My Random Thoughts

A Day Late and a Dollar Short, or Maybe Not

2012-02-15T21:38:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Valentine's day and I have to say it wasn't my favorite. First of all, I forgot to reset my alarm after the snow day and woke up at 7:00. I got ready in the matter of 12 minutes and Ashlynn and I were out the door. Then, well let's face it, being a kindergarten teacher on party day is exhausting. I spent all day running around like a crazy woman. By the time school was over all I wanted to do was climb in bed. That unfortunately wasn't an option as my two children needed my attention.

Ashlynn had dance and Marshal had a meeting so there was really no time to go home after work. Ashlynn, Jaxton and I were out running errands when around 4:00 I get a call from the florist asking if I was still at work. Ummmm no! Long, ugly, me crying, story later-they were not able to deliver my flowers Great! Happy Valentines day to me, right?

Now, I am not a huge fan of flowers on Valentines day in the first place. I wanted to tell the florist to forget it and just refund my husband his money. I just think flowers on valentines day are just such a generic gift. No thought, no effort, just an easy check off on a guys list. See I told you, my valentines day was just not looking so great. Lets chalk this one up to over and better luck next year....but wait, the day isn't quite over.

Marshal decided to surprise the kids and I by meeting us at Chick-Fil-a. Sure it was only for 15 minutes, but it was 15 minutes I wasn't expecting. Then he left a little gift on the table just before heading out the door. The gift was a cd of some of my favorite songs. More importantly inside the gift was a card. A very nice card that he personally wrote a very sweet and thoughtful message. Then my sweet baby boy said " Happy Valentines day momma, I love you momma". ( I tried and tried to get him to repeat this for me to video but no luck on that on-you just have to trust me it was cute). Suddenly things were starting to look up.

As for the flowers; the florist delivered them today. They were beautiful lavender roses that my husband had special ordered. Lavender roses are my favorite! I used them in our wedding. The fact that he had the foresight to order them weeks in advance and did put thought and effort into them, erased my whole I hate flowers on Valentines day theory. In fact I didn't get flowers on valentines day at all. Ha!

What seemed to be a terrible day turned into a wonderful day in which I felt very very loved!

Side note from my personal valentines day: One of my sweet little girl's dads did this for her for valentines day.

Such a sweet lunch set up in the SCE school cafeteria. Cutest thing ever!

Watch out boys, she is going to have some high standards in the romance department!

I know you've missed me

2012-02-07T12:23:00.001-06:00

Where in the world have you been?

I have missed blogging soooo much! What started out as a very unintentional break, ended in me being so far behind, every time I wanted to blog I would feel overwhelmed and just never got to it. You will all be thrilled to know-I'm back!

Since the whole reason I blog in the first place, is to keep a record of my family and our lives, I am going to do a quick recap, so I can feel like after today I can get back to my normal random thoughts.

Let's start where I left off.... Ok house sold two weeks after being put on the market. New owners wanted us out in three weeks. We went house shopping, fell in love, made an offer and all was looking great. We were scheduled to close on our new house Oct. 14th. Because I hate taking days off work we made an agreement with the owners of our new house that we could move everything into the garage the weekend before we closed. I packed suitcase that contained enough stuff for our family to live on for four days.Everything else was packed and moved into our new garage on Oct.8th. Very long, very ugly, story short we closed on our new house Nov. 18th. Yep that's right, 6 weeks of living with four days worth of clothes, no food, no beds, no nothing. It was an adventure I don't ever want to repeat. For a girl that isn't fond of camping, I came up with some very creative ways to cook, clean, and do laundry.

That was the start of my blogging break. I didn't have a computer for six weeks. Then, being the smart girl I always am, decided it was a wonderful idea to host three Christmas parties. The first one was scheduled three weeks after we moved in. Marshal and I worked non stop unpacking and decorating the house. Of course I had to have everything just so so before I would allow people in my house.

What can I say...holidays, Grandma Watson passing, new house projects, and exhausted have lead to today-the end of my blogging break.

Now for picture catch up time....

Pumpkin Patch Fun with friends.

Halloween. My little monkey and rock star.

Jaxton's 2nd birthday party in our very empty house. The kids thought it was fabulous!

Christmas-Ashlynn being a present.

Opening the stockings. Ashlynn even opened the animals stockings for them!

It feels great to be caught up. Stayed tuned-new house pictures coming soon!

Oh my Mercy!

2011-10-04T17:05:00.000-05:00

I feel like every time I turn around Jaxton is doing something where all I can say is "Oh my mercy." He makes me want to pull my hair out and hug him to pieces all at the same time. I thought pictures could show you better than words what it is that I am referring to. Most of the pictures were taken with my phone as that was the quickest thing I could grab to catch him in the act.

Mommy makes a perfect bed for a nap.

Coloring on the floor with markers. I just want to show everyone what a great artist I am.

Who needs plates anyway? After 10 years it's about time for someone to break one.

Don't worry Ty loves it. Just look how excited he is to be getting extra Jaxton attention.

I may be all boy, but I give the sweetest snuggles to my momma.

What can make running around the house naked more fun?
Chasing the cat.

Just getting comfy at AQ. What great table manners I have.

Why would I play with my toys when I can climb across the dinning room table for fun?

There is my baby boy. He makes me smile! And yes I really should be packing and not blogging....

Simple Life

2011-09-21T21:44:00.000-05:00

I am longing for the days of a simple life. When I think of the simple life the first thing that comes to my mind is my grandparents. Not to say their life was simple or worry free, but in my child like memories their house was simple and peaceful. My grandparents never owned a television for me to watch. They didn't even have any toys for me to play with. Yet I loved and cherish every minute of the time I spent at their house. It was simple and so absolutely perfect. I spent hours outside with my grandpa doing a whole lot of wonderful nothing. I spent the rest of my hours inside with my grandma. I had this old tin lunchbox that had a few plastic trinkets inside. Oh how I loved that lunchbox. The memories of playing with the simpleness of nothing are some of my favorite childhood memories. It is funny to me that I struggle to remember the toys I had in my own room, but I can replay the memories of my time with that simple little lunch box almost to the exact words I used when I played.

Tonight I am worried and I am stressed. I am stressed about the unknown. I am feeling a feeling I haven't felt in a long time and I am trying to not let it overcome my thoughts. It will be ok and even if it is not there is nothing I can do about it tonight. So until I can get the reassurance that will answer my concerns I am going to try and think about the simple moments life has to offer and try not to worry.

What I've Been Up To

2011-08-30T20:34:00.001-05:00

Oh my mercy! The last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of crazy exhaustion. I am very happy to be back at work. I missed my coworkers and I honestly love the routine of being back at work. However, the meetings, the new students and the new schedules. Uggg!!! It is just crazy. I know all teachers feel this way, but kindergarten teachers have an especially though time at the beginning of the year. 20 little darlings that have never had to sit and follow directions. It's good times; that's all I have to say.

This year has honestly been one of my most stressful starts yet. I don't think it is going to even come close to the kindergarten class of 08-09 ( which I hate to admit but I thought that class was going to force me to quit my job and go work as a Walmart greeter ).Ok I wasn't going to but I feel like I must explain: The class of 08-09: Not a day went by that I didn't get called a bitch. I truly was scared of getting stabbed to death as I had a child that made shanks daily, I got hit on a daily basis, had chairs thrown at me at least twice a week. And yes I am talking about kindergarten students. I had five students that were out of control and there was very little I could do about it.

Any way, moving on, this year I have a very sweet great group of students. I have some of the cutest kids I have ever seen. I also have a great intern. However, this year has brought about a lot of changes. Our district is heading in a new direction with the way literacy and math instruction is delivered and the state has adopted the Common Core Curriculum. All of which I truly believe is going to be great. However, I feel like a brain surgeon who has always preformed brain surgery this one way. The brain surgery was effective and worked but someone has come up with a new and better way to do things. They send home the manual with me and first thing tomorrow morning I am expected to preform that surgery on a patient going on what I read in a book. Stressful! I guess at least I am not actually going to kill anyone if I mess up; but I hate to think I am not giving my students the best and that I may screw up their education.

I love to do new things, but I cant stand to not do things the right way. So I am stressing myself out about learning all of these new things at once and trying to get them to all work together in my classoom. I am also having a challenging time with three of my new little friends. I know it will all get worked out, but these students are really making me think outside the box. It really is just a puzzle that I need to figure out, but for now my days have been pretty difficult.

I can honestly say I have never been this exhausted. My feet and legs have never hurt so much, my throat hurts from talking so much and I yawn all the time. I need sleep and a long relaxing weekend!

Life is good. I really do enjoy my job. I just needed to get all this blah blah out (and explain why I haven't blogged in so long).

What the Books Didn't tell me

2011-08-08T23:42:00.000-05:00

I have to wrap up my Disney post. I know I have drug them out way to long. For those of you still reading-thanks. I really just want to get it all down for my own family memories. I promise to have more exciting post soon.

Going to Disney World really stressed me out. I don't like the unknown. I like to know what I am getting into. When I don't, I feel like I am not in control and I hate that. I know type A personality at it's finest. So to try and get a sense into what Disney World was going to be like with my two children I read the books and I looked up all sorts of information on the internet. I found lots of helpful hints and the information proved to be very useful once we got there. However, I felt like two very important things were never mentioned in anything I read. One I just lucked into and the other well I just had to suck it up and get use to it.

The first thing I am talking about is squeaky shoes. I loved Wee Squeaks with Ashlynn. I can remember how great it was in Walmart to be able to hear the squeak squeak of her shoes and always know that she was right there beside me. Ashlynn would have never gotten further then a foot away from me-ever, but the squeak was just very reassuring of that. Jaxton on the other hand, well that boy thinks it is the funniest thing ever to run as far away from me as possible. He will jump into anybodies arms that have them out stretched and even some that aren't. He keeps me moving nonstop. Therefore, I knew the squeaky shoes would come in handy at Disney. They were fabulous. For anyone that has a small child I highly recommend them. It isn't like I don't watch my child, but even with four adults that little man could get away in a heart beat. With the squeak squeak it was very easy to know he hadn't gotten too far. We got tons of comments about them. Everyone loved them. I loved the fact that they had Razorbacks on them because they got so much attention and I got to proudly show off my team spirit.

The second thing that no one told me was how to pack. Don't get me wrong, I am not a complete idiot, but I really thought that I would want to take some nice clothes for dinner and evening activities. HA! I have never felt like a bigger bum in my life. I don't think I fixed my hair at all the entire week we were there. I never had any makeup on and I found myself washing and re wearing some of my favorite comfy clothes because I just didn't care what I looked like. I way over packed and I really wasn't prepared to look so pitiful all week. That explains the pictures. Hair up, no makeup (even though I did try to put some on it was gone with in a matter of minutes in the sun), shorts and a top and tennis shoes.

Oh well we truly had a fabulous time and made a lot of great memories and I wouldn't trade any of them!

Feeling the Love

2011-08-05T18:29:00.000-05:00

I have been very slow to get my Disney post finished. Mainly because Jaxton has decided that he loves to sit in my lap when I am on the computer. Very sweet and great and all but he loves to type as well. Oh well I will get them finished soon. I only have one more after this one.

When Marshal and I got married 10 years ago we went to Saint Lucia. The night we arrived we met a couple and ended up spending the whole week hanging out with them. Once back in Arkansas, Casey and J.F. headed back home to NWA and Marshal and I headed home to Jefferson, near Pine Bluff. We kept in touch with the Morris family off and on for two years even through our move to Louisiana. When Marshal accepted the job for Benton County and we found out we were moving back to Arkansas we came to Rogers, met with Casy and J.F. for dinner and then went back to their house to visit. We ended up loving their neighborhood and bought a house one street down from them. We saw Casey and J.F. almost everyday for several years. They eventually moved to Little Rock and then recently moved to Orlando.

I was so excited to get to go visit them during our vacation. Even though it has been four years since we last saw them it was just like old times. We hung out visited and just really enjoyed being around them. This time was very different from our good old days in Cambridge Place because we both have children now. Honestly it really cracked me up because it was still just like old times even though so much has changed adding four children to the mix. As great as the visit was it made me soooo sad that they live so far away. I would love to be able to have our every Friday night hang out with the Morris family. Oh well I know they will come visit us soon as they can't stay away from Razorback football for too long.

Please ignore our loveliness. We had been at the Magic Kingdom all day and swimming all night. All day Florida heat does not make a person look too fabulous!

I was also very excited to get to see my friend Benny. Benny and I go way back to high school days. He worked with two of my friends at Whataburger so we hung out back in the day. Now Benny is the food manager for Main Street at The Magic Kingdom. Even though it was Benny's day off he came to the park to meet up with me. It was so nice to see him. He hasn't changed a bit.

I felt very special to get to go all the way to Disney World and have friends to see.

Old Timer

2011-08-02T14:17:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of things that make me feel old. I didn't expect going to Disney World to be one of those things though. However, it happened almost as soon as we got there.

My dad had scheduled a golf game with one of his friends, that was also at Disney World for the week, for Sunday our first full day there. So we decide to take Ashlynn to The Magic Kingdom for the morning and just let her see it all and get a game plan for the week. The minute we walked in there was a line waiting to get Mickey and Minnie's autograph. As soon as we had done that there was Pluto so we got in line to see him.

I don't remember having to wait in line as a child to get characters autographs. Maybe I did and I just don't remember it, but the lines for autographs were often times worse than the lines for the rides. Any way each character has their " security" guard that stood their and made sure the line was moving and closed the line when that characters time was up. That was sometimes heart breaking because once they had a certain number of people in line they wouldn't let anyone else in. Children would walk away in tears because they didn't get there in time.

Any way back to Pluto. We get in line and finally get up to the front to meet him and his helper takes Ashlynn's autograph book and says wow "I have never seen one like this. Where did you get it?" I explain that it was my autograph book from when I was a child. She replies with "Well it must be really old because I have worked here 12 years."

Umm yes, yes it is. The yellow autograph book I got when I went to Disney World in 1986. The red one I got in 1992. I will be honest my mom was showing Ashlynn my autograph books as we started planning our trip to Disney; I decided to let Ashlynn and Jaxton use them only because I didn't want to spend money on a new one when there was so many leftover pages in mine.

It quickly became special when almost everyone that signed them made comments about them. If it wasn't the actual character saying something it was the workers surrounding the characters. Many of them remembered those books and were so excited to see me using them. Cinderella even said "Wow mommy this must have been yours when you were little. I am so glad you came back to see me and brought your family this time."

I was shocked at how many people have made working at Disney a life long career. It was really special to be able to collect my kids autographs in the autograph books that were originally mine. Ashlynn claims when she takes her kids to Disney she is going to let them use them too. And I hope she does.

Pluto played with Jaxton forever. He got down on all fours and let Jaxton pull him like he was walking him. Pluto LOVED Jaxton's squeaky shoes!

Jaxton was so cute. He got the hang of the character meeting down very quickly. He would run up and hand them his book and then turn around and pose. (Please excuse my beautifulness, more on that soon).

Sound asleep, well atleast Jaxton was. HA!

A Day for a Princess

2011-07-30T10:49:00.000-05:00

So it has taken me almost a week to start my Disney trip post. Not only because it has taken me almost that long to rest up and recuperate, but it has also been a very busy week. Any way better late than never, right? I do have several post planned to share our Disney trip, but they are not going to follow the same day by day pattern that the Bahamas post did. I thought I would start with my favorite day of the trip: Princess Day!

Ashlynn loves Cinderella. From the beginning of her dress up days Ashlynn has been drawn to Cinderella. I love having a girly girl. When we begun planing this trip I knew Cinderella had to be a big part of it and she was. My fabulous friend Katy dressed as Cinderella and made a video telling Ashlynn about our trip to Disney world and when we got to Disney world Cinderella sent Ashlynn an invitation to have breakfast at her castle. We got to The Magic Kingdom bright and early Thursday morning. We had already been to The Magic Kingdom twice during the week but neither time did we go in the castle. We headed straight to the castle and when we started walking in Ashlynn got beside herself excited. We went in and they treated us like royalty, even referring to us as the royal Watson family. We met Cinderella right away. You can see Jaxton wasn't quite as excited about meeting Cinderella as Ashlynn was.

After meeting Cinderella we headed to the dinning area on the second floor. The hostess gave each child a wishing star and Ashlynn got a magic wand and Jaxton got a sword. During breakfast, which was super yummy, the different Disney princesses came around and visited. Ashlynn was so excited she didn't even touch her food.

Ashlynn's cute Mickey plate.

Jaxton got really mad that he didn't get included in this picture with Aurora.

After Belle walked away Jaxton blew her a kiss. I told him his momma was the only princess he was allowed to kiss. HA!

After all of the princesses had made their way around they held a wishing star ceremony. Each child said the magic words, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, and made their wish on their star. Ashlynn wished to be just like Cinderella with a real Cinderella gown and slippers.

I had no idea that was what Ashlynn would wish for, but I did know that our Disney trip wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I was so excited I could hardly wait for 3:00 to roll around. In the mean time we made our rounds riding all the must ride rides in Fantasyland (tea cups, Dumbo, Peter Pans flight, Winnie's Adventures, It's a small world). Then it was finally time to head back to the castle for Ashlynn's surprise make over. I think Marshal thought I had lost my mind when I told him how much I had spent a Cinderella's boutique but it was worth every last penny. I think Marshal agreed when he saw the finished product.

Princess dressing room.

Photo Shoot. Part of the Princess makeover.

The only downfall of the day is that I think Ashlynn believes she really was turned into a princess and that her daddy and I are now her royal servants. Not sure how long this is going to last, but oh my!

When did This Happen?

2011-07-07T08:36:00.001-05:00

Marshal and I are not into PDA. You are not going to see him with his arm around me a church. You won't catch us walking through the store holding hands. You certainly are not going to see us kissing in front of you.

However, home is a different story. He leaves me with a kiss every morning and I welcome him with a kiss every evening and we pass out random kisses throughout. You will often find me sitting in his lap when we are watching t.v. together. We snuggle for at least a hour every Saturday morning before getting out of bed. And we love to wrestle, often because he says something sarcastic to me and I feel the need to beat him up, in a loving way of course-HA!

Last night Marshal came home and I was cooking dinner. I had my ipod on and was listening to music (ok ok and singing at the top of my lungs). One of my favorite songs came on, Angel Eyes, and Marshal came over and we started dancing. It was a super sweet little moment until all the sudden I hear " What are ya'll doing? Hugging and dancing and stuff?'. "Gross". Marshal and I look up and Ashlynn is standing there staring at us.

Then after dinner we sent the kids off to play and we snuck off for a quick minute alone. Within a couple of seconds Ashlynn is standing in our bedroom with us asking what we are doing and why we didn't tell her where we were going.

Oh my mercy! I really thought I had a couple more years to have a love life.

I Better Not Catch You

2011-07-05T13:51:00.001-05:00

I am sure nobody reading this blog needs this lecture, but you are going to get it any way. Any one that has known me for any length of time knows that I am big into random acts of kindness. I love them. They go right along with my tender little heart and they make me feel so good. The thing I love about them is they don't have to be big and they don't have to cost money, yet they speak volumes on goodness in the world. You never know how one little act is going to effect the people around you.

Ok on to my story. Today I had to go to Walmart to get a few things. When we pulled up in the parking lot I noticed an assisted living van. I had a quick passing thought about how great that was that they brought people to Walmart. I was dreading my trip, but for those people it was probably a great outing that they all look forward to.

I did my shopping as quickly as possible because being in Walmart with Jaxton is not exactly what I consider a fun time. We get to the check out and this little lady probably in her late 70's early 80's was in front of us. By this point Jaxton had had it. He wasn't going to sit in the cart any longer and he was screaming at me because I wouldn't let him take all the candy bars off the shelf and throw them on the ground. So I end up holding him on one hip while he kicks, arches his back, and screams as loudly as he can, while I unload my cart with the other hand. I get my cart unloaded and bless this woman's heart she is as slow as Christmas getting her fruit arranged in her sacks just so so.

The cashier tells her her total and she goes to pay. Her total was $35. 64. The lady hands her $30 and begins to search through her pockets and her wallet for more money. Her pockets are empty and she doesn't have anything else in her wallet. No credit cards, no pictures, nothing. She looks at the cashier and says "I am so sorry I guess I have to put some of my fruit back". Without even thinking I quickly tell the cashier that I will pay the rest. The cashier rings her up and I pay the remaining. It takes the lady a few minutes to figure out what is going on, but once she does she gets very emotional. She tells me that she can't pay me back because she doesn't have any one to get more money from and when she does get more money she doesn't know where to find me. I explain that I don't want her to pay me back that I was simply happy I could help. She tells me that I have a family to take care of and she just has her and she feels terrible taking my money. She starts crying and hugs me and off she goes with her fruit.

I loved being able to help. I loved that Ashlynn was there to see me help. I also loved how Jaxton seemed to know that something was happening because as soon as I started talking to the lady he calmed down and just sat on my hip like a perfect little boy. I loved knowing that it was so simple and so easy to spread a little love.

Here is the part that I didn't love ( and the lecture comes in). I turned to the cashier, who had started ringing up my groceries, and she was crying. She told me that was the kindness thing she had seen in a long time. I was a little taken back by that. Ok a lot taken back by that. I didn't do anything special. I did what anyone in my position would have done, right? Well I guess not. She explained to me that she had been working at Walmart for a long time and that people don't have enough money for their groceries all the time. Sometimes it is older people; sometimes its moms with children, but most of the time they are within $20 of what they have and that never had she seen anyone help. I didn't really know what to say. I just replied with a "Well we all need a little help sometime". She told me that was very much true and that she has needed help a lot in her life and was so thankful for people like me that opened my eyes long enough to see that.

I hope I never catch anyone not helping. I admit I don't do near as much as I could or as I should. Today my random act presented itself to me and I feel guilty that I didn't even have to work at showing kindness. In my mind there was never even a thought of not helping. I may not need someone to help pay for my groceries today and I have been blessed thus far to never know what that feels like, but I assure you I am not without the need for love and help from others. My guess is that the same could be said for most of us.

and speaking of random.....I didn't get a chance to post my babies 4th of July picture yesterday so....

Day 6: I am no Swim Suit Model

2011-06-25T11:11:00.001-05:00

Day 6: June 17th

I have a feeling this is the post most of you have been waiting for all week. Since this post I have had many request to post pictures of me in the red bikini. Well today is the day. Yikes for me...

But before we get to that You have to listen to a little more of my blah blah blah about my trip.

Friday morning we wake up excited to start the day and ready to get down to the beach to spend one more glorious day in the sun. Before we could do that though we had signed up for a Greg Norman golf clinic. Greg and his wife had flown in for the weekend and he was hosting a golf clinic before spending the rest of the weekend enjoying his vacation. Now I really wasn't all that interested in learning any golf tips from Mr. Norman, but I knew I had to meet him and get him to sign a hat for my Dad. We were just about to leave when the skies open up and it starts pouring down rain. Not to worry, it rained at least once everyday, but usually only for a few minutes and never enough to interrupt our day. Well this time it was different. This time it started thundering and lightening like crazy. Long story short the rain wasn't going anywhere for a very long time.

Any of you that know me very well know that when I get something in my mind I am going to get my way; one way or another. This day proved to be no different. I wasn't going to let a storm ruin my last day at the beach and I wasn't going to let Mr. Norman canceling the golf clinic stop me from getting my hat signed.

Marshal and I got into our swim suits, packed a cooler, grabbed some towels, found an umbrella and off we went. We got to beach and got under the tiki hut and ended up spending the better part of the day watching the storm roll across the beach. It was actually really beautiful. The tiki hut was completely dry and the sound of the rain hitting the ocean was very peaceful. Marshal and I spent a lot of time just talking. It was really nice.

That is until Marshal got bored and started playing with the umbrella. HA!

It also proved to be a great day to take my bikini pictures because there were very few people at the beach so I didn't feel like an idiot posing. I am so not a swim suit model. Ha!

The rain did finally stop around 4:00. It is amazing how exhausting it can be laying around all day. In fact this is where I found Marshal on one of our many trips back and forth to the room to get food and beverage.

So here we were the last night at the resort. We eat dinner and head off to tell Mel and Scott good-bye. See what I haven't told you about Mel and Scott is that they weren't at Sandals for their honeymoon or anniversary. They came at the request of Mel's friend Stephanie. Stephanie was celebrating her 40th birthday and had asked six couples to join her. While everyone else just came in for the weekend Mel and Scott decided to spend the week there so Scott could Bone fish. Saturday was Stephanie's big birthday celebration so we knew that Friday night was our last chance to see them. We find Mel and visit for a little bit. Of course Mel's friends can't help, but love me. I mean doesn't everyone-ha! Totally kidding. Any way Marshal and I get invited to join them at a a private party on the balcony over the pool. What I also haven't told you is that Stephanie is Greg Norman's sister in law. So Marshal and I got to party it up with Greg and his wife. He was very nice and down to earth. I learned that he loves to fish almost as much as he loves to golf. Marshal wanted a picture so bad. He was mad at me for hours after the party because I didn't think it was appropriate ask for a picture at a private party we just managed to get invite to.

If you are wondering though-yes I did manage to get the hat signed for my Dad. I told you I always get what I want.

Thank you so much for checking out my vacation post. I am not going to make a day seven post. We didn't fly out until 12:30 so we did get a little more time to enjoy the resort, but the rest of the day was filled with flying and running through airports. My favorite part of day seven was landing at XNA and running to grab a hold of my sweet babies! I missed them sooooooo much!

Day Five: I Could Not Ask for More

2011-06-24T08:21:00.000-05:00

Warning: This may be the longest post ever...
Day 5: June 16th

Oh my mercy! This was my favorite day of the whole trip. Every day was fabulous, but this day was amazingly perfect. Marshal and I wanted to rent a car and drive the island. We didn't really plan it this way, but we ended up deciding to do it on Thursday, our 10 year anniversary. It ended up being the perfect way to spend our anniversary together. The island of Exuma is only 37 miles long and has one main highway. We were pretty excited about exploring it on our own, but a little nervous because they drive on the left hand side of the road and their streets are really small. Marshal did great and only almost wrecked us once. Ha!

Before we headed out for the day we exchanged gifts. Every anniversary we always get the gift for that year. I usually stick with the traditional gift because you have to be creative. Marshal is back and forth between traditional and modern. I got him a bunch of tins full of different snacks(tin is the traditional gift for ten years). Marshal got me diamond earrings (diamond is the modern ten year gift).

After the gift exchange we headed out to meet our butler who had packed us an ice chest and gotten us a map of the island and off we went. We knew we wanted to see George Town, the only main town on the island, and go to the Tropic of Cancer beach.

When we got to the beach we were blown away by the beauty of the water. We were also shocked to discover that we were the only two people there. It was like our own little beach get away. A family stopped by for a few minutes just to get a quick picture and we asked them to take our picture, but other than that we were alone for hours. It was fabulous and don't tell Marshal that I said this, but I found it incredibly romantic.

I had to tear myself away, but Marshal and I were starving so we headed to Santana's. A little beach front hut and the best restaurant on the island. The food was so good! Oh my mercy was it good! Mama was a fabulous cook. She apparently sends Big Papa out to fish every morning and whatever he caught that day was what was on the menu. If I could, I would fly back there everyday just to eat that yumminess!

Mama

We headed down to the straw market to buy our babies some souvenirs. I was really surprised at how expensive everything was there. The straw market was right across the street from the school and the city offices. Marshal really wanted to get a picture of the civil defense office so we head over to the city offices to ask where it was. Well this somehow lead us to meeting and getting invited into the office of the Administrator of Exuma (he was like the Mayor of the island). He was very sweet and he and Marshal had great fun talking about hurricanes, but I was embarrassed that we looked like bums.

The School

We made it back to the resort just in time for our afternoon nap. Then we headed down to the beach for our dinner for two on the beach. I really wish our pictures turned out better, but it was so dark and all we had was one candle and the moon light. Very romantic, but not good for pictures. And yes I totally felt like I was on the Bachelor-minus the 24 other women. HA! Marshal even told me I was gorgeous, which is not a word he ever uses to describe me. To him the word gorgeous is big time and not something he uses very often.

After dinner we made a quick stop by the pub to say hi to Mel and meet her friends that had flown in for the weekend (much more on that tomorrow). Then we went back to our room to discover this....

Awww. If I had dreamed of the perfect way to spend my 10 year anniversary it wouldn't have compared to the perfectness of this day.

Day 4: Nothing Fancy

2011-06-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

Day 4: Wednesday, June 15th

Wednesday ended up being the last day we hung out at the pool. We were so lazy. We literally got to the pool around 9:30 and laid there until 5:30. We didn't even get up to get lunch. We had Samson bring it to us. Of course we did have to get up long enough to swim over to the bar, but between Marshal, Mel,and I our turn didn't come around that often.

Isn't Samson the cutest!

Around 5:00 we went back to the room. We took our usual 6:00 nap and then got up to go to dinner. Tonight we had dinner reservations at IL Cielo Italian restaurant. It was the "fancy" restaurant at the resort with white glove service. They have a dress code and you are suppose to look nice. I took a cute dressier dress and heels, but when I went to put it on it was way to big and I looked ridiculous. So Marshal and I decided to go with a little more casual look. We still met the dress code, minus my flip flops, which I was a little worried they might ask me to go change over.

I loved the fresh flowers they always had greeting us!

Marshal and I really like good food. However, there is a line for us between good fancy and just fancy fancy. This restaurant was a little over that line for us. The food was just too fancy for us and we didn't really like it. At least the dessert was good. You know it is hard to mess that up. Chocolate mousse with a cream bru la center, YUM! After we left dinner we headed over to the pub to get real food, chicken strips and french fries. HA!

Ok today was kind of boring, but stay tune. Tomorrow was my favorite day of the whole trip and I can't wait to share!

Day Three: Marshal's 2nd Wife

2011-06-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

Day Three: June 14th

We woke up bright and early because Marshal decided to go scuba diving around one of the reefs on the island. I tried to get a spa appointment for the same time but my butler scheduled it at 10:00. Darn butler's. Ha!

While Marshal was out swimming with the fish, I hung out at the beach and read. I am telling you if you ever have a chance to go to Great Exuma Bahamas, d0. The water there is the most beautiful water I have ever seen. I haven't been every where but compared to St. Lucia, Playa del Carmen, United State's beaches, and Progreso the water was beyond the best. It was crystal clear and looking out across the ocean the blue was simply breath taking.

I knew Marshal would be finished before I was so we agreed to meet at the pool. I finished up at the spa around 12:30 and headed down to meet him. When I got down there I find him all settled in with Melanie. I should have known that is where he would be because he was pretty much hooked the day before when she ordered him a pizza and brought it to him in the pool. See Mel's husband Scott loves to Bone fish. When I say loves I mean LOVES to fish. He got up everyday, Monday through Wednesday, and went Bone fishing from 5:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mel ended up just hanging out with us everyday while he was gone then we would all hang out in the evenings. I thought it was fabulous! In between calling the butler's to bring us food and drink Mel would ask Marshal if he need anything and would go get us all drinks. Marshal was one spoiled boy and I ended up with a great friend to talk to.

After pool time Marshal and I had a butler's sunset reception to attend on the golf course. All of the resort guest with butler' were invited to take a tour of the golf course which lead up to a peak where they had champagne and hors d'oeuvres. It was gorgeous! The golf course was a Greg Norman course and I am pretty sure I would have needed about 500 golf balls and that is just to get through hole #1. Ha! Just kidding but it looked like a really though course.

After the reception we went and hung out at the pub and then came back to this....

I know I shouldn't put this picture on my blog, but when I was 10 I watched a t.v. special and it had Dolly in a bath tub full of bubbles. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Since I love Dolly I have always wanted my picture taken in a tub full of bubbles. HA!

Day Two: Who needs luggage?

2011-06-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

Day Two: Monday, June 13th

Because Marshal and I really didn't have anything but the clothes we arrived in and the swim suits we bought at the gift shop we decided to have breakfast delivered to our room. I really couldn't stomach the thought of putting on the same clothes I had on for 20 hours the day before. I couldn't have been more excited to wake up this...

After breakfast we headed back down to the pool. Marshal and I were pretty concerned about the no sunscreen thing. We get to our cabana and get all set up and I notice a bottle of sunscreen just sitting there. I watched for a little while and no one ever came back for it so I assumed that they had accidentally left it there. It was like a little gift from the sun gods. We hung out at the pool the rest of the day and officially got to meet Melanie, Scott's wife. She was precious!

We also lucked out that the resort had this fabulous little restaurant right there on the beach where we could eat lunch in our bathing suits.

I also got to pet the resort kitty's. They were sooo cute!

Around five we went back to our room to discover this.....

We have clothes to wear! Yea!!!

Monday night they had a beach party where we watched fire dancers and even had the fire dancer come around and rub her fire stick on our hands. It was surprisingly nice. Very hot but felt really good. Ha!

Day 1: Settling In

2011-06-19T20:55:00.016-05:00

Ok for those of you that have never been jealous of me- get ready. Just kidding; I don't know where I come up with this crap. Any way I am soooooo excited about sharing my trip with you. It was beyond fabulous. Words can not possibly describe the amazing time we had and I promise the pictures will not do it justice. However, we did take thousands of pictures and I plan to share a whole lot of them with you. Beacause I have so much to share I am going to take it one day at a time and share with you over the next several days.

Day One: Sunday, June 12th

We had an over night lay over in Miami Saturday night. So Sunday morning we got up and headed to the airport. Let me stop right here and say-if you can avoid flying out of the Miami airport-do. It was horrific! The people, the lines, the nasty floor I had to put my bare feet on, total rudeness-ugg!

Any way all of that was quickly forgotten when an hour later I was flying into the Bahamas! We landed in George Town, Exuma. This is the airport:

Cute, huh? We were greeted with Bahamas sun and live music. My beyond excited mood changed rather quickly when we discover our one and only suitcase had not arrived to the Bahamas with us and that they had absolutely no idea where it was. Great news though, ha, if they found it it would come in on tomorrows flight. They only have one flight that comes in every day and it is arrives everyday at noon. Naturally, I start crying. Do these people not know that I can't handle "going with the flow"?

We arrived at the resort and were greeted by Samson our own personal butler for the week. I fell in love immediately. He was so sweet and as he was walking us around the resort he kept telling us all of the things he could do for us. He gave us this cell phone and told us we could call him anytime we needed anything. As I walked around and saw the beautiful resort I started to care less and less about my luggage.They kept our bar stocked everyday. Samson showed us to the gift shop where Marshal and I purchased swim suits and we were set. We headed down to the pool and hung out in the cabanas because we refused to pay the $21 for the bottle of sun screen.
Samson deliever our afternoon snack while we were out. After pool time we decided to get dinner and head over to the Lover's Game show in the lounge. We went intending on only watching but got talked into being in the game show. This of course required a little rum (ok a lot of rum). We had a blast and came in second place. The game show was hilarious, but after the game show M and I had to drink a lot more rum. We were both thinking they would be questions like "What's your wife's favorite color?". Well apparently at an all couple's resort the word Lover's was meant to mean something totally different. I am going to keep this blog G rated so you will have to ask me more about this later. HA!

The Drunken Duck Pub was our next stop. This turned into a fabulous party. I know you aren't going to believe this, because I am so shy and all, but I instantly made 20 new friends. They were fabulous and we ended up partying it up with them until 3:30 a.m. The cool thing was it was like we were hanging out with friends we had known for years. I am not going to go into every one's names, but a couple of my favorites were, Mark and Maxine from Naussa, Scott from Toronto (his wife wasn't there that night but you will hear lots more about her later in the week), and Brandon and Jackie. Mark and Scott were both absolutely hilarious and kept me laughing pretty much nonstop.

I know after that fabulous intro to my vacation you are going to hardly be able to wait for day two! Don't worry they all aren't going this long. Ha!

Disney Surprise

2011-06-11T08:08:00.004-05:00

Thursday night we reveled the big Disney trip surprise to Ashlynn. It has been so hard to keep this secret for the last year because she talks about how much she wants to go to Disney World all the time. Her GeGe is actually equally excited. He has been planning this trip since the day she was born and really wanted to take her when she was five; but I messed that up by having a baby, ha.

She is so cute, when she lost her first tooth and the tooth fairy came, one of the first things she said was maybe we could use my money from the tooth fairy to go to Disney World. ( I don't think the tooth fairy brought her quite enough money but maybe if GeGe pitches in a little).

Any way Thursday night was the big night. We went out to dinner with my parents and then they came over to "help" us get the kid's things put together for their week with them while Marshal and I are away. When we got home there was a package on the door to Ashlynn from Disney World. The package had instructions to watch a special DVD. The DVD was made by Cinderella herself ( with a little help from my beyond fabulous friend Katy and the awesome video maker Josh). Cinderella told Ashlynn all about how her GeGe had planned a special trip to Disney World this summer for Ashlynn. She also sent Ashlynn a count down calender, a Cinderella gown, and lots of other fun princess things.

Ashlynn can't wait for July!

Volcano

2011-06-02T22:26:00.004-05:00

Before I even begin I am going to place soul blame of this post on the crazy pills I am taking. Without going into too many details let’s just say I am attempting to change the course of nature to better fit into my schedule. Consequences of doing so are me feeling and looking like a bloated pig and I am moody as all get out. Therefore, I know after I post this, one of my dear sweet friends is going to call me and tell me to remove it.

But for now my volcano is erupting…..

I am a pretty thoughtful person. I truly try to think of ways to show other people I care about them. Not saying I am perfect and my thoughtfulness does not even come close to that of some of the people I am blessed to know. One of my huge flaws is; I will rarely let you know if I am upset with you. If you have hurt my feelings I am not going to tell you. For the most part it works out and I just get over it, but sometimes I just keep it in until I have just plain had enough.

Hence this post, I have just plain had enough. Problem is I have had enough with several things. So I am going to just tell you what I would like to say, but am too sweet to actually say.

So when you lied to me was it because you just didn’t respect me enough to tell me the truth. Or is it just something you enjoy?

Do you have to actually work at being that bad at your job or do you honestly just care so little about it that you just don’t try?

Do you realize that people look up to you and you are turning out to be a huge disappointment?

Seriously, what the heck were you thinking?

Are you this rude to everyone or am I just on your special list?

Do you really think I enjoy being treated like an after thought?

I am so sorry I don’t fit into the perfect box you created for me.

I take it you think I am never as busy as you are so I should completely understand why you don’t have time for me.

Shocking I actually do have feelings too.

What made you think that was ok?

I really needed your help. I hate that I can’t rely on you.

Ok. I think that is it. Everything I have wanted to say done, out, over. I feel much better. Thanks! (P.S. not a single one of these is about Marshal-he wanted me to make sure you knew that after my man wanted ad a couple of weeks ago. Ha!)

Dear Diary: Book Talk

2011-05-31T17:26:00.007-05:00

Sometimes I just need to get my thoughts out. This is one of those post that is more like a diary entry than a blog post. Please don't feel obligated to read it. I really am only sharing because I hope that it can help someone else the way Todd Burpo helped me through his sharing.

Several weeks ago a friend at school was talking about the book Heaven is for Real. Since then I have had several people mention it to me. I finally read it on the way to Little Rock. I am not going to ruin it for anyone that might be interested in reading it but bottom line- a little boy gets very sick and after his recovery begins telling his family that he visited heaven. He describes to his parents what he saw and what he experienced while he was there.

I will be honest, for the most part I thought the book was just ok. I know it isn't suppose to be about this, but I had a hard time staying interested because of the style of writing the author used. The message, however, is very interesting and very much got me thinking about what heaven must be like.

There was one chapter in the book that will be forever burned into my brain. If you or anyone you know has had a miscarriage you need to read this chapter. It was comforting on many levels. First, because it truly is nice to hear that someone else feels what you feel. I know we all experience our own struggles in life. It is always nice to not feel alone. I am going to take a direct quote out of the book because I can't possibly put it better than she did "You do all the right things, eat all the right things,and you pray for the baby's health, but still this tiny baby dies inside you." "I feel guilty. I know in my mind that it wasn't my fault, but there's still this guilt." ( Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo).

When I read those words I felt like I was saying them. Her case was very similar to mine. She expressed a lot of the same feelings that I feel. The reason this chapter is in the book is that Colton, the little boy that visited heaven, ask his mom about his sister in heaven even though the miscarriage happened before Colton's birth and had never been mentioned to him. Again, I am not going to ruin it for anyone that wants to read it, but Colton meets his sister. She tells him that God adopted her when she was still in their mommy's belly.

Reading this meant so much to me. I have never doubted for one minute that my Taylor was in heaven. Some people may think I am crazy (and sometimes I am) but I truly felt like I handed my sweet baby over to my Grandma Minyard to take back to heaven with her. Reading that Colton's sister came running up to him and hugged him is truly amazing to me. I am so excited that one day this emptiness that I have never been able to shake will finally be filled. Don't get me wrong, I love my babies here on Earth and am not ready to leave them ;but I look forward to the day when Taylor comes running up to me and hugs me. I believe that heaven is for real and I am so thankful to get a small glimpse of what is waiting for me there.

Kindergarten Celebration

2011-05-27T08:12:00.011-05:00

Last night Ashlynn had her Kindergarten Celebration. Kind of like a graduation only Dr. Compton won't let us call it that. This year has been my fastest year of teaching kindergarten ever. Last night was very strange for me. I kept thinking I would be really sad and have a hard time with it, however I got so caught up in being a "teacher" that sad to say I had a very hard time being a "mom". I would be doing my thing and remember every few minutes that my baby was on that stage too. I caught a lot of sweet glances at her and now I just can't wait to get the dvd of the performance so I can actually just sit back and focus on watching her. Here are a few pictures from that night.

Telling GeGe secerts. Mrs. Phillips, Ashlynn's awesome Kindergarten teacher.
And this is pretty much all Jaxton was interested in doing all night.

Our Little Star

2011-05-25T21:29:00.004-05:00

Friday night Ashlynn had her first dance rectal. She started taking dance when she was four but after about two months she started crying every time we took her. We waited a year and enrolled her in a different studio and now she loves it.

I have to admit I really wanted Ashlynn to take dance. I would never force her to do something she doesn't like but I love all things girly. Although, I am not sure I want her to love dance too much. I am telling you what some of those competition moms can get vicious. Rollers flying, fogs of hair spray, clouds of makeup. Backstage can get pretty scary.

Anyway we had a fabulous time watching Ashlynn perform. She did a great job and look absolutely adorable tapping away to My Girl (which by the way is one of my favorite songs to sing to Ashlynn at bedtime-HA!). Doesn't get any more girly then this!All the beautiful pink princesses waiting to perform.

My favorite part of the night: Ashlynn says wow mom I must have done really good look at all this stuff I got!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-07T22:25:00.005-05:00

I love Mother's Day. It is a day every year that I feel so blessed to celebrate. I have an amazing Mother. She is not only my Mother but one of my very best friends. Not a day goes by that I don't talk to her. She has set an amazing example for what a mother should be and I only hope that I grow to be half the mother she is. Thank you mom for loving me.

I love Mother's Day because I now get to celebrate being a mom myself. I make a lot of mistakes as a mom; it is so much harder than I ever imagined. Being a mom has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. Being a mom is indescribably wonderful. My heart couldn't be fuller. Thank you God for allowing me to be Ashlynn and Jaxton's mom.

I love Mother's Day because I know there are moms that are already in heaven. I know that they are missed here on earth. Yet, I take great comfort in knowing that they are there to take care of my sweet baby Taylor. I can't thank them enough.

Happy Mother's Day!

Help Wanted

2011-05-04T21:11:00.002-05:00

Here's the deal. Marshal is working all the time! He loves his new job and I am very happy for him, but I am not in love with the meetings every night. So......

I need a man. That's right, I am putting out a Help Wanted ad for a man.

Hours: 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Job description: Come in and ask me how my day was. Listen to how my day was. Feel sorry for me when I need you to. Laugh with me when I need that. Give advice only if specifically asked. Play with my children while I cook dinner. Eat dinner with my family. Carry on conversation. Clean up the kitchen while I get the kids ready for bed. Help pack lunches. Help fold laundry. Snuggle with me until I am ready to go to sleep. Any other manly chores needed (mow the lawn, change the oil, take out the trash, etc.) Advanced applicants would also pour me a glass of wine, tell me to relax and give me a back massage, oh and be super hot. But really I am trying not to be too picky here.

No experience required. I prefer to train to meet my standards.

Pay: I will feed you every night and you get to enjoy my fabulous company. I mean really who wouldn't love that?

So know any one that might be interested? I am hoping to fill the position a.s.a.p.

My 32 minutes

2011-05-01T17:36:00.008-05:00

I know running in a 5K is no sweat for some of you. In fact some of you are probably laughing at me for even making a goal to do so. I however am no runner. In fact I have absolutely hated running for most of my life. The only time in my life I have ever ran is in P.E. when my teachers made me. Let me tell you I hated them for it.

Recently, I have started running as part of my cardio. I don't hate it anymore, but I certainly don't love it either. I made a goal to run in a 5k. I asked my Dad to be my running partner. He has been running for as long as I can remember. I thought it would be a great father/daughter thing. I don't get many father/daughter moments anymore since the babies have come along. I loved having that time with him.

Saturday, we ran in the Race for the Cure. It was an amazing experience. I will admit every year I pay my money, but I have never actually shown up on race day.I now know why so many people attend every year. The atmosphere was so uplifting. Everywhere you looked people were wearing shirts, carrying banners, or wearing signs to remember or honor a loved one who fought the fight of breast cancer. They even released doves right before the start of the race. Simply beautiful.

I was very nervous about the race. I really didn't know if I could run the whole thing or not. Unfortunately, the weather has not cooperated lately and I was unable to get any actual outdoor running practice in before the race. I knew the outdoor conditions would be much different than my practice on the treadmill. I have been including incline into my workout, but again had been warned that the hills along the course would be a challenge.

When we took off I figured out pretty quickly that my Dad planned to run much faster than I did. I made it through the first mile fairly easily, but began to panic when I realized my Dad wasn't planning to slow down. I kept going. I could see the two mile mark. I kept telling myself I could do it. I wanted to do it. And then I just couldn't. We passed the two mile mark. I was worn out. I was sweating like crazy. I couldn't breathe. My legs hurt.I was so thirsty. I wanted nothing more than to stop running and just walk. My Dad was such an awesome cheerleader. He kept encouraging me. He sang army songs to me. He kept telling me how old he was and that I couldn't let him beat me. He wasn't going to give up on me. He wasn't going to let me quit.

As awesome as my Dad was there was one thing that kept my legs moving. Or should I say one person. Jean Pharr. My beyond amazing Sunday School teacher. In the back of my mind I kept thinking of her and the amazing strength she has shown in her fight against cancer. She is the bravest, strongest, most courageous woman I know. She is fighting for her life and she is doing it with grace and strength. I kept thinking in my mind, if Jean can fight each day for her life than I can fight to finish this race. I never stopped running because of Jean. I give her complete and total credit for helping me achieve my goal. Without her strength I never would have ran across that finish line. Thank you Jean. I feel truly blessed that you are sharing your life with me. I know I speak for every member of our Sunday school class when I say we love you!

As for me and my running career... I am not finished. Now that I know I can do it, I plan to do it again. Who knows Amy might just talk me into another 5k real soon.

Sweet Little Family Easter

2011-04-24T22:14:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful sweet little family Easter here at the Watson house. Friday night Marshal parents came to stay with us for the weekend. The last several trips have been quick ones so it was nice to have them here for the whole weekend.

Saturday we went to our church's Eater egg hunt. Ashlynn was so excited to be able to bring her little friend Benjamin along with us. Because of the rain the hunt was inside and was over in about three seconds. The church did have bounce houses up for the kids so they had a great time. I on the other hand spent an hour chasing Jaxton around and was completely exhausted. He is convinced that he can do anything his sister can. I am convinced he is the reason I have lost all this weight. Who needs a treadmill with a rambunctious 17 month old!

Sunday, after discovering what the Easter bunny had left, off to church we went. Speaking of the Easter Bunny I guess the rain really threw him off this year. He almost forgot to eat the carrots Ashlynn left out for him and he didn't hide the Easter eggs. I am thinking he didn't want to track muddy paw prints through the house. (Or maybe mommy and daddy stayed out to late on their date-whoops).Hopefully next year he will be more on top of his game.

I absolutely loved the service this morning. Stephen put a different spin on the Easter message that was really great. We have been studying the book 24 Hours That Changed the World in Sunday School. I learned a lot of neat facts about the last 24 hours of Jesus life. It helps that I have the best Sunday school teachers in the world. I truly look forward to seeing them each Sunday.

After church my mom and dad joined us for lunch. I feel so blessed to be surround by my small but very sweet little family. I hope you all had a blessed Easter!

The Tooth Fairy is Coming to Town

2011-04-21T21:32:00.003-05:00

Ashlynn lost her first tooth! I can't believe it. I am so not ready for this. If I had to pick one thing that I hate about teaching kindergarten it would be children losing teeth. It totally grosses me out. Now my own child is losing her teeth.

Her tooth has been loose for a couple of days now. She started complaining about it Tuesday night when she was eating dinner. She was very upset about it. She talked about how worried she was about losing her tooth. I tried to just smile and act so happy about her having a loose tooth even though I had already told Marshal that I don't do teeth and this was all him.

Well this morning on the way to school Ashlynn started coughing. When she stopped she said "Mom my tooth fell out." Excuse me? "Yes, I was coughing and my tooth just fell out in my hand." So we drove the rest of the way to school and sure enough she was just sitting in the car holding her tooth.

I can't believe it was that easy. No blood, no tears, no pain. It seems like just the other day that I was celebrating the arrival of her first tooth. Now that very tooth that gave her that sweet first tooth smile on December 8, 2005 is the first tooth to give her that sweet toothless grin.

Makeup

2011-03-23T17:28:00.006-05:00

I am just going to tell you, I have a new favorite movie. I am just in love with Burlesque (thank you Sarah)! I love the music, I love the dancing, and I love love love Christina Aguilera in this movie. I have never really thought that much of her before, but I think she is absolutely beyond gorgeous in this movie.

There is a part in the movie where Tess is helping Ali (Christina) put on her makeup. It made me realize how little attention I pay to makeup. I have never been a big makeup girl. I use very little makeup. My main reason is because I love sleep almost more than anything else. Therefore, I require hair and makeup that can be done with as little time as possible so I can sleep as late as possible.

The other reason is I really have never been shown how to put on makeup. I honestly go in to makeup stores and have no clue what all of that stuff is for.

I have no plan to change my daily routine. Honestly, I really like not wearing a lot of makeup. The rest of you may disagree, but I love my freckles and I think I am fairly pretty without a lot of makeup on. However, I would really really like someone to take me makeup shopping and help me buy some fun things to use when I am going somewhere special. I would love to know how to make my cheeks glow like Christina’s do in the movie. Any takers?

Ok here is my daily makeup. So seriously who wants to take me shopping? On a side note- I have a sweet beautiful friend that is single and has been dating this guy since September. She called me today and talked to me about breaking up with him. I asked her why and she told me because when they first met he told her all the time how beautiful she was and how much he was attracted to her. Now that they have been together for a while he never tells her. So now she is thinking he was just saying that to get what he wanted and didn’t really mean it or he would still be telling her. I thought I was going to bust out laughing. What is it about men? They can bring such a good game and then they completely stop trying. I told her to give the poor guy a break. Unfortunately they are all like that!

P.S. If you are one of the women that are married to the rare men that are sweet to you all the time-don’t even think about texting me tomorrow with your comments. The rest of you feel free. I love hearing form you!

I have 3 points and and I am going to close with a little story

2011-03-20T17:21:00.014-05:00

Ok so my the title of this post is an inside joke. However, I do have three completely random things to tell you and then two very exciting announcements (exciting for me any ways).

First, My baby girl is 6! I can't believe it. She, being just like her momma, has been planning her sixth birthday for a year now. She wanted her sixth birthday at Fast Lanes. We invited several of her favorite friends, which happen to be mostly boys and had a great time. Here are a couple of pictures from her party. And yes just in case you are wondering she has already started planning her seventh birthday party. A girl has to be prepared you know. HA! Second, As I have mentioned before I am always working on achieving the mother of the year award. I have come close several times, but this time I am convinced I am going to at least win runner up. So Jaxton has had this terrible cough for about four months now. We have taken him to the doctor several times and the doctor has never been all that concerned; saying it is just allergies (we can all thank his daddy for that). The last time we took him in he talked about it being a milk allergy. Well, me being the oh so wonderful mother that I am, completely dismissed this thought. I mean I nursed Jaxton for ten months and had dairy all the time. Then when we switched to formula we used a regular dairy formula. Why would it be a dairy allergy? None the less I tried switching him to a lactose free milk just to see if that would help. His cough just continued to get worse and worse. He started coughing so much that it was waking him up at night. I, in my sleep deprived best started getting very concerned. I called my mom one morning crying. What could be wrong with my baby boy? I let my mind wonder off into a thousand different directions all of which were way off the wall terrible things. My last option before taking him back to the doctor and making them test him for every disease known to man; was to switch him to soy milk. So on Tuesday of this past week, I went to the store picked up a carton of soy milk and we made the switch. Not only did he drink it without a second thought (which is why I didn't want to switch him in the first place-it taste terrible) he hasn't coughed again since. So I am relieved that there is nothing seriously wrong with my son, but completely appalled that my motherly instincts were so off. I let my son suffer for months just because I was to stubborn to listen to the doctor.

Third and final random story, This week I ate a $43 cupcake and let me tell you it didn't taste very good at all. I was doing what every normal girl does after a stressful day at work, getting myself a snack. What better to have for a snack then a leftover chocolate cupcake. I like my cake warm so decided to put it into the microwave. I guess I warmed it a little too long because as soon as I pulled it out the icing slid off of it and landed right on top of my phone. Apparently iphone speakers do not work so well with chocolate icing in them. That little over- heated cupcake cost me $43 worth of speaker repair on my phone. Really, who does crap like that?

Ok so the last two stories were really just to make you feel better about your life. You do feel better, right? Knowing that someone out there is a bigger dork than you. It's ok- laugh all you want to. I know I am pretty ridiculous.

To make myself feel better though, I am going to brag now. The month of April is turning out to be pretty spectacular for me. My Melissa is coming to see me!!! Yea!!! And I get to go see Kenny Chesney. Not only get to see him, but meet him. I have front row tickets and backstage passes and what I am sure will be a very fun girls weekend!!! That's right ladies I am going to get to stare at that fine ass of his for hours!!! Whoo Hoo!!! I know you are all jealous now.
Doesn't make you feel so bad for laughing at me earlier now does it?

Appropriate Responses

2011-03-03T16:01:00.001-06:00

Those of you that have or have had a five year old know how unpredictable they are. They are like little sponges always listening to everything around them. You never know what they are going to say. So imagine my job, working with five year olds every day. I am telling you parents out there, you should be scared at how much your child’s kindergarten teacher knows about you. No topic is off limits for them.

Most days I do pretty good at keeping my composer and when they ask questions like “How many girls can I marry?” , or blurt out things like “ My mommy farted so loud My daddy said she was going to break the dishes”. I can even control myself when they get in a discussion about how shit isn’t really a bad word because “My daddy says it all the time”. I can usually redirected the conversation and manage to keep a straight face.

However, sometimes I just can’t help but bust out laughing.

I will tell on my own precious five year old first. Last night we were eating dinner and she starts telling us about how a little boy in her class met a mean man that drives a silver car. This little boy was telling Ashlynn all about how worried he was because this mean man does lots of bad things. Ashlynn quickly reassured Jimmy that it was going to be ok because she was going to pray about this mean man. As you can imagine, this is a proud momma moment for me. I thought wow what a sweet sweet daughter I am raising. Well, just about the time I am about to give myself a huge pat on the back she continues with, “So I did pray momma. I prayed that God would send all the bad people to Mexico so we wouldn’t have bad people in our world.” I about spit my food all over the table. Where does she get this stuff? Note to self-no more 6 o’clock news.

Then this morning, I chose the Hokey Pokey as our morning wiggle song. (Yes, I dance every morning at 8 a.m. -go ahead get your laughing out now.) So any way we are Hokey Pokeying along when I look up and one of my little boys has his hands on the back of his head and he is rotating his hips like he has a hula hoop and he says “Yeah ladies it’s a love fest over here”. Sorry at that moment I absolutely could not keep a straight face.

This one is not actually from my classroom but is too funny not to share. This little boy went into the bathroom and when he came out he promptly went over to his teacher and stated he need three right choices tickets. Mrs. Badeen said “And why is that?” The little boy said because “I peed all over the wall and I cleaned that up. I peed all over the seat and I cleaned that up and I peed all over the floor and I cleaned that up. Mrs. Badeen, a little perplexed asked “Why were you peeing all over everything?”. The little boy looked up with a serious face and said “Because my wienner dog was out of control, duh”.

And my all-time favorite five year old story is from back in the days when I was doing my internship. My mentor teacher believed in starting her morning off with a share time. We went around the room and everyone had a few minute to just share one thing. We get to this little girl and she says “ I am sad this morning because my mommy is crying”. My mentor teacher replied with “I am so sorry. Why is she crying?” The little girl explained that her daddy didn’t come home last night and her mommy was worried. That’s when another little boy jumped up and said “Don’t worry Allison your daddy spent that night at my house last night and had a wrestling contest with my momma.” Oh my mercy I wanted to crawl in a hole.

So if you ever get bored in your job and just want to come over and hang out at mine- I can guarantee a good time!

I've been thinking

2011-02-28T16:39:00.004-06:00

I have decide to make a Bucket list. I have several friends that have Bucket list and I have been thinking about it for a while.

I am pretty content with my life and the things I have accomplished. I have already accomplished the three things I wanted most out of life, fall in love, become a mother, and accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Everything else in life is just an added bonus to me.

Lately, though I have really been feeling the pressure of "there is no time like now" to live my life and enjoy some of those added bonuses. So the other day while I was sitting outside with the kiddos I started jotting things down. I know my list will continue to grow and change but as of now here it is.

Travel-I have lots of places I would like to go. Some extravagant others not so much. Some of the places include, New York, Las Vegas, Switzerland, Australia, Paris, London, California, I want to go back to Germany, and another Sandals resort (which I am doing in June for my 10 year anniversary so I get to mark that off soon).
Read the Bible from Cover to Cover. I have started several times and am ashamed to say I have never finished.
I want to tour the White House.
I want to get my Ed.D. (Just so Marshal can call me Dr. Watson-don't worry I will allow the rest of you to continue to call me Andrea-HA).
Go storm chasing and see a tornado. I have seen several from a distance, but I want to be right there.
Run in a 5k with my dad (don't laugh I am not a runner-at all!!! So starting with a 5k in April and will change it to a half Marathon maybe later; still haven't decided-Amy I so admire you and your hot runner legs!).
Adopt a child. This is a long term goal. I have always wanted to have my own children and then adopt a five or six year old when my children are a little older. My time working at Lee created a huge spot in my heart for the adoption of older children.
Learn to sew.
Ride in a hot air balloon.

Well that's it for now. Do you have a Bucket List?

Dreaming

2011-02-09T10:24:00.007-06:00

Don't get me wrong-this snow is incredibly beautiful. I have never seen anything like it!

However, I am dreaming of the beach. I don't know if it is because my new swim suit came in this week ...

or if it is because I am getting nervous we still may be in school when I am suppose to be flying to the Bahamas....

At least I can sit inside and dream of where I will be in June.

Real Love

2011-02-05T10:24:00.001-06:00

It is no secret that I am not married to the most romantic guy. He doesn’t send me flowers just because, he never leaves happys in my car, doesn’t surprise me by bring me lunch, he has never written me a poem, planned an unexpected date, sung me a song, blah blah blah blah blah. He doesn’t even say sweet and romantic things to me. In fact our song is You say it Best When You Say Nothing at All ,because literally he says nothing-nothing at all.

Now I am no picnic either so I won’t even pretend I am. I am pretty darn perfect though. Ha-kidding. Marshal definitely has his work cut out for him on keeping me happy. While he may not be the most romantic guy he does a wonderful job of showing me he loves me.

Last night for example- We were on our way home from dinner and just about the time we came down the hill on the way to our house, I see this baby deer in the snow. I mean a tiny baby deer, one that appeared to barely be able to walk. I screamed at Marshal to stop (which always gets me in trouble and he tells me I am going to cause him to have a wreck if I don’t stop that crap). Any way we can’t stop, we are going down an icy hill and there is a car right behind us and there is nowhere to pull over. We get to the closest place to pull over and Marshal gets out and realizes that one of our tires is going flat. We try and make it home but the tire is deflating quickly and it becomes obvious we just aren’t going to make it. So we pull over again and Marshal gets out and proceeds to change the tire. This ended up being quiet the ordeal. It was pitch black, snowing, 26 degrees outside, and Marshal didn’t have coat. Needless to say the process took him 45 minutes and by the time he was done he was soaking wet. But he did great, cussed very little, and got us back home safely.

As soon as we get home and I get the kids to bed I turned to him and said “what about the deer”? Being the husband that loves me; he doesn’t say word goes and puts on his coat and heads out to see if he can find the deer. He spent another 45 minutes, walking through the snow covered field,searching for the baby deer. Simply because he loves me and knows that I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I thought that baby deer was lost and going to freeze to death. He didn’t find the deer. He saw several tracks. I am assuming the momma deer came back and rescued her baby deer and that all is right in the world.

I would like to tell you that I don’t normally have my husband do irrational things, but again I am not going to lie. This is just one of a handful of stories where Marshal has done something to keep my tender little heart happy.

So I guess what I am saying is, I will take my real love over the romantic stuff any day. After all, I did break up with a guy in high school for being too romantic. Ha those were the days!

Love my Friends

2011-02-02T09:25:00.002-06:00

I have been having a lot of internal conflict lately. It is a long story; one I am not willing to get into now. Without a lot of explanation it is about my miscarriage and the overwhelming urge I have been having this last month about using my experience. I don’t know why, how, or what, but over the last month I keep thinking about it and it is weighing very heavy on my heart. I keep trying to push it to the back of my head, but every time I do something happens and there it is again. I hear a song, someone says something to me, etc.

One thing that was a huge part of my experience was my relationships with people. My relationship with everyone I knew changed. I pushed away every friend I had. I didn’t want to be loved because I didn’t feel love. Part of my healing process was an evaluation of friendship. So it is no surprise to me that with this so fresh on my mind once again so is the issue of friendship.

I find the friendship relationship so interesting. I have a very outgoing personality. I make friends pretty easily. I have dozens of “friends”. I could name at least 20 friends I could invite to go have coffee with me right now. We would have a great time and have great conversation. However, I often times find myself feeling very alone. Seems strange, right?

I have been really questioning who of those 20 or so friends are actually friends. Who actually cares about me? Who can I actually count on? What a difference there is in face value friendships and true friendships. I just don’t think we tell each other often enough how much our friendships mean to us.

This past month I have had three friends show me what my friendship means to them. I don’t think they even know how much their small act meant. One friend reconfirmed what I have always known, but needed to hear. Over the course of the last five years we have gotten busy in our daily lives and we rarely ever talk and I haven’t seen her in almost a year. Yet, she reminded me that no matter what I need she would drop everything for me and that she loves me.

Another friend, whom I absolutely adore, did drop everything and let me come to her house and cry on her couch for hours about the most ridiculous thing. She didn’t treat me like I was crazy (which at the time I was a crazy emotional mess), she didn’t judge me afterwards and she gave me exactly what I needed. She listened and made me feel loved.

My third example is probably the simplest act of showing friendship, but one that made me so happy. I have a friend that I met several years ago at church. She and I hit it off fairly quickly. She is outgoing, fun, independent and every bit of the strong-willed person that I am. We talked every day and I was at her house as much as I was at mine. We had a fun friendship and everything went great until life got in the way. We got busy and allowed lots of things big and small to get in the middle of our relationship. Several months passed and we got to where we barely talked. Recently I got the opportunity to spend some time with her. We had a blast, but that is not what meant so much to me. The time I got to spend with her was so important to me because we picked up right where we left off. It showed me that no matter how many months had passed, we are friends and nothing else matters.

I am not going to lie, I wrote this blog post for the same reason I write most of my blog post-to process my own thoughts. I use my blog as my own personal dairy a lot. Probably more than I should. However, I am actually posting this post(not just saving it in my drafts like the thousands of others that I write and have enough sense not to post) because I want something from you. I want you to think of a way to show your friends how much they mean to you. I think we are all so good to let people know how much the mean to us when things are tough, but we don’t take the time to let people know what they mean to us on a daily basis. You really never know what tomorrow might bring-so do it today.

Complete personal note: Melissa Basham you know this blog post is so not for you! You are the sweetest most caring person I have ever met. You always take the time to show people what they mean to you and I feel so blessed to have you as a friend! I look up to you and wish I was half as thoughtful as you are!

It's about Time

2011-01-20T20:07:00.002-06:00

Not only is it about time I post a new blog post, but I am so happy to announce that Jaxton is finally walking! It's about time! He has been walking holding on to things since 9 months but he is finally walking on his own. I started to wonder if he was just going to crawl everywhere until he started kindergarten.

Ok , not really. Honestly I have not been in any hurry to get him to walk; other then the fact I hate the germy floors and would prefer he not be all over them. His sister started walking right after she turned one; Jaxton is 14 months. I have told you before Ashlynn is so my daughter. She looks like me, acts like me and is full of spice just like me. Therefore when she figured out there was a faster way to get to where she was going she was walking everywhere.

Jaxton on the other hand is turning out to be just like his daddy. He looks just like Marshal (other than the blue eyes and blonde hair) and he is starting to show similar personality traits as Marshal. He is laid back and easy going most of the time. When he does get angry he clinches his fist (he hasn't gotten the stomping his feet down, like Marshal, but I am sure it is coming). He loves his sleep. He can eat anything at anytime day or night. And he will do what you ask him to, but it will be on his time frame not yours, walking for example.

Any way, I finally got a short video of him walking. This was tricky because he kept wanting to grab the camera so I had to try and hide it from him while I filmed. Oh well you get the idea.

Really

2011-01-05T18:43:00.002-06:00

I consider myself an open book. What you see is what you get. I am not complicated. I don’t act one way one place and another way somewhere else. I am me all the time. I share just about anything with anyone that will listen. I love to talk. I talk when I am happy, I talk when I am sad, talking is my way of dealing with stress, talking is my way of having fun. I talk talk talk-a lot! Therefore, it surprises the heck out of me when I am talking to someone and they say “really, I didn’t know that about you”. For some reason that has been happening a lot to me lately so I decided to share some random facts about me. I know you just can’t hardly wait, right?

I play golf. Not very well, but I play. In fact I play almost every Sunday.

I hate pickles and will not eat anything that has even touched a pickle.

I love naps and take one every Saturday and Sunday.

I can sing. I use to sing with a group called Common Ground and I helped lead worship every
Sunday for several years in college.

I have a children’s book dedicated in my honor. My name is in the front cover and everything!

I love watching the Bachelor! I even have a picture of me hugging Bachelor Aaron from season
two. He was at a social event I was at-I am not some kind of crazy Bachelor stalker-Ha!

I love SEC Football. I have had season tickets to the Razorback football games my entire life. Minus this last year which makes me so sad so we won’t talk about it.

I can’t clap on beat, whistle, or ride a bicycle. I know completely pathetic, but I really can’t.

I am not very smart. I know most people wouldn’t admit that, but the truth is the truth. I am not. Sure I graduated with a 4.0 when completing my Master’s degree, and yes it is true that I was two points shy of a perfect score on my Praxis PLT, but I just don’t know much about much. I am not good at history facts, I am not good at math, my written grammar would make a middle school teacher flinch, I’m a terrible speller, I can’t play trivial pursuit, I couldn’t tell you who sings any of the songs on the radio, and I frustrate the fire out of Marshal on my lack of knowledge about television and movie facts.

I sleep with a stuffed animal every night. My dad got me a Theodore when I was three. I have slept with him every night since then. He even travels with me.

I can eat a lot. Marshal likes to tell people that I can put away more meat than anyone he has ever seen. Unfortunately it is true. I can put away a steak like nobody’s business.

I love Dolly Parton.

I am at church every Sunday unless I am out of town. I can count on one hand the number of times I have missed church for any other reason (sick, out- of- town company, etc.)

Ok well there you have it. Everything you ever wanted to know about me and didn’t. I am very curious-did any of you out there know all 13 things? (Mom you don’t count). And did any of the
random facts about me surprise you?

My Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-30T20:25:00.017-06:00

In thinking back over the past year there were a lot of good memories created. I am going to list my top ten.

10. Starting School in August

I know you think-you start school every August. This August however was very different for me. This is the first time in my entire career that all I am is a teacher. Not a teacher getting her master's degree, a teacher completing her National Boards, or a teacher about to have a baby. Just a teacher and that is all and I have loved it. I have the sweetest group of kids and a fabulous intern.

9. Family Trip to Destin

This was the first beach trip for Jaxton. It was different being at the beach with a baby, but we had a great time and lots of special family moments to cherish. We also were very lucky to avoid the oil spill.

8. Ashlynn's 5th Birthday

First let me say I cannot believe my baby girl is 5! Time has flown by so fast. She went from being a baby to a little girl in what seems like a blink. Ashlynn did turn 5 in style though. She had an amazing princess party complete with make up, dress up, crafts and royal princess games. We hired a party planner that did absolutely everything, which was perfect for us because all we had to do was show up and enjoy.

7. 9 year anniversary trip to Little Rock

Marshal and I have been to Little Rock thousands of times before. Living in Russellville for so long Little Rock was just where you went. However, since moving to NWA we rarely make it to Little Rock these days. On June 16th the Governor held a reception for all teachers that achieved National Board Certification. Since that happen to be Marshal and my anniversary we decided to just turn our trip to Little Rock into an anniversary get away. We had so much fun. We stayed at the Captial Hotel and enjoyed an evening in the River Market.

6. Losing 26 pounds

I know that is a little mis-leading since I did have a baby in November of 2009. However, in 2010 I did work very hard and lost 26 pounds. You know those cute pregnant people with the little basket ball bellies? Well that was so not me. I gained 42 pounds with Jaxton and 50 pounds with Ashlynn. After Ashlynn I held onto ten of those pounds and never lost them. When I had Jaxton I was determined to lose my baby weight. I am so proud to say I have done that plus an additional six pounds. I have one of my bestest friends and Personal Trainers to thank for all of it. She kicked my butt and I love her very much for it! Now if I can just get back on track and do my Pilate's I am told this baby gut will tighten up. We will see. Maybe not the best picture but maybe you can tell I am back to my pre-pregnancy body (or you can just take my word for it- Ha).

5. Jaxton's Baptism

This was a very special day for so many reasons. First, I am so thankful for the blessing of his life, it is so important to me to be able to promise to raise him in a Christan home and to let him know that he is a child of God. I was also so excited to have my parents, Marshal's parents, my aunt, and my grandparents here to help us celebrate. It meant so much to us to be able to surround Jaxton in love. There was another reason this day was so special to me. A reason that I haven't shared with very many people. When Marshal and I were standing in front of the church and saying the vows, a young couple was sitting right in my line of vision. This couple had recently lost a baby to miscarriage. She was sitting there with tears streaming down her face. I couldn't help but just ache for her. I hated that I was standing up there with my beautiful baby boy and she was sitting in a pew with empty arms. I knew exactly how she felt. I knew the pain behind those tears. You may wonder why I am telling you this. You may think this is an odd thing to have made my day so special. I could literally see God holding her hand in that moment. She was hurting and she felt so alone, but I could see God right there with her. It reminded me that even though I didn't feel it at the time, God never left my side. He held my hand through all of the pain and tears and he never left me. This realization made Jaxton's baptism so incredibly special for me. I have prayed for that couple many times since that day. I barely know them. In fact I can't even tell you their names. I can tell you that they are expecting a baby anyday now and I can't wait to see them in front of the church baptising their own special child.

4. Jaxton's First Birthday

Knowing that Jaxton is my last child, I have just tried my best to soak up every minute with him. He turned one in November and I just can't believe it. While I miss the baby days with him he is starting to show his own little personality which is so fun too! For his first birthday we invited several friends and family members to help us celebrate. For the party favors everyone received some money with instructions to perform a random act of kindness. It has been so cool hearing about all the different ways people used the money and how it has helped. I know it is a birthday I will never forget and I hope someday Jaxton will enjoy reading about it. 3. Ashlynn Starting Kindergarten

This has been so much fun. I have absolutely loved getting to see Ashlynn during the day. I get hugs and kisses throughout my day and it has been so wonderful. I have also learned so much about her. Getting to see her in her social setting and interacting with her peers has taught me so much about my little princess. I had no idea how much like her momma she was until this year. She is so independent and has such a mind of her own.

2. Maternity Leave

I loved my Maternity leave. I took a little over three months off. I didn't feel like I got to enjoy the first month because the holidays were so busy, but come January I loved every minute of it. I got to spend a lot of time with Ashlynn. We had a couple of Mommy/daughter days while Jaxton hung out with Nonnie. I also got some alone time with Jaxton while Ashlynn went to mother's day out. It was just a sweet time I will always cherish.

And the number one event of 2010.....

1. Turning 30!

I dreaded this sooooo much. I was not looking forward to leaving my 20's behind. However, turning 30 has been wonderful. Marshal planned a fabulous trip to KC to celebrate my 30th birthday. I had so much fun! Ethan and Sarah went with us and helped make the trip very special. However, the birthday celebration is not really what has made turning 30 my number one event. It is all of the things that have happened since the celebration. I am very proud of all the things I have accomplished in my 30 years of life. Since turning 30 I have deepened my relationship with Marshal and have been reminded that he is not only the love of my life, but my best friend. I have also become incredibly open and honest about my feelings with people. That may not be a good thing, but for whatever reason I feel more compelled to just tell people exactly what I am thinking. I have reconnected with a great friend. I care more about myself and less about what other people think of me. I feel old enough to know what I want and determined enough to get it. I feel great and I can't wait to see what the next 30 years of my life bring!

So bring on 2011!!!

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-20T10:06:00.005-06:00

I have told you before that I don't have a very big family. Marshal and I are both only children. My cousins (while I have a ton of them) are all ,13 years up to 29 years, older then me. Therefore, this time of year always brings about a little sadness for me. My children have no aunts and uncles to spoil them or cousins to play with. It is just me, Marshal, the kiddos and my parents. I am a lucky girl to have parents that are so active in my children's lives. I wouldn't trade it for anything. However, the older I get the more I long for a house full of relatives for the holidays.

I can remember as a little girl gathering with my mom's six brothers and sister and all of their children. It was magical. My grandparents were there and since I was the baby of everything I was surrounded by attention and love. I wish I had that to offer to my children.

I told my mom she could have a couple of more children. She didn't really think that was a good idea. So I don't think the big family filled home thing is going to happen. I don't have control of the size of my family, but I can control the way we celebrate the season of Christmas. I hope by establishing some Christmas traditions my children will be able to cherish their childhood memories as much as I did.

Watson Family Traditions:

We decorate our Christmas tree only with ornaments that have special meaning. We get a new ornament each year that sums up what has happened in our lives that year. Ex: new baby, new home, special trips, etc. Our tree may not be a Martha Stewart tree but it is decorated with love and special memories.

We go to Branson each year for one weekend in December to see the Christmas lights. Ashlynn has grown to absolutely love this and talks about it all year.

We go to Christmas Eve candlelight service. This is my favorite worship service of the year. When the sanctuary is filled with hundreds of people holding candles-it is nothing short of breath taking.

We hang stockings for everyone. Including our pets. Stockings are my favorite Christmas decoration ever. I love opening the stockings on Christmas morning and seeing all of the neat little goodies stuffed inside.

We adopt an angel off the angel tree that is the same age as our children. This is something special I use to do with my dad. He would help me pick a child that was the same age as me and take me shopping for that little girl. I love that this year Ashlynn was old enough to kind of understand what it meant to buy for someone else.

We decorate with nativity scenes. I love looking at them. I love being reminded why we are celebrating.

We get family pictures taken around this time every year. I know a lot of people just get pictures of the kids. It is so important to me to have a family picture taken. I want my children to be able to look back on the memories of how we all grew and changed. Marshal lost his dad at an early age. I wish they had more family pictures to look back on.

We always wake up at home on Christmas morning. This is one of the advantages to the small family thing. I don't have to work my Christmas plans around anyone else. Once Ashlynn was born I have been adamant that she be able to wake up in her own house on Christmas morning. Santa leaves the gifts out for her ( and now Jaxton too) and it is such a special time for us.

I know you all have your own things that help you celebrate the season. I hope you enjoyed reading some of the things that are important to me. Have a very Merry Christmas!

Wish List

2010-12-04T21:38:00.005-06:00

With Christmas getting closer and closer I can't help but think of all the things I want this year. I have been a very good girl I am sure...

My Wish List

I wish I could learn to sew
I wish I was a better speller
I wish cake wasn't fattening
I wish my husband was more romantic
I wish I could be Carrie on Sex and the City for just one day so I could play with all of her shoes
I wish I had more friends that I could count on
I wish Marshal's dream job would never require me to move
I wish my flabby belly would magically disappear
I wish I had room to adopt 500 animals
I wish I was more flexible
I wish college football lasted year around
I wish I had cash with me more often
I wish winter was only a month long
I wish I was more technologically savvy
I wish people would not smoke in public
I wish I was not a picky eater
I wish that I was really good at something- don't care what just one thing I could do really well
I wish I didn't always feel the need to tell people what I am thinking
I wish I could take good pictures
I wish someone would tell me what to cook for dinner each night

My wish list could keep going but I am sure this is enough for Santa to work on for now.

Parenting Advice

2010-12-02T17:42:00.003-06:00

A couple of days after I went back to work from my maternity leave, a coworker said to me "Parenting is the hardest thing you will ever do". "No one ever tells you that it is so hard that sometimes you feel like you just might not survive it".

I have played those words over in my mind so many times I cannot even tell you. I find such great comfort in them because it lets me know that I am normal. I feel so blessed that 95% of the time my kids are great. They are sweet, well mannered, and I can just squeeze them up and love them. But then there is the other 5%.

Now Jaxton isn't really old enough to be able to help it. His "wear me out" moments (to this point) have just been about him being sick and me wanting to be able to make it all better. Ashlynn on the other hand.....that child's 5% makes me truly question if I will survive this.

We had a weekend full of those "I'm not going to survive this" moments this past weekend. It was like someone had stolen my precious little angel and replaced her with a complete and total fire breathing dragon. When she gets going there is no stopping her. She is so strong and determined it ridiculous.

On Sunday afternoon Ashlynn turned back into her sweet normal happy smiling self. Thank goodness! My problem is I feel like I have no control when she gets out of control. I started seeking some parenting advice from friends. I have got to find some way to be able to handle and stop these fits before another happens.

Parenting advice seems simple enough, right? Well not so much. you see I took 9 hours of child development in college. I get multiple hours of parenting staff development each year. I've read books professionally about effective discipline. I am a kindergarten teacher for goodness sake. Parents ask me for advice all the time. Discipline is part of my job. Not saying all this to sound like a know it all, just saying I have tried every trick in the book.

I did however get exactly what I was looking for. That magic wand that I get to wave next time the 5% decides to rear it's ugly head. The funny part about it, the friend that gave it to me doesn't even know she did it. In fact it didn't come in the form of advice at all.

On Monday I got a Thanksgiving card from a sweet sweet friend. Inside the card she told me all the reasons she was thankful for me. Part of what she wrote said " Your sweet silly smile always brightens my day. Thank you so much for being such a strong, determined, kind, smart, goal drive inspiration to those around you. " I read this statement a thousand times. At first I just was so flattered that she said such sweet things to me and then I realized that is Ashlynn. She is strong, she is determined, she is passionate, smart, and once she gets a goal in her mind she works like crazy to complete it.

These are all qualities I was getting complemented on, but yet those same qualities are pushing me to the edge when it comes to my child. I don't think my qualities are always a good thing. They have gotten me into my fair share of trouble. However, I am very proud of who I am and I am very proud of the daughter I am raising. Instead of trying to stop those behaviors in Ashlynn I need to be teaching her how to effectively use them.

Now finding the patience while doing that, well that's a whole other story. Wish me luck...

Alone Time

2010-11-23T10:30:00.003-06:00

I am in complete and total heaven right now. I ,being the wonderful mother that I am, took Jaxton to MDO this morning and Marshal wanted to take Ashlynn to work with him. This left me with sweet and precious alone time. I cannot even tell you how wonderful this is.

Alone time is one of those things that no one ever tells you about before you have kids. No one tells you that once you have kids alone time is a rare gift. In fact before I had kids, I actually hated to be alone. The summer Marshal and I got married I couldn't wait for him to get home from work. I was like a baby puppy. The second I heard his car pull up in the drive way I would run to the door, leap in his arms, and lick his face. Ok maybe I didn't go so far as to actually lick his face, but you get the point. I was just so excited to have him home so I wasn't alone anymore. It is a wonder he didn't divorce me within the first month. I can only imagine how much I must have gotten on his nerves.

I wish someone would have told me then to cherish that alone time. Although I probably wouldn't have listened.

Now, I have a job where there is absolutely no alone time all day and after that I have a family with me constantly. With Ashlynn in school I don't even have alone time in the car anymore. So as you can imagine I dream about days like today. A few short hours of nothing but me time. Don't get me wrong , I love love love my family. I love being a mom and I love my wonderful husband, but today I am loving being totally and completely alone.

Here is a list of some of the things I am enjoying about my alone time:

I ran errands this morning and didn't have to take 10 minutes to unload my kids and I didn't have to hold any ones hand.
I got to have an uninterrupted phone conversation.
I got to use the bathroom without anyone watching me. (sorry single girls, but it is true you never really get to go to the bathroom alone again once you have kids)
I wrote an entire blog post without having to stop seven times to get Barbie shoes out of Jaxton's mouth.
I got to run on the treadmill on my time schedule, not having to wait for nap or bedtime.
I sat on the couch and actually did nothing but watch t.v. of my choice without feeling like I had to be folding laundry or doing dishes.
I got to hear complete silence.

I am sure I could go on and on about the things I am enjoying about my day, but it won't last forever. Also, as good as I am at the bumble bee pick up thing 15 minutes before Marshal gets home, I really do have a lot to accomplish before the holiday travel starts.

I must say I am so thankful for my family. Without them today would just be another day and not the fabulous adventure that it has become.

Jaxton's 1st Birthday

2010-11-16T17:42:00.008-06:00

Jaxton is One! I can't believe it. We had so much fun celebrating. His actual birthday was Friday and we had both sets of grandparents over. It was pretty low key. I made brisket and we just hung out and loved on our little one year old. Ashlynn had so much fun helping Jaxton open the birthday presents his grandparents just couldn't resit buying him. I am pretty sure she also enjoyed playing with his new toys more then he did. This is what Jaxton thought of opening presents.

On Saturday we had some friends over for a birthday brunch. I cannot thank those of you that came enough. It absolutely meant the world to me to have you be apart of Jaxton's birthday party. We all felt very loved and I will never be able to express my thanks to you for helping make it so special.

Banner I made for the party.

We had Jaxton's picture made each month. I framed each one of them and used them to decorate the food table. The #1 I made. And of course the yummy Rick's cupcakes.

Never to early to start them on Rick's.

Just like his momma-He loved it! Instead of traditional gifts we had everyone bring donation items for the NWA Children's shelter. Jaxton enjoyed checking out all the great donations. I had to include a picture of this toy. This was the toy that all the kids wanted to play with. Unfortunately the birthday boy did not like sharing and kept pushing the sweet little girls off of it. We must work on his manners before he starts dating...

And last but certainly not least, I want to give a huge Thank you to one of my besties!!! Not only is she the best adopted Aunt a child could ask for, but she is the sweetest and most caring friend a girl could ever have. Thank you Melissa for coming all the way from Texas and for staying and helping me clean up. You are the absolute best and I love you!!!

It has been one of those days, weeks, ok months

2010-11-10T08:19:00.004-06:00

So I guess you have noticed I have not blogged in almost a month. What a loser...

I don't know what has been going on. I keep wanting to write a blog post and I will sit down to do it and I just stare at the screen with nothing fun or exciting to share. Or I write a blog post when I am feeling totally emotional about something and I delete because it ends up being some ridiculous "spill your guts" crap that I know I will regret saying as soon as I hit the post button. Please tell me you have these moments?

I will be real honest and say they seem to be happening more often then they use to. I had no idea how much my birth control pills leveled out my hormones. I have seen a huge difference in how emotional I really am without them. Scary, I know. I feel like a teenage girl all over again. I start crying for no reason, ten minutes later I am mad as hell, and then next thing you know I am face first in a bowl of peanut butter and chocolate chips. Is this normal? Or should I be seeking professional help?

Ok to continue on with my randomness. I do have to tell you all something. This is going to get pretty personal, but I feel like it is easier to explain if I just throw it all out there. My lack of blogging is not all necessarily because I have nothing to say. A lot of it is a lack of time. I have been spending most of my "free" (and I use that world very carefully because what does that even mean when you are a mother) time exercising. I am very very proud to say I am officially back to my pre-pregnancy weight!!! WHoo Hoo!!! I am so proud. Ok here comes the personal part. The thing no girl really wants to share, but I think it will be too confusing without it. I weighed 120 before I got pregnant with Jaxton. I currently weigh 119. Now , my goal is not 120. My actual goal is 115. So I still have a little ways to go. I know four pounds doesn't seem like a lot, but anyone who has ever been around me knows that I LOVE food. I mean it is absolutely one of my favorite things on earth. Everything in my life revolves around food. Not the healthy kind, the good ,yummy, as fattening as can be, food. So four pounds seems next to impossible for me.

We will see. I do have an extremely awesome personal trainer who is happy to kick my butt anytime I will let her. In fact I think she really enjoys seeing how much she can torture me. Any ways I will keep you all updated.

P.S. if you made it to the end of all this randomness you deserve a cake in a cup from Rick's. So go treat yourself, but take me with you!

Pumpkin Patch Trips

2010-10-21T17:18:00.005-05:00

We have been pumpkin patch crazy around the Watson household. Sunday we went to the Right Choices Pumpkin Patch in Missouri and Tuesday Ashlynn had a field trip to the McGarrah Pumpkin patch in Pea Ridge. We had a great time at both. It was funny because Sunday we were all complaining about how hot is was and Tuesday we were all complaining about how cold it was. Arkansas weather for you-never know what to expect.

Any way here are a few picks from our Fun at the Pumpkin Patches! ( Please note I am very excited to not be pregnant in this years pumpkin patch photo's).Cuties in the corn mazeAshlynn getting excited about riding the cow train. Sarah and Evan riding in the cow train. How cute Sarah even got to ride in the Sarah cow! Ashlynn in the cow train. Ashlynn thinking her pumpkin is way to heavy. Jaxton playing with all the pumpkins we brought home. He was sad he didn't get to go...maybe next year. Ashlynn's ClassShowing off their pumpkin finds.

Daddy's baby girl.

So what if I am bragging

2010-10-11T17:34:00.002-05:00

I have to say, I really do think I have the best job in the world. As much as I love my own personal children, I love that I have a job. Not just any job, but a job that I love.

I am not going to pretend that I don’t have my moments. On any given day, you might hear me say “I am going to apply to be a Walmart greeter because I can’t do this anymore”. And yes I have been known to gripe and complain about my kid’s behavior, and don’t even get me started on their parents.

But all that aside… I go home every night knowing that I love my job. I love my job because I can see I am making a difference. I love my job because I get to use my heart. I love my job because I get a thousand hugs (and sometimes a wet slobbery kiss on the cheek) a day. I love my job because I get to see children’s eyes light up when they feel the excitement of accomplishment.

I think though as much as I love all of that my absolute favorite thing about my job is that every day is a surprise. You never know what is going to happen. It doesn’t matter what you have planned or what kind of mood you are in. Every day something happens or something is said that just takes you by surprise.

For example…I came to school on Friday morning. Honestly, I was in a pretty bad mood. I wasn’t feeling good and Marshal had kind of made me mad, bottom line I just didn’t want to be anywhere except my bed. Well I walked in and get my morning started and the bell rings; good mood or not here come the children. I was standing in my door way visiting with my neighbor teacher when one of my little boys came running in and was just so excited to talk to me. When I turned around to see what he needed he grabbed my hand and pulled me across the room to my desk. He told me to sit down in my chair. As soon as I did he started sing to me. I really don’t know what he was singing and I haven’t a clue why he was singing to me, but he was going to town singing his little heart out. It was all I could do to not burst into laughter (it’s not every day that I get serenaded at 7:30 a.m., ok so maybe I have never been serenaded….). It was so cute and so sweet. I quickly forgot how bad I was feeling and ended up having a great Friday.

Then today, I was completely worn out by this little boy. I had just gotten on to him and turned around and he was doing the very same behavior he had just gotten in trouble for. Geez, why can’t these five year olds just act sweet and perfect all day long? HA! Any way I was giving him and earful when another little boy walks over and says “Mrs. Watson, I really like it when you get mad because you are just so pretty”!!! Ha, Ha! I don’t know about all of that, but seriously who wouldn’t smile after that comment.

I will stop bragging now, but I truly do have the best job in the world and I absolutely LOVE it! I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be a part of these children’s lives every day.

30th Birthday

2010-09-27T21:41:00.004-05:00

To say I had a fabulous birthday weekend would be a complete understatement! Marshal planned a trip to Kansas City and didn’t tell me any of the details about it. It was perfect and wonderful and I could not have asked for a better birthday.

Poor Marshal really has his work cut out for him when planning surprises for me. I am a huge planner and really it just drives me crazy to not have control. So I had been giving him a pretty hard time right up until we got to KC. I wanted to know everything, but he didn’t tell me a thing.
When we arrived late Friday night he took me to Harrah’s. As Marshal likes to tell everyone, I love slot machines. I mean I have only been to a casino five times in my entire life, but I do really do like slot machines. After we lost all of our money, which didn’t take long, he drove us to the hotel in Overland Park. We stayed at the Aloft and it was very nice.

Saturday morning we went down to the Plaza district and went shopping. May I just stop right here and say, they have the biggest Forever 21 I have ever seen, made me pretty happy.

During lunch Marshal told me that someone would be calling any minute to tell us they had arrived in Kansas City to help celebrate my birthday. I had no idea that Ethan and Sarah would be joining us. Having them there really made the trip special and I cannot thank them enough for coming!

After shopping I got to go have dessert at The Cheesecake Factory. Sad to say this was my first ever trip to a Cheesecake factory. Those of you that have been before know that it was an extra yummy surprise.
For dinner Marshal made reservations at Huston’s Steak House. We went to the Huston’s in New Orleans all the time when we lived there. They have very fabulous prime rib. Another thing Marshal likes to tell everyone….”Andrea can put away more meat than anyone I have ever seen”. So as you can imagine I was extremely happy with his choice.

After dinner we went to the P&L, which is a huge warehouse with several different bars and clubs inside it. It was really neat. Our first stop was Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar. To our surprise Neil Diamond was there and they invited him up on stage to sing. Who would have thought we would be hanging out with Neil Diamond? After that we went to a dance club and had a blast dancing.

Considering I didn’t get back to my hotel room until 4 a.m. I am going to say I had a wonderful fun filled night! This weekend was just what I needed to help welcome me to my 30’s!!!

I could lie to you but I won't

2010-09-16T16:37:00.004-05:00

What do you do when your daughter is so much like you and it is truly not funny?

I could tell you that I am a sweet, lovable, flexible, woman that always is a delight to be around.

But why lie.

The truth is-I am a spicy, strong willed, lady that likes to get my way. I have a huge heart and I love very deeply, but boy howdy when that spice begins to flare, well there is just no stopping it.

I know some of you out there are just cracking up reading this because your are thinking "she isn't even telling the half of it".

Anyway...my precious beautiful daughter is just like me. I mean I have tried to model for her how to be sweet and loving. And believe me she is. It warms my heart to hear her pray for one of her friends, or listen to her lovingly talk to her stuffed animals. I just beam when she talks about taking care of the world's animals and recycling so we can keep our Earth happy. She takes time to make cards for her friends, just to let them know she is thinking of them. All great wonderful things she has learned from me.

Why oh why did she have to pick up the bad things too. Could she have not just stopped at the positive stuff?

Today Ashlynn was eating lunch in the cafeteria. The little boy beside her decided to start messing with her. He was saying ugly things to her, showing her his chewed up food, and just being kind of mean. Well I guess the last straw for Ashlynn was when he took her fork and threw it on the ground. Ashlynn proceeded to then push his entire tray off the table and onto the ground. Well you can see where this might cause a problem. The lunch duty teacher came over to see what was going on and Ashlynn just broke down into tears.

This is where it is hard to be a parent. I want my child to know that we don't take matters into our own hands, and just because we are hurt doesn't mean we should hurt back. And I would love to think that my sweet child would just sit nicely, raise her hand and tell the teacher. But no this is where her mommas spice kicked in. She showed him. And quite frankly I would have done the same thing (although don't tell Ashlynn this but I would have dumped the tray in his lap so he could wear the food a little while. Make him think about it so he would think twice before being mean to me again)!

Anyway, I did the right "teacher" thing to do. I made Ashlynn clean up the food on the floor and miss a few minutes of her recess. I know that won't make any of the spice go away, but maybe she will think about it before she lets it loose at school again.

Sick Days

2010-09-14T16:37:00.003-05:00

So if you are wanting a bubbly fun post that is going to be full of happiness and make you feel warm and fuzzy inside you might want to stop reading now.

First, I have not posted in so long because I have been taking care of sick children for two weeks now. Ashlynn got some kind of yucky virus a couple of weeks ago. Ran a temp for two days and just felt bad. Then that weekend Jaxton woke up with a 103.7 and cranky as all get out. We started him on antibiotics, but he didn't seem to be getting any better. So we went back to the doctor. He had an ear infection in his right ear so they gave him a shot and a different antibiotic. Well now a week and a half later he still is not feeling any better so I guess it is going to be back to the doctor for us.

Speaking of doctors...a real funny story.... So in July I got together all of our out of pocket medical expenses to turn in to receive our medical reimbursement. I realized that I didn't have many medical bills and was concerned we weren't going to spend enough to get our full reimbursement by the end of the year. Well I wish I would have never let that thought go across my brain because since then we have had an emergency room visit, $150 worth of doctor's visits, $100 worth of prescriptions, and a minor out patent procedure.

Moral to the story-sometimes you get exactly what you are asking for and then some!

Ok, I have spread enough negativity for one day. Sometimes you just have to vent you know.

Here's a couple of pics of the kids to sugar coat my blah blah blahing.

Oh my Five Year Old

2010-08-28T21:38:00.003-05:00

Ashlynn is (for the most part) a very well behaved child. She is polite, sweet and a total rule follower that truly wants to please.

That is until she gets overly tried. Then oh my dear mercy you better watch out. When she is tried she turns into a complete and total mess. I cannot even explain to you the fits that little girl can throw. Screaming, stomping her feet, fist clinched, tears streaming down her face-FIT.

Well as you can imagine the start of kindergarten has been pretty exhausting. Today some of that exhaustion got the best of Ashlynn and that overly tried fit throwing started. First it was a little fit over not wanting to put her shoes on. Then she didn't want to eat her dinner. Then when we get to Walmart she throws a pretty good sized fit in the parking lot because she wanted to ride in the top of the cart and make Jaxton ride in his stroller. I told her no she had two choices...walk or ride in the bottom. Well her daddy went against what I said and got another chart and let her ride in the top of it while Jaxton was in the top of the other chart. This pretty much infuriated me. Not only had I just had enough of the fits, but for him to go against what I said and give into her fit...ugg I was steaming mad at both of them.

So I take off. If Marshal wants to put up with it fine, but I wasn't going to. Within five minutes Ashlynn and Marshal catch up to me in Walmart and Ashlynn says "Momma I am so sorry what can I do to make you feel better." I reply "Ashlynn I have had enough, what I want is for you to stop acting this way and for your Daddy to start listening to me. " She says "Daddy I told you momma wanted you to tell her sorry". So Marshal tells me he is sorry. I am still not feeling real forgiving so I continue on with my shopping. Ashlynn then tells Marshal that Momma is still mad and she thinks they need to sing me a song. She ask Marshal what song she should sing me. Marshal tells her to sing me Girls Just Want to Have Fun. So she does. I am not amused.

Ashlynn turns to Marshal and says "Daddy Mommy still has and angry face-do you just not know her at all?"

I had to laugh after that. And that is why I love my five year old!

The Restaurant Stage

2010-08-22T17:11:00.002-05:00

This weekend Jaxton officially reached the Restaurant Stage. You know that stage where taking him in to a restaurant of any kind is a HUGE mistake. The stage where it takes you longer to pack a diaper bag for a one hour meal then it does to pack for a week long vacation. You have high hopes that something that you packed will entertain him long enough for you to eat your meal. The stage where every hostess in any restaurant cringes when they see you walk in the door.

You know the drill (or if you don't yet you will)...you sit down the waitress comes over and before she can ask you what you want to drink you have blurted out your entire order. As soon as she has deliver your food you lay out your credit card without even caring what the bill says. You stuff your food in your mouth as fast as you can knowing that each bite is supper yummy, even if you can't taste it because you swallowed it whole.

Once you have completed your meal you stand up to leave and give everyone around you an apologetic look. It is almost like they are cheering silently thinking thank goodness they are finally leaving. I mean not only has your baby thrown toys at them, talked extremely loudly, flicked water at them, but just look at the mess he made. Crackers, chopped up pieces of food, cereal, and smeared baby food litters the table, chairs and for heavens sake don't even think about looking at the floor.

When you finally arrive back at the car you are completely exhausted and feel like you have just survived some kind of war. You swear you are not going out to eat for the next ten years and you say a silent prayer that no one in that restaurant recognized you.

Then when next weekend rolls around you think surely it wasn't that bad.....where do you want to go eat?

First Day of School

2010-08-19T21:30:00.003-05:00

Today Ashlynn started kindergarten and Jaxton started Mother's Day Out. I tell you I was an emotional wreck all day. On one hand I loved being able to sneak kisses from my sweet baby girl all day and on the other hand I was so beside myself worried about my baby boy being with a bunch of strangers.

Ashlynn and Jaxton both had great days!

Ashlynn loved kindergarten. her favorite part of the day was playing at recess with her friend from MDO Ryann. She also enjoyed going to music and playing with pattern blocks. She said she was disappointed that she didn't make anything in art because there were too many rules-ha.

Jaxton did fine too. I have been very lucky to have my mom keep him while I work. She will still be keeping him three days a week and he will be going to MDO two days a week. This is very new for me. Ashlynn stayed a home with her full time until she was 2 1/2- so taking a 9 month old is a new experience.

He only took a 45 minute nap today (verse his normal 4 hours), but stayed happy most of the day. My biggest complaint was he was so tired and cranky by the time I got him home I didn't get to have any fun and snuggle time with him. Hopefully he will adjust to their schedule and all will be good. If not my mom assures me we will do something different and she will find someone to keep him at her church for those two days (hint hint mom) . No really I think it is just going to take some getting used to on all of our parts. Ashlynn loved MDO and I am sure Jaxton will as well.

Above all we all made it through it!

Last Day of Summer

2010-08-10T16:03:00.004-05:00

Today is my last day of summer vacation and tomorrow is back to the "real" world. I am going to miss my lazy days of being home and am already counting the days to Thanksgiving break. Don't get me wrong I love love love my job and I have already admitted that I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom, but the time home with my family is very precious to me.

I thought I would share a few pictures to show you how we spent our last day.

We spent all morning in our pajamas Made chocolate gravy for breakfastwent to Rick's Bakery for lunch

and ended the afternoon with a fabulous nap!

A day of doing a whole lot of nothing....It doesn't get much better than that!

I did not sign up for this

2010-08-05T09:39:00.004-05:00

When I found out I was going to be a mommy for the first time I was so excited. I was excited about the tiny toes and the cut little clothes. I couldn't wait to snuggle the perfect little baby. I dreamed of watching her grow and being her best friend.

Never did it ever cross my mind that becoming a mommy was going to be more difficult than anything my wildest imagination could dream up.

Last night Marshal, GeGe, and I ended up in the emergency room with Ashlynn. She was playing underneath the dinning room table with plans to jump out and surprise her GeGe and Daddy. When she went to jump out she surprised them alright...yes you guessed it, the top of her little head hit right into the bottom corner of the table.

The very second I heard the sound my heart sank. I knew right then that my baby girl was badly hurt. Marshal scooped her up and she began screaming. When she started crying Jaxton started crying and I started crying. Thank goodness Marshal was there and thank goodness he is able to not only deal with blood (which anyone that knows me at all knows that I can barely say the word without passing out much less have to see it and clean it up) but he was able to stay calm.

He cleaned up the wound and we waited for a little while then he told us the cut just wasn't going to close up on it's own and we needed to go the emergency room.

This is where that "being a mommy is the most difficult thing" comes in. When your baby is hurt, you as a mommy feel the worst pain you have ever felt in your life. Knowing that you can't kiss it and make it feel better. Knowing that you have to sit back, smile like everything is fine, and be strong. No one ever told me that this would be so hard.

Ashlynn is going to be fine. It really turned out to be a minor cut. She got a couple of staples and will need a week of healing but is going to be just fine.

I am the one with the long term effects.

I am the one that was reminded how fiercely I love that child. I am the one that dropped down on my knees and thanked God for being her protector. I am the one that got a small glimpse of how God must feel when we, his children, hurt. It made me realize that although God probably wants nothing more than to take our pain away, the pain in our lives teaches us so much.

While this was Ashlynn's first, I know it will not be her last cut or bruise. I hope though that she has learned to be a little more cautious and listen a little closer.

I hope that I too have learned that same lesson.

Firefly Fling

2010-07-25T20:55:00.007-05:00

Saturday was a fabulous day! Melissa came to visit and spoiled everyone by bringing surprises. We had such a good time visiting and I am so excited we got to spend some time with her and can't wait for her to come back. After Melissa left (sad) we took Ashlynn and Jaxton to the Firefly Fling at the Botanical Gardens. We had a great time and the gardens are absolutely beautiful!

Ashlynn and I enjoyed seeing the Fairy Houses- all though we couldn't find any fairies. Daddy and Jaxton spent the evening strolling around looking at all the people.

Ashlynn made a beautiful fairy wand,
got a pink fairy painted on her cheek, and made a fairy boat.

Another wonderful family evening in NWA!

A minor set back

2010-07-23T21:01:00.003-05:00

It has been a very long time since I have talked about Ashlynn's dysfunctional voiding. So long in fact that many of you reading may not even know what I am talking about. So here is a re-cap: In June of 2008 Ashlynn was diagnosed with dysfunctional voiding. This in simple terms means her brain does not give her body the signal that she needs to go to the bathroom. It has been a huge struggle for our family. I cannot tell you how many tears were shed, how many prayers where sent up, and how many thousands of dollars for medical testing were spent to get to where we are today.

In April of this year Ashlynn finally reached our goal of going one full week without and accident. We had a potty party and thanked God for this accomplishment. It was a huge break through for Ashlynn and a sigh of relief for us. I just cannot explain how much our life revolved around this. Everything we did, everything we planned, EVERYTHING, revolved around Ashlynn and the bathroom.

Since April, Ashlynn has continued doing great. So great that I can count the number of accidents she has had since then on one hand. Such a difference coming from a child that at one point had 12 accidents a day.

Well about two weeks ago Ashlynn started complaining that her bottom hurt when she went to the bathroom. I didn't really know what to think about it and I decided to try a couple of things before rushing back to the doctor. In all honesty anytime Ashlynn complains about anything I like to give it a couple of days because she is kind of a drama queen (I am hoping that is just a stage and not something that is going to become part of her personality).

Long story short she has a UTI and we got her on some antibiotics. I am just so sad because she is reverting back to some of her old habits of waiting to late and not wanting to go to the bathroom. Ugggg! Don't get me wrong it is nothing like it used to be. She has worked very hard developing her own signals for when she needs to use the bathroom and she is not flat out having accidents. However, it is very disappointing to be dealing with bathroom issues again.

Here's to more prayers for Ashlynn and that this minor set back is just temporary.

Blah Blah Blah

2010-07-19T21:20:00.011-05:00

I am having one of those days where I just feel Blah. Nothing is really wrong, but nothing really seems "whoo hoo" either.

I though in an attempt to get myself in a happy mood I would write about my random loves. I am not talking about those loves like "I love God" and "I love my family". I am talking about completely random things that make me happy.

I love brand new crayons.

I love drinking from a plastic cup.

I love peanut butter and jelly mixed together in a bowl.

I love my stuffed chipmunk Theodore.

I love Bic mechanical pencils.

I love petting my cat with my feet.

I love eating biscuit dough.

I love seeing how much lent collects in the dryer.

I love getting the mail.

I love the center cinnamon roll.

I love standing outside in stormy weather.

I love making a Saturday morning "game plan".

I love sticky tabs.

I love Dolly.

I love the three dots...

I love my writing in my planner.

I love pulling the plastic tags off of new clothes.

I love really really hot water.

I love to drink water with lots of ice.

I love opening the Sunday newspaper before anyone else touches it.

So now that I have shared some of my random loves-What are yours?

Already?

2010-07-13T10:55:00.005-05:00

I cannot believe Jaxton is already 8 months old! I think the time is flying by so much faster with the second child then it did with the first!
I am enjoying this stage very much. He is such a sweet little boy and such a good snuggler.

He is crawling, pulling up on everything, taking a few steps, talking-even saying mama and dada, feeding himself anything he can pick up (including cat food if he can get over there before I catch him), and just enjoying life.

We are loving every minute of him and can't wait to see what new skill he learns next!

Jaxton's 8 month Schedule

7:30- Wake Up and eat/ snuggle time

8:00-Play time (finger stories with momma, songs, getting carried around so I can see the world)

8:30-Cereal and fruit

9:00-Nap time

11:00-Wake up and eat

11:30-Play time ( run errands with momma or crawling, playing with anything that makes noise or I can put in my mouth)

12:30-Lunch cereal and vegetable

1:00-Play time (crawling and getting into sister's things)

1:30-Nap

3:30-Wake up and eat

4:00-Play time (outside time and daddy time)

6:30-Dinner vegetable, fruit, and soft table food

7:15-Bath

7:30-Eat and snuggle

7:45- Book, song, and bedtime prayers

8:00-Bedtime

Remembering my Blessings

2010-07-06T09:53:00.002-05:00

I am so bad about remembering how blessed I am. I get so caught up in how things in life don't go just how I plan or just how I imagined them and forget that I should be thanking God for all of the many blessings I have.

For example, last week after getting home from vacation we were completely out of food and I had to go to the grocery store. I am kind of weird in the fact that I hate hate hate going places by myself. I have always made Marshal go to the grocery store with me. During the summer, since I am home, I do try and go to the store during the day instead of wasting the weekend.

Well this summer it is not only Ashlynn I have to take to the store, but Jaxton as well. This has thrown a major kink in our grocery shopping adventures. I mean with both kids in the cart where are you suppose to put your groceries?

Long story short I had to go-there was no waiting for the weekend. I talked to my friend Sharon and she gave me a great tip on how to make the two kid thing work. So off we went. I am telling you I was so nervous I literally almost backed out 15 times. All I could think was " I do not want to do this".

Any way, I did take both kids and everything went great. I got all of the groceries and had absolutely no problems. I was actually very proud of myself.

That was until a couple of days later.

We were driving home from church when I saw a lady walking down the sidewalk pulling a broken wagon and carrying two small children. The wagon had her groceries in it.

Talk about reality setting in. Here I was complaining about driving in my very nice very comfortable car with my great little shopping cart cover. Then there was this woman that had walked at least three miles to the store with her two young children and now was having to carry them and drag her groceries back home. It was hot. Children are heavy. You could see the struggle on her face.

I am blessed. You are blessed. I pray that I stop focusing on life's little inconveniences and start focusing on all of life's many blessings. I have nothing to complain about and everything to be grateful for.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T12:48:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone has a Happy 4th of July!

We are so blessed to live in such a wonderful country! Take a minute to hug you loved ones today and pray for the men and women that are away from their families protecting our great country.

The Beach

2010-06-29T09:53:00.015-05:00

We just got back from our beach vacation in Destin, Florida. We had a fabulous time! It was a little more challenging this year keeping an infant content and entertaining a five year old. However, we had a great time and the week flew bye. I have created a couple of collages to showcase our week.

Thanks for letting me share! Have a great weekend!

June 16th

2010-06-17T20:01:00.006-05:00

On June 16, 2001 I married my best friend and the love of my life.This year for our anniversary Marshal and I went to Little Rock for a little getaway. We had a blast.

We started the day off at a reception for all of the teachers that achieved National Board Certification this year. Governor Beebe spoke to us and told us how very proud he was.

Then we headed over to our hotel to get a nap (fabulous) and get ready for our evening out. We stayed at the Captial Hotel and it was an amazing place. So beautiful and the staff made sure our stay was extra special.

We ate dinner at a yummy steak restaurant down town and had the best creme brulee I have ever eaten. Let me tell you I have eaten quite a few servings, but this was by far the best. Thank you Marshal for introducing me to that delicious little treat.

After dinner we headed on over to the piano bar and had such a blast. It was so nice to not have a babysitter curfew to worry about.

Such a wonderful little trip! Can't wait to see what the next nine years bring!

Is there ever any Closure?

2010-06-14T09:36:00.000-05:00

This week I would have been celebrating my precious baby Taylor’s first birthday.

I am writing this post from my heart and if you out there in blog world can’t handle the honesty please stop reading now. I have so much I need to share for me and I beg of you not to judge my feelings.

When I had my miscarriage something inside of me was broken. I really, within every being of my body, thought that all I needed to do was to get pregnant again to fix it; so much so that I focused on nothing but getting pregnant again. I thought that if I could just get pregnant again I could prove to the world and myself that I was not broken and that there was not anything “wrong” with me.

You see when you have a miscarriage there are so many emotions you go through. I know it may not be the same for everyone, but for me I had a huge sense of guilt. I blamed myself. I mourned for the baby. My womb felt empty. My heart was shattered. There was no closure. Nothing left of a life you started to love and plan for. Nothing to hold on to.

I did get pregnant again. Quickly. And in all reality probably too quickly. I spent nine months trying not to get attached to my baby. Trying to guard myself from that hurt and pain. Each doctor’s appointment I prepared myself to hear bad news. I didn’t want to baby shop, I didn’t want the baby showers. And yet this tiny little baby somehow broke through my toughness with each little kick. The very second he was born I fell head over heels in love with him. There was nothing I could do but to let him into my heart.

I really thought at the time that was the end of it. I thought that once I held my perfectly healthy baby that the hole in my body would heal. I thought the ache in my chest would disappear.

But it hasn’t. I still long for the baby I lost. I don’t know why I thought another child could replace the lost, but as much as I am ashamed to say it, I really thought it would. I still long for closure, although I am afraid it will never come. Taylor was and is apart of my family. She changed me forever. She made me value being a mom in a way I never did before.

I find peace in knowing that I serve a powerful God. He held me when I couldn’t put one foot in front of the other. And there is no question in my mind that he is holding Taylor and that together they are smiling down on us.

So Happy Birthday my Sweet Sweet Taylor. I love you and know one day I will see your beautiful face and hold you in my arms. Until then I will cherish the hole you left behind. It is the only thing I have left on this earth to remind me of you.

I am a real momma now

2010-06-08T21:32:00.003-05:00

So picture this... I am running Jaxton's bath water and Ashlynn is laying on the couch. I tell her it is time to pick up her toys. Well she starts crying and telling me that her stomach hurts and that she can't pick up her toys. I naturally, like the mother of the year I am, tell her she better get to picking them up or they will become mine (thinking the stomach ache is surely a plot to get out of picking up). So I get Jaxton in the bath and all clean and I start running Ashlynn's bath water. I go to feed Jaxton and let Ashlynn know that she will be getting in the bath soon so she better hop to it. Well I no more get Jaxton latched on and then it happens-the noise that all mother's fear....vomit! Yes that is right, Ashlynn is vomiting all over the couch and the floor and the bathroom sink and the bathroom floor and the bathroom rugs and her favorite blankets.

Well crap oh dear what it the world am I suppose to do now! Jaxton just started eating and now I have a very sick five year old. And of course Marshal is at a meeting! Great just Great!

I lay Jaxton in the floor, throw Ashlynn in the bath and you can only imagine how happy that made both kids. They are both screaming their hearts out.

All I could do was cry myself and think "well Andrea you are a real momma now!

P.S. I am pretty sure this is why my mom only had one child!

Bad Blogger

2010-06-06T17:19:00.011-05:00

Wow I can not believe how long it has been since I blogged last. Did you miss me?

We have been going non-stop these days and I have barely had time to sleep, talk on the phone, or check the blogs I follow, three of my favorite things, sad!

I am just going to make this a picture catch up since I have so much to share and once again so little time...

These are pictures from Ashlynn's Jitterbugs performance. It was so cute and she did such a great job!

This is what Jaxton thought of the whole thing...

These are pictures from Memorial Day weekend. We spent Saturday at My parents Lake house and then went to Marshal's parent cabin on Sunday. Ashlynn caught her first fish!

We stopped by Dover Supermarket on our way up to the cabin and got some cinnamon rolls! YUM! My Dad and I used to get these all the time. They are the best.

Hanging out at the cabin in Treat.

This is the really neat tree house we ran across on a "short" cut leaving Treat.

Ok I promise to stop being a blog slacker! Come back soon for a new post.

Preschool Graduation

2010-05-14T21:03:00.006-05:00

Tonight my baby girl graduated from preschool! I can't believe it. It was so touching to me to see her with her little friends-she is quite the social butterfly. In fact she got the award for the most outgoing student in her class. The whole ceremony was so sweet. Ashlynn has gone to the same MDO for three years now. I feel like they have become part of our family. She has grown up with the same little girls, we have gone to birthday parties together, watched Christmas programs, and planned class parties together. The same caring teachers have been there through it all. We are truly sad to be closing that chapter in our lives.

Friends

I can never thank them enough for loving my little girl the way they have. I feel so blessed to have found such a wonderful christian based program for Ashlynn to be involved in.

Ms. Lauren

And baby brother who seems real impressed with the whole graduation thing. HA!

When Did that Happen?

2010-05-05T19:51:00.006-05:00

Lately several events have occurred that have just made me realize that I am getting old! It is no secret that this September I will be turning thirty! Yikes! I know that some people hit thirty and don’t even blink, but for me well, I am just soaking up these last few months of my twenties.

Last week I was at the grocery store. It was a Saturday night and I was super excited to be roaming through Wal-Mart by myself (you know enjoying those alone moments anytime and anywhere I can). I finally had roamed for as long as I could and I went to check out. There were only three registers open, but as luck would have it a fourth register was opening up right as I was pulling my cart up to the front. And if that was lucky enough the cashier happened to be a really cute guy! So I am unloading my groceries and I hand the hottie my reusable bags. Use to I would have taken this as a perfect opportunity to boost my ego because the cute check-out dude would start flirty with me and I of course would carry on a little harmless flirty back.

Well that is soooo not what happened this time. The cute check out guy had absolutely no desire to flirt with me what- so- ever. In fact quite the opposite; he begins to make fun of me! He laughed at my reusable bags and he went on and on and on about how many groceries I had. “Huh huh you must have ten kids at home with all these groceries”.

Umm I mean sure I used to would never dream of leaving the house in yoga pants and a t-shirt. And sure I used to always have make-up on no matter where I was going. And ok fine, my hair was never pulled back in a pony tail, but come on people it was 9:30 on a Saturday night! Ok I guess that should have been my first clue…grocery shopping on a Saturday night for fun…um not very glamorous!

I just don’t know when this happened. When did I go from being the cute girl that got free dinners just because some guy was trying to impress me- to the old woman that gets made fun of at the grocery store. What happened? I catch myself saying things like “is that boy even old enough to drive?” “good grief if that girls skirt was any shorter”.

Well, I guess thirty is on its way whether I like it or not. And I guess it happens to the best of us at some point or another!

However, I do have two adorable kids to show for my almost 30 years of life…

P.S. I know the last two post have talk about hot guys…sorry Marshal I love you and think you are a super hottie as well!

How Embarrassing

2010-05-01T23:34:00.003-05:00

So leave it to me to start a Friday morning off with a bang! This past Friday started like any other normal Friday. I got up, got ready for school, and left for work. As I was driving to work I begin to feel really weak and had that “oh crap I am going to pass out feeling”. I guess I have always just thought passing out was part of life. I do it on a fairly regular bases (once or twice a month), but normally at home and normally only around Marshal.

So any way on with my story…I am about to pass out. I pull over on the side of interstate and roll down the windows and drink a little water. I sit there for a few minutes and then decide that I need to get to work (after all I am suppose to take 18 kindergartners on a field trip at 8:30-I have got to pull it together and get to school). So on I go. I pull into the school parking lot and I feel terrible. Not even really sure how I made it. I call one of my co-workers because I just don’t think I can make it in. My plan was to have her help me in. I would sit and rest for a few minutes and then I would be fine and carry on with my day.

Well I am guessing no one else got the memo about my plan because next thing I know I hear people yelling to call 911 and sure enough next came the sirens! Please dear Lord tell me there was a car accident on the street behind the school and those sirens are not headed here for me. Ok well wrong again! Oh my mercy where is a hole to crawl into!!!

Next thing I know some extremely hot sexy fireman comes rushing to my side. Ok Ok I made up the part about the hot sexy. I honestly have no idea what the man looked like. I never could seem to keep my eyes open long enough to even look at him. But I am sure he was super cute and tan and well just plain dreamy! Except I did not like having to argue with him about going to the hospital and I am pretty sure he was making fun of me because I told him I couldn’t go to the hospital because they would poke me with needles. Sorry off track again, back to the sexy fireman!

I mean he felt dreamy when he was carrying me to my husband’s car….or maybe it was my husband carrying me, but that really doesn’t sound near as fun! Ok people just let me at least have my fantasy (after all I never plan to require an ambulance again).

So long story short. I am fine. I just had a little issue. I am slightly anemic and I was having my 1st period after my pregnancy (which was extremely heavy). Next time I think I will just wear a monogrammed shirt that says “I am menstruating”. After all, the whole world figured it out after my extremely embarrassing Friday morning!

What to Blame

2010-04-18T15:43:00.006-05:00

I was reading and article in Parents magazine this morning about improving your memory. I am usually pretty good about remembering things, but lately I can't see to remember the simplest little things.

For example, Saturday morning I was going to make waffles for my family. I got the bacon out and the sausage out (we have to have both because Marshal wants sausage and Ashlynn , Jaxton (I am sure), and I want bacon). I put them in there skillets and started cooking them. I then go to make the waffle mix. I start measuring out the Bisquick when I remember we are out of eggs. Ok crap first mistake. After a little discussion with Marshal about what to do next it is determined that Marshal is just going to drive down the street to get donuts while I finish cooking the meat.

Off Marshal goes. About that time Jaxton starts crying. One thing I will say about that boy is I have not taught him patience very well. He starts off with a warning fuss, that turns into a cry, which then turns into something that sounds like a tornado siren. I mean, I tried to explain to him that mommy had to what until the meat finished cooking before I could come get him. I had already been popped with bacon grease twice and didn't want to take the chance of it popping on him. Well any way he chose not to listen to his momma, which is starting to be a bad habit of his, might I add.

Ok the meat is finally done. I take it out of the pans, go get Jaxton and come into the bedroom to feed him.

I am just a feeding away and Ashlynn is dancing and singing to Imagination Movers when all of the sudden Marshal bust in and screams Andrea are you ok?

Umm yes we are in here.... Why?

Thats when I get up, walk into the kitchen, and realize.....the entire house is filled with smoke and it stinks to high heaven!

I forgot to turn the stove off! The grease was just burning away. Thank heavens I have my very own Emergency Manager to rush in and save me.

Needless to say I got a "what in the___ where you thinking " look. But here's the deal... I wasn't thinking.

So Parents magazine gave me several suggestions to improve my memory. Am I losing it because I am a new mommy ? Is it because I am not using it to learn new knowledge by taking classes? Or maybe it is because I am not talking on the phone enough? Yes, Marshal the article clearly says talking on the phone improves your memory...

Who knows. All I know is I clearly have lost it-thank goodness I have all of you to take up the slack until I find it again-HA!

Ok here are some random pictures just because...

Saturday Suprise

2010-04-11T13:13:00.006-05:00

This weekend was another busy one. Marshal's cousin Lisa got married Saturday in a beautiful afternoon wedding. Marshal and I provided a brunch for the wedding party.

While I was slicing and dicing fruit my home phone rang. I have to say I was pretty annoyed because the only calls I ever get on the home phone are sales calls or political surveys.

To my surprise it was my friend Jennifer and guess what she was in town! I was so excited to get to meet up with her at our old favorite Girls Night Out spot, On The Border.

Times sure have changed. Instead of laughing and talking with a group of girls, we were laughing and smiling at our kids. Instead of drinking three to four margaritas we were downing water. Instead of closing the place down and forcing the waiters to kick us out, we couldn't wait to get our ticket because it was after 8:30 and we were ready for bed. Times have changed , but one thing has stayed the same...we are friends and it was so good to be together again! Love you Jenn!

Jennifer was actually my 2nd surprise visitor of the week! My sweet sweet friend Sarah came Thursday for a surprise visit too! I was so excited to get to see her, but more excited to see her beautiful baby belly!!! Sorry Sarah, but you just have to get use to the fact that you are no longer near as important as that little girl you are carrying! I am very sad though that I didn't get a picture.

If any of my other out of town friends want to come in for a surprise visit please feel free...hint, hint-some of you are really slacking. HA!

Finding my New Normal

2010-04-09T22:30:00.004-05:00

I don't admit this easily; in fact I have been fighting this for weeks.

I am struggling.

I am struggling to find my new normal. I am having a hard time organizing my time and my responsibilities. I feel like I am right on the edge of snapping in two. I am exhausted. My emotions are raw. I have nothing extra to give.

I feel like Jaxton is the part of our family we never knew we were missing. He somehow made everything in my life feel complete. I am just so in love with him and God has given me a great sense of patience and a calming spirit when I am with him. But I am struggling. Not with being a mother and not with having a new baby.

With fitting life in around that. Laundry. Cooking. Cleaning. Work. Bills. Exercising. Friendship.

All I want to do is hold Jaxton in one hand and play barbies with Ashlynn in the other. If only life could be that simple. If only the magic fairy would arrive...

I probably sound like a basket case to those of you that aren't around me everyday. I can only imagine what my words have made you think of me. I can assure you from the outside looking in I look like I have it all together (and truthfully that is what I would like everyone to think-ha). I act the same, talk the same, walk the same, and keep that same smile on my face.

This struggle is deep inside of me. I am struggling because I have realized that I have to let something go. My house cannot be as clean as I want it to be. I can't cook homemade meals for my family every night. I can't have my lesson plans completed two weeks in advanced. I can't fit back into my size 4's over night. I can't talk on the phone for hours catching up on the latest chit chat. I can't ensure my four year old puts her toys back in her closet neatly. I can't, I can't, I just can't...

I am one of those people that likes to have control of what happens in my life. I live for plans and schedules. I am super organized. I want everything to be just how I want it. That type of personality is what this struggle is all about. I can't seem to get into a new normal schedule. Everyday I walk around searching for that new normal. How to get everything to work together and get everything in it's place. The normal I have grown so comfortable with is just not there anymore and it drives my crazy!

Admitting I am not perfect or anywhere close to it, is not easy for me. Admitting I don't have it all together is hard. Asking for help is difficult. Putting myself out here is not easy. I am hoping though that by admitting I am struggling I can allow me to cut myself some stack.

Take me out to the Ball Game

2010-04-04T19:24:00.005-05:00

I went to my second baseball game ever today. The first one I only went to to impress a boy, like that got me anywhere-HA.

It is no secret that baseball is not my favorite sport. I mean come on, a bunch of boys standing around on a field spitting and waiting for a ball to come flying at their face. What is so exciting about that? I just don't get it. There are so many rules and it all just makes absolutely no sense to me at all.

Today we got invited to sit in the Regions Bank box for the third game in the series of Arkansas vs. Kentucky.

As much as I don't want to admit it, I had a great time. The weather was gorgeous, the food was yummy, Ashlynn had free rein of the entire box, I ate Cracker Jacks and the Razorbacks won!

Apparently is was actually a very good game. Those of you that know baseball please excuse my ignorance. I don't speak baseball. All I know is that at the bottom of the 9th Kentucky was ahead by 3 and then this boy hit a grand slam and everyone in the crowd went crazy wild. I clapped and tried to look very excited, but to be honest I had no clue what was going on. I think the most em brassing thing was I kept just standing there while everyone around me left. Apparently I missed the memo that the game was over! Oh well it was a wonderful family fun afternoon and don't tell Marshal , but I would go to another baseball game if he asked.

P.S. If you didn't see yesterdays post you have to see my cuties at their Easter egg hunt
(sorry I just don't typically post twice in one weekend).

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T13:21:00.008-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I have posted-sorry I have been a little busy lately and feeling overwhelmed, however that is a story for another day. I couldn't go without wishing everyone a Happy Easter though and sharing pictures from today's Easter egg hunt. Ready to go....Jaxton's 1st egg! Jaxton checking out his prizeMay I just add me in one of my favorite pre-preggo jeans! Whoo Hoo 7 pounds in one month (8 more to go to pre and 13 more to my goal weight-yuck)I hope you are all blessed by feeling God's presence in your life this Easter. I love the hope Easter brings. I take great comfort knowing that I live for a God that gave so much and loves so freely. Happy Easter!

Saving the world one Diaper at a Time

2010-03-20T18:52:00.004-05:00

It is true...I am saving the world one diaper at a time. About a month ago I started researching cloth diapers. As Marshal would tell you-I am a little bit of a tree huger. Seriously, I was completely appalled by the amount of trash we were creating with a new little one in the house. We are big recyclers at my house so a typical week we would have two recycle containers full and one bag of trash. With the diapers we were having two recycle containers and four bags of trash. Ridiculous! I looked an looked and studied and studied and finally decided I wanted to give cloth a try. Now let me tell you the cloth diaper industry has vastly changed since I was a baby. In fact I think my mom thinks I am cheating. Cloth diapers these days are so NICE. Nothing like the fold and pin type they used back in the day.

I decided on the FLIP system because of it's sturdy snap system that allows you to use the them up to 35 pounds. They arrived in the mail about a week ago and I began using them right away. I LOVE them. They are easy to use, easy to change, and easy to clean. I wish I would have done this with Ashlynn. I feel like it is so much better for the environment and so much better for Mr. Jaxton. I discovered early on with Ashlynn that warm wash clothes clean up a dirty bottom so much better than wipes. So now between the wash clothes an the cloth diapers I don't even need a trash can in Jaxton's room and I could not be more proud!

P.S. I am well aware that some of you out there are thinking I am a nut job right about now. This all started two years ago a very dear friend and co-worker pointed out how much waste we were creating. Since then I have made several small changes in our daily lives to be more environmentally friendly. I use refillable juice bottles instead of buying juice boxes, I use cloth napkins, reusable bags, pay bills online and as I mentioned earlier we recycle.

P.S.S. Yes Melissa I am well aware this cloth diaper thing completely ruined your taking the baby with nothing but a diaper on and dirt all over his face to Walmart experiment...sorry-I might could make an exception just once just for you-HA HA HA!!!!

The Sacrament of Baptism

2010-03-14T20:59:00.004-05:00

Today was a very special day for our family. Jaxton Landder was baptised. Marshal, Ashlynn, and I vowed to raise Jaxton in a home that will glorify the Lord. We promised to surround him with christian love and support. We promised to be good role models as we help him learn and grow to be a true disciple of ChristToday was a special day. I am not saying that Ashlynn's baptism was not special because it was. I value it as much as I do Jaxton's. However, today was a special day to me in a different way. Please do not mis-understand Ashlynn is my precious baby girl and I love her deeply. Ashlynn was simply born at a time in my life when everything was "perfect". A time in my life when I had not yet experienced the type of pain I later learned existed. I took Ashlynn and my healthy pregnancy for granted.

For this child I have prayed. I have prayed from the bottom of my core. Today was a special day. Today I thanked God for Jaxton and I vowed to hand him over and let God lead his life. I thank God for allowing me to be his mother. I don't know why God chose me because I am not deserving, but I am so very thankful and feel so incredibly blessed.

I also want to throw in a quick thank you to my family, my Sunday School class,and my special friends that were with us in spirit (thanks for the sweet text). I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to see your faces in the crowd and know that you prayed with me. Having you there to share in this moment with us meant so much to me.

A Party in Pictures

2010-03-13T21:10:00.008-06:00

Today was Ashlynn's 5th birthday party and you are invited to share in the magic! Here is her princess party in pictures...Craft time.

Princess Buffet

The Royal Cake

Dress up and make up station

Game Time: pinata, pin the heart on the frog, find the glass slipper, and princess and the pea

Make a wish

One Happy Birthday Girl!

Thanks for coming. We hope you had fun!

Help I can't make up my mind

2010-03-06T18:46:00.003-06:00

Jaxton's baptism is Sunday the 14th and I have to turn in a picture by Monday. Problem I can't decide which picture I want to use. Help!

All the Possiblites

2010-03-03T21:46:00.001-06:00

I am so frustrated with myself.

This past Sunday the sermon was about hearing God calling. Honestly, I listened to the sermon and left feeling great. I had really been struggling with a situation and I just felt great clarity over it. God was truly calling me to reach out to this person. After I left church I contacted her and was met with a very difficult conversation. But that was ok. If God ask you to do something chances are it will be difficult, it might hurt, and it will take you out of your comfort zone. I kept playing those words from the sermon over and over in my head.

By Sunday afternoon I felt ok about the situation, but still am not sure where this is leading or what God wants me to do. The only thing I do know is God’s wishes and my wishes are completely opposite where this person is concerned.

All of that said, I will listen and I will obey.

Now just three days later I am struggling to remember to let God lead.

As you know this past year and a half has been the most challenging time in my life. Most days all I had to hang on to was faith. Faith that God would lead me down the right path. His path. I would like to tell you that is where my story ends, but unfortunately it is not.

“But….But….But…God how can I be sure I am following your path?”

I will be honest I feel like I start out on the right path, however somewhere down the road I find out I took a detour. Is that part of the plan or did I get so involved in my selfishness that I didn’t listen to his guiding directions?

Right now I am really struggling with that. Many new possibilities have surfaced for my family. They seem exciting and scary all at the same time. I need help. I need to be reminded to follow God’s path. I am not sure where it will lead, but I do know that I want him to be my tour guide.

Impact

2010-03-02T21:50:00.002-06:00

Yesterday the world lost a special man. Travis was an inspiration to everyone around him. He was a man that made you feel cared about and loved. He gave of himself freely. He was a man to be respected an looked up to. He choose to make a positive impact with his life. He will be truly missed.I pray today that you think about the impact that you are leaving on those around you. I pray today that we all can be a little more like Travis.

Mommy Questions

2010-02-26T18:31:00.010-06:00

There is just something about a new baby. Something that makes people stop and stare when you walk in a room. Something that makes strangers feel the need to talk to you; Something that just seems to make everyone nicer and more pleasant to be around.

Now I love babies just as much as the next person. I also love all of the positive attention. In fact if I ruled the world (we would all be in trouble) I would invoke a rule that you have to perform one random act of kindness every day. I love nice people! Probably because I am the crazy girl that really likes to smile at random people just because. And if you’re not careful I will even talk to you in line at Target or while you pump your gas. (ok completely of subject-sorry)

There is also something about a baby that makes people seem to lose their common sense.
What I mean is, when else would go up to someone in Walmart and start poking your hand in their basket? And the questions. ..Have you ever really thought about what you’re asking? The question really make me laugh.

For example:

#1 Is he a sweet baby?

What do you expect me to say? “Well no he has been arrested twice for drugs; broke out of jail stole a car and well we haven’t seen him since.
Of course he is a sweet baby he is MY baby. Would I ever answer any differently? I think he is the sweetest baby ever (besides Ashlynn of course)!

#2 Are you going to have another one?

Let me think about this one for a minute. I figured out how he got in there and right now I remember very clearly how he got out. The answer to that one would be NO! But seriously why are you asking me that now? Can you not give a girl a little a break? There is more to a woman’s life then birthing out babies…shocking I know!

#3 How do you like having two?

“I hate it. Actually we are seriously considering sending this one back. Worst choice I ever made.”

Again, I know people are just trying to make small talk, but of course it is fabulous and they are my babies and I love them both dearly. Besides all that, what would I do about it now-kind of a little late to change my mind now.

And my favorite one….

#4 May I see him?

Well the answer to that would be “you’re looking right at him” I am assuming you don’t have any kind of eye impartment that is preventing you from seeing him. If you do I am not sure what I can do to help you with that.

Now if you mean will I take off all his blankets (in the middle of the coldest winter ever) and let you touch him or heaven forbid hold him you have got to be out of your mind. I don’t even know you, I know my baby is cute but what are you thinking. Do you know how many germs are probably on your hands at this very moment? Do you really think I want you sticking your dirty hands on my sweet little boy because I can assure you I don’t! (and for those of you that read my blog regularly I know you are recalling the Wendy’s encounter, but that woman just caught me in a weak moment because I can assure you that has happened since. )

I love being a new mommy!

Tales From Kindergarten Lunch Duty

2010-02-19T19:28:00.004-06:00

Thursday was my first day back at work. I feel so blessed to have such an awesome group of women to work with. They welcomed me back with open arms and made my first couple of days back fabulous. Well, I mean it was almost fabulous.

Today I had lunch duty. If you have never eaten lunch with 120 five and six year olds you are truly missing out. I will be honest. I kind of forgot just how much fun lunch duty could be (you know like going to the dentist and having all your teeth pulled fun). Let me paint you a little picture....

120 kids in a cafeteria, with cement bricks, and a tile floor. They all have food. Various kinds of foods that all smell differently. They have 30 minutes to eat said food. It takes them about five minutes to eat the dessert. The rest of the food becomes a toy-what else are they going to do with the extra 25 minutes? I mean come on mom you didn't actually think I ate that sandwich you packed or the cafeteria sloppy joe you paid for, did you?

There are three teachers on lunch duty. Their job is to go around and open milks, get napkins, and keep watch over the 120 children that are all talking at the same time. This is where the real fun begins. "Teacher will you open my yogurt"? That's when you reach down and feel slime (a.k.a slobber) rolling down the package. "Sure darling next time can you remember to not put it in your mouth first". They nod their cute little head just so that you can discover next week you are having the same conversation with the same child.

Oh and then there is my favorite..the hand raise of the child that just wants to tell you a story. Now granted two tables over a little boy just put pudding in a little girl's hair. But no that is not near as important as this sweet little angel that has been waving their hand at you like their chair is on fire. You discover that they just wanted to share with you their birthday party plans; even though their birthday is not until next November. Yes we hear all shorts of stories. Most are very interesting. Today's top two were the penis story, and the ball story (we will save those stories for another time).

Needless to say you have just not experiences life until you have experienced Kindergarten lunch duty. It is only 30 minutes. 30 minutes of running around in circles. 30 minutes of not being able to hear yourself think. 30 minutes of food that has been mixed and squashed until you can't tell what it is anymore.

30 minutes where you learn more about a child then you learn during an entire day in the classroom. 30 minutes to bond with children that sometimes just need someone to listen to them. 30 minutes to spend with children as a friend not just a teacher.30 minutes where a child feels like they can just be themselves.

Those 30 minutes are wonderful and precious in many ways.

Now don't get me wrong, at the end of those thirty minutes you leave the cafeteria with half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich stuck to your shoe. Something brown and green streaked across the back of your pants. And what appears to be part of a fruit roll up stuck in your hair.

But those 30 minutes are really part of the whole experience that makes me love me job. If you haven't experienced Kindergarten lunch duty you should. If you took just one day every other week to go have lunch with your child or to volunteer to have lunch with a child you too we see the glories of Kindergarten lunch duty.

P.S. I have lunch duty for the next two Fridays if you interested I will gladly step aside and let you have at it-HA! Just kidding-no really if your available???? It's only 30 minutes how bad can it be, right? You know you want to!

I'm going to miss this

2010-02-16T10:30:00.004-06:00

As much as I have tried not to think about it the week is already here. The week that I have dreading for 13 weeks now. I go back to work this Thursday. To say I am depressed about it is a total understatement.

I feel like I am going through the grieving process. I have a running list in my head of all the things I am going to miss. I have also been listening to Trace Adkins Your Gonna Miss This and of course it just makes me cry. I am gonna miss this, I am gonna want this back, I do wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good times, I've taken a good look around, and I do know how much I'm gonna miss this.

I know your thinking back to my stay-at-home-mom post and thinking this crazy girl can't make up her mind. Well, I do know I would never make a good full time SAHM, but that doesn't make going back to work any easier.

I am so extremely blessed that my mom is going to be keeping my babies. I honestly don't know if I could do it if she wasn't. I also am extremely blessed to have a job that allows me to get off at 3:30 and have the summers home with my family (I know all you teacher's out there are laughing at this -I use the term "off" lightly).

It does help to know that next month I get a week off and then in just three months I will have summer break (all though I am quite certain that those 3 mths. won't go near as fast as the past 3).

Any way today I am getting everything done (laundry, cleaning, etc.) so that tomorrow I can do absolutely nothing except enjoy my day. I even finished the sign I made for my door at school for when I need to do my "mommy business". I think it turned out cute....

Prayers for Thursday would be greatly appreciated!

The Love Roller Coaster

2010-02-13T22:32:00.003-06:00

Having been with Marshal the last 15 years I can definitely say our love has been a lot like a roller coaster. Some times I look at him and can not believe how lucky I am to have such a great husband and then other times I look at him and think I could literally strangle him with my bare hands. Big difference there I know! The thing is I love him even though sometimes I just plan don't like him.

Any way I am not even going to try and turn this into a mushy gushy love story about Marshal and I. What I am wondering is, if there is a love roller coaster in life? I mean you know when you are in high school and college it is all about impressing the other person. So you start out slowly and then gradually start climbing up that hill getting to know the person better and better. Then you get married and you are at an all time "in love" high. Next real life hits-jobs, bills, stress, etc. and down you go. One day you decide you want to start a family and there is just something about that that makes you love your spouse in a whole new level, up..up..up. That is until the demands of being a parent take over and you find yourself so busy some days that you barely get a chance to talk.

Now this next part I can not speak personally for, but from observation my belief is that a love high hits once again. Your babies grow up and you find yourself living with an empty nest-just the two of you. However, it doesn't seem like it is all roses from there on out, because then the stress of retirement as well as aging and health concerns all come in to play.

But tonight when I was with my family spending a romantic evening filled with roses, music,white lines and candlelight (not to mention stuffed cow babies, balloons, and a play zone filled with children) at Chick-fil-a, I saw the couple that was on the roller coaster high that I can only dream of being at someday. If I had to guess they were probably in their mid seventies and they were such a cute sweet couple. They seemed as if they had spent their life time together. He held her and gently walked her to the bathroom, waited for her, and helped her put her coat on. He even stopped by the counter to get her a chocolate kiss before they left. They were in love.

It remind me that love is not about diamonds and expensive purses. It is about taking care of each other and going through life's changes as one.

I believe love is a roller coaster. I believe that without the downs the ups would not be as fun. I believe although sometimes it is a struggle, all you have to do is stay in the same seat and enjoy the ride together.

And yes I just published a post without a pic of the kids...sorry to all of you that only read my blog to see the babies..next time I promise! :)

Way to go Dad

2010-02-12T08:50:00.003-06:00

Last night Marshal and I attended the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce annual banquet. As you all know by now Marshal is now working for the City of Rogers as their Emergency Management Director. Marshal so nicely reminded me his job is not just about taking care of ice storms and tornado's it is also about building community connections. So we went and hob nobed with the best of them.

Any way some of you know (Melissa) that I stressed sooooo bad about what to wear. This whole post baby weight thing is seriously bothering me (p.s. I am not looking for the "oh you look great" comments because hello people I have at least three mirrors in my bedroom that I can plainly see how I look everyday all day long).

Long story short I am sometimes jealous of men and their very simple fashion. I mean don't get me wrong, I love shopping and I love buying cute tops and adorable little dresses and for sure think I need at least seven different pairs of black shoes alone. However, this past two weeks when trying to squeeze into every outfit I own (unsuccessfully might I add) and trying to shop EVERYWHERE I could think of (with two kids) just to fine one simple little outfit for this event I wished all I had to do was run into Dillard's and buy a new tie!

Oh well I did end up finding a dress and having a great time at the banquet. And here it is...

The most exciting part of the evening was my dad received the Volunteer of the Year Award! WAY TO GO DAD! Now for any of you that have met my dad you know that he greatly deserved this award, as he is a very giving man, however he does not like having attention put on him and I am quite sure the whole experience embarrassed him. Oh well I am very proud of him!

And just because I believe no post is ever complete without a picture of my kids.....

Girls Day

2010-02-05T17:28:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, today was girls day! Ashlynn and I enjoyed some great mommy daughter time. Although last night when I was telling her we were going to do this she said in her sweet little voice "but momma I love Jaxton and I am really going to miss him".

So we started out the day by making some valentine cards....

Then we did each other's nails a beautiful sparkle pink.Next we fixed each other's hair and if one bow makes you beautiful than 20 bows must make you absolutely stunning! ( at least that is what Ashlynn thought)!What would a girl's day be without some yummy dessert!And of course all princesses need their beauty rest so nap time was for sure included in our day!

Schedule

2010-02-04T15:04:00.005-06:00

Tomorrow my mom is taking Jaxton for the day so that Ashlynn and I can have some good quality girl time! I am so excited about spending some time just with her. She is such an amazing daughter and she has adjusted so well to having a baby brother, but I think she deserves some one-on-one mommy time all to herself.

Any way in preparing for this day and the upcoming weeks ahead, when I go back to work; I have typed up Jaxton's daily schedule for my mom. I know every baby is different and every mommy has a different parenting style, but I am a huge scheduler! I thought since I have so many friends that are expecting their first little bundle of joy, I would share with you the "life in the day of an almost 3 month old" well at least a day in the life of my almost three month old.

Jaxton’s 3 month Schedule

6:30 a.m. Wake up to eat-he will fall back asleep after this feeding

9:30 a.m. Wake him up to eat

9:50 a.m. Play time: read books, quite talks, walk around to look at and touch things

10:20 a.m. Cuddle time: swaddle him up, rock, sing, and snuggle

10:30 a.m. Nap Time: put him in bed drowsy but awake. If he fusses he may have his pacifier

12:30 p.m. Wake him up to eat

12:50 p.m. Play time: bouncy seat, tummy time, or floor gym

1:20 p.m. Cuddle Time: swaddle him up, rock, sing, and snuggle

1:30 p.m. Nap Time: put him in bed drowsy but awake. If he fusses he may have his pacifier

4:00 p.m. Wake him up to eat

4:20 p.m. Play time: swing, sit in Bumbo, Boppy time, environment exploration (loves to look in the mirror)

4:50 p.m. Cuddle Time: swaddle him up, rock, sing, and snuggle

5:00 p.m. Nap Time: put him in bed drowsy but awake. If he fusses he may have his pacifier

7:00 p.m. Wake him up to eat

7:20 p.m. Bath Time

8:00 p.m. Bed Time: cuddle and rock and goodnight prayers

9:30 p.m. Late night feeding/ will fall right back to sleep after this feeding and will sleep until the 6:30 a.m. feeding

* play time activities are only a suggestion

Stay at Home Mom- My Love Hate Relationship

2010-02-01T16:58:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: This post is strictly written for me. I believe we all make the choice to do what is best for our families regardless of if we choose to work or stay home.

I have to say I never pictured myself as a stay at home mom. My mom worked outside of the home and I never questioned her love for me. She was and is the most amazing mom to me and I know that she always did what was best for me.

Over the last 11 weeks I have been so blessed to be at home with my two precious children. I have loved nothing more than being their mommy. However, these 11 weeks have proven to me that I have a love-hate relationship with the stay at home mom.

I love staying in my pajamas all day! I hate feeling like a complete ugly bum when looking in the mirror realizing it is 5:00 and I still have not taken a shower!

I love that if I don’t finish the dinner dishes there is always all day tomorrow! I hate being a procrastinator and getting nothing done because I know there is always tomorrow!

I love that my days consist of baby talk and four year old wisdom! I hate that when I try to carry on an adult conversation it’s like my brain has turned to mush and I simply cannot complete a full sentence!

I love eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with chips, fruit punch, and Oreos for dessert. I hate the way my thighs rub together when I walk!

I love getting kisses and hugs whenever I want them! I hate that I haven’t gotten that big “I’ve missed you soooooo much today” hug in a long time!

I love being creative with playdough and making silly faces to make Jaxton smile! I hate not using all of the skills I have worked so hard to earn (Master’s in Reading, ESL specialist, and National Board certification)!

I love being their full time role model! I hate knowing that whenever they aren’t so perfect it is all my fault (Ashlynn- throwing a fit bc I didn’t give her enough m&m’s, and Jaxton- thinking he needs to be held his entire nap time)!

I love being a mom; my two children are the most amazing gift God could ever give me! I hate that the selfish part of me longs to have some time for just me (even if it is just the 20 minute drive to and from work)!

Well there it is. I am sure I could keep going, but you get the point. I am going back to work next Friday, February 12th. I am so sad to be leaving my babies! I know, however that their Nonnie (my mom) is so supper excited to be taking over.

Now you can just look forward to my next post…..When is summer break because I hate being back at work-HA!

P.S. What post would be complete without a couple of pictures of the kiddos ?

Do good intentions count?

2010-01-25T09:31:00.000-06:00

Today is Marshal's Birthday! This is the 14th birthday I have helped him celebrate. I can't believe how fast the years have flown. This is also the last year I get to make fun of him for being in his 30's because come September I will be joining him...Yikes we won't talk about that right now!

I have to admit that this has been the worst birthday celebration so far. Everything I planned just didn't work out like it was suppose to. Long story short I just feel like crap about it all. I could crawl up in a ball and cry, but it won't fix it or help anything. So I am putting on my big girl panties and just hoping that my good intention count for something!

And at least I did give him the most gorgeous little girl and cutest little boy ever so that has to count for something, right?

Everyone said

2010-01-18T09:52:00.000-06:00

As I sit here and stare at my precious two month old baby Jaxton my heart is completely full. I know your thinking well of course it is, but I am here to tell you that I really didn't think this was how I would feel. I am amazed everyday at how different this second time momma thing is.

I know everyone said things just work out and once you have that second baby you won't be able to imagine life with out them. Sorry everyone-I listened to you ,but I didn't believe you. I truly was convinced that I was not going to be capable of loving this baby as much as I loved Ashlynn. She was my whole world for five years! I also would not allow myself to love or get attached to Jaxton for the first 32 weeks of my pregnancy. I know that makes me sound like an awful person, but I was so terrified that something was going to happen to him that I felt like I had to guard myself so that it wouldn't hurt so bad. So much so that I refused to buy anything for him and quite honestly tried to ignore that I was pregnant all together.

I truly believe that is when God stepped in. I will not say that pre-term labor was fun, but that is when I begin to bond with my baby. The fear of something being wrong with him or him being born to early brought out all the love I had hidden deep inside. Then the second the doctor held him up my heart was full-I fell head over heels in love with him.

I guess I am telling you all of this not just to share a proud momma moment (even though I am a proud momma) I am sharing all of this because I am amazed by God's love and grace. I am simply amazed at how God is at work in my life and how I can feel his presences in every breath I take. I certainly don't deserve it. Those of you that know me and I mean truly know me know that this is not the same song I was singing a year ago. In fact quite the opposite.

My hope is that I can "bottle" up this feeling and pull it out next time I need to be reminded that God promised to never leave me.

Ok-on another note...Jaxton had his two month check up. He is up to 9lbs. 12oz, which the doctor says is perfect! He does have a little reflux so the doctor recommended trying a little rice cereal to help coat his belly.

Quick Update

2010-01-07T14:07:00.001-06:00

I guess Jaxton read my last blog post and was not real happy with me sharing his little sleep problem with all of you because since then I have been seeing a lot of this....

Such a sweet little boy! So strange how they can start out so sweet and yet one day I know he will be your "typical" man.... Gotta love them!