Sharing is Caring

Some things I'd like to share:

1. I ALWAYS check my spam folder. Why? Because I am afraid that I may miss an email that I won a contest that I entered and forgot about. Most of the emails in my spam are for viagra and from Molly saying "Hi Handsome, wanna chat?". But I still check it.

2. My toilet paper has to roll from the top, not the bottom. I will change it, no matter where I am, if it is not the correct way.

3. I take Claritin-D everyday. Faithfully. I do have allergies, and it does help, but I also take it because it keeps me going (thank you, pseudoephedrine) and it totally suppresses my appetite  Like I forget to eat lunch most days. **Note: I am not in anyway advocating taking drugs to lose weight. It just so happened that I need allergy meds and this seems to be a side effect - that I will gladly deal with. And I do NOT skip meals, because we all know that not eating slows your metabolism and your body holds on to the fat instead of burning it. I am just not watching the clock to the time I can stuff my face. I also find I am not eating as much. I am realizing when I am full and I am stopping when that starts. 

4. At work, I volunteered to take over a responsibility from one of my colleagues because she was moving on to a new position. It is basically taking 4 or 5 different reports and merging them into one using Excel and then formatting that spreadsheet properly. I'd like to share that I totally killed it. As in, I figured out all those formulas and tools in Excel on my own. I felt very smart on Tuesday when it was finished. And the reply emails from my supervisor and manager saying what a good job I did made it all that much more victorious. 

5. My sister cleaned cobwebs off of my stove yesterday. I am taking that as a sign that I should get cooking a little more often then I am currently. That or clean more so my cooking laziness inabilities are not so apparent. 

6. Last August, as in 2011, my dad moved to Florida. He had broken up with his (I-don't-know-the-number-because-I-stopped-counting-a-long-time-ago)girlfriend but he let her stay in his house up here with her kids until the end of the school year. She moved out at the end of April of this year and he put the house on the market in July. Well with him in Florida and me being the oldest (and most responsibly of his offspring), he asked me to help him. Help him make sure that house was still standing, the water was off, the heat was on, the furniture got moved out....and on and on and on. He finally sold the house and settlement is on Wednesday. We, The Husband and my brother and sister, have been working to get his house cleared out. I can say that I am really looking forward to settlement on Wednesday and praying there are not any problems and that everything goes through smoothly. While you may think is sucks to have your dad as far away as Florida, we really didn't see him that much when he lived 30 minutes away. Christmas, his bday and maybe father's day for a few hours. I feel like I talk to him more now then I did before. And when we go to Florida to visit him, we get to spend an entire week with him, for almost 7 days straight. And that is nice. And I like that time. With FaceTime and Skype, it really isn't that bad.

7. I've had a mustache since I was 12 and gray hairs since I was 22. Waxing and hair coloring have become part of my life and it is just something I gotta do so that I do not scare the general public. And so my husband wants to have more kids with me. 

8. I'd like some Christian friends. Don't get me wrong, I truly love my best friends, we have been friends since we were young. But there just seems to be a different connection to those that have a relationship with the Lord. And maybe I need to reach out more in my church. I don't know. Just as I have been praying diligently for my bffs to get saved, I have been praying for a girl friend or two who are Christians and will support me and my faith and relationship with God. 

9. I have only bought 1 Christmas gift so far. And it was Yo Gabba Gabba Live tickets for Avery. So she won't even know the difference because the show isn't until January. 

10. I have to go to Germany for work in January. It will only be for 5 days but I am already feeling anxious about it. One, because I HATE to fly and Two, because it will be the longest I will be away from Avery. And every time I think about I get all teary. Really? I do not think she will care too much. Germany isn't on my travel bucket list but I do love to visit other countries and experience their people and culture. 

Ok, that's all for today, kids. I am hoping my next post will be our Christmas card and cards from previous years if I can dig them up. Don't hold your breath. 

xoxo

Round 3 - Avery 1.5

Third times a charm, right?

For all those mobile users that can't see YouTube videos for some reason or another. Actually, I went to high school with one of the guys that created YouTube, maybe I should ask him....



A bit of Avery - 1.5 from Meg G on Vimeo.

A little bit of Avery - a year and a half - VERSION 2

A Bit of Avery - a year and a half

This is my first iMovie so don't expect much, I am still learning.

But it is still fun to watch...I'll figure it out one of these days....

Flipping the bird.

I wanted to write a post about what a disappointment Thanksgiving was this year.

But it would make me sound so ungrateful and totally out my true fatty self.

Ok, I can't resist a few complaints. My mom burnt the turkey. My brother over fried his turkey. The stuffing was gross. There were too many people there. The dessert (that I didn't have - it was reported to my by the Husband) was freezer burnt.

Yes, I know there are people all over the world (and country) starving. I know. I know. And it makes me feel guilty about not liking Thanksgiving this year.

Its just that I have always been able to hold Thanksgiving in such high esteem. It is the one holiday that I truly love.

Christmas has always been a circle jerk because my parents are divorced and trying to juggle everyone's schedule to get us all together without any major fights is stressful. And I am the oldest so if I didn't do, it wouldn't get done. It really takes away from what that time of the year is all about. Every year we swear we will go away to a tropical island for Christmas. And every year I find myself arguing with some one about their schedule and the importance of everyone getting together.

My birthday is usually a bomb because I have these big expectations and then it usually pans out to nothing. I have wanted a surprise party since I was 5. I am now 32. No surprise. Except when my mom put my dog to sleep on my 30th birthday.

Boo-hoo to me, right?

I don't think I am really an ungrateful person - at least as ungrateful as my above rant makes me seem.

I think I am appreciative and thankful for all the blessings in my life. Down to the (semi) clean under wear I have one (it's 5pm people, are YOUR undies considered clean after wearing them for a day?)

I tithe at church, I donate to adoption funds, and to NDSS.

I know that my money is not my own. That every Thing I have and every One in my life is because I have been blessed with them.

But I just wanted to get that out.

Because I can't really tell my mom her food stinks, right?

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Sorry I'm Not Sorry.

I was looking at the Googled phrases and words that referred a poor, unsuspecting person to my blog and most of them are people who Googled "stick figure decals" or "stick figure family stickers" and the like.

Searching for that references this post where I complain about random things that annoy me. One of those being those STUPID stick figure decals on vehicles.

And I felt kind of bad.

But then I didn't.

Because by that person stumbling upon my blog, maybe it saved them from a ridiculous purchase.

18 months (actually 19)

So I promised an 18 month old update (to you 3 readers) and I slacked. Big Time.

So much so that Sunday Avery was 19 month old.

Oh well. I never promised perfection.

Except when I [we] made her:

18 month old stats:

Weight - 31lbs 12oz (>95 percentile)
Height - 35in (>95 percentile)
Head - 19.5in (>95 percentile)

Clothes - Avery is in mostly 2T and some 3T clothes, depending on the brand. She is between a 6 and 7 size shoe, depending on the wideness as she still has cabbage patch feet. But she is getting better about not scrunching up her toes when I am trying to put her shoes on.

Food - ahhhh, the picky toddler eating days have been going on for some time now. You know, you spend over a year thinking about how this child is eating and then all of the sudden they are calling the shots. What she loves (for now): yogurt, fig newtons, goldfish, pretzels, applesauce, bananas - most fruit, pirates booty, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, corn, peas, pancakes, french fries, pb&j, chips, apples. Would I like her to eat healthier? Heck yes! Do I try? You betcha! 9 times out of 10, if I put something on her plate she doesn't like, it ends up in the pugs' bellies on the floor. Our peditrician gave us some literature on toddler eating and it really helped US. One of the points I remember is that if your toddler eats one full meal every 3 day, that is just fine. It said toddlers like to graze and snack and to not get frustrated when they don't want to eat each full meal you have painstakingly prepared. I've noticed that when Avery is ready for a "meal" she will ask to sit in her high chair - "up, up? up, up!" Otherwise we just make sure she has a cup full of water (with a splash of apple juice) and we just give her a snack when she asks. She has no problem going in to the pantry, pointing, and saying "this, this, this" until we pick what it is she sees that she wants.

Bottles and pacis, otherwise known as toddler bad habits. Avery gets a bottle of milk  before bed and one when she gets up. She also is allowed to have her paci when she is in her crib, although this is bent daily by her Auntie and I do still keep one on hand when we are out, just in case. We will be breaking these bad habits by her 2nd birthday (says the new mom).

After her 18mo shots :*(

Speech/talking - this kid never shuts up! But I have to say, she comes by it naturally. While most of it is adorable babble, here are some of the things she does say (and we understand):
Buh-bye
Hi
Mama (FINALLY!!!!)
Dada (of course!)
Boo (her stuffed animal)
woof-woof (whenever she sees a dog - anywhere)
nana (banana)
thank you
please
walk
up
down
watch
this
that
eyes
ears
nose
mouth
toes
hands
Melmo (Elmo)
Mimi (my mom)
Papa (my dad)
peach
tree
nomnom nommies (Grover, the youngest pug)

That is what I can remember off the top of my head after a long (Mon)day. She will try to say anything we ask her to and she wants to know the name for everything (over and over and over). She is learning her body parts but likes to point them out on other people instead of herself. She has a cute lisp so "this" sounds like "dith" and "watch" sounds like "wath". She understand everything we say, whether she chooses to listen is another story.

Teeth - She has 'em all except her 2 year old molars and I am so over teething - as I am sure she is too.

Some of my favorites from the month past:

Dear little girl,

You are funnier then I could have imagined you to be. You are always making us laugh and laughing right along with us. Your giggle is the best I have ever heard.

You love your puppies and want to be where ever they are, to their dismay. You still love Yo Gabba Gabba and can find an Elmo from a mile away.

I hope and pray you always know how much you are loved. I am so proud of you. You are smart and loving and tenacious and wild. And while you get bigger everyday, you will always be my baby.

I love you, sweet girl.

xoxo
Yo Mama

Living Room Make-over Part 1

After 3 long, crusty years of carpet, we were finally able to get hardwood floors installed in our living room. This inspired me to redo the rest of the room. For as little $ as possible.  We live in a middle unit town home which is nice for the utility bills but light is minimal. One of my goals was to lighten the room up. And I am no way a photographer so these photos are not the best example of how the room was lightened up by the changes we made so when I do an update post after we are done, I will make sure to take photos in better light and with a "real" camera, instead of my iPhone.We still need to paint, which I think will make a difference, but we are on our way...

Panoramic view from the awesome panorama camera option on the iPhone

Avery's play area

And here are the before and afters:

Before                                                                                            After

Before                                                                                           After

We still need to do:
- Paint the walls & trim
- Stencil the wall behind the couch
- Area rug for sitting area
- trim & paint Mantle
- Organize bookshelves
- Artwork & photos for walls.

So stay tuned for another update when it is all done (HA!)....


Where we got it:

- Floors - Home Depot $2500 (material + installation)
- Couch - repurposed from den, Ikea Ektorp, New cover
- Chair and ottoman - re-purposed from den, Ikea Ektorp, New covers
- Chair and ottoman - New from Ikea, Ektorp
- Media table - New from Ikea, Hemnes $160
- Lamps - HomeGoods - $40/pc
- Desk - repurposed from guest room - Pottery Barn Bedford collection, husband found on Craigslist a few years ago
- Sitting area rug - Still in need.

- Built-in bookcases - found on Pinterest from this blog. 3 11" depth (the original blog says 15" ones, but our Ikea was out of them and I was too impatient to wait, which I am glad I didn't because 15" would be too much) Billy bookcases = $59.99/pc = $190 and trim from Home Depot $60. Total: awesome built-ins for under $300!
*I do have to say while this was not too hard to do, with a lot of help from my talented woodworking brother and hardworking husband, it was not as easy as the original blog made it seem. But I still love it all the same.
- New light fixture - (to replace the outdated chandelier when it was our "dining" area) Allen + Roth at Lowes - $58
- Area rug - Lowes - $74
- Toy Chest - made with love from my once again talented brother - from scratch, I might add.
- Fireplace door - Home Deport $269
*See my Pinterest Living Rooom Redo Board here.

4 years.

It is amazing the changes that can happen in 4 years.

And I am not just talking about my marital status or becoming a home owner or a mother.

I am talking about the change the has been made in my heart. A change that I could not have done on my own. A change that only Jesus could be responsible for.

Four years ago I voted for the guy that seemed "cool". That promised a Change. And Hope for our future.

I haven't really seen that.

The only Hope for the future is that I am saved and I will be going to Heaven.

Every morning, while I eat breakfast, I do my daily devotional and read my Bible and pray. This morning, I got an extra helping of conviction to go with my pancakes.

The lesson was about making choices and making the choice as a reflection of our heavenly father.

So today, when I vote, I will vote for the man that has morals and beliefs that align with mine.

If we do not get our country back to the morals and beliefs and values that it was built on, the economy, the deficit, finances, it means nothing.

I will be voting for the person that does NOT believe in murdering innocent life - whatever stage of life that may be.

I will be voting for the person that does not believe in desecrating the union God created for a`man and a woman.

Our country is doing its best to be a God-less nation and where is that getting us? God does not bless those living in sin.

It's pretty simple.

One of the things about living in this country of ours is that we have the freedom to vote and the freedom to write and say what we think and believe. That is not something to be taken for granted.

So, no matter who you are voting for, take advantage of that freedom and honor those that have fought for it.

Go vote.

xoxo

Cutest Monster! Ever.

So here is the obligatory Halloween post from last night. If you follow me on Instagram, you have already seen most of these but I have to share them again.

We started the night in our neighborhood, where our dear friend and neighbor, Joyce, played paparazzi along with myself, documenting Avery's 2nd Halloween.

Headed up to her first house to trick-or-treat. She scored an entire bag of Goldfish! 

We stopped at my aunt's house and got 6 bags of animal crackers. Then a quick stop at Nana's to show off her monster costume.

And our final destination at my BFF Erin's house. She lives in a townhouse community like we do but her courts are a lot easier to walk around then ours and there are a lot more kids and we know most of her neighbors. I would go there before I had Avery and Erin and I would hand out candy (and drink) while her husband took their boys around. So it has become a bit of a tradition.

Here are a few from our third and final round:

 She made it to about 5 houses and then had enough - which was fine with us! It was cold and we were home by 7:30. She got the concept of picking candy and putting it in her bucket, she did not understand that she could only have 1 piece. She also did not get that she couldn't just barge into everyone's houses when they opened the door. She did say "Thanks" and "bye-bye" when we walked away. I'm guessing next year she will get the "Trick-or-Treat" part.

Avery's monster costume was from Old Navy, and I assume it is supposed to be for a boy (imagine that) but I tied a ribbon around one of her horns and a girl monster she was! I love that the entire thing is made of fleece so she was nice and warm all night.

We had fun and I hope everyone had a fun, safe, and happy Halloween!

Up next....Thanksgiving! My Favorite! Ever!

xoxo

Little bits of nothing and 18 Months.

I was definitely on a blogging roll...and now I am at a loss for what to write. A lot of what I want to write about is not blog sharing worthy. And I would only be writing to work through it myself, so instead I have been doing a lot of the "working through" in my head, during my commute, my devotional time and prayer time. Because if there IS one place I can go, it's to The Big Guy. He knows it all anyway, so what is the difference? ;-)

So today, for the purpose of writing something, I will try to lump a few (or many) random thoughts together cohesively and pretend it is a well thought out post with tons of emotion and meaning. Who am I kidding? That is pretty much what I do for every other post...

First and foremost, it has come to my attention that I "lost" a follower. Now, when you only have 7 followers, and one of them is yourself (so I can see how my posts look when published in the reader feed), it is quite glaringly obvious who dropped you like a hot potato. And while I continually hop around on my soapbox preaching that I am only doing this blogging thing because I like to write, have A LOT to say, and to try and document some of my child's and our familys' life, it still makes you (me) question the content and quality of you (my) writing. Yes, I will be the first one to admit that I lead a quite droll life, probably not much different then many other millions of people out there. So sorry to the one less follower that I did not meet your expectations and was considered worthy of kicking to the curb. Your loss.

Allergies vs. cold. This weekend started the running of the noses in our home. Saturday it was Avery and by Sunday evening, I was shoving tissues up each nostril to stop the snot flow. This week I have been surviving on Claritin-D (legal crack fo' sho') and Nyquil to sleep. I have also been picking and combing boogers out of Avery's hair and scraping them off her face. So gross. If she is not napping when I get home from work, we lay in my bed and watch TV until dinner. Then I drag my raggedy bum downstairs and throw something semi-edible together. While it is very tempting to just call the husband to pick something up on his way home it does not benefit us in 2 major ways: 1. health 2. wealth. I am actually a little proud of myself for fighting through this crappy feeling and making dinner.

Clean dogs. It is no secret that the poor pugs have taken the back seat in all aspects of our lives. I try to ignore the guilt that creeps up when I take notice to them. Yes, they are fed and watered and let outside to roam their yard. But 2 years ago they slept in our room, in their own beds. Now? They are in the kitchen. In a corner.

I hate to admit it, but before last night, I can't remember the last time I gave them a bath...and if you have ever known a pug, you know they have wrinkles and if those wrinkles aren't maintained, they get STANKY.
So yesterday, after work, I ran to Walmart and bought them a new bed and some doggy shampoo and came home and gave each one a bath. First I brushed them, because pugs shed. A lot. All.Year.Long.
They were so happy to be clean and have a new bed. I wish I could be satisfied as easily. The best thing about having dogs (or a dog if you are a sane person unlike myself) is that they love you no matter what. No matter where they sleep, or how often you do or do not bath them. If only humans could emulate even a fraction of a dog's unconditional love this world would be a much different place to live.

And I'm running out of juice so I should stop while I am ahead (am I?).

BUT!

I saved the best for last. And the best being Avery.

Today she is 18 months old! I'm kinda in denial of that one.

This was sent to me by my sister this morning on their early morning run to Target for 'nanas (bananas) cause this girl can't live without 'em!

I plan on writing an 18 month old post - for me and her. Tonight. I promise.

And to those of you that actually read this blog, thankyouverymuch. I know its not always interesting or consistent but it's from my heart.

xoxo

Random things that get my undies in a bunch

1. Stick figure family stickers on cars. Just lame. And more obnoxious? The stick figures with Mickey Mouse ears. Come on.

2. Lack of girl's shoes that are not pink, purple, sparkly sequins, tackiness. I have bought Avery boy shoes just to avoid these. I am well aware that she will most likely want these shoes when she gets older. But right now she doesn't care and I get to decide. In fact, I buy Avery boy clothes too because there are so many jive girl clothes out there.

3. Christmas cards. And my stress level. Our Christmas card last year was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. Although I deserve little credit because most of it should go to my amazingly talented BFF for her fine photography skills and My Publisher for the perfect card. But I feel this enormous pressure to do just as good, if not better, then last year. I am making myself crazy (and broke) trying to get together the right outfits. I have anxiety and guilt about whether or not to include the pugs (who have graced every single Christmas card before Avery came along) but if we do include them, what a nightmare the session will be because they are morons and do not listen. Picking the right location, luckily we have many places in our area that are beautiful and perfect for pictures. But if I see one more family photo in front of the red SM barn...

4. Never ending phone calls to our house phone that are  telemarketers or for the election or collection agencies looking for the people that used to have our phone number (and I think still give the number out). We do not even look at the caller id when the phone rings because 98% of the time it is one of the above. The other 2% is Ryan's nana because she thought she was calling his cell phone. I've put our number on the Do Not Call registry but it just doesn't stop!!!

5. Law abiding citizens who drive the exact speed limit. GET OUT OF MY WAY!

6. Deer. It's humping season around here and these deer are out of their damn minds.

7. Switching my winter and summer clothes and realizing the same stuff that didn't fit last year STILL doesn't fit this year. hmmm, I wonder why that could be? Oh right, because I'm still a fat a** and have not changed my eating habits or exercised. (I almost wrote "exercised more" but that would be a lie because I don't excerise at all) Somethings gotta change. Apparently writing about it and complaining talking about it doesn't just make the pounds melt away.

8. My disgustingly, dirty kitchen floor and the amazingly fast way it gets dirty after I clean it. Oh yeah, I have 3 pugs.

9. That I paid over $20 to go to the movies on Sunday with my mom. A ticket, soda, and popcorn (all small). *Please reference #7

10. My desk at home. It is becoming a mountain of papers. I am even too embarrassed to take a picture of it to post on here. I need a good, toddler free day to go through and organize. Not counting on that happening any time soon. Hope there are any bill in there that need to get paid anytime soon. If there are, I may just take a picture of the desk and send it in with the late payment.

11. I got my annual OB/Gyn appointment confused with my bi-annual dentist appointment. I thought my dentist appointment was tomorrow at 3. Nope, its my annual tomorrow at 2:40. Whoops. Wrong ends. I guess I will have to get my undies out of a bunch for that one.

Please excuse my negativity and bad attitude. I am sure my husband will be grateful that I am venting on this blog instead of to him.

Proof God is always listening to you (me) - my sister just texted me and asked what pad she should use to steam my kitchen floor. Thank you Jesus and baby Jesus! I have the best sister. I know I always say it, but I really don't know what I would do with out her.

With all that off my chest and onto the internet, I am off.

xoxo

Things I'm Regretting Thursday

• The pack of 3 double chocolate chip cookies I bought at the cafeteria because I know they are semi-stale, and I need them like a hole in the head. 
• The $1.49 I spent on above cookies of which I will only eat 1/2 of and then crumble up the remaining half and dump crumbs in the hallway trash can at work so I can't dig them out in an hour when I regret  only eating 1/2.
• making plans tonight, right after work. Because I know as soon as I walk through the door, I will want to put on sweats and veg on the couch. But I committed so off I will go. 
• not packing my lunch today. Which ALWAYS leads to bad food choices at lunch. Today I am eating roast beef and carmilized onions, chips, and a soda. Gross me out. I will be regretting that all night. 
• not doing the housework I had intended to last night because I was lazy, and now will not get done til who-knows-when since we are busy until Monday. 
• all the plans I made for this weekend. No rest for us.

A Penny Addition

Back in June I wrote about finding a penny in my car.

Since then, I am still finding random coins here and there, always a reminder that I need to rely on God.

This morning my mom forwarded me an email she received from a friend.

Please read:

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck
gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist
on the story. Gives you something to think about... 

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend
the weekend at the home of her husband's employer. My friend, Arlene, was
nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on
the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.. 

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this
rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. Her husband's employer was
quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene
knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of
extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely. 

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant one evening
the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband.

 

He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.
.
Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him..... There was nothing on
the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a
few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the
penny.

 

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a
great treasure.

How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he
even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand
it no longer.. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin
collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the
penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What
was the point of this?


"Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."
She read the words, " United States of America ."
"No, not that. Read further."
"One cent?"
"No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?"
"Yes!"

"And?. ... ." 

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I
find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United
States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in
front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a
coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the
coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at
least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting
a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are
plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped
and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my
mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and
had to laugh. "Yes, God, I get the message!" 

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the
last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.  


****************Thought for the Day***********************

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it...

 

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring.

He sends you a sunrise every morning...

Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without
rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and
light for the way.


******************Read this line very slowly and let it sink in.....***************

 

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. 

**I could not find a source for the content of this email (in italics), I just cut and pasted it from my mom's email. If anyone that reads this knows where it came from, please leave me a comment or send an email and I will update to give credit where credit is most surely due.**

The past 3 days.

As I sit here in front of the fireplace, with the wood crackling and the warmth making the room toasty, my heart is full. *I started this last night but didn't get to finish until today...figures. Better Late than Never, right?

This weekend was nothing out of the ordinary. It was over too fast, like they usually are, but it was good.

Friday is work-at-home for me so we kept our attire comfy and casual:

That evening I met my cousin and her kids and our aunt at the school my aunt teaches at and we went to dinner then we went back to the school to go to the school's bi-annual kids sale.
It is a huge sale and tons of people come. Most of the proceeds go to the school (as it is part of a church) so that is a plus. Avery does not need another stitch of clothing for the fall/winter. Between this kid's sale, hand-me-downs (my favorite) and a few staple pieces I bought new, this girl is clothed for pretty darn cheap! It is also nice that she is wearing clothes for longer now instead of once or twice for a month.

Kid sale loot (IG repeat - sorry!) and a sweet backpack for $10!

Saturday was a lots of errands - waxing my furry lip so I don't embarrass The Husband at his friend's party that night and in hopes that Avery starts calling me Mama some time soon instead of Dada, Target for a gift for said friend and Clorox wipes (stop the press, I made it out of there under $50), food shopping (which I have found to be much better done on Saturday for a few reasons - 1. it ends up being the last thing either The Husband or I want to do when Sunday rolls around and 2. everything is stocked up, on Sundays it seems to be hit or miss on our weekly staples. The only downside is The Husband usually works Saturday mornings and he is much thriftier at the grocery store then I am - like at least a $80 difference. So I guess this is yet another area I need to discipline myself in.

Sunday was the best day.

The girl and I went to church and she won, hands down, the cutest outfit.

I was getting her dressed in our room before church and The Husband asked why I always dress her in clothes I would wear. Without a blink of an eye, I replied, "Because we got style".
He rolled his eyes.
And I showed him the Likes on Instagram and Facebook and told him that they don't lie.
He better check his style Mr cargo shorts, tee shirt and hoodie.

Since those super cute cords Avery was rocking' were a little snug, we quickly changed into comfy clothes when we got home from church.

It is much easier to ride a horse in fleece then cords.

The Husband had a toasty fire going all day and I threw a pot roast in the crock pot for dinner.

We did nothing but we did it together and that is what made it the best day.

xoxo

Friday Dump

It seems it has been quite some time since I posted some photos of the girl genius. Heck, it has been some time since I posted anything.

But I'm back, I think. And I should probably give an update of sorts.

Avery is 17 months old. At her 15 month doctor appointment she weighted 30lbs and was 34 1/2". This put her above the 95%. Basically the size of an average 2 year old.

Which explains why she is wearing 24month, 2T, and in some brands 3T.

She walks, runs, dives, spins, dances, sings, talks. She knows what she wants and is determined. Eating is not the exciting experience it once was. She used to love meatloaf, now she won't touch it. Which totally sucks because that is how I would sneak veggies in.

She loves to read and be read to. Her favorite book is Are You My Mother?. Totally melts my heart because that was MY favorite book when I was little. Although now, looking back, I think it may have been the start of my separation anxiety.

This kid loves her puppies, real and stuffed. She sleeps with Boo and Rudy and loves the real pugs.

During the week, Avery and Aunt Amanda go to storytime at the local library and to swim class.

She is testing her limits and our patience daily. But I couldn't love her more if I tried. She's my girl.