His Grace is Sufficient For Me

After posting this on Tuesday, which list all of the craziness and busyness that I have been going through this month, the Lord has been speaking to me and ministering to me in a variety of ways.

Yesterday, my mom and dad watched the boys while I went out food shopping! I even did a little bit of their shopping too! I was so thankful for their help - it may have only been an hour and a half, but they basically gave that extra time to me - thank you both!

I have also been able to enjoy the moment that I am in, and not be concerned about what is going to happen next. I do need to prepare, but when I am spending time with people, I need to be there 100%!

One other thing that has been resonating inside of me is, "His grace is sufficient for me." Along with this phrase, is the rest of a song that I sang growing up:

Jehovah Jirah, my provider, His grace is sufficient for me, for me, for me,
Jehovah Jirah, my provider, His grace is sufficient for me.

My God shall supply all my needs, according to His riches in glory,
He will give His angels charge over me,
Jehovah Jirah cares for me, for me, for me,
Jehovah Jirah cares for me.

He does care for me, and He will provide for all of my needs. He is a good God.

December in a Nutshell

This month has been really tough and tiring. This year has been pretty tiring. Good, but tiring.

So often during this year, I felt like I was running, trying to catch up with what was happening, but always feeling a few steps behind. I have felt isolated at times and just plain busy. There are many reasons that I can think of that could be linked to why I was feeling this way: our family had only one car from October '07 - August '08, so I stayed home most of the time with our new baby that was born in January and with my toddler/pre-schooler. Going from one to two was definitely challenging for me at times, and I was just lacking sleep a lot of the time.

December was definitely a month that was very tiring and I have felt worn out. I feel like I have been just going, going, going since Thanksgiving - and I am still going! I have had a lot of fun too - but that has been coupled with being tired. This is basically what has been going on (I need to write it in list form - it just helps it to flow better for me):

1. We hosted Thanksgiving here - we had a great time with the family that was able to come.

2. The Monday after Thanksgiving, Smiles had surgery.

3. After his surgery, he would wake up in the middle of the night every night, somewhere between 2-4am, and he would not go back to sleep unless I nursed him - he took a whole feeding, so I am assuming that he was hungry - I just was wishing that he would get all of his calories during the day! He was not awake from 2-4am, he just woke up somewhere in between those times. This went on for at least 2 weeks.

4. Smiles finally started to sleep completely through the night during the third week of December - I know that many prayers were going up to the Lord for this to happen!

5. At the end of that week (Friday before Christmas), he got a high fever for three days, which then showed itself as roseola. During this time, he started to wake up at night again - probably from being uncomfortable.

6. The Monday before Christmas, Smiles woke up at 11:30PM screaming and I had to nurse him in - he would not relax and go to sleep if I did not. He then woke up at 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30. Needless to say, I was exhausted the next morning - thank you mom for your help on Tuesday! Smiles woke up at 11:30 PM again on Tuesday evening, and I was happy to have children's benedryl to give to him - that seemed to help him get through the rest of the night!

7. Christmas day was spent with my family, then I had a day to try and recoup a little bit, then Christmas with Dawson's family was on Saturday - which was great, then our friends from CT arrived on Sunday morning and stayed until Monday morning (again, this was great, but I felt like we were still going!)

8. Tomorrow is decorating cookies for the grandkids at my parents' house plus I need to do food shopping (and CVS too - we need some toilet paper, and I have two great coupons to use - thanks Thrills!)

9. Wednesday evening (New Years' Eve) we will be at my parents' - food to make!

10. New Years' day we will host family at our house - more food to make!

11. January 2nd is Brady's birthday - we will have a cake for him...when will I make that???

12. On top of all that has been going on, Dawson had to work late every night for at least two weeks before Christmas, so when he got home, I usually did not feel like going out shopping for presents (hence the last minute shopping that I had to do with the help of my parents!)

This month has been tiring, but also filled with a lot of fun family time too. I am just looking forward to having a vacation...I am not sure what that means, but I am looking forward to one! Dawson was joking with my tonight, saying that he should send me to a cabin in the forest - but I thought that it would be lonely, and I would still have to make myself food and clean everything up. I am not sure what I need, but I have to say, that when I go on a vacation, I really like my family to be with me! I love them so much! I think that I need some sleep, and more time with my hubby.

If you have made it this far, thanks for reading and hearing what has been going on in my life during the month of my tiring December. I am ready for some rejuvenation!

The House is SO Quiet!

At around 7:00AM on Sunday morning, our good friends, Ulysses and his wife, Her Stampiness, and their two cute little kids arrived on our front porch! They drove all night from good ol' Georgia, and we were their layover point!

We had a lot of fun together! Ulysses and Dawson went to college together, and were friends ever since. Besides the four adults, there were four kids all under the age of three! There was cute little E - she is 6 months old, her brother C is 19 months old, and then we have Smiles who is almost 12 months old, and Brady who is a few days shy of being 3. They had so much fun together! I think that this was the first time that all four of them interacted with each other in some way, and it was so cute!

Nap time went well for all the kids except Brady - there was not room available for him to nap, so we just kept him up and he ran an errand with me (I think that he made up for the lost nap today - he had a solid 3 hour nap today, and I had to actually wake him up!). Our friends were also able to get a little nap in while the kids were napping, which was great because they left for CT this morning around 10:30ish!

We finally got all of the kids down for the night (by 8pm!) - Brady slept in our room, Smiles in his room, C slept in Brady's room, and E and her parents slept in our family room. Overall, they went down fine. We decided to not play any board games, but we did stay up talking until about midnight. Little E could hear us talking and kept waking up, so we all finally decided to hit the sack!

We usually get to see them at least two times per year, but this year it was actually three times! We wish that we lived closer to them, but we know that it is not going to happen. So, we enjoy all of the times that we see them throughout the year, and we may try to visit each other a little more often with a long weekend here and there. We are so thankful for our friendship with this family.

Praying For Comfort and Peace

I cannot imagine living life without Dawson. He is the love of my life, my best friend, and I love being with him, talking with him, etc.

When Dawson returned to work today, he found out that a co-worker past away on the 23rd. My heart breaks for his wife and two daughters. Dawson went to the viewing tonight and he is planning on attending the funeral tomorrow. This was a sudden death, which makes the situation even harder for the family and the people that worked with him.

Every time I think about it, I get choked up and tears fill my eyes, and I have been praying for the family many times throughout the day. Praying for comfort and peace for the family.

What Do You Think About Crocs?

For many months now, my foot hurts whenever I walk. Whether I am exercising (which has taken a back burner), shopping or just walking around the house, I have had pain in my foot. I did not go to see him sooner, because I was nursing and did not think that he could really so anything for me. Well, the pain was so constant, that after talking with my "regular" physician, I decided to go and see my podiatrist - the last time I was there was 2 years ago with different foot pain.

They took X-rays and really did not see any reason shy my foot is hurting (on the bottom of my foot, south of my big toe). It could be bunion related, but I only have a slight bunion. He gave me a shot of cortisone, and told me to come back in three weeks...which is in about a week and a half away. Let me just tell you that the cortisone did not fee very good at first, the pain increased! The next day, my foot was feeling a lot better, but now it is starting to hurt again. So, we will see what he says come January 5th.

Anyway, one thing that he suggested was that I buy a pair of crocs to wear around the house. I have never owned a pair of crocs, so my question to you is:

1. Do you own a pair of crocs (or have you ever owned a pair)?

2. What do you think about your pair of crocs...and what type do you own?

3. Where do you suggest that I look to buy a pair of crocs?

Thank you for your input! He told me that they are soft and have some good cushion support in there. I also have arches that need support - so...

4. Do you think that they provide good support in the arch area!

Thanks again!

It Was At Least 20 to 25!

As I stated in my last post, we spent Christmas day at my sister's house. We had a great time!

After dinner, we were in the kitchen talking and getting ready for dessert. My sister was at the sink and I was across from her, leaning against the counter while watching Smiles crawl around the kitchen. I had just followed him in from the family room, and I am so glad and thankful that I did!

I have to tell you that he took his first official step the day after he was 11 months (December 9th) - which is exactly what his Brady did! Since Smiles, he would stand up, get his balance while not holding on to anything and then he would smile (of course) as he took between 2-4 steps towards me, while falling into my lap. I figured that he would walk soon, but thought that it was a few weeks away.

Ok, back to the kitchen. Smiles crawled over to the fridge, and climbed into his standing position. I got my sister's attention to look at Smiles, and I am sure that she is glad that I did, because then he did something that he had never done before. He started to WALK!!! He walked from the fridge, to her sink, then somehow turned around and walked back to the fridge!!! He probably took over 20-25 steps - maybe even 30-35, and even steadied himself a few times!!! I was so amazed and excited...and Dawson, my mom and Brady walked into the kitchen while this was happening, which made it even better! We were all so proud of little Smiles, and so we all clapped for him, and he joined us with the clapping, which was so cute!

I am so proud of my little guy, and I am so excited that I was there and got to see the whole thing! He has not taken that many steps again since then...but, watch out world, here he comes! :)

Our Typical, Wonderful Christmas Day

We had a wonderful Christmas day filled with family and presents too. Christmas day is spent with my side of the family, and we usually have Christmas with Dawson's side of the family on Christmas Eve (although this year, we will celebrate on the 27th).

After we wake up on Christmas morning, we start our day by reading the account of Jesus being born. This is a tradition that both Dawson and my family had, and we are happy to continue it! Eventually, we will read the story straight from the Bible with each person taking a turn, but this year, we decided to read one of the picture books that we have for the kids, just because of their age. They definitely enjoyed it. Then we went down stairs to open presents together (and I found Smiles' stocking right before we went down the stairs! (It is SO much nicer than the one that I has Dawson pick up at the dollar store!).

The boys were so excited when they saw a stuffed animal at the top of their stocking - Brady had Curious George monkey in his and Smiles had a hippo. We had the boys open up some of their presents - Smiles did not completely understand what he was "supposed" to be doing, but he did enjoy the bag that we were putting the torn wrapping paper in - it was really cute! very typical of a baby's first Christmas! We took a break from presents (put Smiles down for a nap) and Dawson and I began to get breakfast going.

Around 9:30, my parents came over and we ate breakfast together which included homemade waffles, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, and of course some egg nog - we always had egg nog Christmas morning - and decaf Colombian coffee (my favorite). It was a really nice breakfast.

After breakfast, we exchanged presents with my parents - and Smiles woke up right before my parents were going to leave. So, he was able to open up the presents with them, and it was so worth it for them to see how much he enjoyed the ride on toy that they gave to him. It plays the ABC song, and he was dancing to it - so cute!

So, after my parents spends time with us, they move on to my sister's house (ahead of us), so that they can spend some time with them, before we head over there. We then have enough time to get everyone dressed and head out the door to my sister's house.

At my sister's house, we had so much fun, exchanging gifts, and eating LOTS of great food! We may not be Italian, but we definitely know how to make and eat delicious Italian food - all props to my sis and her hubby too! Dinner was delicious - chicken parm, sausage with peppers and onions (for those who wanted some!), three veggie dishes, bread with her dipping oil mixture, and wonderful family to enjoy it. Simms' family was also there as well.

We had a wonderful time, and I think the great gift that I received that day came from my son Smiles - which I will write about in another post! Brady also gave me lots of snuggles and hugs, and I enjoyed every minute of it!

I love my family and I am so thankful that we were able to have a wonderful day as we celebrated the birth of Christ.

I am so Thankful

I am so thankful that Christmas is about celebrating the birth of the Messiah.

It's not about whether your house is perfectly decorated in every room,

Or if you STILL do not have a skirt for the Christmas tree,

Or the fact that your presents are still not wrapped,

Or the fact that you have misplaced the stocking for your second born that was made by his great aunt,

Or the potential that your youngest's first Christmas pictures may be a little "spotted" (he had roseola this weekend - I thought that the fever was due to teething, until he broke out in a rash yesterday).

No, the focus of our Christmas is on Jesus. We enjoy coming together as a family, exchanging gifts with each other, and remembering what this holiday is truly about.

May you all have a very Merry Christmas!

(and to all, a good night sleep - especially Smiles, and me!)

Turkey Hill, Anyone?

Do you like Turkey Hill ice cream (or egg nog)? I sure do! Last year, I received one of their calendars, and it had a bunch of coupons in it for $1.00 off of ice cream and drinks too. I definitely used all of those coupons!

Anyway, I just decided to request their calendar for next year. When I requested one here, I also asked if they would send me some other coupons, if they had any...boy, was that worth about 5 minutes of my time! In just a few days, I received some coupons from them - a ton of them! Coupons for ice cream, drinks, and even one for egg nog...I LOVE their egg nog! Then today I received their calendar, and they had MORE coupons in it!

So, if you enjoy Turkey Hill products, I strongly encourage you to go here and drop them a line asking for coupons and/or their 2009 calendar! Y-U-M! I would tell you to say that "Promises sent you", but that really wouldn't help you in any way, it is just fun to write! :)

Noah's Ark Craft

This was an "easy" craft to do. When Brady and I went to the craft store, I heard him say, "Can we get this, Mommy?" When I turned around to see what he had in his hand, I saw a "tub" of foam stickers - the theme was Noah's Ark. He LOVES the story of Noah's ark - he loves to look at pictures of animals and name them and learn all about them, so I think that is one reason why he loves the story so much!

Obviously I said yes - they were on sale, so why not! So, after we put a cotton ball on our "Christmas Countdown" lamb, he asked if he could play with the Noah's ark animals. The first day that I got them out, he dumped all of them out and then he started to separate them according to what type of animal (or ark or Noah) it was. I was thinking that we would do something else with them, but then he piled them into the center and we cleaned up.

Here is a photo of Brady focusing on separating the animals.

The next day that we got the foam stickers out, I decided that we would do a simple project with them. I got out a piece of construction paper, and then I gathered one type of animal and let him choose the color that he wanted for his "craft" - then, I found the match and gave it to him. I could have let him find the match...but we can do that another time! So, while I was searching for the next animal for Brady to pick out, he was placing the previous sticker on the page.

Here is a photo of his masterpiece!

After Brady was done with placing the stickers on the paper, I asked him to tell me the story of Noah's ark - as he started to tell me his version, I started to write down what he was saying as fast as I could. I wrote down the first two versions and then I caught one on video.

Here is Version #1 that he told me:

The earth flooded on the water,

and then the animals floated on the ark.

It rained for...45 months,

and the sun came out, and the animals came out too,

and Noah, and so did the doves, and the kangaroos, and the hippos, and the giraffes, and the elephants, and (he continued to name all of the animals in the project)

and the rainbows and the clouds.

Version #2

The animals gathered and went inside the ark,

And it rained and rained,

And the sun came out

The End!

This was a fun and "easy" craft, and I know that he will want to do it again! There are so many great things about doing crafts with my son - I love to see him have fun, I enjoy spending time with him, it is great to watch his creativity and concentration flourish, and he beams with joy and a sense of accomplishment when he completes a craft.

There are so many more crafts that I want to complete with Brady - there are so many great ideas out there, and I will try to post as many of them as I can! I would love to continue to see what you are doing with your kids!

Christmas Countdown Part 2

Here are a few photos from the "Countdown to Christmas" craft that Brady worked on the other day.

Here he is focusing on placing the letters on the paper.

Here is the "completed" project! How fun!

Countdown To Christmas!

At the recent MIA "Mama's Got Talent," I was inspired by Amy to do more crafts with Brady. I really like the idea of having an advent theme (as my sister and others do), but I did not plan for it ahead of time and with Smiles' surgery being on the 1st of December, it just did not happen for this year. However, I loved the idea of having some sort of countdown - Classic Mama gave me the idea of using a sheep (we focus on the birth of Jesus at Christmas)! (Thanks, Classic!)

So, I searched the Internet and found a sheep project (Here is another cute one.). I printed out the sheep on card stock, and then used a nickel to make 25 circles on the paper. I used tiny foam letters in different colors to spell "countdown to" - it was Dawson's idea to use these colorful letters and arrange it like a string of lights.

I wrote out the word "CHRISTMAS" at the bottom of the paper (as you can see) and then I scanned it for you to see what it looks like - it came out a little dark, but you get the idea.
On Thursday, Brady found this on the dining room table and was SOOOOOOO excited - he loves animals! I told him that we would be doing a craft with it later, and he got even MORE excited! So, this is what we did. I gave Brady a Ziploc bag that contained large foam letters to spell "Christmas" and eleven cotton balls. He dumped it out and then he began to peel the backing off of the letters and placed them over the letters that I wrote - he did a great job (I have not downloaded those pics yet!).

We worked together on the cotton balls. Brady told me that he did not want to get glue on his fingers, so I put the glue on the number and he placed the cotton ball on it. We also practiced counting and recognizing all of the numbers while we did this craft. He recognizes 1-9 and can count from 1-12, 14 and 16, so this will be a good activity to do and practice saying the numbers each day. Today we added another cotton ball and did another craft with Noah's ark foam (that Brady picked out at the craft store).

Brady and I had so much fun doing this activity together, and I have two more ready to go! Amy totally inspired me to start doing more crafts with Brady and I am so excited! I actually went to the craft store on Wednesday and bought some things to get me started: googly eyes, foam sheets, foam letters and foam Noah's ark, pony beads, and pipe cleaners! I am going to go back and pick up a few more things - like little pom-poms for noses! Now, I am going to need to find some more activities to do! :)

Do you have any suggestions for easy and fun toddler activities?

A Little Humor For The Day

"Baby Jesus is Flying! Whoooooo!"

We had just finished a craft and Brady was playing the the little nativity pieces that we had received from church. I guess you can now imagine why baby Jesus was flying. It was funny to watch, and the greatest part...I was video taping him at the moment, so I can show it to Dawson late (and to Brady when he gets older!) :)

I have so much more to tell you about - I just have to find the time to do it!

Giveaway: "Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction"

The end of 2008 is approaching. For those of you who are due with a baby in December, it may mean a chance of having an additional "last minute" tax deduction...if their baby is born in December (and not in January - like my first son)! Speaking of taxes, I do my taxes on my own, using Turbo Tax, so when I was asked to let you all know about a contest that they were having, I was happy to do that...especially since I also have some giveaways available for you!

Turbo Tax is kicking off their second annual nationwide search for America's Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction. The winner will receive a United States savings bond worth $5,000 (up to $10,000 upon maturity).

In order to be eligible for the contest, the parent or guardian would need to:

1. Have your baby born between Dec. 1-31, 2008
2. Enter the contest and submit a photo of your newest "last-minute" tax deduction at http://www.cutesttaxdeduction.com/

Baby Owen was the winner last year, and you can check him out in the following video:




Now, for the GIVEAWAY! This is open to anyone who had a baby or knows a baby that was born in 2008 and would like to share this little "present" with them! Here is a photo of the romper/onesie that I have to giveaway:

Turbo Tax has given me FIVE of these rompers/onesies to giveaway. The size of the onesie is six months, so if your baby will fit into this now (or in the future) you are eligible to receive one of these!

To enter this giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Be sure that you have left a way for me to contact you - either through your blog or email

This contest will be open until December 31st, 2008 at 11:59 EST

The winners will be announced on January 1st (or really soon after that! My son's birthday is the 2nd!)

Here are a few other interesting tax tips for you:

1. Any new baby in 2008 could deliver a $1,000 child tax credit. This is a gift that keeps on giving until they turn 17.
2. Be sure to file a new W-4 form with your employer to claim an additional withholding "allowance which may help boost your take-home pay.
3. There's also a tax credit, worth as much $11,650 in 2008, to help offset the cost of adopting a child.

A Trip To The Dentist

Yesterday, I had my teeth cleaning appointment. My mom was scheduled to watch the boys, but I decided that I wanted to take Brady with me. He is almost three, and I think that he is ready to get his first check up (when I get my next one done in 6 months). So, I thought that it would be good for Brady to see what a dentist appt. would be like. He is well behaved, so I really was not worried about any sort of misbehaviour, but I would have never imagined what it really was like (well, part of it).

Brady was really well behaved. He stood by my chair and watched the dental hygienist clean my teeth, and then he put his head on my arm and hugged me - so cute! When I was telling him to be careful, etc., the hygienist said to Brady, "You could sit on Mom's lap if you want to, you just can't bounce."

I was thinking, "ok, we will see what this is like!"

So, Brady climbed up onto the chair, and he smiled at me, and then he laid down on my legs and hugged me! It was so cute! He stayed like this most of the time! Of course, he would sit up and watch what was going on - but I have to say that it was one of the most fun times that I had at the dentist! I loved those snuggles and hugs that Brady was giving to me!

After I was finished, Brady declined his own ride in the chair, but he was excited when they gave a new Diego toothbrush to him!

So now, I am praying that the appt. in June will go well - and that Brady will be excited to get his own teeth cleaned! I think that I will have to try and find a fun book and video about a trip to the dentist before then...any suggestions?

Update on Smiles

After the surgery on Monday, Smiles was groggy and tired most of the day, but he was back to his regular self by Tuesday - which was good to see!

Today, I was able to take the bandage off of his incision, and then next week he has his post-op appt. I am very thankful that he has not been bothered by the bandage at all this week - he only touched it a couple of times yesterday, but did not try to take it off...I think that it would have been too hard for him to do on his own anyway. You see, his incision was actually covered with gauze and then some type of plastic that "sticks" to his ear, skin, and hair!!! I was not really looking forward to taking this off of him, so I waited to do it tonight, when Dawson could help me out...and I am SOOO glad that I did!

The plastic stuff was sort of like tape, meaning that it was sticky...and it was on some of his hair!!! (BTW - they had to trim his hair a little bit when they did his surgery and they put it in a little plastic bag and gave it to me! I thought that was so sweet! I guess they could tell that he has not had an official first haircut yet!).

I thought that the sticky plastic "tape" would come off easily...boy, was I wrong! Dawson first tried to hold him in a sitting position on his lap while I tried to peel the tape off - that was not working. We tried having Dawson hug Smiles - that did not work. So, finally, we had Smiles laying belly down on Dawson's lap, while I tried to peel this "tape" off. There was a lot of crying and a lot of praying - and Brady was also telling Smiles, "It's okay" and trying to comfort him. So sweet.

I think that the worst part of taking this "tape" off was when I got to the hair. I almost decided to get the scissors out and just cut the tape off (that would have looked "great!"). However, I feel that the Holy Spirit reminded me of how I would get something out of my hair with as little pain as possible. So, I held his hair down with my fingers, so the roots were not being pulled, and then gently pulled the tape away and then I would move my fingers up to the next spot and I would repeat what I did. It went somewhat quickly and the crying did not increase, it stayed at the same level. Then, the gauze seemed to be a little stuck to the incision!!! So, I got a wet wash cloth and water helped to "unstick" it! AHHHHH!

It was a little stressful to me, but I was so glad when it was done, and after I rocked Smiles for a little bit and snuggled with him, I eventually got some smiles from him - it made me smile.

The incision area looks great to me! So, I guess now I just need to keep it clean and dry and we will see the doctor next Wednesday!

Somebody Loves Me Too!

Classic Mama tagged me for this meme. Thanks Classic Mama - you are a great friend and I love your blog too! :)

Where is your cell phone? I don't have one!

Where is your significant other? He is watching part of the British version of The Chronicles of Narnia. I was watching it too, but I need to go to bed (and wanted to write this meme)

Your hair color? brown

Your mother? brown with blonde highlights

Your father? He has brown hair with a lot of white now!

Your favorite thing? This is a hard one - not so sure. A shower with hot water...'cause I am about to take one

Your dream last night? Ok, this was kind of strange - and it might be due to reading a blog about adoption. Anyway, I had a dream that "my" daughter was going to be born, but I was not the one giving birth to the girl - another woman was, and I was going to adopt her. I did not have a name for her, so the birth mother said that the name that she thought of for the girl was "Irea" - or something like that. I smiled and said, "oh" - but on the inside, I knew that I was not going to name her that because it sounded too much like urea - which is another name for urine. Not sure of the significance of the dream at this point in time.

Your dream/goal? To remain debt free, grow old with my husband, and raise mighty men of God (since I only have boys)

The room you’re in? the living room/computer room

Your hobby? right now, I would have to say bargain shopping/stretching our money! I do want to get back into scrapbooking though!

Your fear? That something bad would happen to the kids, my husband or anyone in my family - so, I give those fears to the Lord.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Maybe in a larger house, but I really like the town that I am in! :)

Where were you last night? Eating Thai food with friends.
What you’re not? short
One of your wish-list items? To learn what my style in decor is
Where you grew up? Long Island, NY
The last thing you did? watched the British version of Prince Caspian with Dawson - I thought that I picked out the new version, but we quickly realized that it was not. It was still good to watch and next time, I will get the correct one!

What are you wearing? Brown sweats and a blue sweatshirt

Your TV? It is currently on - Dawson is watching the next movie/book of Narnia

Your pet? None - I guess an occasional spider...but they do not last too long!

Your computer? PC/Dell

Your mood? Tired and ready for bed

Missing someone? yes - I wish that we lived closer to Dawson's Nanny

Your car? Toyota Sienna and KIA Spectra

Something you’re not wearing? Makeup

Favorite store? CVS - ha! Just kidding, sort of. I don't do too much shopping these days, so I really do not have a favorite store at the moment. CVS just gives me a lot of great deals, but it is not really my favorite

Your summer? Wonderful - we always do a New England trip to visit family and friends. I also look forward to going away for a week at some resort as a family next summer!
Love someone? Many, many people, but my #1 person is my hunny! He is so sweet!

Your favorite color? Green and purple

When is the last time you laughed? Today when Brady told Dawson and me what the librarian said and what his reply was - I just laughed again as I typed this out!

Last time you cried? On Saturday, when Michael (the angel) defeated the enemy in a show that we went to (more on that soon - I just have not had a chance to blog about it yet!) - I think that it was all of the emotions that were going on at that moment...more later

Ok, so I am going to tag a few people who I enjoy reading their blog and I think that they read mine too:

TCC at The Campbell Corner

Krazy at the Krazy Klingers

Tracy at The Gang's All Here

This Journey of Mine at Enjoying the Journey

Thrills at The Thrills of Being A New Mom -

Hands-free Heart

I look forward to reading your answers...if you decide to do it! :)

No, My Name is "Brady"

I did not want to bring Smiles out to a public place yet, since he just had surgery on Monday, so my Mom brought Brady to the library today. She shared this little story with me, so I decided to pass it on to you!

When they arrived at the library, Brady was unpacking/returning the books and DVDs that were due. As he does this, he likes to tell the librarian the names of the books and DVDs that he is returning - it is really cute. The librarian thinks that he is absolutely adorable! (I agree!).

Anyway, while he was returning his books today, the librarian asked,

"Can I call you ___ (it is a common nickname for his real name)?"

Without stopping what he was doing, Brady responded,

"No, my name is 'Brady' " :)

That's my boy! He was not rude about it - just stated what his full name is, and that is what he is called. That made me smile! :)

I love his full name and that is what we call him right now. If he wants to shorten it when he gets older, that is his choice, but for now, we will continue to call him by his full name! :)

Review: Frebreze Fabric Refresher

I was asked to do a review about the new and improved Febreze Fabric Refresher. This is what is new about the formula:

* Now, it eliminates odors on fabrics and in the air
* New, fine mist spray allows for even application, and the new pump design reduces leaking, nozzle sticking and that "quacking" sound
* Formula provides longer-lasting freshness – up two days of freshening power

The basic directions for using the Fabric Refresher are: spray it evenly on the fabric until it becomes slightly damp. The molecules will penetrate into the fabric and as it dries, the odor is cleaned away and a fresh scent is left in its place.

I was sent the Lavender Vanilla & Comfort scent to review. I decided to spray it on a recliner that is a second hand item. It does not have an odor to it, but I wanted to see how the fabric would be refreshed. I followed the directions, and I have to say that the scent lasted just about 2 full days. The only thing that I did not like about it was that when I sat in the chair (after it was dry), and then got up, I felt that the scent was now on my clothes! So, I suppose that I was refreshed too! The scent did not last too long on me, but I still did not like that it happened. Maybe I needed to wait one full day (or overnight) before I sat in the chair. It was easy to use the trigger and I did not hear the "quacking" noise that some spray bottles make. I also did not notice any significant leakage on my hand, so it appears that the improvements that were made to the bottle really does work!

It also claims to eliminate odors in the air so, I decided to try it out on our garbage can. I had thrown some onion remains into our kitchen trash can and it stank pretty bad. So, before I was able to take the trash out, I decided to spray it with the Febreze. I was pleasantly surprised. The smell was taken away! However, when I went to take out the garbage a little later on, I did notice a hint of onion smell. I sprayed the can after the trash was removed from it, and the can no longer had any onion odor to it. So it did refresh the air and my garbage can too!

The scents that it comes in are: Meadows & Rain, Linen & Sky, Lavender Vanilla & Comfort, Citrus & Light, and Spring & Renewal. The Lavender & Vanilla scent was pretty, but a little too floral for me.

My overall opinion is that I do like the Febreze Fabric Refresher. I believe that it does what it claims to do. I would probably try one of the other scents in the future and with so many to choose from, I am sure that one of them would jive with me.

I have more product reviews coming your way and a contest too! Stay tuned!

Resting In His Presence

We are home from the surgery. Everything went well. We actually did not get to talk with the doctor afterwards - he had to go straight into another surgery, but the nurse gave us great instructions as to how to care for Smiles. So, we will see the doctor in 7-10 days for the post op appt.

Smiles did fine without his morning feeding. He was so interested in everything that was going on around him - he did not even once hint at being hungry (plus, I fed him at 11:30 pm the night before, which I am sure helped!).

The Lord gave all of us such amazing peace and I continue to declare Joshua 1:9 over Smiles - "Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go" (My paraphrasing).

The only time that I heard Smiles cry (before the surgery) was after the nurse turned the corner when she was carrying him to surgery. The anesthesiologist told me beforehand that if Smiles was crying when he was brought into surgery, that it was actually not a bad thing, because he would inhale the anesthesia faster and would be sedated faster - so, I was not worried at all.

The doctor gave Smiles a little teddy bear that was dressed at a surgeon - it is so cute and Smiles liked playing with it before surgery.

We were called back to the recovery room about 35 minutes after we had left Smiles. The surgery took only about 15 minutes (I asked - I am always curious about those things).

After surgery, Smiles was groggy from coming out of the anesthesia, so I nursed him and then held him and sang to him songs like, "Jesus Loves Me" and "I love you, Lord" and he was at peace in his Mommy's arms.

Smiles is now sleeping, so I am going to try and sneak a nap in too (Dawson is already napping)! I have been up since 5:30 am (and did not get to sleep until about 12:30 am), so this momma is a little tired! My mom has Brady over at her house, so for now, I do not need to be concerned about him - thank you, Grammie and Poppy!

Thank you for all of your prayers. I did sense the peace of God all around us!

Safe in HIS Hands

On Monday morning (12/01), Dawson and I will be taking Smiles to have outpatient surgery. We will arrive at the surgery center at 6:30 am and his surgery will take place at 7:30 am. He was born with a cyst behind his left ear and it has grown in size over the past eleven months. It is not huge and no one notices it - but since it has grown, the doctor believes that it should be removed.

The surgery should not last long, and we will be able to take him home as soon as they release us!

Please pray for peace for Smiles - he has been struggling with separation anxiety. I have been praying for God's peace to rest upon him. Please pray that the doctor's hands will be guided by the Lord and that everything would go perfectly, without any problems. Please also pray that Smiles will be fine without being breastfed first thing in the morning! I am going to sneak another feeding in at around 11:30 pm tonight, but after, he is not able to have anything until after the surgery!

Grammie will come over to stay with Brady while we are with Smiles.

Thank you for all of you prayers! Although this is a simple surgery, it is not easy to see your baby being carried away by the nurses to be "put under" for surgery. Brady had surgery when he was 8 months old, and now Smiles will have surgery at almost 11 months old. This is just another time when I have to place my children into the safest place that I know if...in His hands.

Some May Call It "Crazy" - but, We Had Fun!

As some of you know, I do enjoy "shopping" at CVS. They had special deals that started on Thanksgiving Day and ends Saturday - so, you can still try and get some of them, if you are up to it! Click here to see a scan of the add, courtesy of hot coupon world.

I was really excited to go out and grab up the deals that were free after ECBs, and I wanted to be sure that I was able to get all of the items on my list, so I decided that I was going to go to the 24 hour CVS, so that I would be able to make my purchases right after midnight on Thanksgiving Day - yes, I was hosting Thanksgiving...so, I just made sure that everything was ready before I left! My mom decided to go with me, and we had a lot of fun (my sis would have come to, but she was at her in-laws for the holiday).

So, here was my plan - mom and I left her house at 11:00pm, and drove to the 24 hour CVS. I figured that we could collect all of the items that were on our list and organize them into the different transactions that we were going to do. Then, once it was after midnight, we could begin checking out and receive out ECBs for the items! There were no other shoppers there when we arrived - but at least 5 or more came in after midnight! So, we were glad that we got there when we did, so that we got first pick of everything!

We did not get home until after 1am, but we had a great time, and then I did not have to think about being ready to leave my house around 8:00am so that I could go to my local CVS to do my "shopping".

This is all of the after Thanksgiving shopping that I did (well, I guess that it really was before Thanksgiving!). I thought about going on Black Friday, but decided to get some sleep instead!

I don't want to take the time to write out all of the transactions that I did, but below is a list of the items that I purchased- which was worth about $200 before the sale price and the Extra care bucks that I received back! I spent about $2.00 of cash (actually it was paid with a $25 gift card that I received when I had a prescription filled there), and ended up with $35 more ECBs than I started with (due to the coupons that I used). The coupons that I used are listed after below the product (thanks to slickdeals). "SS" = Smart Source coupon insert "V" = Valassis

CVS 3-Day FREE after ECB items:
Colgate Total Advanced, Clean, Advanced Fresh or Whitening $2.99 get $2.99 (Limit 2)
$1/1 (12-6-08) SS 11/16/08

Aussie hair product $2.99 (Limit 2)
$1/1 SS10/12/08

Johnson's Soft Lotion $5.69 (Limit 1)

Gatorade G2 20 oz $1.49 (Limit 3)
buy 4, use 2 coupons Gatorade G2 from Beauty Book (found at CVS)$1/2

Hershey's King Size Bars $1.00 (Limit 1)

Bic Soliel $5.99 (Limit 2)
Bic Soleil System Razor, any $3/1 SS 11/2/08 $2 on any Razor Purchase of $10 or more CRT (a coupon that is printed on some Customer Receipt Tape - I did not get one, but my mom did)

Garnier Nutritioniste cleansing towelettes(25 ct.) $5.99 (Limit 1)
Garnier Nutritioniste Cleanser or Moisturizer, any $1 (11-30-08) V 8/24/08

Maybelline Foundation $8.99 (Limit 1) - Recycled from 11/23 ad
$3 Maybelline Foundation RP 10/26, Exp 1/26/09

5 hr Energy 2pk $3.99 (Limit 1)

Magnovox Remote or Phillilps IPOD Headphones $6.99 (Limit 2)

L'Oreal lipgloss $6.99 (Limit 2)
L'Oreal Lipcolour, any $1 (1-25-09) V 11/2/08

Sally Hansen Max Growth $3.79 (Limit 1)
Sally Hansen Q from paper (don't know which one) Sally Hansen Nail Color or Nail Treatment, $3 on 2, Beauty book 12/31/08

Covergirl Smoothers Foundation $7.99 (Limit 1)
Cover Girl Product, any $1 (11-30-08) P & G 10/12/08

Covergirl Smoothers Powder $5.99 (Limit 1)
Cover Girl Product, any $1 (11-30-08) P & G 10/12/08

Other ECB Deals
$3 ECB wyb Playtex 16-18ct for $3.99 Limit 1
Playtex Gentle Glide $1, 10/5 SS

$6 ECB wyb Schick Quattro Razor or Trimmer for $7.99 Limit 1
Schick Titanium Trimmer $2 printable 10/19/08

B1G1 DealsPrice listed is for one
Soft & Dri Pulse or Right Guard $.99
Soft & Dri or Dry Idea Anti Perspirant & Deodorant any (excludes trial size) $1/2, SS1 10/5

So, did you do any special shopping this weekend?

He Did It Again!

Over the weekend, I noticed that Dawson had written the word "delivery" on our calendar in the square for the 25th. On Monday and Tuesday morning, I asked him what was being delivered and he smiled and said that I was going to be home, so that is all that mattered.

I tried not to think about it too much - but I did think...it is either something for me, or maybe it is that antennae that he has been wanting for the TV. Either way, I was excited to see what was going to arrive at my doorstep!

At around 1:00pm, the nice delivery man handed me a box and inside that box, this is what I found!!!

The roses are SO beautiful...and he gave me two dozen of them! The colors are pink, red, yellow and peach - just gorgeous! Now, I need to learn how to arrange them a little better! I have never been given that many roses before! Do you know why he gave them to me? Because he loves me and is thankful for me! He is wonderful and knows how to make me feel special and loved.

I am thankful for my husband, not because he has given me flowers, but because he loves and appreciates me. He shows this in so many ways from working at his job to being an excellent and fun father and husband and of course for his love for God. It is amazing that we have been married for almost 6 1/2 years - as we continue to learn more about each other and how to fill each other's "love tank," marriage is definitely something that continues to get better with age!

A Little Bit About Me

I "stole" this meme from my sister over at The Campbell Corner. It was fun to read what she has done, and I thought that it would be interesting to see what my percentage would be (of things that I have done on the list). It was fun to do this list - it brought back some fun memories!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars - it was really cool and weird and I woke up with dew on my face!
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed/hiked a mountain (and an inactive volcano!)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - (we asked our gondolier to sing too!)
29. Witnessed a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - well, I went to the country on my mom's side!
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades - camped there for a week without hot water!
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a Bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox - in 4th grade - I was COVERED!!!
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - twice
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I have done about 43 of these items (about 43%). I am 34 years young, and that is the numbers in reverse, and I have no idea how that correlates, but I think that it is cool...and I know that TCC will think so too! :)

Lullaby

About a year or ago, I started to sing Brady a lullaby. I made up the words and used the tune of the basic Lullaby song.

After Dawson finishes getting Brady ready for bed, I come into the room and sit on the end of his bed. Brady climbs into my lap and then I sing two songs to him, our Lullaby and Jesus Loves Me. Then Dawson sings, I Am a Promise (while holding Brady), and then he is put into bed and we finish with prayers and lots of hugs and kisses (and sometimes some tickles too - I just can't help myself sometimes!).

The other night, I had to go out for a little while - Smiles was in bed already, but Brady was not. While Brady was getting ready for bed, Smiles woke up crying - so, Daddy went in to check on him and Brady tagged along. Smiles had a burp, but before Daddy could put Smiles back in his crib, Brady wanted to also burp him - so he did this while sitting on the glider, and then he sang the Lullaby song to his brother! Dawson told me that it was so sweet! Brady put in Smiles name where his name usually is and sang his little heart out.

Yesterday, Brady came upstairs with me while I was putting Smiles down for his nap - as we were leaving the room, Brady said, "I have to pray for him." So, he went back into the room and prayed for Smiles' nap and then, he sang the Lullaby to him while holding his hand! It was so sweet and I was so blessed that I could watch the love pour from one brother to the other - and of course it was returned with a huge smile!

Black Backgrounds - my thoughts

I don't know about any of you, but white (or light colored) text on a black background on a blog makes my eyes go a little nuts! The blogs are pretty, but I cannot read it unless it is in my reader. I think that blue is fine, but black...well, I just can't do it! Please don't be offended or even change your blog! These are thoughts that were just going through my head after my eyes were bugging out after reading a friend's blog (from college).

Baking again!

Last night, I decided to lay down, in bed, for a few minutes...yea, ok...and then it was morning! I obviously needed to go to bed at 9pm, because I fell asleep so quickly and slept until morning - in my clothes! :)

Today I feel refreshed and I was ready to do some baking again! I LOVE to bake (and cook too), but time (and energy) is sometimes lacking! So, while Smiles was down for his morning nap, Brady and I go "to work" in the kitchen!

When I asked Brady if he wanted to help me bake in the kitchen, his answer was, "Let me get my stool first!" He was definitely ready to help me dump the ingredients in the bowl and then mix it up! He is a big help and it was fun spending time in the kitchen together.

What did we make? Banana muffins and two pumpkin pies! I actually did the pies by myself because Smiles was up and the two boys were gated out of the kitchen since the oven was on (that is more for Smiles' protection - Brady knows not to touch the oven).

I would like to bake some more and freeze what I have baked, but I need to tend to some other things right now. Baking will happen again soon!

Dinner is leftovers tonight, so I am done in the kitchen at the moment (well, I actually have to go and wash the dishes!). So, what are you baking or cooking today?

Brotherly Love

Brady was sitting on my lap in the family room giving me some hugs, and Smiles was standing by the train table, playing with whatever was on the table. Brady then looked at Smiles and then at me and said:

"I love Smiles too, Mommy. Smiles is my best friend. I love my best friend, Smiles."

So sweet and brought a smile to his Mommy's face. I then reinforced to him how special and important it is that he loves his brother - now and forever, and that it is wonderful that they are best friends.

My parents always reminded me that family is so important. Family is always there for you - mine always was and still is. This is something that I want to pass on to my boys.

Guess Who I Got a Phone Call From?

Do the names Kevin, Joe and Nick ring a bell with anyone? (Maybe Melissa knows who I am talking about)

Okay. Does the Jonas Brothers sound at all familiar to anyone??? You're not that old are you? (hee hee)

Anyway, my phone rang, I picked it up and there they were, talking to me. Asking me if I wanted to enter a contest to be on a cruise - with them!

Are you jealous?!?!?

Well, you shouldn't be! It was a recording, and I am sure that many people got the same exact phone call that I did. It was just strange and interesting.

And, no, I am not entering the contest. I don't listen to them...I guess I am that old! :)

My Response to the Election

After our MIA planning meeting last night, I got into my car, turned on the radio and heard John McCain giving his concession speech. I cried. I suddenly began to feel unsafe and cried some more when I thought about the unborn babies who might not enter this world here on earth because of the beliefs of our future president.

When I got home, I woke up Dawson, we talked about it and I also began to talk with God about the situation. One statement that I continued to say was, “I just don’t understand!” I don’t understand why Obama was elected into the position as president. However, I believe that Jesus began to talk to me, as I was talking to Him.

He reminded me that even though I may not agree with the person that was voted into the office of the presidency, the fact is – he is there. He has been placed in a position of authority above me (like your boss is at the place of your work – yes, I am a stay at home mom, but I have been in the working world, so this analogy worked just fine), and although I may not agree with some of his views and beliefs, I still need to respect him and pray for him.

“Pray for him?” I thought. “Are you serious?” As soon as I uttered these words, I knew that the answer was, “yes.” He has a target on his back, because of the position that he is in and he needs the divine protection of Christ over his life – he needs Christ, period! So, I began to pray for him – for his safety and for the safety of his family, for salvation, for a change in his heart and mind on the issue of abortion, and I also prayed for those that are in influential positions around him too (advisors, etc.).

Obviously, we have a free will. There are people that voted out of their free will for Obama and he is now the President-elect. I may not be happy with this outcome, but I do need to respect and pray for him and the decisions that will be made. He may be the next president of the U.S.A., but God is still God and He is still seated on the throne and is all powerful!

My sister (over at The Campbell Corner) has a great post about her take and response to the outcome of the election, and I encourage you to read it here.

Brady's Prayer For Daddy

Dear Jesus, for Daddy's day at work....(pause)....and bless it to his body...(pause)....and let him have good dreams....at work....In Jesus' name Amen.

This was the first time that Brady prayed for Daddy's day at work. Dawson and I just smiled and quietly chuckled to ourselves. It was so sincere and precious. Can you tell what other times of the day that Brady has been praying?

It Was Worth $18

Dawson and I do not normally go out to the movies. If I want to see a movie on a large screen TV, I can always go over to my parents' house and watch it on their large screen TV. Forking over $18 for two tickets is a little hard to swallow, but since we don't normally go out to the movies, I was fine with paying that amount of money and going to see the movie Fireproof. It was the best $18 that we spent!

I really enjoyed the movie and I highly recommend that you go to see the movie is you have not yet! You could even pay a little less than we did if you are able to catch a matinee! This is definitely a movie that deals with real life issues and has an awesome answer to help work through those issues...and it is not just a book. I think that I might purchase the book and go through the "Love Dare" with my husband. We are not estranged, but marriage is work, and if there is a tool out there to help bring us even closer to each other and God, why not try it out!

I will definitely buy the movie when it come out on DVD, and I am looking forward to the next movie that this church puts out!

Learning the Scriptures

Recently, I have been teaching Brady a Bible verse. It has been a lot of fun, and I look forward to teaching him some more! I wrote more about this over at the Created and Called blog - you can read more about it here.

A Little Update

Things have been busy around here. I have not really had the time to blog, but there has been a lot going on - especially in Smiles' life (and in turn, mine!).

In the past three weeks, this is what has happened in Smiles' life (and no, it is not his birthday, like the bib states - it was just a clean bib that I grabbed!):

1. Crawling has begun - he is really good at it now, and loves going all around the house - today, he was attempting to get up the stairs!!! Sometimes, he goes a little too fast and does a "face plant" into the carpet - poor little guy! I always have him in my sight, in fact, I like to crawl around with him sometimes and chase him. He giggles a lot! I like to say, "Mommy's gonna get you!" and then I start to tickle him and he laughs and laughs! I love his laugh!

2. With crawling came pushing himself back into a sitting position. He looks so cute doing this - if you have not gathered, I think that most everything that he (and Brady) does is so cute.

3. His TWO bottom teeth have come through - within one week of each other! I think that the top teeth are going to come through any day too. I think that the teething has been bothering him a little bit - right before the teeth cane through, he would wake up around 2 or 3am crying. This is not normal for him. He sleeps around 12ish hours straight at night. So, I continue to pray that he would not have any pain or discomfort during this teething process.

4. Two days ago, he pulled himself up into the standing position - that was probably the third time that he has done that - but each time was spaced out quite a bit. Well, yesterday, he decided to become the expert on pulling himself up to the standing position - so that he can play with his leap frog table and the train table easier (before then, he would get himself up on his knees and play at each table). So, now he is enjoying keeping me on my toes and he is beginning to understand what "no" means.

My little Smiles has definitely been keeping me busy - it is so good though! I could tell that he has been wanting this freedom for a while, so it is fun to watch him explore our house in a new way.

Besides all of these wonderful things that he has been experiencing, he has also been a little constipated lately - to the point of crying and nothing coming out. That broke my heart! I really do not know what caused it, but mixing apple juice into his cereal and feeding him that three times a day helped to relieve him (and his mommy's heart strings too!).

Besides the happenings of Smiles, I have been trying to keep the computer off for a good portion of the day. When it is on, I am sort of drawn to it - to check on some blogs, check email, etc. - and that can tend to waste time that I could use to do other things like cooking, hanging with the kids, etc. So, that has probably been a major reason as to why I have not written a lot lately!

Other things going on with me:

1. I am so glad that I do not have a sinus infection any longer

2. I would like to go and see the movie Fireproof at the movie theater this weekend! Dawson and I wanted to go the weekend that it opened, but that is the weekend that I started to get sick...so, our date has been on hold for a little while now. It will be nice to get out of the house with my man! (I am not looking forward to paying the price for the ticket though - prices are so expensive!)

3. I have really been in the mood to cook and bake a lot - some of this has only gone as far as in my head though. Some of the dishes that I have been thinking about will eventually become reality...I just have to make the time to do it! :)

It is getting late and I need to go to bed! I will try to write more soon!

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

A few days ago I was telling Brady how he and Smiles were an answer to my prayers and my heart's desire. I always knew that I wanted to be a Mommy when I grew up - and I am so blessed that I am a Mom and have two wonderful sons! This led into the following exchange between Brady (2 and 1/2 years) and me:

Me: "So, what do you want to be when you grow up Brady?"

Brady: (having a little smile on his face) "I want to be with you, Mommy."

So sweet - that made my heart melt!

I Love You Too, Babe

I enjoy receiving flowers - not weekly, but from time to time. As some of you know, red roses are my favorite flowers to receive! I used to think that it was "bad" to enjoy receiving flowers - just because others don't care for it, but you know what I have realized? We are all different and we all get our "love tank" filled in different ways. So, it is okay if you enjoy flowers, or chocolates, or a night out with the kids, and it is also okay if you don't!

Anyway, I was not given flowers the other day - but I was given a little note, that just made my day! It was just as good, if not better than roses!

On Tuesday, it was a foggy morning and we had our MIA meeting that day. I got the kids into the car, and after I buckled my seat belt, I looked up at the windshield, and there was a special note written on the condensation, just for me!

It simply said:

I LOVE YOU!
XOXOXO XOXO

(there were hearts drawn on it too!)

It made my day!

I love you too, Dawson! :)

Did You Know These Things About Me?

I have been tagged by Jenne, to list 7 random things about myself, so here it goes!

The rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 7 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post.
4. Pass on the tag.

My Seven Random Things:

1. I enjoy opening wine bottles. I learned how to easily take the cork out, with an opener that looks like a pocket knife, when I was a waitress, and I think that it is fun. I don't get to do it often - but I opened a bottle the other day to cook with, and it was fun! :)

2. Did you know that I was a waitress at a nice Italian restaurant (down in Port Jefferson - on Long Island)? It was during the summer after my freshman year of college - I did not enjoy it, although I made very good money!

3. I have been told that I tie my shoelaces "backwards". I always thought that it was "normal", but I think that what I learned to do was the mirror image of right-handed people. So do I tie my shoes the way that a left-handed person would??? I am not sure.

4. I like to sleep with a sheet and comforter on - pulled all the way up to my chin! This is all year round - spring, summer, fall and winter!

5. I COMPLETELY trust my husband when it comes to directions. He has a good sense of direction - I prefer following a map or written directions.

6. I have a hard time pulling the car (or minivan) straight into the driveway - I am usually cockeyed.

7. I am good at choosing the correct size container to fit leftovers in - it is usually the
"perfect" size container.

Random things are not always easy for me to come up with, but it was fun to do, and Dawson helped me think of a few. We are actually coming up with more that seven now, so I will add a few more:

8. I go to CVS at least once a week, do a few transactions, and usually get about $60+ worth of merchandise for around $1.00 (give or take), after ECBs and coupons.

9. Saving money, and getting quality products is fun, challenging and has become a little bit of a hobby for me - as far as groceries, cleaning products (some) and toiletries go.


Ok, so if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! :)

A Listening Ear

Today, we went to the library like we do every Wednesday (except when I was sick - I am feeling better now, thanks for asking and thanks to the antibiotics!). Everything was the same as usual - return the books and DVDs, find more books and DVDs to take out, check the books out...and then Brady gets a stamp on each hand (you know - a rubber stamp that gets inked up and then pressed onto your skin). He LOVES getting the stamps on his hands - he thinks that it is the greatest thing, and he does not like to wash his hands for the next day or so...however, he needs to, so we scrub lightly on the top of his hands.

Today, after he got the stamps on his hands, he said, "Look, Mommy, funny faces!" and he was laughing. I immediately got a check in my spirit, and THOUGHT to myself, "Oh, no...it IS October...what type of Halloween stamp is it!" Well, Brady told me right away, "A pumpkin (a jack-o-lantern) and a Smiley face (just the face part of the jack-o-lantern). I just said, "oh, yes, a smiley face." We said goodbye to the librarian and left.

I thought to myself (prayed to God), what do I do? We do not celebrate Halloween, and I do not want Brady to think that these Halloween things are okay, but what should I do or say to him that is age appropriate. We have not talked with him about Halloween yet, and I was not really sure what to share with him yet about the truth of Halloween and why we do not celebrate it. Simple answer - it does not glorify or honor God.

Since I was not sure what I wanted to share with him yet, I decided that I would continue to seek God with what I should share with Brady. I didn't want to put any scary thoughts in his head but I also want him to know the truth. I knew that the stamps would wash off in a day or two, so I decided that I would not go "nuts" and insist to scrub them off...but, I was not happy about the stamps.

When we got home, it was nap time. I got Smiles down for a nap first, and then Brady and I went into his room, read 4 of the new books that we brought home from the library, and I tucked him into bed. At that moment, Brady looked at his hands and then looked at me and the following exchange took place:

B: Mommy, these are scary. I don't want them on my hands anymore

Me: Do you want Mommy to wash them off of your hands?

B: Yesh (his way of saying "yes")

Me: Are you sure that you want Mommy to wash them off (I just had to be sure)

B: Yesh, Mommy. I don't want to be scared, they scare me.

So, I grabbed a wipe and scrubbed a little at his hands (I really did not want him to get out of bed), but that was not doing the whole job. So, I got a washcloth and used soap and water to get the stamps off of his hands.

Since he expressed to me that he did not want to be scared, I prayed with him - that scary feelings would leave in Jesus' name, and that the peace of God would rest upon him. He was at peace and he had a great nap! I also encouraged him/thanked him for being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and listening to Him...because it was the Holy Spirit that nudged him to say what he did to me. I have to say that I was blown away by all that took place - God is so good.

I was so thankful to the Lord for hearing my prayers and answering them, and I am so thankful that my son has an ear to hear and listen to God's voice - and then to act on it. God is good. He knows our hearts, hears our prayers and knows how precious and special our kids are to us...because they are special to Him too!

Watch out World!

It is official! As of last Tuesday, Smiles began to crawl!

He has been rocking back and forth on his hands and knees for at least a few weeks...and then he decided to take off! On Tuesday, he would take about 2 crawls (each hand and each knee would advance) and then he would fall down and take a rest...and sometimes cry!

I had no idea how long it would take him to get the hang of it and start to get in to everything. It only took a few days! He crawls "slow", but he gets where he want to go - and it is so cute to watch. He looks like one of those little baby dolls that crawls slowly.

That is now all though! He has also learned how to go from his hands and knees and push back into a sitting position! SO CUTE!!! So, guess how I have found Smiles after a nap??? Sometimes on his hands and knees and sometimes sitting up - facing a corner, or in the middle of the crib, and the cutest position happened today. He was sitting up with his legs hanging through the slats of the crib! I so wish that I had my camera! Thankfully his legs are not chubby, so they easily slid back through. He just looked so cute...but, I have to wonder - how in the world did he get into that position?

He is also pulling himself onto his knees so that he can grab anything that might be on the couch, or just to climb into Mommy's lap! :)

So, I think that it will be time to break out the baby gates again! I have been really enjoying the freedom of no gates, however I will have to make the stairs "off limits" for now!

It is so much fun to watch my little guys grow and develop - and it is so amazing to think that my little Smiles turns 9 months old on Wednesday! My two boys are such precious gifts from the Lord, and I love them to pieces!

Not Up To Par

It has been 10 days, and I am still not feeling well. My whole family has been fighting off some type of sickness. Brady is doing fine - a few boogies here and there, but they are clear, so it is all good. Dawson seems to be doing fine also. Smiles just started getting major boogies a couple of days ago, so he is still fighting something - they are not clear yet! Poor little guy! I am feeling well usually in the morning, but by the afternoon, I start to feel lousy again.

This is the worst that my sinuses have even felt in my whole entire life! I have been taking a lot of sudafed and Tylenol, but I think that I am going to have to make a doctor appointment tomorrow. I am wondering if I have a sinus infection - it is something that I just have not been able to "shake". I just hope that they don't tell me to keep blowing my nose and take more sudafed because, I am already doing that!!! AND, I really don't want to pay someone to tell me what I am already doing - that is the reason that I waited this long to make an appointment! I actually called the doctor's office on Friday and they said to wait about 10 days - and take sudafed.

So, hopefully, I will get better quickly so that I feel like doing the things that I have been putting aside...which includes a date with Dawson! I was so excited to go on a date with him a week ago, but I got sick! So, we just went to bed early. That date will still happen - as soon as I get better!! I can't wait! :)

Happy Birthday To My Sister!

Today (well, probably yesterday, by the time that most of you read this!) is my sister's birthday! So, if you haven't had a chance to do so - head on over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday!

If you know my sister, even just a little bit, then you know that she is a very special person. She has been there for me for my entire life - and I am so thankful that she is my best friend.

She is the one friend that has been constant throughout my life. Other friends have come into my life and have exited my life for one reason or another, but I know that she will always be there for me...she always has been. She never thought of me as "less then" when I was walking the fence with my relationship with the Lord - she loved me and prayed for me, and I have to say that I am so thankful that she did! She also "accepted" me when I was not at the same stage of life as she was - whether I was still single while she was already married, or I was married without children, she never made me feel "less than" or that I just "did not understand what it was like"...she liked me for me - and she still does!

We always have fun together - whether we laughed through our first step aerobics class together, shopped together, discussed the latest deals that we got, or just talked. TCC - I look forward to hanging out again soon! I am working on getting over this sinus infection, and getting my family healthy too! It's no fun not getting together with you, sis!

I love you, sis, and hope that you had a wonderful birthday!

Love, Promises

Making It Through

This week, some type of illness hit our family...in a wave.

After we got home from the library on Wednesday, and ate lunch, I noticed that Brady felt a little hot. Sure enough, he had a 101.4 temperature! He also had symptoms of the "common cold" - runny nose, his mouth hurt (I think that he had a sore throat) and he was tired looking. The fever lasted for two whole days (Wed-Thurs). Now, he still has a little bit of a runny nose and an occasional cough. Thank you Lord for You healing!

The cold hit me on Thursday. I was not surprised. Brady has been snuggling with me (how could I say no!) and giving me lots of hugs and kisses. It was inevitable that I would get hit with the cold also - although I was praying that I wouldn't get it! Anyway, I went to bed at 9pm on Thursday evening - which was early for me!

That evening was eventful though -
*9:15pm - Smiles cried out at - not sure what the problem was
*10:30ish - Smiles cries out again - he pooped. Thankfully, Dawson took care of him...the cold had gone to my head and there was not way that I was going to get out of bed...and Dawson did not ask me to! He is so great!
*2am, we hear a a big thump and crying/screaming. Brady had fallen out of bed! Somehow, he managed to get over the guardrail!!! Thankfully, he was fine, just a little shaken up. He must have had his butt in the air, sleeping on his belly and rolled over - that is just a guess. I have no idea how he would have managed to fall out otherwise! All was quiet until...
* 6:15 - I hear Smiles waking up. He was fine in his crib until about 6:45 - when I went in to nurse him

So, that was Thursday night. Can I just say that I was ready to call in sick on Friday! However, since that does not work for a SAHM, I decided that we would keep the day low key. I was still not feeling well - just well enough to take care of the kids. So, we watched videos for most of the day, ate food and took naps - I really did not get a really good one. Dawson came home a little early, and I gave the kids to him and crawled into bed.

Do you know what was so cute? Brady came upstairs, just to be with Mommy. He sat and laid on the bed with me. He just kind of hung out with me while I was resting. I remember doing that with my mom - it was cute.

Today, I am feeling a lot better - just a cough and stuffy nose...however, Dawson is coming down with this! So, please keep us in your prayers!

Squealing With Delight!

It has been so interesting for me to see, through my sons' lives, what it is like to be the firstborn and then the second born. I was the second born (and youngest) and I always had an older sister to play with and talk to. I was actually very sad when my sister went away to college! The first born only has mommy and daddy (which is just fine!) to interact with all of the time. But a second born (or thereafter) has an older sibling to connect with - and their connection is different. I am not sure how to explain it, but if you have more than one child, you have probably experience how they interact.

I LOVE to see how excited he is when Brady walks into his room when he is waking up from a nap - he laughs, and his arms start flapping - it is so cute! A smile instantly appears on my face! Another fun moment is when Smiles and I go into Brady's room to get him after his afternoon nap - yes, he waits in bed for me to come and get him! I can feel Smiles' anticipation as he is leaning towards the door, waiting for me to open it. Then when we enter the room, he smiles, laughs, kicks his legs, waves his arms, etc! It is so sweet! Brady also gets excited and hugs Smiles and plays with him and makes him laugh more.

It has been fun to watch Smiles enter this knew phase of his life...he squeals with laughter and delight...and I love it! It is so cute to hear and to experience. He gets so excited, that a squeal of laughter is the best way that he is able to express himself.

Do you know what I love the most about this laughter and delight? I can already see the loving relationship that is forming between them, that I continue to pray for. I pray that their relationship will be so strong, that they will not just be brothers, but also friends. My desire is that they can experience a friendship with each other, like I have with my sister. She had always been there for me, she will always be there for me - that is what I desire for my boys.

I love my two little boys! They are so sweet and bring joy into my life. I am so thankful that the Lord placed Brady and Smiles into my life!