I'm a Rockin Blogger!

I have just received my first blogger award! My SIL and best friend Elizabeth (I am sure her nomination wasn't biased, lol), @ The Whole Family nominated me for a Rockin Blogger Award and I am ready to accept. Its funny, I think her motivation for my specific nomination was to get me to post more because I am kind of a slacker sometimes. Lets see if I can live up to my award. :)

Ok, So, I guess I am supposed to nominate 5 others but Elizabeth already nominated some of my favorites and I only have enough time in day to check a few so I am nominating less than the required amount. I hope I dont lose my award for that. lol. Anyway, here goes...

1) I have to give my first to my friend Kendrah, who blogs like No other! She keeps up several different blogs, holds down a job, coaches basketball AND has a social life! I discovered her through our mutual love and obsession for ALIAS and she is SO devoted that that ALIAS blog, one yr after the Series premier, is still going strong! That's Devotion and She rocks! I don't care if you don't like Alias, just go to read her stuff. :) Lets Talk Alias.

2)Jenny, The Bride Helper, is my second choice. She is a friend and a local wedding and event planner. She always has something insightful to say or something controversial, both work for me! (You would have been #1 if you would have gotten your nose peirced with me....J/k...lol)

3)Jenn is another Alias junkie who I met through our mutual obsession but I have come to enjoy reading her blog as well, which is full of pictures of her Adorable daughter Rachel, and she ALWAYS has something posted that makes me laugh. Thanks Jenn..... Birdie Two Shoes

4)This last one goes to my friend Sarah who is just getting this because she finally caved and opened up a My Space and actually posted her first blog. I am just proud of her for making the effort to follow in our footsteps. LOL. Life is Good

Oh, that Steven......

Ok, Its late and though I really should be in bed, because Jack has been throwing up all day and Asher has been less than an "independent" child, I am up to feed my Steven Colbert addiction. :) I like The Daily Show, but "The Colbert Report" is so inanely funny that I ALWAYS know that I can get a good 20 minutes of pure laughter out of it. Its like the release I need at the end of my days filled with crying, fighting, whining, poop, etc... , or in the middle of it for that matter. :)Ooooohhhh, its just So funny! Anyway, if anyone is interested in becoming a part of the Colbert Nation just click here, or at least do it to read the contract because its funny. :)

Tell me Yours....

So, all this talk of piercings, tattoos, etc has gotten me thinking of other peoples tattoo choices. I mean, since a tattoo is so permanent whatever people get is typically pretty special so I wonder what people have chosen to get and why or if you don't have one, what would you get if you were to get one? I have comedy/tragedy masks on my ankle which I wanted for 6 years before I actually got them and they are obviously representative of my love for theatre. I have had my tattoo for about 8 years and still love it! Does anyone have one that they wish that they didn't?
Tell me all about your tattoos! LOL! :)

Vacation pictures

I told you that I would post some pictures from vacation and I am actually doing it. :) I am actually blogging three times in one week! Holy Cow, its like a record or something. lol! Check out Jacks first catch! How Cute, Ay?

In other news........I just overcame my fear and got my nose pierced. The thought of a needle going through my nose seemed too painful but my desire for a nose piercing become larger than my fear apparently and I just closed my eyes and did it. Its Super cute and I am SO glad that its over! :)

Sling Give-A-Way

Happy 4th of July!! Hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

I just thought i would let anyone interested know that My SIL is having a Solarveil Sling givaway on her blog. All you have to do is to click here and sign up in the drawing. She will be picking the winner in the morning. Good Luck!!! :)

Back and Hopefully Better!

Well, I am now officially unemployed! For those of you who don't know, I gave my 2 weeks at the studio due to some childcare issues. Des, who was co-oping with me got another job so therefore making it not as beneficial to continue on with the studio. Although I LOVED it I really believe that this is best for my family. Jack was having a really hard time with e working and I couldn't seem to keep up with things here. Anyway, it feels nice to be able to concentrate on the the kids for the summer and I should be able to blog more. :)

We just got back from vacation in Michigan so there was a reason why I wasn't blogging (this time anyway). :) It was SO relaxing, I am always bummed to have to get back into the daily hubbub of reality. It makes me want to spend more time at our lake house, at least before it sells anyway.

OH, Jack had his first experience of being in a wedding 2 weeks ago and, Holy Crap, he was ADORABLE!!! Ryan & Lauren made good on their promise to have Jack in their wedding someday and I had a slight fear that he would freeze but he did an Incredible job!! He did everything exactly as he was instructed. The flower girl walked down with him and threw flower petals in peoples face. That was a trip! lol! He had a great time dancing the night away with the help of the Red 40 in his Shirley Temple. He was running around in circles on the dance floor like a dog chasing his tail. LOL They really should take that stuff off the market. :) He did eventually pass out on the floor while cuddling with Daniel, which explains the picture of the 2 laying on the floor. :). On another note, wasn't Lauren Beautiful!

OK, Enough rambling, I will post vacation pictures soon and hopefully I will blog more faithfully now that I have some time at home. I trust that you will all remind me if I should start to slack! LOL!

Tact, A Lost Art?

So, as I have been trying to round up volunteers to help create, what will be, my mothers memorial gardens I am finding that some people around here never learned about a little something called "Tact". I have had a few really great people willing to carry on my moms memory and totally into helping but unfortunately I have had more than that be downright rude (well, IMO its rude). For Example, I asked one couple (friends of my mother) and the husband kinda seemed annoyed that I was asking and quickly said No, he had some things going on. The wife never responded so I asked her if she was interested and she said "ME, No Way, not my thing!" Her tone was pretty adamant about how this was TRULY not her thing. I wanted to say, "NO, your right, its not your thing, its my moms thing and we were wanting to see if you could take a little time out of your day and help out. " This is unfortunately just one example, I could go on but you get the idea. What ever happened to people, at least, being polite about saying no? Like "OH, I would LOVE to, I really loved your mom but we are really busy next weekend with some things and since this is so last minute we just don't think that we could do it" (said in a sympathetic & apologetic tone). Maybe its because I am from the South but I would Way rather hear that. I notice the lack of tact allot more here in the Midwest and I wonder if its a culture thing or maybe I am just older and more aware. Plus with this specific issue, we are dealing with my deceased mother you would think people would be abit more compassionate in their tone (God forbid they actually volunteer. lol).
OH, and Thank you SOOOOOOO much to all those who have volunteered!! I appreciate it more than you know!!!! You All Rock!

In Memory of Mom

Well, my computer is down for a bit due to a broken adapter but my husband has graciously allowed me to use his computer. :) LOL!
I am in the midst of trying to organize volenteers for my mothers memorial gardens at her last place of employment (somewhat of a halfway house for mentally ill women) My mom had a heart as big as Texas and she Loved what she did, which was helping others. She always wanted the ladies to be able to have a little retreat outside of the home that they could escape to for some down time. She always talked of making the backyard into some tranquil gardens but as a non profit agency it was a little hard to fund. Well, thanks to all of the donations that were given in her memory and honor, Greenwich House and all volenteers are about to make my moms dream a reality. My mom would love to see this and I SOOOO wish that she could! If anyone is interested in helping please let me know because we have LOTS of space for volenteers. :)

Kind of on the same topic, I am wondering if anyone has any experience or can relate at all. I always thought that it would get easier as time went on not having my mom and I am not finding this to be true at all. In fact it seems to get worse. I think in the beginning I must have been kind of numb just because it was such a long road and we were finally at the end. But now it seems like I have a good cry at LEAST once a week. I cant seem to make this void go away. YOu know when you get really sad or frustrated or pissed off or SUPER happy or giddy or your kids do something really cute or gross, etc... and you just want to call your mom and tell her about it(because God knows no one else will sit and talk to your baby on the phone for 10 minues when they arent really saying anything or listen to you tell boring stories of what that same child did today and actually be as interested as you are in telling it)? Anyway, I get that all the time and I cant call her anymore. It just Sucks!! Anyway, sorry for being a downer, I just wonder when it gets better or if it ever does? Ughhhh....now I'm crying again! Good Lord, sometimes being a girl is so frustrating! :)
I do have to say thanks to my SIL and best friend Elizabeth (and John for marrying her) because now that I cant call my mom I just call E and make her listen to all that stuff and she does it happily (I think). lol! Thanks, Love You.

Yes, I know, I am normaally bugging you with pictures of my kids but since I work at a studio I thought, "Why not get some pictures of myself?" I am the one always taking pictures in my family so we have LOTS of the kids and hubby but not so much me. Plus, Daniel has my senior picture hanging in the office and I thought he needed an update. Hey netta and Sara, do you recognize the 4th pose? Do you remember when I used to always have you take this pse of me back in the day. I can just hear me saying, "hey take a picture of me like this so it looks like I'm walking." LOL, Oh it makes me laugh just thinking about it! :)

Jacks BooBoo

I cant stop myself from laughing out loud Every time I see this picture! I know that most of you have seen this on my brothers blog but had to post it on my own. Jack was showing Daniel and I the booboo on his finger trying to convince us that he needed a band aid. He was somewhat unhappy that we got the camera out instead of a band aid hence the look on his face. How Perfect is every aspect of that picture! LMAO! I just cant enough of it. Its just so stinkin funny.

OK, on a similar topic, how cute is his hair? I just think its so cute with his long bangs. (we are trying to grow them out to match the back which isn't long) He looks like a little rugby player. :) That said, We either get people who love it or hate it and was wondering what others thought (not that that will change it, just wondering). :)

A little history....

"The bottles were designed with a integral glass tube, and a stopper. Attached to the glass tube there was a length of Indian rubber tubing, which ended with a bone mouth shield and a rubber teat. This design of bottle was impossible to keep clean and even though openly condemned by much of the medical profession of the time, continued to sell well into the 1920's. Much of this popularity was attributed to the fact that the baby could be left unattended to feed, even before the baby was old enough to hold the bottle. "

I was at work the other day and saw something that made me somewhat disturbed. It was a bottle that had a very long tube attached to it with a nipple at the end. THe child was able to eat while laying down without having to be held. I was taken back to something I had learned while doing research on the history of the bottle. One of the first bottles invented was coined "The Murder Bottle" or "The Death Bottle" because it had a tube that connected to the nipple that carried bacteria and typically caused sickness or death. I know that we obviously have better ways of cleaning and sanitizing now but it seems that people will do anything to not have to hold your child while feeding. I think if its an option then it is just too tempting. THe thing I thought was really astounding in this short article was that even after knowing the high risks mothers still chose to use this bottle into the 1920s because of the ease of being able to feed your child without holding them. What a sacrifice to have some free time! This is one of the things that when I spoke of bonding (in the comments on last post) I was referring to. A mother that nurses has no other option but to hold and cuddle their child while feeding whereas so many times (not all) with bottle feeding we get lazy and want to prop the bottle and have the child eat alone. I cant tell you how sad it makes me when I see a 3 month old feeding herself a bottle. Why are we trying ot make our kids SOOOO independent so early??? These are babies that DEPEND on our love and physical touch in order ot grow into functioning children and adults. I AM NOT saying that moms that bottle feed do not love their children!!!!!!! I think that women who choose never to attempt to breastfeed can still have that bond with their baby but I think it just takes a little more work. Babies are born with the instinct to immediately want to lay against their mother and nurse. THey have just been through a traumatic experience and lots of times they are wheeled off poked and given some unattached plastic nipple. Sounds comforting and cozy to me.

Anyway, as I have said MANY times before I think that formula is a Great invention but I think it is WAY overused. There are women who for one reason or another ( medication, medical conditions or even death) are not able to nurse and formula is something that is great to have in those situations. I just think too many woman use it because of simple convenience or because they just arent as educated and dont know. That is why I am so passionate about women being educated about this stuff and not relying solely on what their Drs say. I could go on but I will spare you all :)

I know, I know, I haven't been much of a blogger lately. I actually have somewhat of a valid excuse this time. I have been down and out with the flu for the past 2 weeks. Who knew that influenza was such a big ordeal? I think I am finally getting back to functioning at 100% though. We went to the lakehouse this weekend and it was SOOO Realaxing! Exactly what we all needed! I am sure that I have got something more intersting and contraversial to talk about but I am going to have to think about it and post in a few hours. Let me get my my controversial juices flowing. :) I will post in a little bit. Maybe I will post some pictures. :)

"Dont point your finger at CRAZYPeople!"

Girl Interupted has got such a plethera of great lines to chooses from when speaking about crazy people. If you havent seen it then go RIGHT NOW and rent it! Go....seriously, right now!!! ANyway, I was trying to help someone the other day with a dilema concerning a friend and she was talking about how she couldnt talk sense to her because she ONLY understood her own perspective and refused to listen to anyone elses. Then I started thinking about all the times that I have come into contact with people like this who I spend my time trying to resolve things with them on a rational level and we just end up where we started. The title line went through my head and I realized that, maybe, there is no point in trying to rationalize with an irrational person. You cant expect logic and reason from a person who doesnt function on that level. So, my question is this...What do you do with these situations? Do they get a free pass and are allowed to act and speak as they please because no one wants to deal with their irrational behavior or do we address it? And if we address it, how the heck do you do it??

This little piggy...

I know its a picture of feet but its cute isn't it?? I LOVE being able to do fun creative things with my kids pictures on my down time at work.
Anyway, with so much time at work I am slacking on Easter prep. Is it earlier this year than normal because it feels like it has really snuck up on me. Man, I cant believe we're already in spring!

Uhh... quick question, I have been seeing allot on the news about MSG and its huge effects on our bodies and health. I also see that it is in allot of infant formula. What the heck, first of all why are they putting it in there and why do people feed this to their babies? I have never given my kids formula so I don't really know,but do moms know what they put in this crap. I think I would probably just assume since its FDA approved then it was OK but the more I hear and read I fear we are trusting too much!

5 Years Down!

OK, I am sorry that I have been such a slacker with my blogging. This part time job hasn't been so part time lately. We are in the middle of a re staffing at work and so Des and I have been working alot. Its alot of work and surprisingly extremely tiring but I actually and REALLY enjoying it. You never know what to expect on any given day so it keeps things new and exciting. :)
Anyway, in other news, Daniel and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on Friday! YAY! I cant believe that its been that long. I guess it doesn't seem so long in the scheme of things but I remember before I was married thinking that 5 years was a long time. It really has gone super fast and really has been good. I guess time flies when your having fun. :) Plus, we've got 2 adorable boys to show for it. :)

Happy Birthday Mom!

57 yrs ago today a little girl was born and given the name of Sara Lynn. She was a blessing to So many throughout her 55 years. She did so much with what she was given. She was dealt a crappy hand in life but she made the most of it. She made lots of mistakes and had her issues but she was such an inspiration to me because she always made a point to admit her shortcomings and teach me something through them rather than deny them and allow pride to stunt any future personal growth. She always taught me to put others before myself not just in thought but in everyday actions. She is the reason that I have the compassionate heart that I do and she always reminded me to protect that character quality within myself. She was SO diligent in praying for her children and I can truly see the fruit of it today. She was a truly amazing woman that was taken from us too soon but I know that she is in heaven dancing so I can take comfort in that. :)
I could go on and on but unfortunately children and work call. Does anyone have any favorite memories that they want to share?

Holy Cuteness!!!!!

I know I am a little of a picture-aholic but how can you not be with cuteness like this staring at you all the time!

Ughhh....its just SO cute! I went in to get my free 8x10 at Picture People because I needed a close up for Jacks room but they were rude and wouldnt take me so I ended up going down to work and having Des take his pictures so that she could get some practice. Now, How fabulous are theses pictures?!?! Good job Des!

I Love Greys....Greys, Greys Greys! (said in the tone of Ron Burgendy)

Ughhhh....though it tortures me and pulls at my heartstrings I just cant get enough of that show!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!! So, if you didn't see it tonight and are planning to watch it later Don't Read This!!!
So, They cant kill Meredith...I mean...its called Greys Anatomy, As in Meredith Grey!! So though they did a convincing job at making me doubt this I have to think that in the end she will come through...BUT, they did refer to the next episode as the "Devastating" conclusion. I mean, technically wasn't she kinda already pretty much gone at the end of this one? Anyway, whatever happens..this is great drama and great writing!
I just have to ask, does anyone else watch Alex from Greys and just continually see a foreign guy named Mossimo trying to gain the affections of Jennifer Lopez (The Wedding Planner). Des and I may be the only ones but I had to ask! :)

Here we go......

I am officially finished with training at work and now I have to try to apply everything that I have been taught, Ha! It was MUCH more en depth than I thought it would be. I guess it makes sense, your learning how to be a photographer basically but I think I underestimated how hard that would be. All that said, I am excited about it all. :) We have to take pictures of models for about 2 weeks to see if we know what we are doing so if any of you want your pictures taken come on down! :)

Aren't my boys cute?? I got Jacks 4 yr pictures taken the other day and as I watched my boss try to pose them and actually get Jack to smile(he HATES having his pictures taken) I realized how difficult this job would be. I just hope that all kids aren't as difficult as mine! lol! She did get some good pics in spite of all of it! Let me also say what a benefit free pictures are for someone, like myself, who is obsessed with pictures! This job will definitely come in handy! :)

Feb 6th- Happy Birthday Jack (and Ronald Reagan)

Jack and Xander @ 3 months

Jack and Mommy at 2 1/2 months

Holy Cow, Time moves SO much faster as you get older or Maybe its just after you have kids, I dont know. Anyway I cant figure out how 4 years have past since I gave birth to my first little miracle. Jack was a Huge surprise to Daniel and I, we werent quite expecting to have a baby so soon after we got married but 11 months later we realized that God had a better plan for us in the form of Jack Carter. I'm so glad that God has a better plan for us than we have for ourselves! If we had waited the 2 years that we had planned then my mom would never had been able to meet any of my children and I never would have seen the ultimate joy in her eyes when she held Jack for the first time or witness how she she LOVED to spoil all her grandchildren. As I look back, there are SO many blessings in having him when we did. One of many is how he teaches me to be a better wife and mother and is constantly challenging me to smooth out my rough edges. The fact that EVERYTHING we do is teaching them something is very daunting and challenges you to step up! Anyway, I am So very grateful for that 7lb 4 oz blessing that God gave us 4 years ago yesterday and the bigger he gets the bigger the blessing he is! Do any other parents ever feel like they are going to explode because they love their kids so much. Its Really Crazy, who knew?! :)

Sorry the pictures are when he was 2-3 months but, for some reason I dont have any newborn pics on my computer. We must not have been digital yet. :)

Blah,blah, blah...

I have some fun news to share! I will be starting my first day at work tomorrow. :O A few weeks ago as Desiree and I were getting our sons pictures taken at Kiddie Kandids we were offered a job by the manager. It was somewhat flippant but she gave us applications as we left. The more we talked about it the more doable it sounded. The clincher was being able to co-op with the kids if we had to work during the day. One of us could watch the kids when the other worked. Plus, they train you in photography and how fun is that? :) So we decided to put our apps in and leave it up to God. Well our interview was Tuesday and we start training tomorrow. Yay! I'll let you know how it goes but so far I am excited. I have moments of being overwhelmed because I remember how difficult it is to work and do everything else that is involved in being a mom. But, I feel like God laid this in our laps and so I am going to trust that our family will all work together to make it a bit easier.
On a Whole different level, Des and I went to see "Catch and Release" last night and it seeing Jen onscreen again was So fun! I know, I'm a dork but I really love my Stars and Jennifer is just so refreshing to watch! :) Anyway, it was a Great movie and you should ALL see it! Also, since we're on the subject, I just have to rave about Greys Anatomy! Any of you who don't watch it are missing out because....., well......, just because its one of the best shows on TV! ( I am sure all of you are going to watch it simply because of that review :) )The writers know how to make me cry every stinkin episode. Ughh, the issues they bring up always hit so close to home. It seems kinda therapeutic. LOL :)
Oh, went to IKEA today and LOVED it! I think ALL stores should have child care while you shop. Why hasn't that caught on??? :) Anyway, It really was fun, the food was great, super cheap and they even had children's tables, plates, etc.... They had everything you could imagine and it was just overall a fun shopping experience. Its like a one stop shop for decorating and furnishing a house. Have any of you ever been there?

I'm not crazy....

So, I watched an incredible Dr Phil the other day. He had All the Sears Drs on to answer moms and dads parenting questions. It was So nice to hear Dr Phil call them the Gold standard on child rearing advice. I mean, I already knew that but now everyone elses who watches knows. :) Anyway, I was talking to my sil(sister n law) yesterday and she was remarking about how she had read on someones elses blog that they were glad that they didn't bring up attachment parenting at all because it comes with such a negative stigma. Now, this is where I get confused. I notice when I talk to alot of people (friends and strangers) about Sears or AP they look at me like I am some crazy hippie who doesn't know what I am talking about, or they just tune me out because they think its extreme. What I am wondering is why this whole Sears and AP style parenting comes with such a negative stigma? Whats funny is that alot of the same people who tune me out are those people who probably, without knowing it, are attachment parenters. But because no one listens they wouldn't know that. Attachment parenting is just about listening to your childs needs and responding to them. Obviously, there is more involved but that is what I feel it is in a nutshell. I was asking Des yesterday what she thought made people tune out or whatever and the only think she could think of was the fact that I go to La Leche League and some may have a misconception about the people there. So, then you have the stigma to LLL. I guess since I think its important to nurse my child and I need a chance to socialize with other moms a couple times a month then I am a hippie who lets my kid run my life. OK, that may be extreme but I'm venting! :) That's another thing, people think its odd that I am so passionate about certain parenting things and breastfeeding. Shouldn't you be passionate about things that you feel are good for your children? If you really believe in something don't you want to share it? Isn't that what we do with our faith, why not with other things we believe. How are we going to educate people about this stuff if just sit around with our hands folded on our laps. I am SO glad that people were willing to educate me so that I could make an educated decision about what to do with my own children. Anyway, I just wonder what people really think when they hear Dr Sears or attachment parenting and if anyone has any other insight into this. Sorry if I am being repetitive or rambling but this post took about 2 hours to write this morning because with my kids its hard to just sit down and do something uninterrupted. I got it done though! :)

Public Apology

I wanted to make a public apology to someone that was offended by one of my postings. I know we offend people sometimes by our views and opinions but my wording and something specific was hurtful and was brought to my attention this evening so I thought I would let her know that I was sorry. What better way to do it then here, where the offense took place.
I few weeks ago we were discussing Public vs Private schools and I made a comment about how my sister n law felt about them. It was brought to my attention that I was misrepresenting what she felt and what I said was hurtful to her. SO, since I am not a fan of hurting peoples feelings and like for any unrest to be resolved I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart! I also would like to amend what I said about her feelings on private schools. She does not think that they should all be shut down but simply prefers that her children go to a public school. I knew that she was passionate about that and was not accurate in what I thought her feelings toward private schools were. Again, Missy, I am very sorry!
Isn't it great to have the opportunity to humble myself in front of friends, family and God and I don't even have to leave my couch! :) Thank goodness for blogs and laptops! LOL
Missy, I hope that you read this and know that I truly am sorry and that you are family and that you are loved and accepted.

I dont have much to blog about but I figured I would just because I had a few minutes. I had to put up Ashers 1 yr pics just becasue I think hes cute! :) I am a little biased.

On a totally random thought, Jennifers new movie comes out on the 26th! YAY! Its a girls night out to see "Catch and Release". Whos in?

Yah, I dont have anything else to say really so this is officially the most pointless post as of yet. Well, with the exception of my adorable 1 yr old. :)

Happy New Year!!!!

Welcome to 2007! I hope that everyone had a Great New Years and that everyone is looking forward to 07. I am recouping from our new years bash. Des and I threw a a party here at our house and it was a blast!!! John and Elizabeth were here visiting which made my new year complete! We had about 15 or so people over and we broke in Daniels new Karaoke system. I cant even tell you how much fun we had, or at least I had! I will have to put on a clip pf all of us chicks singing! We danced a little, drank a little (or a lot), sang a little and hung out. There were some people upstairs watching the History channel or something.......lol.....party on! HaHaHa! As long as everyone was having fun. :) Anyway, it was by far my best New Years to date.....until next year! :)
Sara, girl, we still have to sing "Downtown" and Des, I still want to see you do "Walk like an Egyptian". Anyway, I hope that everyone is recovered and back up and running for work today! Did anyone else do anything special?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you on this special day! I am just sitting beside my tree that is all lit up with presents all around and stockings full. Christmas carols are playing and I am waiting for the rest of my family to awake. :) I still have a hard time sleeping on Christmas Eve. I guess I am still a kid at heart! Anyway, I wanted to wish everyone a VERY Merry Christmas and dont forget why we are celebrating today. God gave us incredible gift in the form of his son! Now, I am sure that it wasnt on Dec25th exactly but I think its a good enough day to remeber it! :) Go have fun with your friends and families!

My Baby is One!!!

Can you beleive it? Asher is one now. His birthday was actually December 7th so sorry for the delay in the post but we were on a roll talking about breastfeeding, vaccinations, etc... :). Anyway, he is So super cute it just makes me want to pee my pants. He is full on walking now. It took him a bit longer than Jack but he is So different from Jack in every other aspect too. He is so adorable toddling around the house. He gets excited and tries to go fast and then totally takes a spill. But he is resiliant and gets right back up and trudges on. :)
I cant wait for Christmas! Jack is going to be SO fun this year now that he fully can grasp what is going on and Asher will actually be able to play with his toys. Of course now, I am going to have to deal with the whole sharing thing. FUN!! Since we have had Asher Jack has all of the sudden taken an interest in baby toys. Sibling rivalry!
Oh, Jack is in his first Christmas program at church on Sunday! I am so excited and you can be sure that I will post some pictures! YAY!! Ok, enough of my ramblings. Thanks for listening!

Oh Brother

I am sure that everyone has seen this on the news but I had to post about it because it just makes me SO angry!! I am so outraged by the new "Left Behind" video game! If any of you haven't heard about it, its a new game that is apparently set "post rapture" and your goal, I guess, is to kill non Christians. Huh????? Who put this thing out on the market. Is this what we have representing Christianity? Apparently if you kill a christian accidentally then you lose some life but you can earn it back again by praying. How Nice. If this was out in the market and it was Muslims killing Christians it would be an outrage. Who is buying this and who is defending it??? I don't even have words for this! Gee, I wonder why people have such strong feelings on Christians? Could it be the stupid people who always come out of the woodwork to represent us. I sware we aren't all like this!

Boobies on a Plane!

Ok, Well it seems that we all have our opinions on breastfeeding and parenting! THe 130 or so comments racked up pretty fast, and all from a post about my family pisture! LOL :) So, this is somewhat in conjunction with that whole topic. I was watching Dr Phil the other day and it was about Home schooling vs public/private schooling. THese people were getting really pissed off at some of these home schoolers because they didnt agree with it. As I was watching it I started to wonder Why these people care who is home schooled and who is sent to school away from home? I have someone in my extended family (who obviously does not read this blog :))who gets Very passionate about the fact that children should ONLY be sent to Public school. Who the heck cares!!!!! Its kind of similiar to the question that I asked in my comments in my last post about why my pediatrician cares if my son is still nursing at night or if I choose to co sleep. As long as we are not neglecting our children why do people care what parenting style we choose. I know alot of people that do not choose to co sleep but that doesnt mean that I think that they are a bad parent. I understand if people want to share their opinions, I am ALL for that because I think that we need to be educated about other views, but this, my way or no way, thing is crap. Anybody got any thoughts?

Family Pictures

We have ALL been battling the flu this week and it has NOT been fun! Its So sad to see your kids in pain and unable to help. Its especially hard to watch your 11 month throwing up. This is the first time that Jack has been this sick either but he handled it pretty good considering. Its a good thing because its hard to do much when both mom and dad are sick as well.
So, now that we are all "flu free" we decided to get our fall family pictures taken. They took some time because we had a hard time getting Asher to smile at the right times and look into the camera but in the end they turned out pretty good I think.
Hey did you guys see that news report about tha lady who got kicked off of a plane for nursing her baby? What the hell is that about?? Ughh, that really pisses me off!

FINALLY!!

Okay, Okay, Okay, I know I am a little late for putting up the Halloween pictures but my camera was not cooperating. Arent they Adorable though!(Jack was a little pictured out in the family one) Just for clarification, Asher was a Kaola and Jack was Dr Shepard from Greys. It was SOO cute. When people would say "Oh, what a cute Dr!" He would say, "I'm Dr Mc Dweemy from Gweys Anatomy" Thats My Boy!!!! :) Anyway, They had a great time, or Jack did anyway but I am sure that Asher enjoyed his stroller ride.
Oh, Speaking of Greys Anatomy, I just cant get enough of that show!! LOVE IT!!!

Thank You little town!

I have been told by several that used to live in the small town of Valparaiso that it is No place they want to live because they just cant seem to find happiness here. Some have gone so far as to say that there is a "spiritual oppression" over the city. LOL! Now, I can understand that some people will find their nitch in other places so I get that. Now the "spiritual oppresion" thing I have a hard time swallowing, but whatever. Have those people ever been to Houston? ANyway, I am feeling pretty content in my life as of now. I mean, my freinds and family keep moving away from me and I still have some pretty big goals I would like to acheive but overall this season of my life is good. I was talking to my sister in law the other day on the phone and I suddenly realized how grateful I am to be in a place where I have Lots of people around me that are like minded. Now, I know that most people surround themselves with people that are similiar in values, beleifs and lifestyles but I realize as I talk to Elizabeth in some places those people are MUCH harder to find. Now, I am not talking politics and religion nesasarilly though sometimes that is a natural side effect. At this stage in my life my values in raising children are my big soap box issues because that is what I spend my time doing. All of the people that I spend my time with (for the most part) parent simaliarly to Daniel and I. We try to give our children the very best we can emotionally and nutritionaly and realize that for a season in our lives we have to be a little less selfish with our time as well as our bodies. Breastfeeding and attatchment parenting are a few examples. All of this seems natural to me. Instead of ignoring my natural instincs as a mother I feel I should listen to the cries and needs of my children and at the same time grow in becoming a less selfish person. (I think that is whay we have kids :) ) Anyway, I notice the more I talk to Elizabeth in Rocky Mount, she is having a hard time finding people on the same page as she is. Breastfeeding alone is much less common it seems and I think when they saw her wear Zachery in a sling they must have thought she was from Africa. HaHa! Even down to simple things like nutrition. Their church secretary called her extremley health conscious because she didnt want her 3 yr old having Pepsi in Sunday School. LOL! Who gives someone elses 3 yr old Pepsi?? Isnt that something you would leave to a Parent to decide.
Wow, I said all that really just to say thank you to my small town and all of the people that surround me in my life here. Oh, and Thanks for continuing to check my blog even though I am completly lame and cant post more than once or twice a month! :) Thanks for sticking with me!

Happy Birthday to me!

This is my final year that I will be able to say that I am a 20 something. This time next year I will be saying goodbye to my 20s and entering the adult world of the 30s. :) For all you out there who have already crossed over, I am not saying you're old but there is that stigma that just makes you feel a bit older than everyone else. I think we should just stop counting because it gets too depressing. :) BUT, that said, I hear (or at least Oprah says) that the 40s are the new 20s so that would make me like a teenager or something! :) (not that I would want to go back there either) So I guess 29 isnt so bad but it does seem ALOT older than 28 for some reason. Ok, I'm rambling, I'll Shutup! :)
You might ask what I did to celebrate my 29th birthday? Well, Desiree and I took a road trip to attend our friend Birdies baby shower. For any of you who dont know we met Birdie on the Lets Talk Alias blog and, along with some others, have become friends via blogging. Today we got to meet our blogger friend in the flesh and got to shower her with baby gifts for her new spy baby girl! It was a fabulous road trip filled with loud music and groovin in the car and the shower was a Blast!! Thanks Jen! I will post pictures later once Des downloads them. I hope that you all had a great weekend as well!!

How does life take up so much time?

I know I have been MIA for a while. It seems every time I get a chance to do anything frivolous my kids get wind of it and make sure my attention is on them. Actually, I have been trying to focus on my boys as much as I can because I have been watching my neice Mady ( who is 7 months old)3 days a week and it takes a bit of my time away from them. The Pampered Chef is keeping me busy because I am trying to get into a groove of some sort. I am still working out some kinks with that. I have a Pampered Chef Bridal Shower on Sunday, which has been keeping me up at night because this isnt just some show, its someones bridal shower. That is something this couple (or the bride at least) will remember forever! Thats alot of Pressure! :)Anyway, I will let you know how that goes! UMMmmmmmm, what else is going on...Oh yes, the lakehouse is So nice now! Daniel has done Such a good job (with the help of lots of friends) remodeling. We had a Great labor day weekend with Levi and Family and Des and Family. It was So great to get to see my brother and sister-n-law and get to spend time with my neice and nephew. Ughh, my neice Afton is SOOO adorable, I could Eat her!! :) Cedar is So funny, he is So animated and its so Leviesque. LOL!
Ok, well its late and I am losing my thoughts quickly. Hope you like Ashers 9 month shots. Isnt he Such a little man?!

Those silly little rich people

OK, So I went to the Aberdeen subdivision garage sale a few weekends ago and although I found a few gold mines I had to sit back and laugh at alot of the residents. The very first garage sale (KEY WORD: GARAGE SALE) I ventured into I saw a box labeled "Nursery Ensemble" 325$. HAHAHAHHA!!! Who goes to a garage sale planning to spend that on a crib set!! LOL! She was selling her onesies for 2.50 each. Yes, onesies, plain Carter omesies. Apparently because she lives in an upscale neighborhood her baby clothes rise in value after her kids wear them! LOL! My next stop I found a table of toys and kids goodies. I saw a brand new Aqua Doodle still in the box. YOu could tell it was a bit older because the box was faded but it hadnt ever been opened. She was asking 10$ for it, but as I picked it up I saw another garage sale sticker that read 8$. It was evidently from another garage sale and I am sure that these people paid 8 bucks for it out of someone elses garage. I figured since she bought it for 8 I would offer 7, the lady looked at me like I was crazy and said "These things go for 15 at ToysRus". OK, First of all, I'm not at ToysRus I'm in your garage, second of all there is a sticker here that says 8$. (OK, I didnt actually verbalize the first part) She got really flustered "Oh that was supposed to be taken off"! Yah, I figured that lady! She opted not to take my 7 and acted like I was going to give her 10. She was appauled that I wasnt going to buy it. It was the principal of the thing. I HATE it when people tell you how much they bought stuff for when you make them an offer. I know how much stuff is for in the store but your selling it at a garage sale!!!!! If you want to make money off something sell it on Ebay! ANyway, thats my rant. I guess I should also say that not everyone was quite so arrogant. The good sales did outweigh the "Boutique" priced sales. One guy told me I could have anything I wanted for free, he just wanted to get rid of it. I got some good childrens learning games for Jack there. Ever play Hi-Ho-CherryO? :)

The long awaited lake house

We are the proud owners of a house on a lake! Something that my husband has been wanting since, well, not sure how long, but probablly long before he met me. After a long weekend waiting for the previous owners to get out we finally moved what little furniture we have for the place in on Saturday evening. Daniel, being Daniel (and Ryan) ripped out the kitchen first thing. It wouldnt be any fun for him if there wasnt a project involved! :) Desiree and I gutted one of the bedrooms that was in SERIOUS need of a makeover!! I'm not into Peach and Grey floral wallpaper with bright peach lacy curtains! I know it sounds lovely but its just not my style. If any of you are interested in the curtains though mabe we could salvage them. HA! We had a little time left over to relax in the hot tub and take the jet skis out but next time we need to reserve more time for that! I will try to get some good pics this weekend and post some. Des had some of her and I in the hot tub but we ended up looking like a couple so I opted not to post that! LOL!

Me......with bangs

Ok, Asher is just an added bonus. I just happened to be holding him when Des was taking my picture but he is stinkin cute so I figured you wouldnt mind! OK, so this is my new look. I have people tried to convince me for years to get bangs but it seemed like to big of a commitment. The period when I was growing them out when I was 11 must have scarred me. :) Well, on Monday when Des was getting her hair cut, she and my sister-n-law convinced me. So, for the first time in 17 years I have bangs. What do ya think?

Happy Birthday

Ok, you are all going to laugh but August 9th never passes wihtout me remembering Melanie Griffiths birthday. After spending 7 years gaining as much information possible about the woman you cant help but not acknowledge their birthday. For any of you who dont know when I was 14 I became facsinated with Melanie (kinda bizarre, I know) but anyone who knew me, knew just as much as I did because it was always the topic of conversation. Sorry Guys!! HAHAH I even made my class at school pray for her every morning! ( I went to a christian school) I still pray for her when I think of it!
So, Happy 49th birthday Mealnie!!

New and Improved!

Thanks to my Fabulous friend Kendrah (also known as Girlscout) I have a new look for my blog! Isnt it so ME! She did it with no help from me all the way in Seattle. Ok, well I did tell her about my Melanie obsession! Remember that?? HAHAHAH! Good TImes!!! Anyway, Thanks Kendrah, I love it!

UPDATE!!!!!!

Well, after lots of phonecalls, faxes, headaches, and chest pains we finally have an update on our real estate disaster. THe GREAT news is that we got the lake house after all. We actually get to close next week! :) YAY and YAY! You would assume that since we got the house we must have been able to close on the apt. but that is not the case. We are Still having to have the apt rezoned, which means Lots of time and money. We asked the buyers to find a new lender (we even offered 5 grand off) but they refused. THey had a meeting the other day to discuss if they wanted to wait this out. THey decided it was a good time to ask for more money. WHAT??? THese people are Frickin MORANS!! Long story short they asked for about 3 thousand dollars some of which they are claiming is lost income. LOST INCOME??? That doesnt even make sense???? If they walk away and dont buy the place they are going to have to wait alot longer to get some income out of a place. PLUS, they are the ones that are choosing to make this drag out. All they have to do is find a different lender and this wouldnt even be an issue! UGh, Anyway, at this point we dont care if these guys walk or not. We luckily got the Lake house on a 3 year land contract so we really have 3 years to sell our other property. So thats our update. God is good and He is totally in this. Thanks for all your prayers!

The Idiocy of Americans!

I dont know if Idiocy is a word but it fits so I am going to use it! I was reading an article this morning on AOL about the new BabyTalk magazine cover. Apparently lots of people are Outraged because they have a picture of a baby nursing at her mothers breast. (click here for the article) Its obviously NOT Xrated but just a picture of a nursing baby. Its funny to hear peoples responses because people are talking about how they shredded it when they received it and how this is Filth! LMAO!!! OK thats just hysterical. Are people REALLY that ignorant???? The article itself leaned towards supporting breasfeeding but reading the reactions and comments of people just made my blood boil! I cant tell you how I would LOVE to get stuck in a room with one of these ladies and talk to her! We put Nudityy and Crap all over TV but people are offended when they see a mother nourishing her baby? HUH? OK so THEN, I decide to read some of the things people have posted and the First one I read says this.......
"FIRST OF ALL SHAME ON ALL OF YOU DISGUSTING PEOPLE SAYING THAT IT IS OKAY TO BREAT FEED.HOW DARE YOU?IT IS WRONG THAT IS WHY WE HAVE BABY FORMULA AT STORES.IT IS DISGUTING TO SEE THE ANIMALISTIC THINGS THAT WE DO HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.AS AN AMERICAN AND A WOMAN,MOTHER,TEACHER I BELIEVE THAT THE RITUAL OF BREAT FEEDING HAS BEEN REPLACED BY WHAT IS NOW TRADITIONAL BABY FEEDING (BOTTLE).I ALSO HAVE A BIG ISSUE WITH CHILDREN BEING DIAPER CHANGED IN FRONT OF ME.NEITHER I NOR MY KIDS WANT TO SEE A CHILD WITH FECES ALL OVER HIM BEING CHANGED BY A MOTHER FIDDLING WITH A CLEANING PAD AROUND HIS PENIS.THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!"
IS this woman Serious?????????? Thats HYSTERICAL!!!!! I'm serious, I couldnt stop laughing!! Of course part of me was appauled but I think its the most idiotic thing I have read....um....ever maybe!
I REALLY dont understand the argument for people who think women shouldnt nurse their babies (in public or at all). I understand people may not want to see a boob flaling (how do you spell that?) around but I have Never seen a woman nurse in public without trying to be as modest as possible. Obviously you have your exceptions as you do with everything in life but overall most woman arent going to flash their breasts for everone to see! I could go on for a VERY long tome about the reasons I agree with Nursing but I figured I would see if any of you had ever heard ANY arguments against it that made any sense or if any of you have any personal issues with it.
OK, thanks for taking part in my rant!! Fire away!

Caution, Road Blocks Ahead

UGhhh, why does buying and selling a house always have to be so stressfull!! We are scheduled to close on the apt building on Aug 3rd but apparently that may not be happening which means we will not be closing on the lake house on the 8th. So, for those of you who dont know, the apt building we own has had 3 apt in it for like 25 years and a TON of different owners meaning it has been sold several times. All of the sudden though the county is saying that it isnt zoned to be a multi family home it is still zoned to be a single family residence. Therefor the people buying it cannot get their financing. Hence, we cant sell it without it being Re zoned which takes 50 bucks, some paperwork and a signature but that signature takes almost 2 months to aquire. The county says that it could have been zoned correctly at one time but no one recorded it. So, my question is why is this OUR problem???? Why do we have to deal with something they have let go for 25 years????? Our realtor gave us a lawyer to contact who may be able to clear this up, for a big wad of cash, of course. He supposeldly is working on it but wont return our phone calls. I am sure he is working REALLY hard for us! Wow! I sound Really negative. I know God has a plan and I am trusting Him but its still frustrating and I need to vent or I will explode!

The Lake House

Sorry for the lack of blogging but summer seems to be keeping me pretty busy! This whole Pampered Chef thing, though its not moving very fast is taking alot of time that I used to spend doing things like blogging. Plus we have just purchased a lake house about an hour from here (well we close early August) so I am trying to find furnishings etc.. I cant wait to be able to get in there and decorate and then Do Nothing! Just sit on a boat and drink some beer!!! Sounds nice, doesnt it?? So when any of you come visit we can go to the lake house and stay! Anyway, I will write more soon! I am sure when fall comes so will more blogging!

Meet Xander....

What may look like an ordinary orange foam star to most is Jacks new friend (or replacment cousin)Xander. Xander goes EVERYWHERE with us. Jack takes care of him, gives him naps and baths. Makes sure that he is fed and dressed. He actually has quite a story about him. He apparently has 3 bedrooms, 2 TVs (one Snow White and one Scooby Doo), One blue bed with a pink pillow and one monster bed with a scooby pillow. I'm not sure where he is getting all of this but it sure is funny to watch him. He is very attatched to this little star. He left it at the Church property where we had a picnic on Sunday and I had to tell him a bazillion times that we would get it tomorrow but that Jesus would watch over him while he slept. The first thing he said when he woke up this morning was "Can we go get Xander now" :) Its So fun to watch his imagination grow as well as how he is dealing with his cousins moving away. I would imagine its very theraputic or something! :)

Tears for Charlie

Call me a dork, but I dont care. I have to post something in honor of the BEST morning show host on TV ever!! You just cant get any better than Charlie GIbson. :) I have had an odd obbsession with Charlie since I was like 14. I wont even let people turn on the TODAY show in my house. HaHa! Not sure where my loyalty to him comes from, well, I guess I do but I wont get into that. Isnt he someone you would want to be your brother, uncle, dad, grandpa, etc....? I'm glad we havent lost him for good but doing World News Tonight isnt quite as Fun as GMA. You dont really get to see the lighter side of him, he's going to have to be all Peter Jennings and serious. Oh Well, its something. Its really funny when I think about it. I grew up always hating that my parents had to watch World News Tonight every evening. I remeber thinking it was SO boring. But now I am going to do the same thing, I gotta have my Charlie fix! :)
ANyway, Good Luck Charlie, We love you! :)

More Pictures

I cant help it, I Love pictures and I love my kids so you guys have to deal with the reprocutions of that! :) But, Isnt Asher adorable? It took him all of 5 min to get his pictures taken. It has always taken about 45 minutes to get 3 pictures out of Jack. One of their many differences!

OH, We are getting our new car today! WooHooo!!! Our Lease is up and so we are going from one Oddesey to another. I looked at the Quest and some SUVs but when it comes down to it, as much as I would like to be "cool" and drive around in an SUV its just not practical. Plus, after having an Oddessey, there is just nothing better, imo. Really, I'm destined to have a mini van because I spent years saying I would NEVER have one. Someday I will learn, Never say Never! :)

My Boys!

How fun are little boys! Summer is here and not being a summer person myself I typiclly dont stay outside much but this year seems to be different. Jack is old enough now to really PLAY outside. In past years he would go outside and lay down on his little slide and talk to his imaginary friends. Of course I guess his HUGE play set helps too. Anyway, I have really enjoyed it this year so far. Its So bizarre what a little man Jack is and how much fun he is to play with!
Oh, on another note I took Jack to see CARS yesterday, Anyone else seen it? Great Movie, it kept me entertained and Jack loved it! Also saw The Break Up with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, Very Funny!!! Sorry this post is so random, not much going on here but wanted to post something.

Our Local Park

Just had to brag a bit on my hubby and his latest project. He spent LOTS of time and energy building this Monstrosity of a play set. Jack and all of his friends LOVE it and it helps keep me sane since they play outside alot more. It took a while to get Jack to go down the slide but now he is a pro! Bring your kids and come play! :)

And then there was one........

As I write this my brother, sister-n-law and best freind, niece and nephews are driving to their new home in NC.I cant seem to make it 5 minutes without bursting into tears and I wish I had a IV with a martini bag to deaded the pain. Sucky Suck Suck is really all I have to say! At one happy point my mother and brothers all lived here together happily and now after deaths and people moving away I am the last man standing. I dont even know how I ended up here, I didnt grow up here, I wouldnt say my roots are here, but here I am! I watched my brother and sister-n-law drive away last night and realized how much this is going to SUCK!!!!! I'm sorry if I am sounding rather negative but I am feeling rather negative today! Just for the record, I am happier than you could ever imagine that my brother will be happy and in a job he can sleep at night and spend time with his family. None of this is to make them feel guilty. But this is my blog and I can cry, whine and complain if I want to. I dont have much more to say becasue my thoughts are kinda blurry right now.
Thank You Daniel and Levi for listening to my tears.

The Curtain Closes....

So, Its officially over now!:( I have to say we had a BLAST celebrating the Finale of ALIAS. I guess I shouldnt say Celebrating, but, you know. It was a reason to have a party, and I am Always up for a party! ANyway, Its late and I am exhausted but I wanted to post some fun pics of our evening. Hope any of you that watch the show enjoyed it! Good Night

Holy Season Finales!!!

Its that time of the year again. ALl the networks put their best into the vary last episodes of the season or in some cases of the Series. Its always a bitter-sweet time, yes, I know we are talking about television, but doesnt anyone else get all sad when they watch a series finale, even if they havent ever gotten into the show. THe cast always cries and talks about how much fun they had...its just too freaking sad! Anyway, Greys Anatomy last night was FABULOUS!!! What a great show!!!! WIll and Grace Series Finale on THursday is going to be a tear jerker, Lost will be exceptional, I'm sure, House will be genius and we all know that on MAy 22nd when the last ALIAS airs I will be a puddle on the floor. I remember when Growing Pains aired its last episode in 92 it was the first time I really got upset when a show ended...C'mon I was an emotional 14 year old. :) Since then I have survived a ton more, Cheers, Lois and Clark (Dont laugh!), The X FIles, Friends. Its funny how those things become a part of your life or at least they were a part of mine! What were your favorites, which ones were you sad to see go? I know I'm not the only one who likes her TV shows! :)

Sheesh, Where does the time go

Just posting to post really, because it has been a while! Not much to say. I have been spending most of my time the past week or so trying to get my Pampered Chef business off the ground. Anyone want to have a party? :) The rest of my time not spent with my children has been spent reading one of my favorite blogs www.letstalkalias.blogspot.com trying to revel in the last few weeks of my all time favorite show!!! I know, I'm pretty lame! LOL!!!
Asher got his shots yesterday and ended up with a fever all night! Poor baby was Miserable!! I know they need their shots but I have to say the adverse effects SUCK!!! Plus I hate that you have to hold their arms and they stare at you while they get 4 shots in their legs. They look at you with these eyes that say "why are you doin this to me" :( OK enough rambling!