Quiet Delight

A New Year ~ A New Me

2012-01-03T21:36:00.002-05:00

Wow! I can't believe we're at the start of a new year. I feel like this is going to be a banner year for our family. Josh and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary next week and are tentatively planning a trip to Hawaii in June. Kaden will start kindergarten in the fall and we'll probably get serious about deciding on more children.

I love new beginnings and fresh starts. However, I have a tendency to overwhelm myself with so many things that I want to change/accomplish/start/stop that I burn out within a few weeks. So, I'm trying to be very intentional and conscious of the areas where I want to improve. I want to take small steps that will lead to lasting changes.

One thing that has had a huge impact on me the last few weeks is a blog I stumbled upon called A Slob Comes Clean. It is written by a precious gal/lady/young woman (no word sounds correct) who is completely honest and open about her struggle with being a slob. I spent every spare minute I could find catching up from her very first post a few years ago. I can't even tell you how many posts I cried through because I.am.her. I was (and still am) amazed at how she put how I think/feel/process things into words that described me perfectly. It is such a wonderful, freeing feeling to know I'm not alone in my struggle to stay on top of housework. So, I'm trying to approach my house with a different attitude. I haven't implemented any of her strategies yet but I've started making small changes that I hope will have a lasting impact. And, I've decluttered almost all of our kitchen cabinets the last 3 days. I even took pictures to post here but my camera is downstairs and I can't feel my legs (thanks to Day 1 of the 30 Day Shred). I'll upload them soon, though.

I hope to use this blog to chronicle what I'm up to...what's working and what's not...progress that I'm making in different areas... No promises as to how much or how often but hopefully more often than not.

Yep, I think it's going to be a great year :-)

The Story of Us, Part 2

2011-04-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

The meeting and a little more background...

During my junior year of high school, my best friend (who was a senior) met this guy named Josh. He was a senior at Appalachian and was doing an internship in the graphics arts department at our high school (where he had attended school). Our official meeting was on a Friday night at a football game and, quite honestly, I was not that impressed. ;-). I remember him wearing a baseball hat pulled down really low and when we were introduced he just kinda nodded his head to acknowledge me. Anyway, they started dating and he started coming to church with us. We were all great friends and pretty much did everything together...including going to the prom. (I'm so tempted to post that picture but out of respect for the two other people, I won't.) It's so interesting to me now, the things I remember about their relationship. I loved watching the way Josh loved/treated her...the way he pushed her buttons just to get a reaction (although I don't appreciate it as much now that I'm the recipient of the pushing). They dated that year and into the summer. We did all the usual youth group activities together (camp, mission trip, etc) and had a blast. Josh had graduated from ASU by that point and was ready to get married. I still remember exactly where we were the day he showed me the ring he was thinking about buying. I was so excited for them. That fall, I entered my senior year of high school, my boyfriend started his sophomore year at Gardner-Webb, and my best friend started her freshman year at UNC-CH. A few weeks later, Josh came to Monday night visitation at our church completely heartbroken. He had been to Cary for an interview and stopped by UNC to see my best friend and they had broken up. I will never forget the look on his face that night...

The Story of Us, Part 1

2011-03-29T22:35:00.005-04:00

As I've thought about our "story" and how God weaved our lives together, I've struggled with where to start. Details that are significant to me are probably irrelevant to other people. However, every experience...person...relationship played a significant role in who I am today and it isn't our story without those memories.

A little background...

When I was in the 5th grade, my parents felt led to change churches. They wanted my brother and me to go to church with the same kids we went to school with. So, we started attending and eventually joined a new church. It wasn't long before I developed a crush on an older boy who, of course, didn't even know I existed. Although we had never officially met, we actually lived just a few houses from each other. As the years went by, our paths intersected more and more and he eventually started hanging out at our house with my brother. He was an 8th grader and I was just a lowly 6th grader so he only talked to me when no one else was around. Although I had one or two other "boyfriends" during that time, I still had a crush on him. Then, the summer before my 8th grade year...I was 13 and he was 15 (man, we were young!), he decided we could be boyfriend and girlfriend (or whatever we called it back then). We were pretty much inseparable...we went to school together, went to church together, lived on the same street. We had a great relationship and I was completely in love. I know this could be a whole other post, but I am SO THANKFUL that we dated as long as we did. There were plenty of people that thought we were "missing out" or "too serious" but I have never regretted it. I truly believe I was spared most of the drama and pressure of those volatile years because I was in a committed relationship.

So, we dated almost 6 years...from the summer before my 8th grade year, all 4 years of high school through my freshman year of college. We celebrated holidays with both families, he went on every vacation with my family...in my mind, we were headed straight for marriage. In fact, I pretty much had the date set in my mind...just waiting to get a few years of college behind us. My freshman year of college was amazing (he was a junior at the same school). I made awesome new friends, learned so much about myself and my relationship with God and was truly, completely, content with my life.

To be continued...

Consignment Sale

2011-03-29T16:05:00.000-04:00

Next weekend is the Spring/Summer Children's Consignment Sale at First Baptist Icard. Feel free to download/save the flyer to pass along to your family/friends. All proceeds benefit the Women On Mission.

Thursday, March 31 6:00pm ~ 9:00pm

Friday, April 1 4:00pm ~ 8:00pm

Half Price Sale

Saturday, April 2 9:00am ~ 12:00pm

The Story of Us

2011-02-14T00:49:00.001-05:00

Over the last few days, people have asked me questions about how Josh and I started dating. This got me to thinking that I've never written down our love story. There are so many good details that I don't want to forget. So, I've decided to go for it. Aug 28, 2010 was our 10 year "dating" anniverary, March 14 of this year will be our 10 year "proposal" anniversary and our 10 year wedding anniversary will be Jan 12 so this seems like the year to do it. I haven't decided how detailed I want to be yet and/or at what part of the story I want to start. Hopefully, I'll make up my mind in the next day or so, so stay tuned!

New Year

2011-01-11T18:32:00.002-05:00

Well, here we are...one year since my last post. A post that was intended to be the first of many in 2010. And yet, it didn't happen. I could list lots of reasons/excuses but really, blogging was my lowest priority. I do want to do better this year but I'm not making any promises. :)

Although I love the beginning of a new year and dream about all the things I would like to change, I've decided to go easy on my resolutions this year. All the usual ones are in the back of my mind: lose weight, save money, pay off debt, organize the house, etc but I'm not going to call them "resolutions." When I reach those goals I will celebrate but I don't want to set myself up for failure again. So, the two resolutions that I'm focusing on are: 1) to learn to use the calendar on my iphone and actually use it and 2) to put my debit card back in my wallet after I use it. I know they both sound trivial but they are real changes I want to make.

Weight Loss and Wisdom Teeth

2010-01-21T23:28:00.003-05:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted anything. So much has happened there's no way I can recap it all. So...I'm starting fresh for the new year. One of my resolutions is to be a better blogger and since I'm actually posting in January, I think I'm off to a good start.

As for my other resolutions, there are a lot of them. I feel like this is going to be a year of purging and pruning...in all areas of my life. Obviously, at the top of the list is (once again) losing weight. I'm not happy with myself and I'm not sure why I can't just get a grip and do it. We just kicked off another Calvary's Biggest Loser. This round we have partners. Our progress is tracked together so I want to go a good job, not only for myself but for my team. We've decided that once we both lose 10 pounds we can do something or buy something special. I've done pretty well this week. I guess we'll see on Monday.

I made my appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed. I've been putting it off for years but they've started causing more problems in the last few months so I guess it's time to get it over with. I'm a little worried (read: freaking out) but I know it will be fine. Surgery is scheduled for Feb 25. I ask for a Thursday morning so I will have a few days to rest/recover.

Calvary's Biggest Loser - Week 1

2009-09-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

We had our first weigh in on Monday morning. I was pretty nervous because I didn't feel like I had made any progress. So, I was thrilled when the scale showed that I had lost 3.5 pounds! That is 1.85% - not too bad for the first week. There are three women ahead of me so I have to step it up this week. Since I only managed to exercise twice last week, I'm hoping to up that this week and see a bigger difference.

12 Days and Biggest Loser

2009-08-27T07:45:00.000-04:00

Since I haven't posted in over a month, my "12 days" have come and gone. It went well...for those 12 days. Then, I let my guard down and all the good that did happen quickly reversed itself.

A few weeks ago, someone at work decided that we needed to have a Biggest Loser competition. I am super excited and determined to WIN. Not that I'm competitive or anything... We have about 40 people that have signed up. We each contributed $10 and the winner takes all. We are divided into men and women for the 1st place prize. Then we have lots of smaller teams competing against each other - to make it more interesting and keep everyone motivated.

We had our first weigh in on Monday and will continue to weigh in every Monday until the week of Thanksgiving. I've done good so far this week. I haven't exercised as much as I would like but I'm hoping to put in some extra time this weekend. I also need to find my Weight Watcher material. I did their program a few years ago and had a lot of success. Hopefully, it will work as well this time too.

Hopefully, I will do a better job keeping this updated this time. We will find out our ranking (% of weight lost) by Tuesday of each week so I'll try to post that. I'm getting out all my old skinny clothes as motivation and I'm dreaming about what I can do with the money if/when I win. I definitely want to be Calvary's Biggest Loser!!

Days 1-3

2009-07-16T07:45:00.001-04:00

Well, we've made it 3 days on our 12 day kickoff to our new healthy eating plan. So far, so good...I think. If you are friends with Josh on Facebook, he is giving a play by play of our meals. I haven't been doing that yet but I am giving him the rundown of what I've eaten each day to keep me accountable. Here are some things I have learned so far:

I tend to snack a lot. When I'm bored, when I'm sleepy...anytime there's a lull in my day, I think about grabbing something to eat. I've tried to be more conscious about what's triggering the emotional eating. I've been trying to find productive things to do when I want to snack. I've also found that apples and caramel dip are a great snack that makes me feel full for a long time.
I can make it without Mtn Dew. :) With the exception of a small cup of coffee each morning, I haven't had any caffeine since Sunday night. I had a dull headache Monday and Tuesday but it has gone away now. I am learning to love water.
I expect to see results quickly. Obviously I need to give it more that 3 days so I'm trying to stay positive. The first time I can tell a difference in how I feel/look will be a huge motivator.
I catch myself thinking that one little "something or other" won't hurt. You know "that candy bar is so small, surely it won't mess up my progress." But, I haven't given in so I'm proud of that.

Overall, things have went smoothly the first few days. Josh is much better at menu planning and cooking so I've let him handle that. I haven't exercised as much as I've wanted but we are doing at least 12 minutes a day. That's better than nothing. Check back for another update if a few days.

12 Days

2009-07-12T22:04:00.011-04:00

Tomorrow we are kicking off the first 12 days of our new ~~diet~~ healthy eating plan. My mom and dad are both on board too. Josh is along for the ride because he tends to do a better job with menu planning and actually sticking to the plan.

We aren't following a specific plan - just eating healthier with the goal of no cheating for the 12 days. Momma is reading Mike Huckabee's book and 12 days is what he suggests to get started. He also suggests only 12 minutes of exercise but I am planning to do Jillian's 30 Day Shred.

I am planning to keep a record of my progress on here. Hopefully it will be good accountability. I really need to make a change. This is probably the worst I've felt about myself since right after Abby was born.

I've debated all day about posting a "before" picture. But, as I told Mom last night, if you know me in real life you know this is what I look like. So, there's no point in hiding it. Plus, it will motivate me to try harder to have an awesome "after" picture.

I went to the doctor last week because I have been feeling lightheaded several times a day. They did a complete blood workup and thankfully everything looked great. I am supposed to monitor my blood pressure for the next six weeks because it fluctuated so much while I was there. My appointment is 5 weeks from Wednesday. I have decided not to weigh myself until that appointment.

Because I want the accountability that comes with total honesty, I am going to share my current weight and my goals for the next weeks/months. And, well, because I think a little humiliation may help my motivation too.

So, here goes...

Mother's Day

Current weight - 186

Goals:

12 days with no cheating
at least 12 minutes of exercise every day - hopefully 20 minutes with Jillian
lose 10-15 pounds before my doctor's appointment
lose 40-50 pounds total (at 2lbs/week that should be around Christmas)

Well, I'm off to bed to get ready for this adventure. Please feel free to ask me about how it's going. And lots of encouraging comments would be nice too. :-)

Day Camp

2009-06-25T16:57:00.004-04:00

One of the churches down the road from us has a summer camp that includes kids that will be going to kindergarten this fall. I thought it would be a great change of pace for Abby so we enrolled her. So far, she has had a blast. I am so thankful I randomly checked their website and saw that she could attend. Here is a video of what she learned her first week.

Hoedown Throwdown

2009-05-05T20:50:00.000-04:00

Josh took Abby to see the Hannah Montana movie last Friday. She LOVED it and has been obsessed with learning the dance "Hoedown Throwdown" since then. Enjoy...

Another Prayer Request

2009-04-28T07:03:00.000-04:00

Please pray for my friend Jessica. She has been fighting Hodgkin's Lymphoma for the past two years. Yesterday, the doctors told the family that they felt it was time to call Hospice. The family is obviously devastated. Please pray for her husband Tommy and their two children (Thomas-5, Macy-2) as well as the extended family. You can visit her Caring Bridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/jessicawentz.

Easter Eggs

2009-04-20T06:30:00.001-04:00

The kids got to dye Easter eggs at both Nana's and MeeMaw's house. Of course, I forgot to take the camera to Nana's but did manage to get a few pics at MeeMaw's house. Abby had a blast as usual. Kaden was, well, Kaden and had to be supervised very, very closely.

First Baptist Icard hosted a great Easter egg hunt at a nearby park. The kids had a blast looking for eggs (actually, just picking up the eggs, but they loved it).

Please pray...

2009-03-24T07:57:00.001-04:00

for Baby Stellan, MckMama, and the whole family as they endure this very unexpected trial.

Snow Day

2009-03-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

I hoped that we would have at least one good snow this year. You know, the kind that shuts everything down for a day or two. Which, around here, only takes about 3-4 inches. So, when it started snowing on Sunday night, March 1, I was super excited. When our power went out around 11:30pm, my excitement started to wane. (Thankfully, when it flickered an hour earlier, Josh and I gathered all the flashlights/lanterns just in case.) We turned the logs on and went to bed fully believing it would be one in the morning. No such luck. The power company said it could take up to two days to get it restored. Since I was not staying at home with both kids and no power by myself, Josh agreed to take the day off as well. Thankfully, we have family close by that had power so we loaded up and headed to their house. We spent the day playing Wii and eating junk food and fun was had by all. Praise the Lord, the power came back on later that night. I am now officially ready for Spring.

Easter Dress

2009-03-19T16:30:00.000-04:00

Thankfully, Abby is still at the age where she will humor me (and her MeeMaw) and try on lots and lots of dresses. Of course, we have to let her pick at least one herself. Here were our possibilities for Easter dresses.

We ended up buying her dress at a different store. Pictures will be coming when we have the whole outfit.

This is the dress that Abby picked out. She calls it her "slitty" dress - because of the slits, of course.

Grrr...

2009-03-18T16:05:00.000-04:00

It is totally annoying me that on some computers, I can't see my background. So, I have no idea what the colors/fonts/layout looks like. Hopefully, I can find a computer that works the right way and get everything just how I like it. I appreciate your patience in the meantime. :)

It Amazes Me...

2009-03-18T07:45:00.000-04:00

how I can talk to, kiss, touch, poke, sing to, even turn the light on when I'm trying to wake the kids up in the morning and they can turn over and go right back to sleep. Yet, at night, if I so much as breathe on them, they are wide awake...

FPU

2009-01-23T16:05:00.000-05:00

Josh and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University a few weeks ago at church. This week we have to create a detailed cash flow plan and then Wednesday the lesson will be on debt. Not fun. BUT, I am definitely ready to "live like no one else so that one day I can live like no one else." We are having our budget committee meeting Sunday night. Say a little prayer for us...

Not Me! Monday

2008-11-17T11:34:00.006-05:00

Whew! It's been a long time since I've posted. Things have been super busy and I hope to get this blog updated soon!! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading what I did not do this week.

I am not super excited about going to see the Transiberian Orchestra on Friday.

I did not think up a great, sexy outfit to wear to the concert and head to the mall yesterday to find it.

I did not look through the entire store for a blue jean skirt and was not very irritated when I didn't find one.

I did not happen to walk through the maternity section and did not see the perfect skirt on sale!!

I most certainly did not try it on, love it, and actually buy it!!

I am not hoping that the thigh highs and boots I am not planning to wear distract my hubby so he doesn't realize that I'm not wearing a maternity skirt!!

Head over to MckMama's blog to read more...

Please read...

2008-11-04T15:04:00.002-05:00

and pray...

Not Me Monday!

2008-10-13T08:04:00.002-04:00

Check out MckMama's blog for other great Not Me posts!!

I did not get up at 4:15am this morning, get dressed to go to the gym, and realize half way there that my wedding ring was missing. I did not almost hyperventilate because I only (seriously) take it off when I dry my hair and it can't come off by itself and I had no recollection of taking it off. When I got to the gym, I was not still so freaked out and upset that I just drove through the parking lot and went back home. And I most certainly did not cry with relief when I found it under my husband in the bed. (btw, I have no idea how it came off of my hand - I am very perplexed...)
I did not go to three stores over the weekend looking for thin, soft pants for Kaden to wear until it gets colder. Upon analyzing my disappointment over not finding what I wanted, I did not realize that I wanted said pants because they would be comfortable enough for him to sleep in and wear the next day (after his bath, of course...and only if he didn't pee through his diaper during the night, of course) thus eliminating one step in my hectic morning routine. And, I most certainly did not call my mom and admit this to her and she most certainly did not lecture me about how she always ironed my clothes and even if he was just going to daycare where he would get dirty and wrinkled anyway, it does not justify me letting him sleep in his clothes. All children should sleep in pajamas..always.

Have a great Monday!!

Everybody say "Jump, Jump"

2008-10-09T15:56:00.004-04:00

Since Abby and Kaden's birthdays are exactly a month apart, Josh and I decided (well, actually I decided, but he agreed) that we should get them one big present. I've had my heart set on them having a trampoline for a few months so I researched them and found one that we love. Thanks to the help of Josh's parents and brother, we got it put together last Saturday. The kids LOVE it. Josh and I are having lots of fun on it too. (I made sure to get one with a forgiving 'maximum weight limit'). Here are some pictures of the inaugural jump.

Abby's first jump

(shhh...we hadn't put the safety enclosure on yet)

Kaden's first jump

I was much happier with the safety enclosure than I was expecting to be. For some reason, I've always thought they looked very redneck-ish. However, ours is totally black and doesn't stand out too much in our yard. Another bonus...once you zip the enclosure shut, you can fasten the hooks on the outside so that whoever is inside jumping can't get out. Abby and Kaden spend 30-45 minutes each time I let them jump. Woo-hoo!!

My Big Boy

2008-10-09T15:41:00.004-04:00

Well, my baby is a baby no more... Kaden turned 2 on Sunday. I still can't believe it. Although, I can believe that he's developed this two year old attitude. Geez. What happened to my little boy who cried like you broke his heart every time you told him 'no'? He totally knows how to use his little boy charm too. Here are some pictures from his birthday. Of course, he wouldn't take a nap and fell asleep on the way to his party so he wasn't much for the singing and presents. However, bring out the cake and he was totally into it.

Sunday morning before church - wearing his "Birthday Boy" shirt.

Guest of honor

Blowing out the candles

Enjoying the cake - both of them!

NOT ME! Monday

2008-09-29T12:24:00.003-04:00

For the last few months, I've been following MckMama and her sweet family. God has taken them on an incredible journey and I've learned so much about faith and commitment from her amazing story.

I'm so excited to participate in her Not Me Monday! Check out her blog to read about all the other things we "did not" do this week.

So, without further ado...

I did not order onion rings last week for lunch and only eat the "ring" because the onion wasn't cooked enough.

I did not get all teary-eyed while watching Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey with the kids on Saturday.

I did not spend 15 minutes this morning debating whether or not to try the corn starch/baby powder trick that so many of you didn't try last week. And, when I didn't decide to try it, it did not not occur to me that my hair is dark brown and the baby powder is white and it may not be a good combination. And I most certainly did not spend another 5 minutes frantically brushing the white powder out of my hair. (For those of you who have not tried this, do you have any tips? Even though I would never not try it again.)

Happy Monday!!

Picture Day

2008-09-12T12:08:00.004-04:00

Today is picture day at daycare. We had a good morning so hopefully everyone was all cheerful and smiley come picture time. The last time Kaden refused to even go in the same room with the photographer. We shall see... At least I got a few decent pictures.

Birth Stories - Beware

2008-08-28T10:51:00.006-04:00

FishMama over at Life As Mom is hosting a Birth Story Swap in celebration of her daughter's birth. Since I love hearing these stories (and all the gory details), I thought I would participate and share mine. Warning: If you don't enjoy these types of stories, stop reading NOW!!

~ Miss Abigail ~
I had a great pregnancy with Abby. I was finishing up my senior year of college and only had classes two days a week. I was able to get as much rest as I needed during my days at home (funny thing - I thought it would be that way with number 2 - ha). Everything was textbook up until her due date which was October 28 (2003). I did not want to have a Halloween baby so I was anxious to go into labor and looked for every sign that it was starting. I went for a check up on Oct 24 and my doctor said I was dilated 3cm and probably wouldn't make it through the weekend. After two embarrassing false alarms (as soon as they would hook me up at the hospital, the contractions would stop), I went back to my doctor on my due date. Still at 3cm, still no more progress. She told me to relax and come back in a week (thankfully their practice only allowed you to go one week over before intervening). I was so relieved when we made it to November 1 and she had avoided Halloween (although that may have been fitting). We decided to induce on November 5. We showed up early that morning and they got the pitocin started. I was doing pretty well. I really wanted to go as long as possible without an epidural. A few hours later, my doctor broke my water and the contractions started picking up. Along with the contractions, my blood pressure started rising. They insisted that I lay on my left side to try and lower my bp. It was so hard trying to deal with the contractions without being able to move. I started running a fever and had to have antibiotics in my IV (not fun). The nurses kept telling me that getting an epidural would lower my bp and I would be able to move around. Finally, around lunch, I agreed.

Wow, what a difference. I was able to talk, laugh, sit up, and just enjoy the company. Around 4:00, I had dilated to 7cm. We were starting to get nervous and excited. Around 6:30, I was up to 9 cm and my doc said she would be back within the hour to start pushing. Now, Miss Abigail had been low in the birth canal all day. We had been able to feel her head for hours. So, we thought we were doing great. When the doc came back at 7:30, she said that my cervix had started swelling and that i was no longer 9cm but back to 6cm. About the same time, Abby heart rate started dropping. We repositioned and she bounced back. I asked to wait a little bit before we made a decision and the doc left to go home for a while. Apparently, she was monitoring me the whole time and was back within 30 minutes. I don't quite remember exactly what happened then but I know she talked with Josh outside and then they insisted that a c-section was the best option for both of us. As soon as I said ok, everyone started frantically getting things ready and rushed me to the OR. Abigail was born at 8:24pm and weighed 8lbs, 7oz. She was 22 1/4 inches long and PERFECT. I didn't get to hold her for a few more hours but she was amazing. We were thrilled. Little did we know that that was only the beginning of her strong-willed, stubborn nature.

~ Mr. Kaden ~
Unfortunately, Kaden doesn't have a very exciting story. Based on my experience with Abby, I was encouraged to have another c-section with him. And honestly, that was ok with me. We scheduled his due date and counted the time until October 5 (2006) finally arrived. I had a pretty easy pregnancy with him too. However, I was driving an hour each way to work with a 2 1/2 year old, so I didn't get quite as much rest. We showed up at the hospital on his appointed day, and he was born at 7:49am. He weighed 6lbs, 11oz and was 20 inches long. He seemed so much smaller than Abby. He was jaundice so he had to be put in a Bili-bed for a few days at home. I wish I could say more about his story, but it really was that simple with him.

Whew...it's been a while since I've thought through those stories. It's nice to get them written down.

Perfect Picnic

2008-08-25T12:43:00.005-04:00

Yesterday my family celebrated my grandparent's 59th anniversary at Julian Price park off the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had a great time. The weather was perfect (almost a little chilly) and made me anxious/excited for the fall. We ate lots of food and the kids loved playing in the creek and exploring in the woods. Abby and Kaden are both fascinated with motorcycles so my cousin took them for a spin on his. They loved it!!

I know Kaden doesn't look happy but he did enjoy it and begged for another ride.

As a bonus, both kids were exhausted and slept GREAT last night!! All in all, it was a perfect day. Except for the fact that Kaden smashed marshmallows all over his face, hands, feet, carseat, on the way down the mountain...but we won't talk about that.

Tea Party

2008-08-19T10:04:00.003-04:00

Last Friday, Abby's class had a "Royal Tea Party" for those headed to Kindergarten and to promote the others to the 5 year old class. She had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed her tea (lemonade) and cheesecake bites.

When will I learn?

2008-08-18T08:47:00.007-04:00

Abby and Kaden both love art. They love to color, cut, glue, create. They totally get that from their dad. It stresses me out to be creative.

Anyway, we were at my parents' last weekend and Abby was "working" at my dad's desk. She was supposed to be laying on the bed resting...which is why the rest of us were not around (we were doing what we were supposed to be doing - NAP!!) After some time, she came prancing down the hall to debut her latest creation. Guess what she had been doing?? Any one??

Wanna know what that is? It's white-out!! She painted her arm with white-out!! And, of course, she didn't show us until it was dry. Know what gets white-out off of your skin? NOTHING!! We tried everything we could think of (except Goo B Gone, which probably would have worked). Finally, Josh decided to try WD-40. It broke it up enough that we could peel it off. Of course we were trying to get to a bridal shower for my best friends sister where I wanted to show off my beautiful, well behaved, intelligent children. Everyone loved the story (and the kids)!!

Another day, another disaster...

We were having friends over to celebrate Josh's birthday (and new job). Abby wanted to color at the kitchen table. Since I needed to straighten up, I obliged. She wanted to use the markers and once Kaden heard her say that, he wanted to color too. (He prefers markers, of course). They were sitting at the table, sharing, and coloring quietly. I went to the office to order our food.

At the exact moment I hung up and started back to the kitchen, Kaden comes walking in with marker all over his face. Purple marker...everywhere. I noticed that the marker didn't have the tip on it. That's right, he had pulled the purple tip out with his teeth (thankfully I found it later). I was ready to grab my camera when Abby said, "I told him not to mark on the couch" What?!? I ran to the living room and he had drawn all over our light beige couch with the bright purple marker. Thank the Lord for washable fabric and markers. I was able to get most of it out of the couch. Sheesh!! Needless to say, the markers have been banished.

Sunday Lunch

2008-08-17T18:54:00.004-04:00

In order to save time (couldn't mess up naps) and my sanity (couldn't think of anything to cook), we decided to pick up Subway on the way home from church.
This is what my sweet, unpredictable Abigail ordered: Ham/Cheese sub, white bread, mayo, mustard, black olives, pickles, salt & pepper, bbq chips, and chocolate milk. Gross!! She ate the whole thing...

Great News!!!

2008-08-15T11:29:00.004-04:00

Finally, after 4 years of searching, praying, and waiting, Josh was offered a new job this week!! Beginning September 1, he will be the Manager of Human Resource Business Systems at Baptist Hospital. We are thrilled. It's an awesome job with incredible benefits at one of the best places to work in NC. He definitely deserves it and we are so proud of him.

Long Time...No Talk

2008-08-08T11:40:00.001-04:00

Whew!!! We've been busy...having lots of summer fun. I'll update again soon with pictures.

Hair Cuts

2008-07-21T11:16:00.009-04:00

We decided to get Abby and Kaden's hair cut at the beach. Here are the before and after pictures. They look so grown up now...

Emerald Pointe Pictures

2008-07-21T11:11:00.002-04:00

Emerald Pointe

2008-07-16T08:31:00.002-04:00

We had a great time at Emerald Pointe. One of the kiddie pools had to be shut down due to some type of "accident" so Kaden didn't get to fully enjoy the slides made for his age. Abby, Josh, and I rode some of the adult slides and loved them. That's definitely where we will head first next time. I left my camera in momma's bag so I will post pictures this weekend.

Beach

2008-07-10T12:20:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at the beach last week. We had great weather (high 80's, no rain), the kids *loved* the water (ocean and pool), and it wasn't crowded at all. I am trying to figure out how to create a slideshow but for now here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure...

Kaden's first time in the ocean

Camo day...in honor of Uncle Dave

Apparently something is after him...

"What is it?"

(for you Flo...)

At the Aquarium

Ready, set, jump!!

Abby flying her first kite

My sweet girl...

I Won!!!

2008-07-09T15:57:00.001-04:00

I received an email yesterday saying that I had won 10 tickets to Wet-n-Wild Emerald Pointe !! Woo hoo!! Josh took Abby a few weeks ago and she LOVED it and has been begging to go back with the whole family. Guess where we're heading Saturday...

Welcome

2008-05-16T15:34:00.000-04:00

I've decided to catch the blogging wave...