Merry Christmas Santa

It's a week before Christmas and already my son can't sleep. LOL! Grandma took them to see Santa Clause at the neighborhood clubhouse and it's now official, Santa Clause is coming to town.

I ventured out on Saturday to the Only toy store in town, and along with a ga-zillion other parents playing "bumper -buggy" managed to secure enough stuff to fill the under side of the tree. I have yet to get the stocking stuffers. (I still have time).

I want to take a moment to pray for all those families that will go without this year. So many people have lost their jobs and are even losing their homes. The Lord has blessed us with jobs and even though we are struggling, we still have enough to make it through the Christmas season. I say my prayers everyday of thankfulness.

We must also remember the real reason that we are celebrating, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Happy Birthday!

How Do We Do It All?

Just recently, our lives have changed. Hubby and I now have full time jobs and the kids are in school. The days of our laid back -work-work-for-ourselves- are gone.(boo,hoo) I have yet to figure out how people manage their time on a day-to-day basis.

I now realize, that people get up at about 5:00/5:30 AM! in order to get the kids ready and be at work on time. Here is the run-down..... correct me if I forget something....

5:15 am- get up and get Me ready
6:00 am- get the kids up and get them fed, make lunches and fight with both children about what they WILL eat for breakfast instead of the pop-tart they said they wanted
7:00 am - out the door to school (hopfully by no later than 7:10am, because that will cost me time sitting in line at the 4-way stop)
7:30 am- to work I go- eat breakfast in the car.
8:00-8:10 am - arrive at work)hopefully
5:00 pm- promptly, leave work so I don't get caught in too much traffic.
5:25 pm- Home! now it's time to really get busy. Start dinner for kids and then for Hubby and me. Because one kid only eats PB&J sandwiches- honestly- that is ALL he eats.
If we are lucky, dinner and Misc. Stuff is done by 7:00. Bath Time! 30 minutes for boths kids baths to have baby in bed by 7:30pm.
last kid in bed by 8:00pm- me asleep by 8:30pm !

I can't imagine what things will be like when we have homework... Crazy!

I'm on a mission to get dinner under control. As much as I can with an 18 month old holding on to my knees. LOL!

I know, the trick is planning, weekly menus planed and shopped.

Let me know if you have any good suggestions for me. I'm new at being a working mom and could use all the help I can get.

My Little Chef's Baking Brownies

One night after dinner, I was rummaging through the pantry and I found a box of brownie mix. Hey! Let's make some Brownies! We all love brownies. break out the eggs and oil, and heat up the oven.

Tyler got the big bowl and Lizzy grabbed a chair to stand on and commenced to combining all the ingredients. Lizzy asked"wats dat?" and "wats dat?" and Tyler stirred. It's been so long since we make brownies, I'd forgot how quick and fun it is. The only drawback is that I had to SHARE the bowl and spoon with the kids. HAHA!

Wow, How Things Change

I used to be Fun! I swear! What has happened to me. At 42 I am no longer interested in going anywere. We had a babysitter tonight and I opted to stay home and clean my bonus room.(ok it was way beyond disaster area) and Big Daddy went to a friends house to watch the Big ball game. I don't talk to anyone anymore. I don't Facebook. I am about tired of this stage in my life. OK enough griping. .........Nope, sorry! Too cranky lately to not gripe.

Ride the storm
Stay Grounded
It will not last forever
We will get through this
WHEN?!

Made In America

I received a wonderful e-mail the other day and I thought I might share it with you. ...

A physics teacher in high school , once told her class that while a single grasshopper on the railroad track wouldn't slow the train much, a billion of them would.

Keeping that in mind.....read the following, it was obviously written by a good American.

A Good idea.... one light bulb at a time.....

I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for something, and just for the heck of it, I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were USA made. Start Looking!

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else, - even their jobs. So, after reading this, I think the lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!

My son loves Hersey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it anymore. My favorite toothpaste is Colgate and is now made in Mexico. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger. (This can be true for any store) I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled "Everyday Value". I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats. They were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money then the other, but the thing that most surprised me is that GE was made in Mexico and the Every Day Brand was made in USA, Cleveland to be exact.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find product you use everyday that are made right here.

So on to another aisle. Bounce Dryer Sheets.....yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I have used them and they work just as well as Bounce and are HALF the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA- the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

** We should have awakened a decade ago....Let's get with the program.... Help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just want to say for the record that I would love to cook the Big Thanksgiving Diner. I've done it a couple of times, but since there is always something that goes wrong, Brian has refused to let me do it again. That and my kitchen is not big enough anymore.

So now we go out like so many other people do every year on this Thankful day. But none-the- less, we are still very thankful for the blessing that God has given us. Health, Happiness and lots of love.

To be honest eating out is not so bad. Carker Barrel is THE place to go. But they did run out of pecan pie:( bummer! But we ate well and laid around all day and watched the call games.... yes, a typical American Thanksgiving.

Yea, it's that time of year to start baking again. My little man and I sat down in the floor tonight and when through my cookie mags and I find some really yummy looking ones. But first I must figure just how many we need. Little Man wants to make, like , 30 different kinds... yea, o.k.:) Let's trim that list down just a little bit, ok?

Something that I must also consider this year is the packaging...cute boxes? or cute tins?

I'm getting excited, I have to take stock of my "tools" pastry bags, cookie cutters. Last year I had a real hard time finding nested trees. this year I'm going to try to find nested snowflakes. I've come across some georgous pictures of the "snowflake" cookie and want to try it. (It's late and I'm tired or I would put in a link). But the picture is inspiring.

I've been cruising around looking at some other baking blogs and as much as I love to bake and create, I think I might start doing a bit more- carve out a little bit more time out of the day. I'm not much for "cooking" but I love to bake. Cookies, pies, cakes... what ever. and I love the baking blogs... so cute! and the pictures are so much better and colorful.

Well, Happy Hollidays.... God bless and may He bring you peace.

Don'g Get All Stressed With Coupons

I have done like most women when they start to coupon. They go full force and non-stop to save their mighty dollar. And just like I have been warned on other blogs, I got burnt-out.

A little insight.... on some of the blogs I frequent, I see some woman buying 12 bottles of shampoo and 12 bottles of conditioner just because they were $.09 each. Well, some of us do not have the storage space and, I would not use 12 bottles of shampoo in 2 or 3 years.

The lesson is... if you don't need it, DON"T BUY IT! Just because you can get $165.00 worth of stuff for 20 bucks, doesn't mean you are obligated to do so. You should use your common sense and make informed decisions on what you are buying. I started with the BOGO stuff and using coupons on those products. Once you get your rhythm, then tackle the CVS Thing...... I'm still learning that one. There again.... lots of stuff on sale that I don't need and I'm not going to buy it just because I can get a "bonus buck" to spend later. That sounds like" the more you spend, the more you save".

Couponing is great if you have to time. I'm a mom of two small children who works full time. I have time to download and bunch of mfg Q's and then check the sale papers. But I don't have the time to go to CVS just because they have milk for $2.99 instead of $3.15 at the grocery. COMMON SENSE!

It is a invigorating feeling when I'm able to save $30.00 - $50.00 at the grocery. The check out lady even says "you did good" and that is very satisfying.

A Coupon-ing We Will Go

I am so getting into this cupon 101-ing. I have clipped coupons for years, but never put any effort behind it. Now I have reallized that with each coupon there is money saved. Who wouldn't love that. The only thing I'm having a problem with is... do you buy things you don't really use ? I'm going to start a new column of saving sites. For my reference and yours. I have found a great site that is for regional shoping- Southern Savers. It's got some GREAT tips and explained a lot of lingo and how to's.

Playin In The Rain

My son Loves jumping in the water puddles when it rains. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, can we go outside and jump in the water?" Who could say no? So we remove any shoes, and grab an umbrella and head outside. If you haven't jumped in a rain puddle in a while- you should.... it's very childish and delightful to the spirit. It will truly make you giggle. One suggestion, don't do it when it's cold outside. This is strickly a summer time ativity. Ha,Ha.

It's About Time

My son is FINALLY sleeping in his own bed, in his own room, and asleep by 9:00 pm. YEA!!!! It's been about a year now that I have had to go to bed with him and that meant that I was basically going to bed at 8:30 or he was staying up till 10:30 (not good). but now, you moms know what I'm talking about.. FREEDOM. I can now do something in the evening, like watch tv-boring, or I can catch up on my blog- yea cool. Or do anything I want to.

Big Church vs. Smaller Church AAAHHHHHH!

We haven't been to church in a few weeks. I know, I know... we usually go to a BIG church, you know the kind, 3000 members and you never see the same people twice. I have just not wanted to deal with it lately. It was too much hassle for a Sunday morning and church shouldn't be a hassle.

When it's hard to find a parking place that's not a half a mile away, and trying to get the kids into their Sunday School room has become stressful, it's time to reevaluate. So we are searching for a smaller community of believers. Don't get me wrong, the BIG church has it's merit, I loved the preacher, and they offer SO many classes, 101 classes, regular Bible Study classes, how to study the Bible classes, how to be a leader classes and so forth, and don't let me leave out Starbucks(yes, that's right) but I wasn't really connecting with anyone.

So anyway, I found a new church to visit right around the corner from us and they have a great web site(big plus) so we took the plunge. Now keep in mind I have not been in a few weeks, so I was needing some serious joyful worship time. It was so different and I LOVED IT! Their music was so much more joyful and expressive.Very uplifting! I was feeling the Spirit so strong I shead some tears. The preacher was talking to people in the congragation and calling people by name. He was down on our level where we could see him. It just felf better.

Plus, the people were Soo much more friendly- because they know each other and knew we were new faces. And because they knew we were newcomers, they helped us out so much. Even found us in the sanctuary to let us know the kids were ok. That totally won us over. No more Big Church for me.

They say that the big church is what people are gravitating towards, but I'm not so sure. Maybe the younger generation. But for me, I was raised with a small country church that I went to with my Gandmother, any just about everybody there were relatives, so I like the kinship of the small church. The only drawback- they know when you don't show up on Sunday. LOL!

Character Makeover

I don't normally RAVE about the books I have read. But since I have started walking a different path and I am trying to improve myself to be the BEST Christian I can possibly be, I have found a book that has helped me do just that.

"Character Makeover", "40 Days with a Life Coach to Create the Best You" by Katie Brazelton and Shelly Leith. Let me just say that every person I know should read this. It's amazing. It's a great tool for women's groups and Bible study groups. Katie also wrote "Pathways to Purpose" and "Praying for Purpose", which I intend on reading soon.

She sets the book up as life coaching sessions at her house or strolling by the lake with a cup of coffee and just chatting. But the point to this is to build your character by examining your Humility, Confidence, Courage, Self Control, Patience and a few other aspects. It give a section for journaling and some self exercises to help dig down deeper. It amazed me what I found out about myself. I put a few pieces to the puzzle together an I had a few "Ah-ha" moments. (I love those)

I'm a changed woman. Thank You Katie and Shelly for helping me truly understand what God wants our character to be like. The kindness, generous-ness, forgiving-ness, humbleness and courageousness and most important, God-Centeredness instead of self-centeredness, that Christianity is based on.

I would highly recommend this read to anyone. Even if your not in the self-help frame of mind, it's always a good time to work on your character.

I'm Done

Today is the day!Something that I have been TRYING to do for a long time(get back into those size 8's) is just too much to KEEP TRYING for. I'm Done, I am no longer trying to get back into my size 6/8's unless we book a cruise for next summer. I'm done. I will be the average size American woman 10/12 and be CONTENT.

That is something that is very hard for me to do, since it's been part of me for so long now....baby weight! ARGH! after 40 it doesn't go away unless you commit to an hour and a half in the gym 4 days a week. So... so long Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. It's been inspiring, but that is about all. All that "good intention" has gotten me no where, so I an simply going to quit fighting it. Now, I will not be eating Twinkies for dinner, but I'm going to let it go, eat healthy and just not worry about it.

That is a load off my shoulders! YEAAAA!!! I feel so much better now that the pressure is off. WOW, you should try this.

Learning A New Path

I was without my faith for so many years, and now, I'm like a sponge that can't seem to soak up enough. I'm enjoying being fresh in my faith. I literally feel like a newly bloomed flower (I hope that doesn't sound corny). But it's an energizing feeling, where I feel revived from the drudgery of everyday life.

For so many years I was wandering without direction. It seems that every path I went down, I hit a road block. But now, with God leading me, I have NO WORRIES! Yea! I'm lovin' it!

Have a Blessed Day!

Back to Nature

A couple of weeks ago Brian & I got to get away to the mountains for the weekend for some much needed R&R. (NO KIDS!)The family that we're building a house for graciously offered us their mountain house and we graciously excepted.

So off we went to Blowing Rock NC. This is a small little mountain community right off the Appalachian Trail and it's simply breath-taking. It has one of those charming little Main Streets with the ice cream parlor next door to the art gallery. There are so lovely B&B's we would like to go back and visit. There where quaint little restaurants and shops. And the park was full of kids having a great time.

We were able to sleep late, see a few deer, Brian even killed a snake. We got the 4-wheeler out and went exploring and found the waterfall and walked down as far as we could. We had a wonderful time, Thanks Gary & Amy!


We stopped by the Appilachian Trail



Brian at the base of the waterfall



There was this beautiful waterfall right down the hollow from where the house was. We had to hike a little bit to get there, but it was SO BACK TO NATURE. It was amazing.


This is where Jed and Granny Lived.....

I Love My Children!

A Day At The Park

We went to Hollingsworth Park last weekend and had a great time. It was a beautiful day, bit warm, but the kids got to play on the playground and we took some cute pictures. I'm glad that it's summer and time to be outside.
We will definitely go back again. They have a wonderful area of green space that is perfect for Frisbee or croquet, or just plan running or "kick the ball". Lizzy is walking like a pro and Tyler is so good with her. He helps her fall over all the time. lol. (laugh out loud)

Memorial Day At the Lake

Boys Being Boys

We had a Great time. We were going to try and go camping, but we waited too long to find a camp site and they were all gone. So, thankfully, Dorian came up with a condo on Lake Hartwell and so we got air-conditioner & cable instead of roughing it. Dorian brought his boys and we all had a great time. We grilled out, played on the playground, slept in and play video games, as well as get rained on and get sunburned. All and all, a pretty nice weekend.

The Water Kid

 

New Face For Spring

Don't be freaked out if you think you're on the wrong site. I have had to update for Spring. I was feeling a little dark with the other background.

I have to express how hard it is to find "the perfect" layout/background. I have scoured, I mean scoured the internet sites for the layout that would express the feel of my family. I looked through templates and backgrounds. Templates seem to be a bit too cold for a family site, at least the free ones are. And the backgrounds, although abundant and very cool, a lot don't work with the 3 column yet. I MUST have the 3 column now. I can't go back to 2.
Call me spoiled, but it's so nice to have the extra room.

If you are wondering how to do a 3rd column, just Google it and there are a couple of good sites that explain it. But be careful, there are different methods and some work and some don't.

Little Lizzy Walking

My baby girl is walkin!!! ALL over the place. She is like the little energizer bunny that just keeps on going, and going. The only time she stops is when she looses her balance (woops!) or it's time to eat.

The other day I was up stairs, putting away some cloths in her room. Brian was downstairs with the kids. I hears her getting closer an closer (not knowing she had just discover how to climb the stairs) I peeked around the corner of the stair-way and there she was, coming over the top step with a big smile on her face. She was so proud of herself. I was too, and a little freaked out! I called to Brian and he came running. Surprise! Lizzy is walking and climbing. Up go the baby gates! Because you know, that is her new favorite thing to do, climb the stairs. What do you want to do? Climb the stairs....see mommy, watch this. I can't even carry her up, OH NO! she has to do it herself. Little Miss Independent. So cute!

I have a video of her walking that I will get uploaded soon. She is so sweet, toddling around.

Now she is keeping up with Tyler better.

Happy Mothers Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day!
I want everyone to know how much I enjoy being a mom. I love it this much (..................)(lol),especially when it time to : clean the kitchen, wash the laundry and fold the cloths. Make sure the kids teeth and hair are brushed. When it's time to feed the family and the dog. When it's time to go to the grocery store- again. When it's time to return the movie before it's late. When It's time to empty the diaper pail. When it's time to give the kids a bath. When it's time to pay the daycare. All in a days work. And I love every minute of every day. All of this has made me become a stronger person and such a great multi-tasker.

I want to say thanks to all the moms out there that share their advice and knowledge and especially their humor in their blogs. It's nice to know that there is an army of us out there working individually, but together, to reach the same goal. To have our children raised in a somewhat sane, happy world, without going crazy ourselves.

Happy Mothers Day and God Bless.

We Love Our Lexy Dog

My Baby Girl Is Now One Year Old

The big day has come and gone. And she is even Acting older. It's almost as if she knows something has come to pass. There is a maturity that she didn't have the week before. She is walking a little. One or two steps at a time. She toddled to me the other day for the first time and my hart swelled up so big.

The video below is a clip of her birthday party. It was a gorgeous day and the family was all in good spirits. The boys were their usual charming selves and silly.