZbriaKcagemE/s200/baby+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663099970637083666" /></a><br /><em>And another pic with a thumbs-up (or the hitchhiker thumb LOL!)!</em> <br /> <br />And to answer a commonly-asked question, I really do not have a preference on what I want it to be...a boy would be great, we <em>think </em>we have the boy-thing down(along with all the boy "stuff") and a girl would be fun because it would be something different! Also, I really have NOT A CLUE as to what we're having...I keep joking that it's a boy but we'll see...the ultrasound tech didn't even bother to look so she nor my doctor knows what we're having! It's gonna be fun!!!<br />A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-83788805074925198262011-10-04T14:20:00.007-05:002011-10-28T07:46:52.453-05:00Fiber, it's what's for dinnerOwen Owen Owen (as I shake my head). The boy will pass up mashed potatoes, steak, chicken, mac & cheese, pbj, you name it...kid-favorite or adult-favorite, he'll pass it up at dinner. Then he wants down from the table to promptly go to the bowl of food that he <em>really</em> wants...the dog food. Yes, my son passes up a great meal to eat dog food. Gross! I actually caught him eating it the other night WITH A SPOON! He must've grabbed the spoon from the dishwasher while we were cleaning up. And then one day after lunch, Cole was handing a piece of dog food, one at a time to Owen and to Zoe and feeding them "lunch." Hey, with all that fiber it keeps him regular, right?! And then there is Cole. I can summarize his eating habits into one word...picky. I shouldn't expect any less considering he comes from a family of picky eaters, especially myself! But he loves his milk!<br /><br />So here's a recipe that we LOVE, even Owen! It's one of my favorites from my Grandma Mayfield and super quick and easy (works best if you prepare it during naptime and that way it can simmer until you're ready to serve dinner):<br /><br />Hamburger Soup (for my vegetarian friends, you can substitute a couple of things to make it Tofu/Veggie Soup)<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />3 Tbsp butter<br />1-1/2 lbs hamburger meat (or ground turkey for a healtheir option or tofu for even healthier)<br />3-4 carrots cut diagonally<br />3 ribs of celery sliced<br />2 cans beef buillion (or beef stock or vegetable stock)<br />1 can onion soup (I buy the packet of onion soup & fix it before throwing it into the recipe)<br />1 small head of cabbage, shredded<br />1 can tomatoes, including the juice<br />1 bay leaf<br />2 cups water<br /><br />Instructions:<br />Melt the butter and saute the carrots & celery (I do this in my stock pot)<br />Meanwhile, brown the meat (or sliced tofu) and drain any excess fat<br />Throw everything into a large pot and simmer for a couple of hours or until veggies are soft or you're ready to eat. If it starts to lose too much liquid, just add a cup of water.<br /><br />*Forgive there being no picture. I have a hard enough time getting pictures of my kids!<br /><br />I serve with French bread & a salad. And believe it or not, Owen scarfed down a bowl of it and especially liked the veggies :)A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-43765295480785562742011-09-22T13:33:00.017-05:002011-09-23T07:00:35.147-05:00Bad habits die hardI have this "leftover" habit from college where I read multiple books all at the same time. I call it a "bad" habit because it takes me forever to finish just one book :) Here's a picture of my current reading list...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9k13hRJ2aLqWIXOuwjjp-5j2MgmojCP-2w_k4v-Sib1r2OkmZQEY_xNWdcWVhFPo-Frkw6htlOonLbRY56N7ODPYmNjBAP2ZgnZwigtUPMeQLb2Y01vA1SjCHaiq5UkmfgYlpcTWAPA/s1600/my+books.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9k13hRJ2aLqWIXOuwjjp-5j2MgmojCP-2w_k4v-Sib1r2OkmZQEY_xNWdcWVhFPo-Frkw6htlOonLbRY56N7ODPYmNjBAP2ZgnZwigtUPMeQLb2Y01vA1SjCHaiq5UkmfgYlpcTWAPA/s200/my+books.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655256853451932418" /></a><br />...all but two I am halfway through...eek! The other two I would like to read before baby #3 makes his/her arrival. You see, I spent a little over 10 years in college. Yes, ten. For the curious cats out there, I studied full-time for five years to earn my Bachelors degree (Texas and it's extra government/history requirements), I studied part-time for two & a half years for Nursing School pre-requisites and then again full-time for three years to earn my RN and Master's degree. So, over those 10 years, I continuously read multiple books for my classes. I suppose I haven't dropped the habit yet :) Here's my current reading list:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-style:italic;">Bible</span> (life application) by God<br />2. <span style="font-style:italic;">Boundaries</span> (already read it once, needed a refresher) by Cloud & Townsend<br />3. <span style="font-style:italic;">Know the Bible in 30 Days</span> by Lang<br />4. <span style="font-style:italic;">Understanding your Child's Temperament</span> by Carey<br />5. <span style="font-style:italic;">Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey</span> by Demer & Wheeler<br />6. <span style="font-style:italic;">Touchpoints</span> (another re-read, keeping up with the development of each boy) by Brazelton<br />7. <span style="font-style:italic;">Your Journey Through Pregnancy</span> (my insurance company sent me this, I'd like to read it) by UHC<br />8. <span style="font-style:italic;">A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth</span> (a book from Nursing school-another want-to-read) by Enkin et al<br /><br />I try to read books to the boys, but with my scatterbrain self, I don't always think to read to them (does that make me an awful mom?!). Oftentimes the boys go get books on their own and bring them to us. I love it! Who knew that children at such a young age would be so interested in books? And Cole loves to choose books from the public library while Owen just squeaks and squawks as he wanders aimlessly among the shelves and tables and chairs. Cole's favorite book is <span style="font-style:italic;">Trucks</span> (and he's learned what a fender, hopper, chute, etc. are on big rigs, cement trucks, etc). Owen's favorite book is a Mickey Mouse book (mostly because he gets to push buttons that make noise). I hope they continue their love of books. There's so much to learn and enjoy by reading! We're always looking for good books to add to our home library, so what are your kid(s) favorite book(s)?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiy84xP9Ki-h-iXpt5CzFRBkBcstm77TqPzF_vwTHnDpjdrvTUOCygP52xcY2F4sScATc5ybc5hq80_qTx3o7ts7NlI2J8TUD5PCFNtRNXuKfRCXU3fP8LXb2ipsaOcKDfZtjQ7WngR58/s1600/trucks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiy84xP9Ki-h-iXpt5CzFRBkBcstm77TqPzF_vwTHnDpjdrvTUOCygP52xcY2F4sScATc5ybc5hq80_qTx3o7ts7NlI2J8TUD5PCFNtRNXuKfRCXU3fP8LXb2ipsaOcKDfZtjQ7WngR58/s200/trucks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655259636770720370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91jfzHM5Kd5BtKbsYenONgvdE4HvGBb0DhAWYHSyKaWvN9yoHnGhqtoHYzlukmqHByd9DorLkM9uXmyR58gm2_VrnZJZUQb4BOtmzXOX1ts6NIxPMYDOjpW8Kd0tJ5I_tU2d_fQOPpdQ/s1600/Mickey+Mouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 172px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91jfzHM5Kd5BtKbsYenONgvdE4HvGBb0DhAWYHSyKaWvN9yoHnGhqtoHYzlukmqHByd9DorLkM9uXmyR58gm2_VrnZJZUQb4BOtmzXOX1ts6NIxPMYDOjpW8Kd0tJ5I_tU2d_fQOPpdQ/s200/Mickey+Mouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655259638959296498" /></a><br /><br />And I just had to post a couple of cutie pie pictures...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITNN-qtXDbS_y4tRHl9KrW-RXUskcxAcnRO5aDn_GtzPJEztNTCISvrLvJKZGPve7JYDTFl27kCR9WlqZiVFQ_ZodOshYpjtUoQ5xin_Wfcuk-csMrCZZLfj-jr9sHPzC0ja0ApUnlrI/s1600/Cole+tree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITNN-qtXDbS_y4tRHl9KrW-RXUskcxAcnRO5aDn_GtzPJEztNTCISvrLvJKZGPve7JYDTFl27kCR9WlqZiVFQ_ZodOshYpjtUoQ5xin_Wfcuk-csMrCZZLfj-jr9sHPzC0ja0ApUnlrI/s200/Cole+tree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655261179815405714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwlzp-4olDE6WLj4fqkeJ_FwDFyO_GkB6bpHEP2_pEpxtdrWyt244jvXSTtBq_pxT5MyrddzxHrvKWs_9f_CxbOJVs0AgJcR0RPEwCDZTI_LyF6NEh5IopvcrUZiFB2suGRYDI6AMHMU/s1600/owen+sept+22.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwlzp-4olDE6WLj4fqkeJ_FwDFyO_GkB6bpHEP2_pEpxtdrWyt244jvXSTtBq_pxT5MyrddzxHrvKWs_9f_CxbOJVs0AgJcR0RPEwCDZTI_LyF6NEh5IopvcrUZiFB2suGRYDI6AMHMU/s200/owen+sept+22.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655261174224427858" /></a>A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-83583688495739799432011-09-15T20:27:00.010-05:002011-09-16T09:58:54.252-05:00pERgnancySo, this week we realized that with each pregnancy, I have landed in the ER for some reason or another. With Cole, I had a very persistent pain one night that turned out to be gall bladder spasms. And with Owen, I came down with an awful stomach bug (actually thought it was the beginnings of horrid morning sickness...oh the irony) and landed in the ER for fluid and phenergan. And this baby, well, its no exception. On Monday, I tried my best to avoid going to the ER, even went to Urgent Care first hoping to resolve the issue. But alas, the Urgent Care doc (and my OB) sent me to the ER. Darn. After lots of tests and an 8-hour ordeal, it was determined I had an infection and was dehydrated from the awful morning sickness. The combination of those created some symptoms that indicated something else could have seriously been wrong. I'm so thankful that it was simply an infection and dehydration. So, I got some fluids, antibiotics and once again, anti-nausea meds. Anyways, we got a laugh out of my pERgnancy visits. And I would like to thank my family and friends who stepped up to care for the boys, feed us dinner and call to check on me this past week, I appreciate all the kind gestures and feel very loved :)<br /><br />Talk about emergency (ok, not really), but Owen is my little daredevil. He pretends that he's going to propel himself down a slide head-first (I just know that one of these days he's actually going to do it too)! He climbs, he gets into things he shouldn't, he's stuck his finger in an outlet and gotten shocked...actually, he sounds like most toddlers, right?! Well, I was in the laundry room last week and kept hearing this odd noise. I peeked my head around the corner into the bathroom to find Owen, with one of those huge plastic straws (like from the cups you get at the fair or zoo) DRINKING WATER OUT OF THE TOILET! Oh. My. Goodness. It was one of those moments where I thought "do I call poison control?!" I had a mommy freak-out moment! I realized the toilet had been flushed, so the water was "clean" (ewww) and I don't use those things that stick to the toilet and continually have cleaner in them, so I figured he'd probably be ok and I didn't need to call the doctor or poison control. He didn't have any tummy issues or grow a third arm or anything...yet! But I'm still totally grossed out!<br />Here's my little daredevil chasing me because he wanted to play with the camera...and he's mad...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEips-b4YWD6fT8WPNZXxxJPGJDffHyJj6c2kUvvHu3nsgKT_W1wfEjByI8yr4uHvK7o9dAJlUSxl26GHf1Gb7y0Ftx65wUkIKr3JuQdBzNaCCh__hPjYnweFmcD4lFfLTiCEdl4g5wiOjg/s1600/IMG_5767.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEips-b4YWD6fT8WPNZXxxJPGJDffHyJj6c2kUvvHu3nsgKT_W1wfEjByI8yr4uHvK7o9dAJlUSxl26GHf1Gb7y0Ftx65wUkIKr3JuQdBzNaCCh__hPjYnweFmcD4lFfLTiCEdl4g5wiOjg/s200/IMG_5767.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652767064374911618" /></a><br /><br />And you would think there is an emergency when Cole says something and we don't understand. You see, Cole in just the last couple of months began putting sentences together. I can understand <span style="font-style:italic;">most</span> of what he says, but sometimes he has to say it two or three times for me to get it. And boy, when I don't understand it right away he gets M-A-D! He kept saying "I light on" or that's what I thought. He got impatient with me after a few attempts and finally went quiet and wouldn't talk to me. Kids! He tried again and I finally understood "I like some!" Aha! He wanted a bite of my snack :) That's part of being a parent, having to interpret toddler-speak and deal with the short fuse of a 2-year old!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCC7Y7lw-NSWGrfZAT2h6YJBTFak74Fij5xAuS_-XqtR2kJl-I7X7Osx4N_4gpC6JYk60Dip7ziGhINe9UsB8gOL0aXMVRdUdJYn_enUP6-Jhkj4NzClDVnnt8gxN92rws3Wf6G8lqfA/s1600/IMG_5752.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCC7Y7lw-NSWGrfZAT2h6YJBTFak74Fij5xAuS_-XqtR2kJl-I7X7Osx4N_4gpC6JYk60Dip7ziGhINe9UsB8gOL0aXMVRdUdJYn_enUP6-Jhkj4NzClDVnnt8gxN92rws3Wf6G8lqfA/s200/IMG_5752.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652767238483707634" /></a>A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-32199865330096249522011-09-10T13:43:00.014-05:002011-09-19T14:56:38.075-05:00Giving thanksColossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."<br /><br />*I intended to post this last Monday, but I was far from feeling well and the post just wasn't appropriate at the time ;)*<br /><br />So, maybe I should've saved this one for the Thanksgiving holiday, but why not celebrate a little early?! It is my second-favorite holiday. This week I would like to give thanks to the good Lord for getting me to the 16-week mark. I can't believe I am almost halfway through this pregnancy already! I also want to give thanks to my family and friends who have prayed for me, checked in on me, made me laugh and have supported me over the last 10-11 weeks as I experienced some super duper morning sickness (or "suckness" if you read my earlier post). *Fingers crossed* I believe I am past the worst of it! And for that, I am very thankful. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xR5-p5_0jIWrR37tDRNNcidtMSUVgJYDz2SPKVdPUQj8Hm43yYU4L7v02rBGjljNzkUojlkURh4ggH-PeghGbN-yvRLsu0uSMk4YerkZ12BCOEmyAYuydbkl3zNelmsfRblsBjKs87U/s1600/16+weeks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 145px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xR5-p5_0jIWrR37tDRNNcidtMSUVgJYDz2SPKVdPUQj8Hm43yYU4L7v02rBGjljNzkUojlkURh4ggH-PeghGbN-yvRLsu0uSMk4YerkZ12BCOEmyAYuydbkl3zNelmsfRblsBjKs87U/s200/16+weeks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651191538153800674" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Here is me at 16-weeks with baby #3...there is no hiding a 3rd pregnancy :P</span><br /><br />More about giving thanks: we feel it is important for our kids to learn manners *gasp*! There are so many kids (and adults) today that just flat-out do not have manners. We may be in the minority by saying "please" and "thank you" for the simplest things, however, I think it is very important to always give thanks for what we are given, no matter how big or small. It was a proud day for me recently when Cole began saying "please" and "thank you" without any prompting from daddy or myself!!! I had to stop and just let myself smile :) Now he gets VERY upset if he says "thank you, momma" and I don't reply promptly with a "you're welcome." I mean very. Upset. It's kinda cute, actually. And Owen, well, his first true words after "dadda" were "thank you, momma." That was the ONLY way I could get him to say "momma!" LOL! Now he hardly says anything besides "dadda" and "dis" ("this" as he points to what he wants). He's more focused on getting his waddle-y/penguin-like walk down to a science versus learning to talk! That's my boy! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYmIg47BYdSi5b7bChE6GsjG69He5b-zWWNrZzSo1wVGOtvuZG6wduNEPxOoJ3uvrZpb12q7eK8RThijOGHwCKva00xMnTTqSzdESX5YJyyft0y1MWABUDUbjFtULrReMoNId9PFwHBw/s1600/owen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYmIg47BYdSi5b7bChE6GsjG69He5b-zWWNrZzSo1wVGOtvuZG6wduNEPxOoJ3uvrZpb12q7eK8RThijOGHwCKva00xMnTTqSzdESX5YJyyft0y1MWABUDUbjFtULrReMoNId9PFwHBw/s200/owen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651191543740855362" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Here is my sweet Owen, he grabbed the camera and I found some very blurry pics on there!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZ-fjQvt8thZiszecVlmUWQPwhE9RtKEc8ghSGdBQtYABn85AP6SW4WcWDgqZJLsU8hc55h9V1TJIJWRgKyZpHZiZHiyIqQEjHpQo8DKUPeG1YgkNtiOWqKrD1MzCwBTwReMIX9z_-1M/s1600/First+day.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZ-fjQvt8thZiszecVlmUWQPwhE9RtKEc8ghSGdBQtYABn85AP6SW4WcWDgqZJLsU8hc55h9V1TJIJWRgKyZpHZiZHiyIqQEjHpQo8DKUPeG1YgkNtiOWqKrD1MzCwBTwReMIX9z_-1M/s200/First+day.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651191544503411042" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">And here are my sweet sweet boys on their first day of Mother's Day Out...what a blessing that is for a SAHM!</span><br /><br />Anywho, may you find your life full of moments and blessings to give thanks for :)A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-84101072064806682412011-09-07T15:19:00.021-05:002011-09-09T12:49:52.816-05:00The Chesser Family Whirlwind Tour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYJKsBmDiBahR_lQzCJODTmTpNuWzxJdQ2oDJJ3Puz_qPZOI0l6RjWQ8tAWRQzBvsyWI6vmeJ0cIe23X24KL-9GxfRA9kbR8jtD9cCJLC_fcmyFTTqjlXH_Wk3qtYTM-6-pAgquc6Nss/s1600/Family.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYJKsBmDiBahR_lQzCJODTmTpNuWzxJdQ2oDJJ3Puz_qPZOI0l6RjWQ8tAWRQzBvsyWI6vmeJ0cIe23X24KL-9GxfRA9kbR8jtD9cCJLC_fcmyFTTqjlXH_Wk3qtYTM-6-pAgquc6Nss/s200/Family.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649726125943426402" /></a><br /><br />It's been almost two years...actually, 22 months to be exact...since we made our big move from Austin, TX to Tulsa, OK. We didn't make a trip last year as we had hoped, and needless to say, we were long overdue for a visit! So, we planned a long weekend vacation over Labor Day and drove to Texas with the boys in tow. We left on a Thursday evening and arrived back home, dark and early at 2:00am on Tuesday morning. We stopped in three cities-Dallas, Austin, San Antonio-and visited with over 40 friends in our short trip. I would call it a success! We had a wonderful time and are so glad we had the opportunity to go back, catch up with some fantastic friends and visit one of our favorite places in the world...Longhorn Country! For being stuck in car seats in the car for some 10 hours each way, the boys did awesome! Want to know our secret? It was snacks, fruit boxes, toys (mostly those that made noise and lit up), books (also those that made noise), a very silly mommy (aka Me) and a DVD player (however the brand-new thing pooped out on us in San Antonio, so our trip back was sans-DVD player but we survived!). Also breaking up the trip on the way down there and then driving back at night while they were sleeping helped a lot. Along with catching up with friends, we enjoyed some much-needed family time and had some fun silly times together :) Here are some of the highlights of traveling with our toddlers:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mzcoyOWiMpzrp4jGdtv6EBOnRO2kI4AT0hD5vBsCQ46FIHLA9PfhEdFIXN7chl_1WWGArMHYpEdKRpZcisIBoEEhMwSZVIjJjOOHcYxVyVsugp5BaAsJa7PZsvQIVQG0zahOy885q-g/s1600/Cole+south.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 176px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mzcoyOWiMpzrp4jGdtv6EBOnRO2kI4AT0hD5vBsCQ46FIHLA9PfhEdFIXN7chl_1WWGArMHYpEdKRpZcisIBoEEhMwSZVIjJjOOHcYxVyVsugp5BaAsJa7PZsvQIVQG0zahOy885q-g/s200/Cole+south.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649723929869876786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXn5AOQGSLa6sXmHvsbur0c7CmA6mj15WdbosJyqFAJ9rJIHh9gz0j2SlUw7rZEY7KkeOtvPjJi-yv-vU7QMrADkblsh50dWPfxJCT8EZvH44eBKxsK_y7Usx6Upt0IR0fY5PcHU589o/s1600/Cole+asleep.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXn5AOQGSLa6sXmHvsbur0c7CmA6mj15WdbosJyqFAJ9rJIHh9gz0j2SlUw7rZEY7KkeOtvPjJi-yv-vU7QMrADkblsh50dWPfxJCT8EZvH44eBKxsK_y7Usx6Upt0IR0fY5PcHU589o/s200/Cole+asleep.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649724849620139362" /></a> <br /><br />~ Cole had some of the funniest things to say on our trip. It gets bumpy along Hwy-75 and one bump sent us bouncing up & down, and out of nowhere Cole replied with a loud "whoops!" Had us rolling! Later, as the sun set during our drive, Cole told us it was "getting dark and don't be skeered (scared)." So cute! He also told Craig to "not go faster." What? Is this really my kid? I love to go fast! And my favorite Cole-ism of the trip was calling our friend's dog "Grandpa"...his name is "Rambo" LOL! <br /> <br />~Oh the joys of a potty-training toddler. As we're attempting to enjoy a lunch with some friends and their little one (the boys were getting very restless by this point), I saw the look on Cole's face that says "I have to poop." I thought to myself "crap" (appropriate, huh!). We go running to the bathroom to discover the only Ladies room is locked. Crap. Again. So I said "to heck with it, we're going in the Men's bathroom." Must say that was a first. Whatever it takes when you have kids!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR-QCBHRhUg51OWcgRlV9qjQa8TTAItepiRvslVUlqUg_kpZwveMx9kX6zHdQy1BbMjZMsYqhLGOGu2kpAaJaPCvs1M1zxxF_fiy2uXUFU4w9lWKIa-6_aIzZqGb2qhejUi2RCrF_iLQ/s1600/Owen+south.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSR-QCBHRhUg51OWcgRlV9qjQa8TTAItepiRvslVUlqUg_kpZwveMx9kX6zHdQy1BbMjZMsYqhLGOGu2kpAaJaPCvs1M1zxxF_fiy2uXUFU4w9lWKIa-6_aIzZqGb2qhejUi2RCrF_iLQ/s200/Owen+south.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649724090234653010" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZWPVjfACQnYgmuVYSgHrdxO984XkWvqic40-t0b8rqwZHyhKLJ4Nr4Egs0_BxvKZY7o-qnkgi8PfQyTBaKhulaAI24_T_u63WkJr8qBwIMkL5QO-zQ1TsI_COxczFi86pNaI_rFkyEk/s1600/Owen+asleep.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZWPVjfACQnYgmuVYSgHrdxO984XkWvqic40-t0b8rqwZHyhKLJ4Nr4Egs0_BxvKZY7o-qnkgi8PfQyTBaKhulaAI24_T_u63WkJr8qBwIMkL5QO-zQ1TsI_COxczFi86pNaI_rFkyEk/s200/Owen+asleep.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649724996845294098" /></a><br /><br />~And then there's Owen. My sweet, cranky, stubborn Owen. He refused to sleep the first night when we were in Dallas. Seriously, because of him, all four of us only got two hours of sleep that night. He was much better the remainder of the trip. I think he was just excited to be in a new place! And boy that kid can eat! He even ate the salsa at Chuy's (which is rather spicy!). It sure gave us and our friends a good laugh to watch the expression on his face! He is so ticklish too, if he started to get fussy in the car, all I had to do was tickle him and it made us all laugh! Such a contagious laugh and smile!<br /><br />~Cole is obsessed with trains. Points out every railroad crossing or train that we see. Owen is right behind him in loving trains (although I think it's more to do with the fact that Big Brother loves them...so sweet!). Since we were visiting Austin, we decided to take them on a ride on the commuter rail. This was a huge project that Craig worked tirelessly on before we moved. The project finished up in October of 2009, but the rail didn't officially open until the following Spring, so Craig never got to see the finished project in action. Let me say it was a very special moment for him to see the commuter rail in person and to ride along with his train-loving boys! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8q5HY-3EW_o8P7P7UUVzCWOxVq2IbjooqGYfo4KqASqr_fd4EzKl7OKIWDQKd2Ci58fiEZmd-vdkqy7eC4hLqmrCEO9ebZAu3V8r3O9M6-GRbVANkKc-qRfXnWQiCmmKi32l2E1usgY/s1600/Moms+Boys+train.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8q5HY-3EW_o8P7P7UUVzCWOxVq2IbjooqGYfo4KqASqr_fd4EzKl7OKIWDQKd2Ci58fiEZmd-vdkqy7eC4hLqmrCEO9ebZAu3V8r3O9M6-GRbVANkKc-qRfXnWQiCmmKi32l2E1usgY/s200/Moms+Boys+train.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649724404040334162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS08979bDJv5y3BV2WiXr2hD9kkl5SZxHNxOJy8tt6bPU5PZZ_TMIcnMoBd3HggUYPxrgu21JoedjfRBtivUm_FxLxtDP9raLOgS4vZx8fvh9HfVkVj9zO028NsZ0zsz_rCS_wJELZDHU/s1600/Craig+Owen+train.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS08979bDJv5y3BV2WiXr2hD9kkl5SZxHNxOJy8tt6bPU5PZZ_TMIcnMoBd3HggUYPxrgu21JoedjfRBtivUm_FxLxtDP9raLOgS4vZx8fvh9HfVkVj9zO028NsZ0zsz_rCS_wJELZDHU/s200/Craig+Owen+train.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649724399114244834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSXHXls9yE9AmWscO3girmIAZ7oX-GP6RX7Mi3ccvluLdSj6XBDiX56i-VdyYhYIokEP0TbflxJoy7v5K2FjR1AK8PD3TbH9wa9ylp6PLNarpHnFXZzNGycdYPfah0nAl-o3RkYx7JA4/s1600/Cole+train.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSXHXls9yE9AmWscO3girmIAZ7oX-GP6RX7Mi3ccvluLdSj6XBDiX56i-VdyYhYIokEP0TbflxJoy7v5K2FjR1AK8PD3TbH9wa9ylp6PLNarpHnFXZzNGycdYPfah0nAl-o3RkYx7JA4/s200/Cole+train.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649724400180182802" /></a> <br /><br />~One of the best moments was when we were leaving campus and Craig says "someone is taking a picture of us!" Come to find out, a car behind us and in the other lane had backed up, the passenger pulled out her iPhone and they were taking a picture of our Oklahoma license plate that says "Hook Em." Yup, if you see that license plate around town, that's us! <br /><br />It was a wonderful trip and we're so thankful to have seen everyone, we truly feel blessed to know each of you! Next time we will try to make the trip longer so we can visit with everyone and those friends that we missed this time around. Happy vacationing!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-46418749375475858752011-08-25T07:39:00.011-05:002011-08-26T07:38:46.375-05:00Self-discipline2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
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<br />Multitasking (MTI). It's a beautiful thing. When you actually accomplish something! I wrote a post when Owen was a newborn, something about breastfeeding while doing two or three other things and I asked if it was MTI (multitasking) or TMI (too much information)?! LOL! As moms we have to MTI. Answer the phone while changing a diaper and letting the dog outside. Or folding laundry with one hand while holding a baby in the other and changing the channel to entertain the toddler. Problem is, my MTI doesn't get anything accomplished anymore! At the end of the day, all I have are half-completed chores all around my house. And yesterday I couldn't remember what year it was...seriously. I was filling out our enrollment forms for gymnastics while trying to keep the boys entertained and looking up our pediatrician's phone number (for the paperwork) and honest to goodness could NOT remember what year it was. Yikes! I was so embarrassed and overwhelmed at that moment that I didn't dare ask someone what year it was! Thankfully the paperwork said "For the year 2011-2012"...whew! Once upon a time I rocked at MTI. At my first "real" job after graduating college, I could answer the phone all while typing up a note in a student's file and grabbing handouts for another student standing in my office. And I think I did a fairly good job at it! Not anymore, I really think I have developed ADD since becoming a mom. Problem is, I get started on something just to get interrupted shortly into the task and then I forget to return to finish it. Or I start a chore and notice something else that needs attention and is a higher priority. So, my house is always halfway cleaned, laundry halfway done, two hours worth of ironing piled up, clean dishes still in the dishwasher, etc. etc. etc. So, I've decided it's time to change it (or at least try)! There is some psychology behind this (yes, I'm a bit of a psych nerd) and I wanted to choose a goal that I considered "easy" so that I would have a quick success to keep myself motivated for change. However, I always bite off more than I can chew so I told myself to pick one goal for this week. So, what do I do? I chose two. It's just one of my quirks...to be an overachiever :) My goals for this week were to 1) plan out my week by writing down specific to-do's on specific days, and 2) really focus on keeping the house picked up by cleaning up after ourselves and doing a quick pick-up after the kids go to bed. So far I've been doing ok. I've been marking off my to-do's like never before and the house is somewhat picked up *wink* I would give myself a "B"...I think I would've been more successful had I just stuck with ONE goal this week LOL! I believe it all comes down to self-discipline and setting realistic goals and I think it's going to be a lifelong work in progress!
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpmxYM8SBvbh-r0NMZ-YwUFBJ6C-WMKNfteyHH33DPLxT_eD41h_JnTLv5fIvkpn7cO7-Jw3okR6PY1IJlVqZtFnLJzj4kUjo5c42a0P_MhKJ3SqY3xmN86JsG7pbC0DjZ0yjyFxHcdE/s1600/Owen+corn.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 104px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpmxYM8SBvbh-r0NMZ-YwUFBJ6C-WMKNfteyHH33DPLxT_eD41h_JnTLv5fIvkpn7cO7-Jw3okR6PY1IJlVqZtFnLJzj4kUjo5c42a0P_MhKJ3SqY3xmN86JsG7pbC0DjZ0yjyFxHcdE/s200/Owen+corn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644786760734731202" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ul3F8MWqySdJayPNtwlm_LueYKQQmR-_BUqTLuDZxLBM7h9oqXx8SsrChPdT6JSpuxnkVwKo-oVVndddM1ZGZJowUjzciwCFC4ziBiyRT9h-WBT7Z5X58pqd3QQKH0fKB7Z3fisFwpk/s1600/Cole+swing.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ul3F8MWqySdJayPNtwlm_LueYKQQmR-_BUqTLuDZxLBM7h9oqXx8SsrChPdT6JSpuxnkVwKo-oVVndddM1ZGZJowUjzciwCFC4ziBiyRT9h-WBT7Z5X58pqd3QQKH0fKB7Z3fisFwpk/s200/Cole+swing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644786754890588146" /></a>
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<br />So, onto the boys! They are truly so much fun. On most days. Cole is working on his vocabulary, he still pronounces "octopus" as "applesauce" and gives a really awesome attempt at "hippopotamus!" It's interesting to watch a child in the two-to-three year old stage. I always thought the "terrible two's" meant the child continuously misbehaved throughout the 2nd-3rd year of life. Instead we are more like on a roller coaster ride. Sometimes it's smooth sailing, he behaves well, he's sweet and caring and minds. Other times we are up and down with tantrums and back-talking and just down-right bad behavior. It's interesting to watch them grow because you know they are developing and learning about their boundaries when they begin to misbehave...I see his little mind asking "how far can I go with this and what can I get away with?" Toddlers are confusing...one moment he's kissing baby brother good night and the next he's coloring in the white flower on my rug with a pink marker. Thank goodness it's a washable marker! I seriously wonder what possesses them to do these things?!?! LOL! And Owen is our little eater! The kid eats everything and won't turn down any chance for a snack :) He's at the stage between baby and toddler where everyone stops to talk to him (he's still got that cute baby-ness about him, yes I made up a word, but he's not quite to that obnoxious toddler stage that strangers run from)! And he just eats it up! He's not really saying many words besides "Papa!" I remember Cole doing this too...he started saying words and then completely stopped. Owen was saying "thank you" "mama" "dada" "zoe" "dog" but now he's back to babbling and pointing (he points at my dad and says "Papa" at least!). He keeps us entertained and on our toes (he gets into things faster than I can blink an eye-he threw his blankie into my mop bucket this morning and now it smells like vinegar...pretty sure he won't want to sleep with that!). He also LOVES his big brother, wants to be just like him and do everything he does...I think it's sweet. Cole can't stand it! And yes, I signed them up for gymnastics. You're probably thinking "boys...in gymnastics?" I say, "why not?!?!" My sister-in-law first introduced the idea to us when she enrolled our nephew in it several years ago and then we attended a few parties at Tulsa World of Gymnastics and they loved it! We tried out a class for free yesterday and I had to DRAG them both out, both protesting, both wanting to stay and play! Totally worth it to me to see them so excited over an activity! Anyways, here are a couple pics (please forgive my terrible photo-taking abilities):
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<br />A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-78084778630954703292011-08-19T09:03:00.003-05:002011-08-19T09:31:05.552-05:00Morning sucknessProverbs 3:5-6 NIV: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
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<br />Confession: I HATE vomiting...morning sickness turned morning suckness
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<br />No, that's not a typo and no, you didn't read that wrong. I have had a case of "morning suckness" with this third pregnancy. It's been awful. To give you an idea, it hasn't been just the regular 'ol nausea and vomiting, I have felt possessed! It was like having an exorcism every time I ate. Fun times! With the boys I had nausea and a handful of trips to the bathroom (well, with Owen I had a stomach bug that landed me in the ER, but that only lasted 48 hours). And with the boys I was working with nurses, which was a wonderful support because nurses have this innate ability to look at someone and say "sit down, you're looking too green." My boys, well, they don't quite understand what "looking green" indicates. To Cole, the color green means it's our turn to go through a light or the color of a crayon or the grass. But they don't understand it means mommy is sick! There was one morning I was in the bathroom, Owen cheering me on (he got a kick out of it!), Cole was SCREAMING at me in the hallway (wanted milk or something, who knows, I was too busy performing my daily exorcism), and Zoe was scratching incessantly at the backdoor (I was just praying my geriatric dog could hold her bladder until I could get to her). Again, fun times! I just had to laugh! And let me say, even though I have been sick as a dog, I have been H-U-N-G-R-Y! Imagine living with a very hungry pregnant woman who can't eat. My poor husband! Lived off of popsicles and sherbet for a few weeks. I never want to eat either of those again, or at least for a very long time. I seem to be past the worst part of it, still have some nausea which I expect to hang around for another month if it's anything like with the boys. But, I can handle that as long as I'm not feeling possessed any longer!
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<br />And to my real confession: at times I've been angry at God, asking why me? Why am I one of the "special" ones who gets to enjoy morning suckness? But, I've realized it's not very helpful to ask 'why me?' And when I made myself take a step back and listen to my supporters, I heard wonderful messages that have encouraged me to get through this. I do understand that morning sickness is maybe not so great for me but really good for the baby and that in the grander scheme of things, it lasts only a short time in a long lifetime. Ok, so now that I have my head straight (for the time-being!), I hope I haven't caused you to toss your cookies, well, pancakes since it's still morning :) And hooray for our "bonus baby!" A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-20817843045522236452011-08-12T13:10:00.008-05:002011-08-12T13:46:22.318-05:00ConfessionJames 5:16 NIV "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
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<br />Confession. It's a powerful thing. And important. And necessary. For our souls to be fulfilled. To feel free. To walk on our path towards everlasting life. It's a beautiful thing! Therefore, I have to confess something...lately I've been a slacker, a procrastinator, and lazy. I haven't kept up with house chores, paying bills, yard work...the list goes on, but it's embarrassing to share. It's because I haven't felt well in weeks (we'll get to that another day), but that's no excuse. I do not like admitting that about myself. I've always been a hard worker. It's killing me to feel this way about myself. To feel like a hermit. To feel like a failure as a mom even though I know I'm not. But it's hard to not feel yourself and you don't feel like you're taking care of your kids to what you know is the best of your ability. However, confessing it and confessing it out loud gives me hope for a turning point for me to change my attitude. To get me started towards a more positive outlook regardless of things I cannot control. So, step one here is for me to start blogging again. It's been a long long time! But there is something therapeutic about writing and sharing and hearing other people's experiences (so please share anything anytime!). When I logged into my blogger, I didn't realize just how much I had been writing! I have a list of posts I've written over the last year (one was from when Owen was 3 weeks old). So, I hope you enjoy what I have to say! And for my far-away friends, I hope you enjoy seeing the boys even if just online!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhEZePaQd0i08jqb5jDRbw5555KLrw0WkoEH8X5Owryt2DdNgmAuRiAILuTcn3vjFz1LUSpX5gJCZXSiBXvc4Ck0Md-58iFjGdn57t5l8IuKBAKrYRfmC3jv2RuEBL5Z8ZUIA2ZcrwP0/s1600/Owen.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 171px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhEZePaQd0i08jqb5jDRbw5555KLrw0WkoEH8X5Owryt2DdNgmAuRiAILuTcn3vjFz1LUSpX5gJCZXSiBXvc4Ck0Md-58iFjGdn57t5l8IuKBAKrYRfmC3jv2RuEBL5Z8ZUIA2ZcrwP0/s200/Owen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640042166237320738" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWIqYce-Lb6OF7_huAEwYebilb8yAVbL-xUnqTDefS6zodQqXtOSHSAkJ7P5oDyCXHp9MOdFgi4X-i642Qypzlu3PkuHUR_vbdPfwgh0l1oBvMgGeF-hzPYuYt6PQnv4xXpkBHeVflG8/s1600/Cole.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWIqYce-Lb6OF7_huAEwYebilb8yAVbL-xUnqTDefS6zodQqXtOSHSAkJ7P5oDyCXHp9MOdFgi4X-i642Qypzlu3PkuHUR_vbdPfwgh0l1oBvMgGeF-hzPYuYt6PQnv4xXpkBHeVflG8/s200/Cole.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640042159737669346" /></a>
<br />My munchkins...they love to eat, but really I think they just love feeding our dog :) Forgive us for eating lunch in our jammies...it's Friday and well, just one of those days! Cole is now 2.5 years old and talking like crazy! He says some of the funniest things and we really have to watch what we say. He repeats it all! He loves playing outside and pretending to be like daddy with mowing the lawn, etc. Owen is 14 months old and walking full-time now. He eats. All. The. Time. Seriously, he can eat a whole meal and still eat a snack afterwards. And he's into EVERYthing, a very curious little tot! He's my little snuggler too :) A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-56680328859205092632011-05-23T08:33:00.005-05:002011-05-23T09:31:54.632-05:00CouponingSo, I know I haven't posted in my blog in forever, but thought this would be an easy way to answer some questions about couponing. I've never really shared my coupon secrets because I really didn't think anyone would be interested! Every time I used coupons in the store, people behind me groaned & the checkers just seemed annoyed. After seeing some friends get really interested, I'm realizing maybe I need to share my secrets! I first started using coupons in high school when I took over our family's grocery shopping. My mom had introduced them to me & I thought it was fun saving money! I used coupons off & on throughout the years & thanks to the help from some friends & family (Amanda Torres, Kristy Morrison, Jessi Mayfield) and other mom's across the US, I've been able to step up my game now that I've become a full-time SAHM. Also, I very rarely pay full-price for clothing (only when it's something I'm in dire need of or absolutely can't live without). Here are my "secrets:"<br /><br />1. ALWAYS work from a list when shopping. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've gone grocery shopping without a list. It saves lots of money when you know what you need & you're not buying off the cuff. Plus, you won't end up with a mish mash of stuff when you get home & then wondering what concoction you can make out of what you purchased! HOWEVER, if you come across an item that you KNOW you would use or use often & it's on sale, I buy it. Yes, you may spend a little more than what you planned, but then it saves on future purchase(s), so in the end, really you are saving money!<br /><br />2. Get organized. I've had my faithful purple coupon wallet for 10+ years & I had my mom's before that. Getting organized at the beginning makes it easier to stay organized. It means you can find what you're looking for in a fraction of the time. Recently, I upgraded to a 2" binder. I used dividers with labels (beverages, breakfast, fridge & freezer, etc.) and baseball card holders. I upgraded because my coupon stash was getting so big I couldn't fit them in my wallet anymore! I got my wallet at HEB (grocery store in Texas) but I'm sure you can find them at Walmart or probably any grocery store (mine was plastic & about the size of a checkbook wallet and had dividers in it). And of course the binder, dividers & baseball card holders can be found about anywhere. I sort my coupons by category & then put them in date order so that I use the ones that will expire earliest first. <br /><br />3. Take baby steps. I've always used the Sunday paper coupons. Those are pretty straight-forward & easy to use. Just make sure to read the fine print (ie buy the appropriate quantity, item size & follow the rules per the manufacturer like 'only 1 coupon per item'). Once you've got that down you can start taking more baby steps :)<br /><br />4. Start clipping, printing, texting & trading coupons. The Sunday paper is a staple in my house. And now with the internet, you can print coupons online! I use scrap paper from my husband's company so I don't have to buy paper, just refill my ink! BTW, if you go to Cartridge World (or someplace similar) you can get your ink refilled for WAY cheaper than buying new! They usually offer frequent buyer cards too & you can even earn your way to a free refill. And yes, they work just the same (unless you ahve a high-tech printer with computer chips in the ink cartridges, they aren't able to replace those so your printer may tell you your ink is always out when it's really not, a small price to pay for cheap ink IMO). Plus, you will be recycling (which anyone who knows me well knows I'm a freak about recycling). Here are the websites I use weekly to print coupons from: <br />www.coupons.com<br />www.redplum.com<br />www.smartsource.com<br />www.allyou.com<br />www.target.com<br /><br />Also, if I find a coupon on one of these sites that I would like more of, I either google it to find another site that will allow me to print or I print from someone else's computer. Many times, the coupon sites limit how many you can print based on your IP address. Coupons are also going mobile if you have a smartphone. Target offers them & texts you approx. once a week. Just make sure to take your phone with you & remember to have them scan the barcode! I tend to forget this one :P One last suggestion, find a friend or two who coupon & agree to trade! I clip every coupon in the paper (I don't really print extras online) & give them away. I also get some in return & keep passing along the ones I don't use. <br /><br />5. Find a website or blog that can be your guide. The one that helped me get started was www.couponsavinggame.com Also, I've used www.thekrazycouponlady.com and I've heard fabulous things about www.coupondivas.com It can be overwhelming trying to navigate more than one when you first begin. I say pick one website & get to know it before adding another. Or if you find that one website works, then stick with it! What I liked about them is they show you how to get the deals. Keep in mind though that sales & coupons vary by geographic area so although it may describe a 'deal' it doesn't always mean that your store will offer the same. I've also come across many of my own "finds" that weren't advertised. Now that I know how to get the deals, I don't rely on the websites so much. This past week, I only scanned them to see if I missed any deals while planning my shopping trip & came across a couple extra coupons I wouldn't have known about (they were on the product's websites). <br /><br />6. Learn the rules. Each store has their own coupon policy & the websites above should have them listed on there & the stores themselves should have them online. For instance, Target allows you to use 1 manufacturer coupon plus 1 Target coupon per item! If you find something on sale & have coupons for it, it's usually a great deal! <br /><br />7. Know your unit cost per item. I started figuring this out some 10 years ago when we debated purchasing a Sams or Costco membership. I always heard buying in bulk could save money but I wanted to know if it was true. It may be if you don't use coupons, but when you use coupons & break down the cost to unit, you find buying in bulk does not always save money. I started a spreadsheet (yes, I'm a nerd) that lists common items I purchase, the quantity (like with diapers & wipes) & the store. It then computes the price per unit rather than item (for example, even though the store brand diapers are cheaper than Pampers, if you use a Pampers coupon & figure how much you pay PER DIAPER rather than per box, you find that Pampers is cheaper!). I've found this to be very common among store brand versus name brand. But coupons are the key to saving money! Also, you'll find that price can vary greatly depending on where you buy it. Sometimes Target is cheaper than WalMart (this surprises a lot of people!).<br /><br />8. Stock up. And I'm not saying you have to be the extreme people on TV with a garage full of stuff. But start a stockpile of items that won't spoil. When toothpaste, toilet paper, kleenex, canned goods & the like are on sale, buy a few! Not only will you have enough Kleenex for when everyone in your house catches that cold, you'll have stuff to donate when you get that Reasors bag in the mail to feed the needy :)<br /><br />If you have any questions, please ask! Happy shopping!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-64735720612818352142010-06-10T13:58:00.002-05:002010-06-10T14:08:29.216-05:00and the winner is...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlG_6p2dFyIvdle14fFcpXvbC6NPWg2Ny88e1nDVxE1CIcnAuTREJOC2G9SwvSuJc4o3tsQJ-FhrsKvWydWc00-qaNpLdrbceMvIlAWDZ3M8umEfPFPJaP5zsXtVJ4gjtyVSM56zpCp4/s1600/Owen+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlG_6p2dFyIvdle14fFcpXvbC6NPWg2Ny88e1nDVxE1CIcnAuTREJOC2G9SwvSuJc4o3tsQJ-FhrsKvWydWc00-qaNpLdrbceMvIlAWDZ3M8umEfPFPJaP5zsXtVJ4gjtyVSM56zpCp4/s200/Owen+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481223729730502962" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ2epDknOe0dg3QFFj6-1cu_YbdXgupK9c2kjV2oBxGY0WjekqEDXZkbYfDj_M8DXw6IUbo1GsI_cPe9IaSsonJ7v6wMEtDaInol36hA_RUyJT3tSkPiBp_oBMn2vu4c6wuSbandSBfI/s1600/Owen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ2epDknOe0dg3QFFj6-1cu_YbdXgupK9c2kjV2oBxGY0WjekqEDXZkbYfDj_M8DXw6IUbo1GsI_cPe9IaSsonJ7v6wMEtDaInol36hA_RUyJT3tSkPiBp_oBMn2vu4c6wuSbandSBfI/s200/Owen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481223727044010082" /></a><br />We welcomed our second bundle of joy on May 27 at 4:08pm! He weighed in at 5lb 15ounces & 19 inches long. Very close to the size of Cole when he was born! We named our bambino #2 Owen, but struggled on the middle name. We threw out a few family names and finally settled on Austin as the middle name (hopefully it's obvious to everyone why we chose that)! It is so interesting to add a second baby to the family. Cole was not very happy when he visited us in the hospital, actually he had a bit of a meltdown :( But, now that we're home, he has taken to Owen quite well! He tries to say 'baby brother' and points to him, touches his hair, tries to poke his eyes just like a big brother should LOL! Cole has a few outbursts a day & tests our patience (and discipline), but all-in-all, I think he's handling the transition very well for an 18-month old. Owen is doing great, he eats like a champ & at 2 weeks already weighs 6lb 15ounces! I started to get worried as my due date approached that I wouldn't be able to love both children enough (I think this is a common concern for any mom from what I understand). But it is amazing how much your heart & love grows & changes for your children. It's weird to think that Cole is no longer my 'baby' but now my 'little man'! We are truly blessed!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-61980617303166313222010-05-25T13:49:00.007-05:002010-05-25T14:39:09.142-05:00Life as we know it<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrV4MXLQZmAANeF_g1Hmks82TlxjaQU_Eu5JC7DCh5gjCazgOUaTRFfhf8GLphT2L8xWbplPMDwyDI3MjfEdoaQwfSL1LQb0uaP1o5WjB5LgjZh4Up_G1G_XMj1MGO9CCmRtU7nkMOfU/s1600/cole+5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrV4MXLQZmAANeF_g1Hmks82TlxjaQU_Eu5JC7DCh5gjCazgOUaTRFfhf8GLphT2L8xWbplPMDwyDI3MjfEdoaQwfSL1LQb0uaP1o5WjB5LgjZh4Up_G1G_XMj1MGO9CCmRtU7nkMOfU/s200/cole+5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475293108552021074" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MvamgoqVsdrBz9lPkE2sXfvAiy3xaDnWpCWDyENF2P3gwptH3fVA2j3mdIX7xcrGoeycc08Aav7V4uYZcf4YF3WQiA3C5SK_h9ECb8cYR5QL7OqmoJqJ0nYcAsfaPugFzo6DmUWApiQ/s1600/cole+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MvamgoqVsdrBz9lPkE2sXfvAiy3xaDnWpCWDyENF2P3gwptH3fVA2j3mdIX7xcrGoeycc08Aav7V4uYZcf4YF3WQiA3C5SK_h9ECb8cYR5QL7OqmoJqJ0nYcAsfaPugFzo6DmUWApiQ/s200/cole+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475293100871285794" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLdQkA9pfVK5JoVyFXy6WCD_ZI4FlTJjKbLxcAYZulNIldXFCltXAE8-im9GQodl-Qg3zmeFUHbyUWRLbcU6-cA9WT5FGTHHNJcSMWbMGZt9IZtox_gG0DRNKSXC_UqhGSIegOUajovM/s1600/cole+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 108px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLdQkA9pfVK5JoVyFXy6WCD_ZI4FlTJjKbLxcAYZulNIldXFCltXAE8-im9GQodl-Qg3zmeFUHbyUWRLbcU6-cA9WT5FGTHHNJcSMWbMGZt9IZtox_gG0DRNKSXC_UqhGSIegOUajovM/s200/cole+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475293091778743970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5j_JdhyphenhypheneYEQ3oV5fHkVlMlp2qbO4qA7BVWjJpbxvlE1g7Em9SPH0L_DQVoxR94SikQB3Kix78owoYUWUC6QCgV3fgD92bx1AIOJ02TZ6fWvBJUJ6R-Jsljx-2Pmlu9A1bHjFrN1j9fCo/s1600/cole+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 122px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5j_JdhyphenhypheneYEQ3oV5fHkVlMlp2qbO4qA7BVWjJpbxvlE1g7Em9SPH0L_DQVoxR94SikQB3Kix78owoYUWUC6QCgV3fgD92bx1AIOJ02TZ6fWvBJUJ6R-Jsljx-2Pmlu9A1bHjFrN1j9fCo/s200/cole+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475293085787901826" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixeV3NYQl-sBjxlNSDE-6HM4-Nlqrjux8wiZ_M5UJ5F0I5bHt-Fn5mfJ8kqpyC8GGutfeLf6VW_cYrphByr0-dWRDKGPSTYdjwanNc0W9riODiht08maW8u2207svgGHGaDQGUeg2JT4I/s1600/cole+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 112px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixeV3NYQl-sBjxlNSDE-6HM4-Nlqrjux8wiZ_M5UJ5F0I5bHt-Fn5mfJ8kqpyC8GGutfeLf6VW_cYrphByr0-dWRDKGPSTYdjwanNc0W9riODiht08maW8u2207svgGHGaDQGUeg2JT4I/s200/cole+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475293080148010658" /></a><br />I figured I should post one last time before we become parents of two kids! I am being induced on Thursday (although I thought & hoped baby boy #2 would be here before then), and we are incredibly excited! The last 6-8 weeks have been an interesting transition for us as we learn to live with our 'new normal.' Our 'new normal' has introduced us to living with a new diet, living with an ostomy (I'll let you google it if you don't know what it is), and living with a hugely different perspective on life...in a good way. So, I think everyone knows by this point that my husband had a digestive disorder for the past 9.5 years that we could not get under control with conventional medication. Shortly after we moved back to Tulsa, we discovered we were out of options on medications (and quite frankly, did not feel comfortable with the remaining medications offered to us...side effects known to cause cancer). So, surgery was the final option & really the only "cure." So, we've gone through part one of a two-part surgery...part one removes the colon & creates an ostomy. Part two will occur after the small intestine has healed & removes the ostomy (thank goodness...while we are relieved for him to not be dealing with the pain of disease, living with an ostomy is rather challenging at times). We have learned so much through this process & we find it quite amazing that it takes what we feel is was a tragedy to learn to appreciate the right things in life. And to prioritize accordingly. I've mentioned before that one of the many reasons we wanted to move back to Tulsa was to lead healthier lives, but we had NO idea that this was the path we would be sent down. The old adage of 'if you don't have your health, you don't have anything' is incredibly truthful, powerful & not to be underestimated. So, onward we march with hopes for a healthier future, physically, spiritually, emotionally. <br /><br />As I write this post, Cole is trying to put on his daddy's flip flops...and he put them on correctly! He never fails to impress me on the things he picks up on & what he has learned! Everyday with Cole is truly a treasure...he is so much fun to be around (except for the glimpses of the terrible-twos...haha!). He is walking like a pro & is actually running! When he first learned to walk, you could see in his eyes & in his step that the boy wanted to RUN! Well, after weeks of tripping, bruises & bumps, he finally knows how to run (albeit with the chest & belly stuck forward & on his tip-toes...its super cute!). His vocabulary grows by the week (he now says mama, dada, dog, zoe, milk, wheel, geese and a few others that are unintelligible, but we get the point). I found this cool website for ASL & they have a whole section for babies...it's amazing how much easier it is to communicate with him using sign language. My goal was to teach him one new one each week...well, I failed on that ;) But, we've got the 3 down that we use the most...milk, down & more. Here's the link: http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro.cgi<br /><br />Cole has also learned to climb...he is quite the little monkey! But, I figure it's good exercise for him :) He's also learned to dance! If our connection wasn't so slow (I'm cheap & won't purchase the faster connection..haha!), I would upload a video of him dancing...he is quite the entertainer! We're also teaching him body parts & his favorite is his belly (he likes to pull up his shirt, just like every other kid, but he also likes to try & pull mine up too...not so cute!). He also likes to point out eyes, so if you hold him, be sure you don't get a little finger in your eye-he hasn't quite picked up on the 'don't poke other people's eye' lesson even though we go through it on a daily basis!A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-33200225583823347392010-03-18T12:57:00.004-05:002010-03-18T13:06:04.269-05:00Change is hard-part 2I prefer to end on a lighter note, so now, onto happier times! Cole is amazing! He brings so much joy & light to our lives! He is walking like a pro, trying to run (rather humorous to watch because he falls every time!), talking like crazy, brushing his teeth (actually, he mimics everything we do) & is incredibly independent (uh oh!). He is just a TON of fun! I gave him a couple of drawers in the kitchen to keep his straws and burp cloths, however I have found random items in there, like one of my dress shoes and a screwdriver. Then, I found a Matchbox car in the toaster...ha! We have already experienced our fair share of tantrums, but are learning to decipher between 'frustrated tantrum' and 'not getting my way tantrum.' By far, the best developmental book I've seen (I've probably already mentioned it) is by Dr. Brazelton and it's called Touchpoints. It is my user's manual! Cole is still a little peanut (now at 15 months and doesn't weigh 20 pounds!), but his pedi has reassured us that since he's meeting all the developmental milestones, there's nothing to worry about and he's just going to be small. We're hoping for the world's fastest soccer player...ha! Baby boy #2 is currently due around the first of June and is a wild man! He has found my ribs, diaphragm, bladder, stomach...and the acid reflux is unbearable...I think we're having another hairy baby...haha! Here are some pictures of Cole over the last month or so...he wanted to help us move boxes & was very entertaining pushing them around the living room. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxTiAxDWDMgsY3T9ZVNlvSIQcseA2PhLXU12aNd5DW2nW9JPaEM-VCv-e-mjG-bVCRt_DmHphGblhVfMSU1WGslPUxczaOZtvUoZiLYLQEEH9TXFWoANtTHDVASHZg0m4TaqdUmrIfYU/s1600-h/whale+spout.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxTiAxDWDMgsY3T9ZVNlvSIQcseA2PhLXU12aNd5DW2nW9JPaEM-VCv-e-mjG-bVCRt_DmHphGblhVfMSU1WGslPUxczaOZtvUoZiLYLQEEH9TXFWoANtTHDVASHZg0m4TaqdUmrIfYU/s200/whale+spout.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450035824058480146" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5l05uAAGtapaZB32oCbW1RAsBETdbDussTOAXqrQiD0x5LMwJM5WqX8uDwVsC30VixmTKpvCMsu2cbkl-FQr89XDvW2o7U5NQ9IYIUIbq0p8P-s1pUEXPKs4mUmejJy_39cBNrTpE1dw/s1600-h/moving+day.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5l05uAAGtapaZB32oCbW1RAsBETdbDussTOAXqrQiD0x5LMwJM5WqX8uDwVsC30VixmTKpvCMsu2cbkl-FQr89XDvW2o7U5NQ9IYIUIbq0p8P-s1pUEXPKs4mUmejJy_39cBNrTpE1dw/s200/moving+day.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450035694987960594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsVhyphenhyphenfETdbdgf3iq19N-tkwYixoazi5f3BC1ynses54XCTzACOGfQ-rr9Z1JkxJl4mlZiA_XwRK-CWlUAZmNQ2Sz8yKacbI9bisJq2-wuz38fvRk0Im8xncTFSqkvHEqCgR9edbgaOcI/s1600-h/me+and+my+baby.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsVhyphenhyphenfETdbdgf3iq19N-tkwYixoazi5f3BC1ynses54XCTzACOGfQ-rr9Z1JkxJl4mlZiA_XwRK-CWlUAZmNQ2Sz8yKacbI9bisJq2-wuz38fvRk0Im8xncTFSqkvHEqCgR9edbgaOcI/s200/me+and+my+baby.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450035685339051858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-zYqFM1NoZMGMOuzdOjSc5CffIRJ0W2QwZ8-OiCAXFOxTd5kK9kXh-EvR837cIupZGyVRnuLInWpkv9T9p1qeK-WpKjBFFclZw_hws7Jgwp93kelv_Mp6_wxiceY-4r9vD0nc9mbxhI/s1600-h/me+and+dada.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-zYqFM1NoZMGMOuzdOjSc5CffIRJ0W2QwZ8-OiCAXFOxTd5kK9kXh-EvR837cIupZGyVRnuLInWpkv9T9p1qeK-WpKjBFFclZw_hws7Jgwp93kelv_Mp6_wxiceY-4r9vD0nc9mbxhI/s200/me+and+dada.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450035680210273058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2XWSZzeUiOMr7F4BGQJZiobZpBVYV4wglh9dpvz7Rm-GadI9w47wyIClgohc2oe4bDrU15QKSR2atLdOkaRXqrv8nhB84UdG-s9zT5TClIcGbDQ_vz0hlmpAioXh_NsKdE_8NpnU42Y/s1600-h/funny+face.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2XWSZzeUiOMr7F4BGQJZiobZpBVYV4wglh9dpvz7Rm-GadI9w47wyIClgohc2oe4bDrU15QKSR2atLdOkaRXqrv8nhB84UdG-s9zT5TClIcGbDQ_vz0hlmpAioXh_NsKdE_8NpnU42Y/s200/funny+face.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450035676062032274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCfebUH0AKYQ4YHSSo8M19u77xpp7x3Rb9hBU1d6MOgFINbAxwwxnRhw_g_PdiPIZcDPWDq3Saa5NMXZ_7NXtCCSEFcJZVVBe3fe-iX2JOkr1IO161iVQCp2ALUxTVhFcXa-GE9GnTbI/s1600-h/cheese.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCfebUH0AKYQ4YHSSo8M19u77xpp7x3Rb9hBU1d6MOgFINbAxwwxnRhw_g_PdiPIZcDPWDq3Saa5NMXZ_7NXtCCSEFcJZVVBe3fe-iX2JOkr1IO161iVQCp2ALUxTVhFcXa-GE9GnTbI/s200/cheese.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450035666124905058" /></a>A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-86785438117004694022010-03-18T10:25:00.007-05:002010-03-18T12:57:45.135-05:00Change is hard-part 1Since I haven't posted in over 2 months (slap my hand!), I decided to break this into two separate posts to keep it from being too long. Here goes...<br /><br />So, I thought it was time to change up the blog to signify the recent incredible amount of change we have experienced in our lives. Change is hard. But, just because it's hard doesn't mean that it isn't needed or welcome. As you know, we made the big change to move back to Tulsa late last year. But, what you may not know is that shortly after moving here, we had a health issue arise that changed our plans for when we got here. And, it has put the house search on hold for now. While we dearly appreciated the hospitality of my in-laws, we decided to move into an apartment (and, I must say what a very strange feeling to go from owning your own home, to living with in-laws, to living in an apartment again). But, we are thankful we have a place to live where we feel safe and a space of our own to call "home," even if it's temporary. I don't want to leave you hanging regarding the 'health issue,' but we aren't ready to share with the world all the gory details. It is an issue we have battled for almost 10 years and have simply reached the 'end of the line' for treatment via medications. While I don't really believe in coincidences (I am more the the 'everything happens for a reason no matter how bad it may suck' philosophy), it really is a coincidence that we hit this point in treatment after moving back to be closer with family & friends. Their support, love, prayers, and baby-sitting during doctor's appointments has helped tremendously. Not to say we wouldn't have had similar support in Austin, but calling up family for a favor at the last-minute is less guilt-inducing than calling friends :). We (probably more 'me' than 'we') hope to share our story soon. We have found great inspiration and encouragement to move forward through others online, through their blogs, through their stories. While this experience has been heart-breaking, stressful, frustrating, and at times unfair, we hope that we too can provide support and encouragement to others one day. To encourage others to lead health(ier) lives and to NEVER ever take your health for granted. Because, as the old adage says, 'if you don't have your health, you don't have anything.' <br /><br />Thank you to my BFF for sending this to us: <br />Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."<br />Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-46429347971200622692010-01-09T20:18:00.005-06:002010-01-09T20:42:33.034-06:00Holidays, milestones, and more boys!!!Well, we made it through the holidays, albeit cold and hit by a blizzard. Cole was certainly more into opening gifts this year than last...I dunno, something about being 3-weeks old during his first Christmas may have something to do with it :) He got lots of good gifts from the grandparents & family & friends, but of course, his favorites were the ribbons, bows, wrapping paper and boxes! Cole has been working on his vocabulary and is quite the chatterbox...most of the time unintelligible, but cute! He's working on walking and braves taking a few steps at a time. He is at the independent, I wanna do it myself, stage which is good for him to gain confidence, but rather challenging for those of us standing by...ha! He insists on pushing his own stroller (which is rather awkward in busy public places), but must be entertaining to those walking by. All-in-all, he seems to be developing by leaps and bounds and is very interested in other children! It's so interesting how they notice each other and share the same look of 'hey, you're just like me!' <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHNu28qdBpLfD4piqYwH5qAc7PMQENvQYumIJzcsA9Avbf4g-0zStPDi3PNigMRElfuoexd4qqU20o0GLokKrJTH4LgtfwCcvjC-5CfMujVHDvAsqhwk0eagNMZO8WY_2_Ymcf4cLfAM/s1600-h/IMG_1739+SL+web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHNu28qdBpLfD4piqYwH5qAc7PMQENvQYumIJzcsA9Avbf4g-0zStPDi3PNigMRElfuoexd4qqU20o0GLokKrJTH4LgtfwCcvjC-5CfMujVHDvAsqhwk0eagNMZO8WY_2_Ymcf4cLfAM/s200/IMG_1739+SL+web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424934838037217842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LZ_lQf8eGLiIN80khAxYrLtNJiZOHApQUiEWFRVR8UDj4pPrsrdort-o3d64MtbG8BIPM_G9E2B3cbdGTC3mMI9YoOf1tPSsILO8vpQ0acoL5eYQxj0QpXzY1bcd_GcNoTczk9cJp2c/s1600-h/mad.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LZ_lQf8eGLiIN80khAxYrLtNJiZOHApQUiEWFRVR8UDj4pPrsrdort-o3d64MtbG8BIPM_G9E2B3cbdGTC3mMI9YoOf1tPSsILO8vpQ0acoL5eYQxj0QpXzY1bcd_GcNoTczk9cJp2c/s200/mad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424934835705636434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxTIyr6PhSHD0jzUV2CUiNY25m43utQ9CyYl6Lo899-YtySLA7KGMh2EYDLOcd_Qecc6QfAyqDV1hAlaobAK4AtyLIaqugVbhOW5rvJnqYUgBn1722qEmwRnxu50rtdBhg5rbODVfudE/s1600-h/20542_1135603244896_1671781711_260742_4076774_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxTIyr6PhSHD0jzUV2CUiNY25m43utQ9CyYl6Lo899-YtySLA7KGMh2EYDLOcd_Qecc6QfAyqDV1hAlaobAK4AtyLIaqugVbhOW5rvJnqYUgBn1722qEmwRnxu50rtdBhg5rbODVfudE/s200/20542_1135603244896_1671781711_260742_4076774_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424934830752560146" /></a><br /> <br /> As for the family, we continue our home search with open minds, but lacking results. We are throwing around the idea of building our own home, but we'll see what's in store! We're excited either way and thankful that we don't need to be in any rush. I think we have finally gotten everything switched over for phone numbers, addresses, emails, driver's licenses...the list goes on! It's amazing how much time and energy it takes to get things switched! Our biggest news of the month is that we are expecting a second BOY!!! He's very feisty (maybe more active than Cole was), so I have a feeling my hands will be full when he joins us in May or June. One of the many reasons we decided to move back to Tulsa was to try and help us (with support of family and friends) to change our ways of living to lead healthier lives. While we LOVED living in Austin, we both felt that we worked hard, but rarely played hard. So, our goals were to eat more at home, spend more family time together, find a good church we could call 'home,' among other things. We're trying to tackle them one at a time or at least in baby steps as not to feel overwhelmed. It is rather challenging to change our lifestyle, but it is nice to eat more at home (and see the resulting decrease in credit card charges!) and definitely spend a lot more family time together! We started attending the church my best-friend of 20+years attends and have enjoyed it so far! Hopefully this new year will represent a new 'us' and we hope it's a good new year for you too! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_5NfIEK9jkP63PeWb6xA7X0oz4HQnXoWQyalaMYJbADav0umshJzGynNfs3_Klwszjyt8tz8ov3O5epAj5SCF1uYKi-FNSezmAeqS-UXUzQoPjVqEsXT1jPgNVEM9FU84Fn_1RXZioo/s1600-h/IMG_1711+SL+web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_5NfIEK9jkP63PeWb6xA7X0oz4HQnXoWQyalaMYJbADav0umshJzGynNfs3_Klwszjyt8tz8ov3O5epAj5SCF1uYKi-FNSezmAeqS-UXUzQoPjVqEsXT1jPgNVEM9FU84Fn_1RXZioo/s200/IMG_1711+SL+web.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424935178113824866" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrokTGepJcHl_Lcn2hWvc_4NA-H8ORXlGhq9efOYVK_5fAxPQUUivPxWgGZpSy5vYhGBvANhR94fORkzt0vMC0zG6IODCh0nQPoLFAfWgBnq7leK6taqszp5_k5BBT1heqOQDo7Uo41M/s1600-h/IMG_1672+SL+web%27.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrokTGepJcHl_Lcn2hWvc_4NA-H8ORXlGhq9efOYVK_5fAxPQUUivPxWgGZpSy5vYhGBvANhR94fORkzt0vMC0zG6IODCh0nQPoLFAfWgBnq7leK6taqszp5_k5BBT1heqOQDo7Uo41M/s200/IMG_1672+SL+web%27.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424935175864052498" /></a>A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538681960474884945.post-50569065083839554542009-12-01T21:32:00.005-06:002009-12-01T21:43:20.843-06:00Happy 1st Birthday & Thanksgiving!!!!Auntie Aurea, this one is all for you! I'm so glad you told me you check the blog b/c I was considering not updating it anymore thinking no one actually read it! I'm so glad you do :) Well, we celebrated Cole's first Thanksgiving and birthday all in the same weekend! We had a wonderful time hanging with family (finally not working a Thanksgiving!) and showering the little dude with first-birthday gifts! While he didn't enjoy unwrapping the gifts, he did enjoy playing with them all! He is so interested in lights and sounds. He's been walking around tables and walls, he crawls like a champ, and he says quite a few words, mostly dada, mama, yaya (for Aurea!), milk & dog (or a versions thereof) and he clearly said 'uh oh' on his actual birthday!!!! He's grown so much and each new phase is more exciting than the one before! It's been so much fun watching him learn to explore the world!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdnIxkifc51q5zm4QhdecP8wZQELG0K_8XV99GRGaB16VFkiGlqiwh4V_FS3LFPUEQvscbUYPSdbyr_EhNWFTxbZKjC2ma1rKCqaEwdSKLFww2k5rmzNUUvsSxJwI5RF5_uhejHgkngg/s1600-h/cole+bday+6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdnIxkifc51q5zm4QhdecP8wZQELG0K_8XV99GRGaB16VFkiGlqiwh4V_FS3LFPUEQvscbUYPSdbyr_EhNWFTxbZKjC2ma1rKCqaEwdSKLFww2k5rmzNUUvsSxJwI5RF5_uhejHgkngg/s200/cole+bday+6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410478502069859634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz-ROnLYEduEfAefky6tYQbYefgaoNxTufRcZipJWnPVF0K_IaWfkTE8xJZDWvh0oc-rTZfltNJE5ySepH8U69JQWz2UfowHTtaHlivdlghYZWdrM_s4S3NnP0kVrcI2mHJQA9NwGte0/s1600-h/cole+bday+4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz-ROnLYEduEfAefky6tYQbYefgaoNxTufRcZipJWnPVF0K_IaWfkTE8xJZDWvh0oc-rTZfltNJE5ySepH8U69JQWz2UfowHTtaHlivdlghYZWdrM_s4S3NnP0kVrcI2mHJQA9NwGte0/s200/cole+bday+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410478501122859714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUODOAYrv-xQo3sEfRenHXVwPvATeuVEAV5akj7VrfZv0dLhTSfMgzQJavbHX676PvIGUtgltbwcmWiyBFhG1p4HpcN2gdDryj5EvT4Wwhv6a4ZkwLR9Z3guMReRgyJv9IJFlIG8nrBEU/s1600-h/Cole+bday+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 196px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUODOAYrv-xQo3sEfRenHXVwPvATeuVEAV5akj7VrfZv0dLhTSfMgzQJavbHX676PvIGUtgltbwcmWiyBFhG1p4HpcN2gdDryj5EvT4Wwhv6a4ZkwLR9Z3guMReRgyJv9IJFlIG8nrBEU/s200/Cole+bday+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410477638036030402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9vAoZfYX9uAkH0CqzTxf4meTJS8OzpxnAVVQiKe-t0tBIH64JsaSZopeymTB76E6qQMp1ZKGu_1uposidldHbcU40Gw-NLw27HqoCPp-Q-QjABrQDsBqOsRz5DIsIKNTUJ3p2aDfcrg/s1600-h/Cole+bday+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 166px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9vAoZfYX9uAkH0CqzTxf4meTJS8OzpxnAVVQiKe-t0tBIH64JsaSZopeymTB76E6qQMp1ZKGu_1uposidldHbcU40Gw-NLw27HqoCPp-Q-QjABrQDsBqOsRz5DIsIKNTUJ3p2aDfcrg/s200/Cole+bday+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410477633945861490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2G_ZoPwzD30UbDBexZkyLcwb4MgsTET3VNi-YP7BTU_OsuVJjfEg-WmUNu9fRXEMrqMbjOoh0ECSfyckjLcD-VaQYIA89uQoaZWag_Zl4Ybu0ikHJ8dWAjzwIhmmrmYEWJx3e8htErc/s1600-h/Cole+Bday+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2G_ZoPwzD30UbDBexZkyLcwb4MgsTET3VNi-YP7BTU_OsuVJjfEg-WmUNu9fRXEMrqMbjOoh0ECSfyckjLcD-VaQYIA89uQoaZWag_Zl4Ybu0ikHJ8dWAjzwIhmmrmYEWJx3e8htErc/s200/Cole+Bday+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410477623997507138" /></a>A Day in the Life of a SAHMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06043702600679568167noreply@blogger.com0