In the words of me...

Pie Anyone?

2011-05-23T15:33:00.002-05:00

Hi! Have you missed me? Blogging hasn't been much of a priority these past few months, but I thought today that I needed to update this page! It's been quite a while!

My life is a pie. :) This is what I've come to learn over the past few months. There are many pieces in my life pie. God, husband, children, home, family, friends, ministry, work (ecm, zumba & pool) are just a few examples. I've never been busier in my entire life with these things, but I think I've finally discovered the key to happily living and maintaining a successful BUSY life.

Portions. That's the key.

I've set boundaries, limits, and goals for each "piece"of my life pie and I've made sure that each one is realistic, goal-oriented and productive. When a piece seems to take up too much room, it's evaluated, prayed about and sometimes shrunk to keep balance in the pie shell. When I see that a piece is becoming neglected, sloppy or unproductive, I look to see where I can put more enery toward it.

Sometimes it's meant saying "no" to things. Sometimes it's meant having a babysitter for nearly the entire day. Either way, there has been such peace in our home because of finding this balance. And that's how I know the balance is working!! When there's peace!

My toenails stay painted. Our marriage is still fun and exciting. Our kids are growing and becoming exceptionally smart (Ella is speaking in full sentences & Aaron can solve simple algebra problems!). Our house stays clean. The ECM is thriving. Zumba classes are exploding (I have over 40 Punch Cards sold). WSC is 100% ready one week in advance of opening day.

So here's my encouragement to you...no matter how many pie pieces you have! Find the right portions for your life. Write down your pieces. Catagorize them by priority. Sometimes it's best to catagorize them by the most time first, then by priority. Example-How much time did I spend with our children today as opposed to being on the computer? Ouch. Then, you will see which pieces need to shrink, and which ones need to take more priority during your day/week.

Then, write down goals, dreams and desires for those pieces.
Example :: I want to have a "date night" each week with my husband. (This can even mean take-out and redbox after the kids are in bed!)

Be resourceful, be productive and make the most of your time. I promise that you will feel at peace in your mind and will see good fruit when your life pie is organized . And, I believe that God honors order, goals and not being complacent with where you are in life. Always be moving up, making things better and staying HAPPY.

Be blessed today!

Forever and for always

2011-01-25T11:37:00.002-06:00

This weekend, Thomas whisked me away on a romantical overnight getaway.

"La Hacienda Rach" - Our favorite!!!

Sometimes I can't believe we have been hitched for 6 years...That seems a long time! But I refuse to think of ourselves as old boring married people. The "newlywed phase" doesn't have to go away! He still gives me butterflies when he winks at me from across a room. He'll buy me flowers for no reason at all and sit on the same side of the booth with me at a restaurant. I still keep my legs shaved in the winter and wear fresh perfume for when he gets home from work. I believe even silly little things like that can keep your marriage feeling fresh.

When you date someone, your pursue them. You flirt with them. You are constantly trying to win their affection and attention. I think it's so sad when married couples start to act more like roommates instead of lovers. With the busyness of life, children, jobs, and even church, it's so easy to get caught in the trap of "just living together".

Don't forget to flirt. Don't forget to wink. Don't forget to SHAVE YOUR LEGS. ;) Those little things can equal a happy married life!

Be blessed.

Go on a diet TODAY!

2011-01-04T15:51:00.004-06:00

What is the #1 New Years Resolution in America? Duh. "Lose Weight".

I went back to the gym after 10 days of being sick and the YMCA was noticably more crowded. It's to be expected of course, but it still took me a little off guard!
And it got me thinking.

As a believer, all of us should have that same resolution. Lose weight. Baggage. Turmoil. Heaviness. What a perfect time to throw off the rearview mirror and set your eyes on the bigger window, new path, and new year ahead of you!

When you lose weight (physically) people can't help but notice! A sweet friend of mine recently lost over 30lbs and every time I see her she looks better and better! She has always been gorgeous, but when the literal pounds came off her body, she lost emotional "weight" with them. She now carries herself with more confidence. More purpose. It's obvious!

Lose the weight. Leave it in 2010. No matter how deep your hurts were, how frustrating circumstances have been, take this opportunity to shed it off and start fresh.

It will feel so good! And unlike having to shed pounds physically, it can fall off when you decide to let it go.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Be blessed.

the little things

2010-11-21T14:22:00.002-06:00

God cares about the little things. I have no doubt in my mind about that fact.
In seasons where I've felt pressure or frustration (which we ALL have), He always gives me little surprises or seeds of hope that remind me that He never abandons or forgets about His kids. The important things always are taken care of, but what blesses my heart even more, is when He gives attention to the tiny, seemingly insignificant things....and those moments are priceless.

A"Papa Loving on Me" moment happened today...can I share it with you?

Every girl loves to smell pretty. I ran out of perfume about 2 months ago and have gotten by with some cheap body spray that was a stocking stuffer from about 3 years ago. My thinking was, "I'll wait until Christmas! I can get by just fine until then!" We weren't broke or anything...but we have been on a tighter budget, and with the holidays approaching, I put a few "wish list" items on hold.

It really wasn't a big deal. It's not like I would wake every morning with this cloud of doom over my head because I didn't have perfume! Did I go to the mall and mooch a few samples from the Dillards counter? Absolutely. I almost caved one day and used my husbands cologne ...but I thought that might send the wrong message to some people!

Today was a normal Sunday. Get up. Get the kids breakfast and dressed for church. Out the door by 9:00. Prepare for service.

About 5 minutes before service started, a sweet friend caught me in the hall. She reached in her purse and with a sparkle in her eyes, she handed me a dark purple perfume box. Her only words were, "I just want to give you this." She didn't know my need/want. She heard from her Father...my Father...and followed through with His idea. I was taken by surprise and thanked her, but after she walked away, tears filled up my eyes. I felt so loved.

He cares. What's important to you is important to Him. I like to think that in those moments God is saying, "Baby girl, I'm taking care of every little thing. This is how much I love you. You wouldn't ever ask me for something this trivial, but I care enough to show you I see the little things."

So I don't sweat the big stuff. Do I have moments of fear, frustration or anxiety? Sure! But they are moments. I immediately remember all the hundreds of times that my Father came through for me. It's all in His hands and I trust Him 100%.

Be blessed!

Boundaries

2010-10-21T21:36:00.002-05:00

*A simple study was conducted to discover the effects of a fence around a playground and the consequent impact it would have on preschool children. Teachers were to take their children to a local playground in which there was no fence during their normal recess hour. The kids were to play as normal. The same group was to be taken to a comparable playground in which there was a defined border designated by a fence.
In the first scenario, the children remained huddled around their teacher, fearful of leaving out of her sight. The later scenario exhibited drastically different results, with the children feeling free to explore within the given boundaries.
The overwhelming conclusion was that with a given limitation, children felt safer to explore a playground. Without a fence, the children were not able to see a given boundary or limit and thus were more reluctant to leave the caregiver. With a boundary, in this case the fence, the children felt at ease
to explore the space. They were able to separate from the caregiver and continue to develop in their sense of self while still recognizing that they were in a safe environment within the limits of the fence.
* (above is from an online article)

Imagine a flat Texas prairie with tall wheat shifting in the wind. The hot air rushes past dried Mesquite trees and blows a wisp of hay from a nearby leaning bale. A few black cows are standing in the shade with mosquitoes buzzing around their eyes. The mixed smell of manure and fresh crops fill your nose with a strangely comforting aroma. Now turn your eyes to the fence. It could be a crickety picket fence that is just barely in place. Perhaps it’s an intimidating electrical barbed wire fence. Maybe you see solid wooden posts set securely in position. Any way you see it, it’s made to keep the cows inside and protected from the terrain beyond the fence. These fences seem inconvenient and pointless to the cows because they have no idea what kind of trouble they could get into past the boundary. Perhaps there is nearby raging river rapid or a steep cliff drop-off. Whatever it may be, the point is that the rancher is protecting the cows.

Now, I would never refer any child to an animal, so please don’t read this and compare your precious one to a slobbery cow. I am simply taking some invaluable information and applying it to parenting. You might be surprised at just how much we can learn from these cows. I asked a local Rancher to tell me everything he could about fences, boundaries and cattle behavior. Here are some key points I want to touch on.

“Before I let the cows in the field, I make sure my fence is secure”
Parenting can begin before your child is even conceived. You can begin to determine the standards and principles on how you want your child raised.

“The first thing cows do when placed in a new environment is check the fences.”
The cows literally walk the entire fence line to see exactly what they are up against and how much space they have to move around in. If the cow discovers a weakness or gap in the fence, she would probably go ahead and walk right through it. This is why a lot of ranchers these days have electric fences that send just enough shock and pain to the cow that they remember not to push their boundaries.
Apply it to parenting:
Children will push to the limit you set for them. My term of “limit” is when action starts and discipline begins to take place. If your limit is when your child begins kicking and screaming while thrashing on the floor, then you can pretty much expect that happen quite frequently. If your limit is the first defiant “NO!” then for the most part, that is as far as a temper tantrum will go. This is your responsibility as a parent. I’m not going to tell you where you need to “build your fence”. That’s up to you. I encourage you to keep in mind that children will rise to the standard you set. If you have high standards for them, it may take a little longer for those standards to be set in place, but after consistency, it will stick.
Public consistence is crucial. If you child knows that you are a softie at a restaurant or in front of your friends, then the second you step out of your fenced-in home atmosphere, they will feel free to break through those weak "public atmosphere" fences. The same rules, principles and boundaries should always apply in every place, circumstance and setting.

“Smart ranchers check their fences often”
Fences get damaged a lot. A routine part of ranching, is checking on the fences. Cows may look boring and stupid, but this Rancher was quick to tell me that it doesn’t take long for a cow to notice a broken fence and plow right through their escape route.
Storms play a huge factor in damaged fences. High winds may displace a once firmly set post. When a storm hits, the rancher does not spend all his time staring at the storm cloud, but quickly gets to work on how he can protect his cattle and his land.
Apply it to parenting:
We all have storms in our life. Stressful work situations, family issues, a locational move, or even a family illness or death. These storms can easily sway us from our firm and consistent parenting and cause our fences to move or even fall down. Watch and keep your parenting fences fresh and sturdy.

Happy ranching..err..parenting!

Sarah

2010-10-06T14:58:00.002-05:00

I met a precious friend about 6 years ago on a cool, crisp fall evening. Her fiance and Thomas were close friends at the time, but us girls hadn't met yet. The minute I met her-let's call her Sarah- I knew we would be dear friends. Sarah was the most genuine, joyful and absolute sweetest girl I had ever met. Her laughter was contagious and her smile could light up the room. She could tell a simple story with such passion and glee. Tender encouragement was always coming out of her mouth. I was so intrigued by this young girl, only a year or two older than me, and longed to have a deeper friendship with her. We didn't live close, so our friendships stayed at the "let's keep in touch" level.

Three years or so later, Thomas and I met up again with this precious couple. We met for breakfast one morning, and as we began talking, I started noticing something about Sarah. She was talking happily and smiling, but something was strangely different. Her guard was up. Her smile seemed too thought out. I noticed she chose her words very carefully during our conversations. I could see hurt behind her eyes and her smile was masking what I discerned was....pain.

As we finished up our small talk about children, ministry, family, etc, we started asking more questions. How were they doing? What they shared next truly broke my heart.

Sarah had just come out of a very tough season. Several women in their church began to confront her about her personality. They just plain didn't like her. Whether it was triggered from vicious gossip, jealousy or anger, it didn't matter. When Sarah asked what she was doing that was offensive, they just beat around the bush. The only thing they ever specifically put their finger on was this: Sarah smiled too much.

After hearing that, I was ready to fly to their hometown and slap some ladies for their cruelty to this precious gem! If they only knew the damage they caused to her heart. The Lord had given her such a unique, beautiful spirit and someone had the nerve to try to subdue that. Thankfully, Sarah's heart and ears turned toward what her Father had to say. She walked in forgiveness and moved on. I've seen her once since that breakfast conversation and her smile is back. Her real smile. I can see that protective shell around her heart has broken away, and once again she walks in joy and genuine passion that never should have been abused.

Why that story?

I hadn't thought about Sarah's story in awhile, but yesterday the Lord put it on my heart and started speaking to me about it.

I've heard my Pastor talk about the church being "one body." In a body, there are hundreds of parts. Feet, hands, eyes, and even armpits! A church filled with feet would not be effective. A church full of eyes would go nowhere.

Think of all the Pastors, Teachers, Preachers, Speakers and Ministers you know. What vast personalities! Benny Hinn, Lisa Bevere, Billy Graham, Kay Arthur, Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen. Bold, bubbly, humble, tender, direct, gentle.

God created you unique. You will not be like anyone else. Some people may not like you for who you are. Some may try to intimidate you to try to change your personality. A mentor of mine told me once that "...even Jesus got criticism and He was perfect. It is only when we meditate on the criticism that it becomes a problem. If we are quick to give it to Jesus and let Him teach us what to learn from it, we remain tender. Some criticism, even if we don't like the instrument, is for our growth. Other times, it is from the enemy to harden our hearts. Taking it to Him and letting Him sort it out is the only healthy way to deal with it."

What wisdom!

Grow where you need to grow, be open to correction, but be free to be who He created you to be. Guard your actions and your spirit from tearing down someone just because they aren't like you. Listen to what your Father has to say about you or another person. That's really all that matters anyways.

Hope this stirs your spirit! It does mine! :)

Be blessed.

BOWS EVERYWHERE!!

2010-10-04T09:50:00.003-05:00

Well, if we are friends at all, then you already know about my newfound hobby! :)
BOWS BOWS BOWS BOWS!!!

On a whim, one Sunday afternoon, I opened up YouTube and searched "How to make a Hair Bow". I watched it once, headed to Hobby Lobby the next morning, and haven't stopped since.
I've discovered the breath-holding moments of trying to tie the thin embroidery thread just right, the burn of hot glue sticking to my finger and the giddy excitement of finding my favorite ribbon is plentifully stocked and ON SALE!
At first I wasn't sure how to start! I knew this was something that I enjoyed, and knew that the demand for quality & affordable bows is high, but I felt a little frazzled about where to begin. After settling on starting with a Facebook page and Etsy.com, I have been very pleased with the results. A friend told me to avoid eBay because of the billions of products available for dirt cheap and sneaky fees they attach after your item sells. Etsy hasn't had any selling action yet, so not sure how long I'll stick with that. Facebook, surprisingly, and word-of-mouth have been the easiest and most effective tools in selling my bows. I've sold several to friends, out of town and local, and recently a local high school cheerleading group placed an order to match their cheer attire. That's gonna be a fun and BIG project!

My encouragement for YOU: Don't hold back on any dreams you have! It could be photography, painting, jewelry-making, writing, singing, teaching or baking. Your unique talent may bring in thousands of dollars, or be an incredible encouragement and inspiriation to those you reach.

Be blessed!

Time for an update!

2010-08-30T14:05:00.002-05:00

I haven't written about our sweet kids in awhile! So here you go...

Aaron begins "school" next week! Once again, his Tuesdays and Thursdays will be filled with fun activities, crafts, music and friends. Since he is now in the Preschool class at his Mother's Day Out, he gets to embark on field trips such as the zoo, fire station, pumpkin patch, etc. I'm really excited about this new program that he is in because they have so many different activities during the day. Music class, excersise class, arts and crafts and eating lunch in a cafeteria are all fun things he gets to participate in. Most likely, we will enroll him in full-time Preschool next year, so for now this is perfect amount of time away from home getting used to a "school" atmosphere.
Aaron has started showing off his witty side lately. He loves to laugh and tell jokes. Right now his favorite saying is "Ladies and Jellyfish, Boys and Squirels!" when he announces anything. Then he doubles over and laughs at his sillyness! He is such a happy boy.
Aaron had to tell Miss D'Nae goodbye a couple weeks ago when she moved back to "Calwiforna" for school. D'Nae has babysat Aaron since he was itty-bitty and we've pretty much adopted her into our family as a sister.

Aaron adores this precious young lady and they have spent many hours together constructing forts out of blankets, conquering "bad guys" and dragons on the backyard playset and creating funny characters from his Mr. Potato Head collection. She gave him an early birthday present that he hasn't been able to put down!

Ella Bear took off walking about a week after her birthday and hasn't slowed down since!

She loves playing "hide-and-seek" with her big brother. He runs and hides in one of 4 obvious places around the house and she happily squeals and chases after him. When she finds him they both scream and tackle each other. It's adorable.
Ella's vocabulary has expanded as well! "Yes, cheese, juice (oohs), shoes, Opa, night-night (na-ni), Aaron, snack(nak), bye-bye", are all new ones as of recently. Somteimes she just babbles away in her little baby language and I have no idea what she is saying, and it sounds SO cute.
She still takes two long naps during the day and sleeps 12+ hours at night. She now owns 4 baby dolls and loves to pick them up and smother them with kisses then push them in her little baby doll stroller. Ahhh...I love having a girl!

I've recently began pursuing my passion of encouraging young moms through a group I began called "Stroller Moms". Right now it's simple. I've put together a Mom's group that meets every week at kid-friendly locations just to laugh and encourage each other. I've come to realize that all of us Moms have insecurities and questions, but yet we feel like we have to look so "put together" in front of people. I want mothers to feel like they can open up and be real with other moms in a safe place. We can laugh together at potty-training obstacles, groan together about horrific trips to WalMart and cry together about sweet milestones.
Usually when we think about being a Mom, we think of how crazy and hectic our schedules can be (especially working Mommies), but I really think that loneliness and depression has become so common in young mothers. There has to be a balance of prioritizing our husbands, homes and children but also having that much-needed friendship and support!
So I'm excited about this! Not sure what it's going to look like...but it's going to be good. :)
Eventually I would love to own and operate several online sites dedicated to parenting encouragement, advice, deals and steals, etc.

That's all for now! Be blessed.

Just a day at the beach.

2010-07-10T19:54:00.004-05:00

When I lived in New England, every summer we would take countless trips to the lake or ocean on the weekends. Saturday morning would roll around and my brother and I would scramble to find our swimsuits and sand castle buckets for another fun day in the New Hampshire sun. Mom would always pack a picnic lunch and I have distinct memories of eating delicious purple plums while wrapped up in a beach towel, waiting for the chill of the cold water to fade.
In my younger kid years, I didn't like the ocean. I much preferred calm Lake Winnipesaukee over the Plum Island waves. The ocean scared me! Sometimes the waves would get so big, I would get knocked over and find myself panicking, not knowing which way was up or down. Of course throw in a couple local shark attack rumors that would close down an entire beach- any 6 year old kid would freak out!
No, I liked the calmness of the lake. The water was quiet and smooth. If the wind caused any waves, they would be like a gentle nudge against your body.
As I got older, I began to realize that the ocean was way cooler than the lake. I found activities like body surfing, exploring sea rocks at low tide and trying to keep the most incredible sandcastle in tact as the waves started to come in. It was fun! Adventurous! I still enjoyed our trips to the lake, but after experiencing a true "day at the beach", I never went back to being scared.

Sometimes in life, it's the same way. We have the calm, safe places that we feel comfortable in, but never truly experience all God has for us because of our timidity or fear of the unknown. Trust Him. Step out and try new things! Maybe you'll begin to experience something so wonderful that you'll never go back.

Be blessed.

Stones

2010-06-11T19:20:00.003-05:00

I have heard the story of Jacob’s Ladder at least a hundred times over my lifetime. But there is something so important that I have always overlooked in that story. The Stone. I recently heard a speaker talk about this subject and ever since I heard her speak, it has stirred something so deep within me! Hope you enjoy...

This story begins with a journey. Jacob was leaving his hometown of Beersheba and traveling to Haran. On the way, the Bible says “he came to a certain place.” Then he stopped for the day and decided to camp out because the sun was beginning to set. The weirdest part about this whole story is the fact he took a big lumpy stone and decided, “Hey! This rock would make a great pillow!” I mean, wouldn’t the flat earth serve as a better situation than a hard rock? Then, he sleeps. He dreams. He gets a vision. He wakes up and blesses that place. Then, he moves on. (Genesis 28:10-22)

Nugget 1: Jacob was leaving a comfortable place.
We know Jacob was the baby. He was the spoiled child who was loved by his parents in a very special way. We know he was even favored over his brother Esau. I can imagine that Jacob lived a very comfortable life. He probably had every luxury imaginable in his days. The finest linens, the richest wine and the coolest, triple-humped camel. But then it came time for Jacob to grow up. Move on. Get a wife. Get a life. He was leaving the comfort of his mother’s arms and his secure home and traveling to his place of destiny and purpose.

Nugget 2: The Stony Place-between your comfortable place and your destiny.
The Bible says there were stones in the place where he halted his journey. Instead of walking even a few more feet to a grassy spot, he chose to stop where the stones were. Stones are uncomfortable. They are inconvenient, bulky and frustrating. We usually swerve to avoid stones, but Jacob stopped where the stones were and then did the most interesting thing. He maximized the potential for the hardest thing in his life at that moment. He made a pillow out of a rock.

Nugget 3: In the midst of what could have been the most uncomfortable situation, he gets a vision.
When Jacob wakes up from his dream, he exclaims, “Surely the Lord was in this place and I did not know it!”
Because Jacob chose not to focus on the annoying and frustrating aspects of this place, he experienced the presence of the Lord and got energized by a dream. He then blessed that “awesome place” and even called that place the “house of God” and “gate of Heaven.” How interesting! Most dusty travelers probably walked that same road, but rushed by that stony place without hesitating. They missed out.

Here is an interesting aspect to consider:
For a young girl, you cannot wait to become a teenager. To have the “awkward pre-teen phase” stay in your past and have the official “cool teenager” title sounds like the most amazing thing to an 11 year old girl. Then when she becomes a teenager, she cannot wait until she can drive! Then she cannot wait until college! Then she cannot wait to get married! Then she cannot wait to have kids!......

We are constantly trying to look beyond the season/place we are in. There are times where we need to stop wishing we were in that next season and realize that this is the place for the Lord to show up! Is it possible that we could miss out on an incredible opportunity for God to show up because we are so intent on “getting where we need to go?”

Embrace the stones in your life. Choose to look at hard places as opportunities for the Lord to show up and give you an incredible dream or vision for your life. You may find yourself blessing that hard place you once cursed.

"You're not a girl-you're Mom!"

2010-05-25T14:42:00.004-05:00

^ That's what Aaron told me a few weeks ago...

Summer is here!

Picnics at the pool. Summer dresses. Bike rides. Those are just a few things I am so excited about when this time of year rolls around.

The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and non-stop "going". The pool opens up next Monday and no matter how early we start preparing for the summer season, there are always things that only can get done the week before opening day. On top of that mass amount of work, Aaron got drug down last week with a stubborn double-ear infection that is just not going away! After a week of antibiotics, he started running fever again and this time a hoarse cough along with it. Ugh. So back to the doctor we go tomorrow. Poor baby...
Oh yes, and with all the incredible rain we have been getting, our T-ball coach informed us that all 3 make-up games got scheduled this week!
So here I am: juggling the Mommy Hat, the Wife Hat, the Church Executive Assistant Hat (my new title! Cool huh?), the WSC Hat, the Nurse Hat, and the T-ball/Snow-Cone-Buying/Mom Hat! I keep reminding myself that every year about this time it is cRaZy, but give it a week or two and we are back to normal. :)

BUT-Thank the Lord for our 7 days of pure relaxation and pampering we had early this month! Thomas and I cruised away on the most incredible 7 day vacation where we experienced horseback riding through Jamaica, snorkling in Grand Cayman, and basking in the warm Cozumel Sun. Of course the ship was as neat as the ports. The food was incredible. Everything from the 24 hour pizzeria (CALZONES!), to the incredible elegant dinners, to the special chocolates on our pillow every night! Pampering doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Our room was cleaned at least twice a day, the waitstaff would sing, dance and entertain us during dinner, and for the first time in almost 4 years, I was able to eat my meals with both hands free!
There were Vegas-type shows each night which were SO cool. One evening an amazing juggler entertained us and another evening there was an illusion show (my fave!).
I wasn't sure how I would like being cooped up on a ship with 3000 other people for several Sea Days, but it never really felt crowded at all. The ship is literally like a floating city and it is so enormous! We had fun playing blackjack for the first time and turned $40 into $120! Sometimes we would go out on the Lido deck and just lounge on a pool chair while watching a movie on the giant screen above the pool. There was a sushi bar, but it actually didn't compare to Bonsai.
Oh, there is so much more I could write about...but not enough time.

Ella Bear is now a whopping 10 months old! She finally began crawling/scooting around and is such a doll. She squeals when she is happy and giggles when Bubba does something silly. She does the sign for "more" when she is eating. She claps, nods, high-fives Daddy, and is beginning to blow kisses when asked. Her favorite foods are beans, bananas and cereal bars. She is sleeping all night and down to 2 long naps during the day. I think she has changed more in the past 2 weeks then she has in the past 2 months! I scheduled her 1st birthday party at the Pool and did a double-take when I realized that is just 2 MONTHS away!!

Well, that's all for now! Thanks for reading. :)

2010-04-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

What? I haven't blogged since February??! *Gasp*

So many new things to report in the Humphries Home.

Ella has 6 teeth and is cutting her molars this week. Overall, she doesn't complain much, but does wake up in the middle of the night wanting a bottle. Usually after a tooth breaks through, she goes back to sleeping all night that next day. So everyday I'm peeking in her gummy mouth and praying for those bad boys to come through. Go, teeth, GO! Ella also has begun the constant baby babble and I just adore it! She says "Baba" and knows it means "bottle" and has said "Mama" and "Dada", but I don't think she knows what those mean yet. She's still perfectly content to sit and observe others without being interested in crawling or rolling around. I know she can, but just chooses not too. :) The other day at the gym, I sat her on the floor in the nursery and came back an hour later to find that she hadn't budged one inch. The nursery workers laughed and said she just sat there and played with a few toys while she watched the busyness around her.

Now Mr. Aaron, on the other hand, has enough energy for both kids combined! Oh, to be 3 again.
We started T-ball this year and he is loving it. He takes his role on the team very seriously and has smacked some awesome line-drives every time he goes to bat. Daddy is super proud.

I had no idea how much time we would be investing into this thing! Oh my word. Three (sometimes 4) nights a week seems a bit too extreme for a 3-4 year old league.

But he loves it and it's totally worth it.

Well, we did it. It's booked. In less than 4 weeks we will be cruising on the turquiose waters of the Carribean with no cell phone service, no laptops and no children for 7 whole days. Our stopping ports include: Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. We really need this time away. It's going to be so fun.

Cozumel

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Now to work on my tan and get my six pack back!! Well...at least my tan! :)

Diet Vanilla Dr. Pepper

2010-02-18T15:20:00.003-06:00

Oh, life's little luxuries! On afternoons while Aaron is at school and I get done with work by noon, I steal some "me" time. Usually these outings are just much needed trips to places like Target or the mall. I stroll down the aisles toting only my baby girl in her stroller and relishing the time where I don't have to power walk to complete my shopping list while juggling a baby and a 3 year old who is attracted to anything shiny or electronic.
Since I have to pick Aaron up at school at 2:30, I almost always drive by a Sonic right smack dab in the middle of HAPPY HOUR. :) I think the carhops know me as Mrs. Diet Vanilla Dr. Pepper Lady. Isn't it funny how some of the silliest and simplest things become a mini-vacation and almost a guilty pleasure? So that's my weekly little getaway.

Ella Claire will be 7 Months old NEXT WEEK. This is my absolute favorite age. She is sitting up securely, responds to us with the sweetest smiles and giggles, sleeping all through the night (7:30-7:30), takes two LONG daytime naps (one while big brother takes his...which means more ME TIME!), content to sit in her bouncer or take a ride in her stroller, and just so easygoing! She's not in the "getting into everything" stage yet because she hasn't begun to scoot around or roll everywhere. Yes, this is by far the easiest, most enjoyable baby age.

We signed Aaron up for T-ball a few weeks ago and he asks every single day "When is my game?" It's going to be a long 6 weeks...
I started doing what we call "schoolwork" every other morning with Aaron. I have a Preschool workbook which is a really neat book that focuses on how to trace letters and learn the sounds of the letters. He loves it! Aaron has been an avid lefty, but I am trying to train him to write with his right hand. He seems to not care and is doing great. He knows all his letters by sight and can spell his name out loud. Such a smart boy. It's interesting to see his learning pattern. It's a mix between Thomas and myself. Unlike me, Aaron likes to take his time. Unlike Thomas, Aaron doesn't care much for detail. So we end up with tracing the letter "B" for 10 minutes only to end up with a mixture between an 8 and Q....

Oh I am SO glad to see the warm sun again! Today was the first day in awhile that Aaron didn't have to go outside with multiple layers on and then come inside with a dripping nose. Best bud, Deron came to play and those boys had so much fun together.

Thomas and I are ready for a getaway. Oh we need it so bad. He has been working so hard lately. By the time we get the kids in bed, we are both ready to crash in bed from exhaustion. His day is spent with long phone calls, meetings and project details while mine is spent keeping the children and house in order while balancing a part-time job. We both love our life and jobs, but it's been almost a year since our last "just us" getaway. Ella is in the process of being weaned (that third tooth did me in), so I am hoping to make time for that in the next couple months.
Our birthdays are both coming up soon...hmmm...

No place like it.

2010-01-28T11:08:00.002-06:00

It's so good to be home. After 5 nights in a hospital, we finally came home on Sunday evening to our softer beds, tastier food and best of all, A HEALTHY BABY!
Ella's spinal tap results showed everything to be perfectly normal. By Sunday morning, her white count was down to a stone cold normal count of 7,000, fever completely GONE and she began nursing like a pro!! The first night we were home Ella slept 13 hours straight through the night. I'm sure she was relieved to not be interuppted every few hours with blood drawing pokes, breathing treatments, nose suctioning and just uncomfortable "messing with". During those 6 days, Ella went through 9 blood draws/pricks, a spinal tap, an IV in her forehead and a chest x-ray. Thankfully, she is a baby and already doesn't remember the ordeal. We'll only remember it as a powerful testimony of God's incredible faithfulness and healing power.

At her follow-up appointment on Tuesday, Ella's pediatrician still could not put a name on what happened. I smiled and said that it didn't matter to me because she is healed now! She said Ella looked like a different baby than what was in the hospital. Ella went from lathargic, feverish and whimpering to energetic, smiling and sitting up! She remained on a breathing treatment until last night and I put it away in faith this morning (for both kids!). I am believing that it will begin collecting dust on it due to lack of use. :)

Update

2010-01-22T11:03:00.002-06:00

Whew! What a week. I'm sure if you are reading this, you have some idea what's been going on this week, but here's a recap.

Sunday night-Ella began running a fever. I wrote it off as a common teething symptom.

Monday-Ella continued to run a pretty high fever which I was able to control with Motrin every 6 hours. Aaron was going on a week of needing his breathing treatment and was having a hard time sleeping due to wheezing, coughing and congestion in his chest, so I went ahead and scheduled an appointment for both kids on Tuesday morning. Ella's fever rose to 103.7 that night and she started coughing.

Tuesday morning-I took both kids to our pediatrician at 9:30. She increased Aaron's breathing treatment to a higher dosage and put him on an antibiotic. She checked Ella's ears, throat, nose and chest and all sounded/looked normal. She could hear a rattle in her chest, but nothing really that would cause such high fever. She sent Ella across the street to the lab for some outpatient tests (Flu/Swine Flu/RSV, etc) and Thomas came to bring Aaron home for lunch. I stayed with Ella as they drew her blood (It took 3 pokes and moving the needle around in her arm to find a vein-very hard for a mommy to watch). Then they took a sample from her nose to check for RSV. Finally, with a very exhausted baby and a very hungry mommy that skipped breakfast, Ella and I got home around 1pm. I laid her down in her bed and she immediately fell asleep.
With both kids taking a nap, I weighed my options. 1) unload the dishwasher and start a much needed load of laundry OR 2)Crash on the couch with a Lean Pocket and try to take a nap. I chose option 2! My phone rang at around 2:00 from the Dr. saying that Ella's white blood count came back at 30,000, which was significantly higher than the normal count of 12,000. She had tested negative for all the other tests. Basically, since she was running such a high fever and her white count was so high, we knew there was an infection-just didn't know where! She told me to go ahead and bring Ella to the hospital so they could run a few more tests and do a chest xray.
SO, I left Aaron sleeping in his bed with my mom downstairs, packed a few things in Ella's diaper bag and headed to the hospital.
The hardest part of this whole thing was that afternoon. I had to sit in her hospital room and listen to her scream for an hour while they worked on her a few doors away. They couldn't get the IV in, so the ended up having to put it in her forehead. When they got her back, I just held her and loved on her.

Wednesday-Blood count was down to 24,000, still kept fever controlled with medicine, very fussy and restless. She nursed and ate veggies for lunch, but then refused me or any other food after that all day and all night. Still coughing and congested, they put her on a breathing treatment every 4 hours.

Thursday-Blood count was back up to 26,000 and we had to give her Motrin/Tylenol every 3 hours to control the fever from spiking up. Still fussy and still didn't nurse/eat all day (I'm pumping to keep my supply going). At 5:00 she was running high fever and whimpering, but did a complete turn around by 7:00 she was happy, laughing and fever free. Dr. called off scheduled spinal tap. Her doctor said she had been praying all day for Ella and I can tell she truly believes in the power of prayer. How awesome is it to have a Christian pediatrican? WONDERFUL. She said if Ella goes 24 hours without needing Motrin/Tylenol for fever, then we can go home!

Today-Ella slept well until about 4am then had a fever spike. She tossed and cried softly for a couple hours then fell back to sleep. This morning she was happy for about an hour and even took a few bites of rice cereal. Her white count was WAY down to 15,000 Still won't nurse. So it's been 48 hours since her last feeding. Dr. ordered a spinal tap for this afternoon. She won't be on call this weekend and wants to rule out anything else with the spinal tap.

What can you do for us? Pray for these things:

1) She gets an appetite and begins nursing.
2) That this fever FLEES and stays away.
3) Spinal tap results come back normal.
4) White count continues to fall to the normal 12,000.
5) Cough subsides and congestion in her chest loosens.
6) REST for all of us. Resting in a hospital is...well...resting in the hospital!
7) Complete continued healing for Aaron. He's happy and active, but still needing his breathing treatment for cough/congestion in his chest.

~This morning as I was getting ready, I was praying and just asking God why we can't just find out WHAT is causing this? That's what bothers me the most is just not knowing! But as soon as I began asking Him that, I felt Him speak to my heart and say that there isn't a "name" on her situation because HE is the Name above all names and that since we are not recieving any "names" or diagnosis then we aren't going to find what that "name" is! How awesome is that? The doctor can't even find out what is causing this, because we don't receive sickness in Jesus Name. By HIS stripes, she is healed and whole.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much for your faith-filled prayers for us. Thomas and I are great. We have gotten to spend alot of time together in the room, just talking and being with each other.

Be blessed.

Kids

2010-01-12T15:01:00.002-06:00

My sweet Aaron Paul. He has such a big heart. He has become incredibly sensitive if he sees someone hurt or upset. There is a commercial that comes on where it shows a woman soldier being welcomed home by her little boy and tears are streaming down her cheeks and she embraces her little boy that she probably hasn't seen in awhile. Whenever Aaron sees that commercial he runs to me with concern in his big brown eyes and asks, "Mom why is she crying?" His little lip quivers as I explain that she had to be away from her family for a little bit to help our country but now she is home and those are happy tears!
There are times in the day where I love to drop what I'm doing and just go give him a big bear hug! He usually responds with "Mom, I love you THIS much!" And proceeds to stretch his arms out as wide as humanly possible. I'm pretty sure that affirmation or physical touch is his love language.

I am realizing more than ever why Jesus referred to having "childlike faith."
Just now as I was opening up my computer, Aaron was playing his new Star Wars Lego Game and casually commented, "Hey Mom, someday I'm gonna ride in a spaceship." Then went right back to his play. It wasn't a question or a suggestion, but a stated fact. And I'm sure nothing I could have said would've swayed him from that dream.
Another example: This morning Aaron ran in our bedroom at 4am stating that he was ready for breakfast. Of course, it was WAY too early so I was about to pick him up and take him back to his bed. He fussed and asked for Daddy to take him, but I told him that Daddy wasn't feeling well (allergies). To that, Aaron said, "Well we can pray for him to be better!" I agreed and we took a minute to pray for Daddy's healing.
"OK! Now he's better so he can take me to bed!" Aaron cheerfully informed us.
Isn't that precious? To be so confident that it's that simple. As adults, the concept doesn't change, but our thinking becomes more and more limited. I'm learning from my 3 year old!!
Aaron still continues to be a adoring older brother and speaks so tenderly towards his baby sister. He loves to go in her room when she wakes up and greet her with a "Good Morning Sugar Bear!!!" Ella's eyes light up at that wake-up greeting and she pumps her legs in excitement. Too cute. I need to videotape that someday soon...it's SO CUTE.

Speaking of the EllaBear, she is growing and changing every single day. We started veggies along with rice cereal and she is now up to 2 veggies a day. There hasn't been anything she turned her nose up at. She's sleeping wonderfully and usually wakes up around 5 or 6 to eat, but then goes back to sleep for a couple more hours. She was sick for the first time last week with some very minor congestion. I also can literally see two little teeth just below the surface of her gums and am waiting for them to break through any day.
Last week I packed up all her 0-6 month clothes in a LARGE bin and nearly shed a tear from the reality that my baby girl is growing up too fast. Is she really about to be 6 months?? Whew. I've said this a million times: TIME FLIES!

Happy New Year!!!!

2010-01-11T14:31:00.003-06:00

As I begin typing, I hear the laundry timer buzzing, my phone vibrating to remind me of something that needs to be done and the constant hum of the monitor reminding me that it's only a matter of time before the kids wake up from their naps.
SO, ready, set BLOG! :) Excuse any run-on sentences, bad grammer or spelling errirs! (Haha)

2009 is done. Whew. It actually was a rough year for me personally for many reasons. Even though I was heavily leaning on the Lord, my relationship with Him was becoming less intimate. I hated that. Everytime I would press in deeper, I felt a gentle tugging on my heart to release everything to Him, but it meant that I would have to let go of some hurt, bitterness and anger that was deeply hidden in my heart. I didn't want to emotionally have to peel away every layer and expose every area of my heart to be healed. Some things were fresh, while most were buried from several years ago. I could put on my "happy pastor's wife face" but I know that people see right though that. It was time for a reality check. How could I not trust my Father? Hasn't He always shown incredible tenderness towards me? Then I realized a big part of the problem was knowing that once all that junk was let go, I wouldn't have any excuse to hide behind or any way of justifying my feelings and emotions. I would have to be raw and vulnerable. That's a hard thing for me....for any woman, I imagine!

But it's a new year, and with that comes new things. Freshness. Expectancy. Hope.
I started to blog last week and typed in circles for an hour before shutting my laptop in frustration. Since then, there has been breakthrough in some areas for me emotionally and I am SO SO glad for new years!! :) The Potter's Hand is pressing me. And it feels so good.

Recent News: We stuck a "For Sale By Owner" sign in our front yard on Saturday to test the market and see if anyone nibbles. Suprisingly, the real estate market has gone UP recently and it would be a great time to sell ours. We bought low, fixed it up a bit and are ready to sell high. So we'll see! I feel excitement in my spirit that the Lord is about to burst through and show us amazing favor. There is such peace about the whole thing too...another reason I know we are in the right position. BTW, we are not planning on relocating anywhere besides Abilene. For this season, we still believe that Abilene is our home.

Our kids are doing wonderful. More on them in another blog. I'm off to fold another load of laundry...Be Blessed.

Here you go...

2009-11-14T21:00:00.003-06:00

It's been quite a while since I've last blogged! Have you missed me? :)

Oh my, where to start?
My Ella Bear is growing up way too fast. Has it really been almost 4 months? Her little personality is showing up in new ways every day. Ella loves people. She is perfectly content to sit in your lap and carry on a conversation with baby coos and sweet gummy smiles. She hates being alone (unless it's naptime) and doesn't seem to like her carseat very much as of recently. She loves her brother. My heart melts to mush when I hear Aaron walk up to her and say in a high-pitched-love-voice, "Hiiii Sugar Bear!" Ella returns his affection with a big smile and occasional giggle.

Aaron. Oh my. He has become quite the busy boy lately. I don't know if it's the newness of having a baby in the family or just the fact he is 3 years old, but he has become increasingly LOUDER over the past couple months. He has two volumes: loud and louder. Oh yes, and the second his eyes pop open in the morning, he is on the go. He is alot like me when it comes to thriving on a schedule. He always asks me, "What are we doing today Mom?" and he will hold me to that schedule. New pastimes of his include: digging in his sandbox, painting with water-colors and helping me cook (cracking eggs is his favorite!). Potty-training finally lies in the past. Ahhh...FREEDOM!!

Me. Recently, I have been cooking more! And I love it. There is something about sitting around the table as a family and eating together. You talk, you listen and it just feels sweet.

Thomas. My husband has such a eye and vision for new business plans or ideas. I have to remind him to turn off his brain at night because I can literally feel him thinking. Have you ever felt that as a wife? I know that there is a calling on his life in the marketplace. It's exciting for me to wonder what our lives will look like in 5 or 10 years...but at the same time I am really learning to support my husband and encourage his dreams-not quench them. I am such a realist and a detail thinker! When living with a visionary, I have to be SO careful to not let his ideas stress me out by sorting though all the possible scenarios. We are good for each other. It's just tricky sometimes trying to find a good balance.

The holidays are coming!!! OOOHHH, I love this time of year!! The fireplace roaring, baking yummies, comfy sweaters, cute socks and slippers, trying to keep hats on squirming children....fun times are coming!

Thanks for reading!

Our trip to San Antonio

2009-10-19T16:32:00.002-05:00

We had SUCH a wonderful time this past weekend celebrating Aaron's 3rd birthday with friends and family in San Antonio.

I pricelined (as usual) our hotel in downtown San Antonio a few weeks ago and got rooms at the St. Anthony Wyndham Hotel. After checking out TripAdvisor I was horrified to see nothing but BAD reviews for this hotel, including poor air conditioner, squeaky beds, no ice, mold in bathrooms, etc...I even called Thomas crying because I was sure I totally ruined this trip by booking a bad hotel. (With Priceline, you bid on rooms and once the bid goes through, it's non-negotionable.) It was supposed to be a 3 1/2 star hotel, so I was really suprised to see such bad reviews...
Anyways, turns out the hotel was absolutely gorgeous and we had a very pleasant stay! No complaints at all. It was a "historic" hotel and didn't have all the amenities as a modern Holiday Inn, but that made it unique to us! The room was HUGE. It had 2 full bathrooms with oversized tubs, a giant walk-in closet and high post beds.

Our air conditioner DEFINITELY worked. We always crank it down as low as it will go so we can pile on the blankets, but at the lowest setting it was WAY too cold for us. That's saying something!!
The lobby was emmaculate. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and beautiful paintings and gold statues adorned the hallways. There was a heated outdoor pool on the 6th floor with a neat view of the city's rooftops. I even thought the classical music inside the elevator was cool. It felt like a step back in time, and the "little girl in me" loved it.

Friday was Sea World day. Amanda was my hero for bringing a double stroller!

The boys had so much fun together. Aaron even rode this huge water ride. I was trembling as I watched my little baby boy plummet downward on a raft 100 feet above the ground, but as you can see, he loved it!

Saturday we went to the Children's Museum that we found as we were walking around downtown. It was just one block away from our hotel!

Being in San Antonio, you HAVE to eat nothing but Mexican food! :) We ate some every day. Yes. Every Day. Casa Rio on Thursday, Pico De Gallo on Friday and Mi Tierra on Saturday. My tummy is still recovering!

Such a fun trip! Ella did wonderfully too. She rode in the truck with Opa and Oma while the Martinez's and us rode in the Accadia. Being out of our typical schedule and away from her crib didn't phase her one bit and I'm very thankful for having a flexible baby. Trips are just so much fun to me! I know they wear out alot of people, but I always get home and am ready for the next trip!
Hopefully we will be heading up to Norman, OK soon to see Preston, Ashley and the twins!

I hope you all are having a fabulous October! Thanks for reading...

Long time no blog!

2009-10-01T16:42:00.003-05:00

Just have a few minutes... (hah...that's the story of my life now!!)

Fall. I love it. I love change, especially changing seasons. Everything feels new and fresh and different. I used to hate change with a passion. It scared me and it was incredibly intimidating. When I threw caution to the wind and embraced change, I felt totally liberated. Why not trade in old habits, old mindsets and old things that are out of season with something brand new? It just makes sense. Sure, I may want to wear that old comfy sweater that was the PERFECT FIND, but after 2 years it's starting to fade and honestly, it doesn't fit the same as it used too. Will I ever find a sweater JUST LIKE that one? Probably not. But there are so many NEW THINGS now that I will find just as cute, and most likely, I will end up enjoying the new sweater more than the old one. It will fit me for the season I'm in now. Maybe next year it will be too big or too small (hopefully not the latter...) and it will be time for sweater shopping yet again!

Catch my drift?

Never stay comfortable with where you are at. Always be moving up. Embrace change. You can be intimidated with not being able to see what's directly in front of you, but turn that fear into excitement and anticipation. All long as you are sumbitted to the Lord and submitted to HIS plans for your life, there should be no worry about what's next. He'll never give you any more than you can handle and He will always give you the strength you need for a new season in your life.

Enjoy this changing season!!

The Proposal

2009-09-09T14:11:00.001-05:00

5 Years ago the man I love asked me a very special question. I love sappy love stories, so do you mind if I share mine with you? :) I'm going to start at the beginning....

When I was little, we lived in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for about 9 years of my life (from 2 years old to 11 years old). My fondest memories there are of playing in the woods, discovering new "forts", peeling bark off the white Birch Trees to write secret messages on them, long bike rides with my family and most of all, walking down the beach at Plum Island. Plum Island is a barrier island off the northern coast of Massachusetts where the Parker River and the Merrimack River flow into the Gulf of Maine.
Anyways, it's a beautiful beach. I used to tell my parents that one day I would get proposed to on that beach. I would daydream with stars in my eyes and envision walking barefoot hand-in-hand with a handsome man. In my childish fantasies, everything was perfect. My long curly hair (yeah, I wish!) would be flowing in the wind and I would be romantically swept off of my feet when he would kneel down and say those beautiful 4 words...."Will You Marry Me?"

Fast Forward

September 7th, 2004- Thomas and I had been officially courting for 6 months and we were in Boston for:
1)A KGM (Kindom Global Ministries) conference
2) Scott and Brooke Sailor's Wedding-(Larry Titus' granddaughter)
3) A Rangers/Red Sox game at Fenway Park
and 4) A week with my parents at my family's cottage on the river outside of Newbury, MA.

Thomas and I had planned a "6-Monthiversary Date" for that special day. After a relaxing morning at the cottage and swimming off the dock in the FREEEZING river, we got all fancied up to eat at a beautiful restaurant called The Kiwi Grille (now called The Mission Oak Grill). This restaurant is located inside a renovated, old, New England Church and is a very "la-dee-dah" kind of restaurant. You know,the kind where they put the napkins on your lap, there are no prices on the menu and the food looks so pretty, you don't want to eat it!
After dinner, we left the restaurant and Thomas began driving toward the coast. When he told me he wanted to go walk the beach with me, I remember my heart pounding because the only good beach around was...you guessed it! Plum Island! Thomas swears to this day that he had no idea of my childhood dream.
We walked over a creaky wooden dock and stepped off onto the soft, damp sand. The beach was completly deserted on that cool evening. The weather had been very cloudy and overcast all day, so the setting sun was hidden behind grey clouds and there was a thick, romantic fog in the air to add to the private ambiance. And get this! Because of the extreme humidity, my hair (which I had straighted that day with my CHI), had magically transformed into pretty curls! I've never been able to get it to do what it did that night...Boo.
Anyways, I held my breath because it was almost too perfect! Everything I had every dreamed about was happening. And I promise, nothing is exaggerated for dramatic effect. :)
After walking hand-in-hand down the beach for several minutes, we found a large log that had drifted up from the ocean and sat down to watch the waves for a while.

Then, he starting talking. He told me how much he loved me and how he had prayed for his wife for years. He spoke of qualities and standards he wanted her to have and how I met each and every one and suceeded his expectations. He told me that he wanted nothing more than to share the rest of his life with me and then...got down on his knee to say those amazing 4 words. And I said "Yes!"

Mushy, huh? I am still amazed at how everything I every hoped for came true that night. I truly believe that the Lord will give you all the desires of your heart if you seek Him for them......

This pictures are pretty grainy, but fun to look at...

Dressed up for Scott and Brooke's wedding

At the Rangers/Red Sox game. Can you guess who won? :)

Harvard Square

On a cruise around the Boston Harbor

The view from the back deck of the cottage

The Kiwi Grille (Now, the Mission Oak Grill)

Plum Island (ignore the arrow...)

Plum Island, the day after he proposed.

The backyard of the cottage

getting back in the groove!

2009-09-02T16:17:00.003-05:00

This week, I began a NEW SCHEDULE!! I love having a plan, a to-do list and an organized week, so I try to keep somewhat of the same schedule for a semester at a time. The big SIX WEEK mark is on Friday so I thought it would be a good week to begin!

Monday
• Gym
• Home, Shower, Misc.
• Lunch HOME
• Kids Naptime/Make grocery list/Meal Plans
• Grocery Store/WalMart
• Dinner
• Softball Game
Tuesday
• Aaron to school @ 8:50
• Work 9-12:00
• Lunch OUT
• Car Washed/Errands (if needed)
• Pick up Aaron from school @ 2:30
• Home, Laundry, Misc
• Dinner/CTV/Gym
Wednesday
• Gym
• Home/clean upstairs
• Lunch Home
• Naptime
• Clean downstairs while kids sleep
• Shower
• Church/Connect Group
Thursday
• Aaron to school @ 8:50
• Work 9-12:00
• Lunch OUT
• Errands (if needed)
• Pick up Aaron from school @ 2:30
• Home/Misc.
• Dinner
Friday
• Gym
• House Projects
• Lunch Home
• Kids Naptime
• Family Time (park, zoo, bike ride)
• Date Night

So far, it's been SO nice. I got a membership at the gym and I am hoping these extra 7 pounds will shed away. I don't remember having this much annoyance in losing the pregnancy pounds with Aaron. With Ella, the scale did a nosedive down 30 pounds and just flatlined after that. It hasn't budged in 2 weeks and it's quite frustrating to only have 2 pairs of pants that fit. Ugh. BUT I refuse to buy any clothes at this point. That's my motivation. Ha.

Aaron began "school" on Tuesday and did wonderfully! I was SO mad that I forgot to bring my camera! I'll take pictures tomorrow... Anyways, he didn't fuss at all and the teachers said he was very polite and well behaved all day. Sweet music to a Mom's ears!

My office schedule at the Church will be lighter this year and I'm quite glad about that. I still have a passion and heart for being involved on staff there, but I need to make sure my focus doesn't shift from being a Mother, first and foremost. It's nice to have 2 1/2 hours with just me and Ella Bear before we pick up big brother from school.

So that's that! It's been so delightful to wake up everyday and have a "plan" for the day. I just function so much better that way. :) Oh! By the way, Miss Ella slept 8 hours the other night! She has been doing 6 hours steadily then 4 hours after that for the past week. So, she is officially out of our bedroom bassinet and sleeping her crib every night. Also, it just happens that both children nap from 1:30-4 so I get a silent house for 2 1/2 hours most days. Ahhhh...

Another note: Aaron's birthday is coming up next month and I'm trying to decided what to do? We are heading to Sea World with Opa and Oma that weekend, but I love giving my little man a party with his friends. We've done the Gymnastics Sports Center and that was SO nice. I'm not a fan of Mr. Gattis or Chuck-E-Cheese (giant casinos for children that make them bounce off the walls or scream and run from the huge rat...) and the Jump Around is just not very clean looking! Any other ideas? Can't believe he will be 3!!!! Ahhh!!!

life at 2:00am

2009-08-19T14:48:00.002-05:00

Every night for the past week my head has hit the pillow at 10:55pm. It takes me less than 2 minutes to fall asleep until I hear a cute little grunt wake me up at 2:35am. I roll over and reach into Ella's bassinet to pick her up for nighttime feeding #1. Usually, the feeding/diaper change process takes about 20-25 minutes and she is back to sleeping contently in her bed until 6am for feeding #2.
Last night at feeding #1, it wasn't quite so...oh, what's the word?

2:28-I hear Ella start squirming and grunting. I begin feeding her in our bed. I'm sitting up with two pillows propped behind me and my head is falling forward as I try to stay awake. * ALL YOU NEW MAMAS-RAISE YOUR HANDS!! *

2:31-Thomas rolls over and touches my leg. He's always been sweet about giving me little "love pats" to acknowledge that he appreciates me getting up to take care of our kids. Anyways, I always am extremely thirsty when I wake up, so I ask him to bring me something to drink. I remember that I left a nice cold Powerade in the fridge last night. Mmmm...that sounds good!

2:35-I chug half the Powerade as Ella finishes her 1st half of her feeding. I reach over and put the sports drink on the nightstand then turn back to my baby. THEN, I hear a "glug-glug" sound and feel cold liquid soaking me through my shirt.
I had placed the Powerade bottle on top of a pair of earrings and it was tipping over onto our bed, nightstand, carpet and stacked up pillows on the floor. Great. Thomas offered to change Ella's diaper while I attempted to mop up the red, sticky mess from our bedroom ensemble. Oh, and did I mention that I just got the carpets shampooed last week?

2:41- I hear a baby grunt, a baby squirt/toot, then my husband groaning, "awwwggh, Ella!!"

2:57- Ella is sleeping soundly. There are strawberry-red stained towels around my side of the bed. Thomas is still washing his hands from the diaper explosion and I can't help but smile a little....gotta love babies!!!

Bubble Head

2009-08-10T16:30:00.001-05:00

Here's the laugh I got last night from the boys having a bit too much fun with the bath bubbles....

2 1/2 Weeks

2009-08-10T15:58:00.002-05:00

Life is returning to a somewhat normal state now! I actually have made several outings by myself with my two children and PRASIE THE LORD the outings have been uneventful and easy! The first trip to WalMart was a big obstacle crossing for me. I had imagined trying to juggle a potty-training toddler and a newborn in Wally-World would be a nightmare, but it actually wasn't much different than before....at least this time!! :)

Update on our sweet baby girl: Ella is simply wonderful. She is a "by the book" baby and eats every 3-4 hours. She actually did a 5 HOUR stretch the other day! She sleeps wonderfully and has yet to mix up her days and nights. Her overall personality is pretty chilled. I can tell, like Aaron was, she will thrive on a consistant schedule. Just yesterday, we got "off" a little bit and I could tell by the end of the day that she was overstimulated and a bit cranky. With a schedule of feeding her, letting her have some "awake time", then falling asleep for a couple hours, she seems perfectly content with life!
At last week's Doctor's appointment, she was 9lbs 1oz (just 3oz shy of her birth weight) and grew 1/2 inch since her birth.

Me: It's one thing to be getting up every 3 hours at night to nurse when you are perfectly healthy...it's another thing to be doing that while trying to recover from your tummy being cut open! :)
Now that I am able to successfully get out of bed without pain, life has been much easier! I no longer need a nap, so this has been helpful in using Aaron's naptime to catch up on any church work, housework or phone calls. Since Ella's birth, I've lost 32 out of the 38 pregnancy pounds, and I'm very happy about that. My ankle bones have surfaced once again and my wedding ring is back on my finger! YAY for no more swelling! I'm still really itching for that 6 week "green light" for exersise! Ah, I want to swim laps and run and attempt to do a sit up SO BAD.... and....*ahem* yes, that too! :)

Life as a family of 4? It's really fun! I know how fast time flies with kids so I am doing my best to enjoy every moment.

Ella Claire

2009-07-27T21:44:00.003-05:00

Ella is sleeping contently in her swing and sweet Thomas is putting Aaron to bed.
We are home. Ahhh...it feels absolutely wonderful to be home.

Ella Claire...my daughter is finally here. The one word I can find to describe how I feel is: complete. My family feels so complete now! She fits perfectly with us and the transition has been incredibly easy. Aaron is an adoring brother and has shown nothing but pure affection, gentleness and tenderness. He always wants to hold her and any time she wimpers or even make the slightest noise, he rushes to her side and makes sure she is OK. I get so emotional, because it couldn't be better....
Thomas is amazing. Watching him hold Ella in his strong arms just melts my heart. He uses the same "love-names" for her and he does for me and I just MELT! (Sugar Bear, Sugar Baby, etc...) He dotes on her constantly and I can already see his fatherly protection beginning to form. She is amazingly blessed to have such an incredible Daddy. ....ahhh! I'm crying already!

The C-Section went smoothly on Friday. There was such peace that morning. Thank you so much for your prayers for us.... We went in, got hooked up and prepped and before I knew it, I was feeling the doctor pull a small life out of me! That first day went well. Pain pills helped tremendously. Friday night was a little more rough due to some catheter complications, but that worked out and I was able to rest. Saturday morning they took out the catheter and IV and I made that first painful walk. Overall, the recovery was good. Not as easy as my first pregnancy/delivery, but it could've been worse. I had alot of what the nurses referred to as "gas pain". I think that term does not give NEAR as much credit to the pain that it actually was. They were sharp searing pains in my shoulder and excruciating cramps in my abdomen that would follow with animal-like sounds rumbling in my stomach. "Gas pain" sounded so...whatever....but, whoo...they were painful! I also had a mysterious fever that would spike up to 102 a few times over a 24-hour period accompanied with chills and uncontrollable shaking! Sunday night, it was getting so intense, I was really having to fight off fear of it being something other that normal recovery stuff. Pastor Richard and Thomas prayed stongly over my body and rebuked any scheme of the enemy that would try to enter in. They prayed and prayed in the Spirit boldly and confidently and sure enough, the fever broke an hour later and never came back.
That last night at the hospital (Sunday) I slept wonderfully. Ella nursed every 2-3 hours so I was only awake twice for her feedings.

Thank you all so much for your love and support! We feel blessed to have such amazing friends and family that love us and are always available for us.

PS-I'm so excited for my sweet friends that will be holding their bundles of joy in the next couple weeks!! Jennifer, Katy, Brooke...you sweet girls are going to be such amazing Mamas...again! :)

8 hours away...

2009-07-23T21:46:00.002-05:00

I have just a few minutes to blog before needing to get to bed. Thomas is finishing up some work on his laptop for the weekend and we are both hoping to be in bed by 10:15 for some much needed rest before THE BIG DAY tomorrow!

Today was fun, busy and exciting, yet very peaceful.
Aaron and I headed out of the house at 10am, stopped by Smoothie King for my beloved Pineapple Surf smoothie, picked up dry cleaning, gassed up vehicle and hit Wal-Mart for some final items. After lunch, we played the Wii together before he went down for his nap from 2-4. I used those couple hours to straighten up the house, do laundry and mop. Thomas and I went to the hospital at 4:30 to pre-admit and dropped Aaron off at my mom's house at 7:00. Now....I'm packed. The house is clean. Laundry done. And I am getting sleepy.
Aaron was just precious today. He would randomly come up to me and tell me "Mama, I love you SOOOO much", then grin and go back to whatever he was doing. Also, when I would casually ask him to do something, he would reply, "Yes Ma'am!!" Ahhh...sweet music to my ears. The months of prompting this reply have finally begun to pay off. We talked about seeing Baby Ella tomorrow and he informed me how he was going to "give her kisses and hugs and gentle hands." Too sweet.

We go in to Abilene Regional tomorrow morning at 5:30am and the C-Section is scheduled to begin at 7:30. My doctor told me that things should stay as scheduled and Ella will be shown off by Daddy in the nursery by around 8 or 8:15! I'll be back in my room by 8:30 or 9:00. They say the 2nd C-Section is alot easier and quicker recovery than the first, so I am happy about that. Really, the first one was a breeze...so maybe this will be even better!

I love visitors so please come see us if you want! Most likely, I will be pretty groggy that morning/early afternoon...so don't mind me if I start talking funny or telling you random things. Morphine...good stuff! :)
My doctor also said that we should be able to go home on Sunday afternoon.

Aaron is being well taken care of while we are in the hospital. He will be staying with his grandparents and I know they will keep him very busy and happy....and spoiled! :)

Feel free to call mine or Thomas' phone...we will have them on silent if we are busy or sleeping. I'll try to have him send out a mass text or FB status tomorrow with her details! Any bets?? :)

Goodnight! Thanks for all your prayers and support. Tomorrow I will be holding my sweet baby girl!!!!!!

Love you.

potty training updates.

2009-07-18T12:11:00.003-05:00

I figured it out. Boys are just plain l-a-z-y! :)
Every mom of boys that I know have told me, "Wait until they are 3 years old...it will be MUCH easier!" Of course, I dig my heels in and am adamant about my son being out of diapers before sister bear arrives. But, I can say with relief that the past 3 days have been wonderful dry pull-up days!!

What do I do? NOTHING!! When we are home, the pull-ups come off and my son runs around the house with a shirt on. That's it! The UPS delivery man was caught off guard when Aaron went to the door to receive a package with his twig and berries exposed. I just smiled, thanked him and informed him that "We're potty-training." :)

Without the security of a diaper or pull-up, Aaron will run to the bathroom without needing to be reminded by a timer or by me! Oh my...it's been SO nice. Last week I was in tears and at my wits end with that boy. He simply did not care. He would walk around with a wet pull-up on all day until it leaked and not have a care in the world about it. I tried using normal big-boy underwear, but he still would wet those and then I would have extra laundry to do. No time for that!!

So today, I am still in my pj's and my son is happily playing with his trains...bottomless. He has pee-peed consistantly all day and doesn't even ask for his typical M&M reward. (Which is good, because it's hard for Mommy to resist chocolate when I give it to him!)

When we go out and do errends, he does great! I make sure to take him right before we leave the house and periodically while we are out and about. I appreciate clean public bathrooms more than ever! Khols has won that award with a sparkling clean FAMILY bathroom. It's complete with an adult potty and a little boy potty, a sink that is reachable to kids and paper towels instead of a loud obnoxious hand dryer.

So for now, that's what we are doing. Pull-up in public, bare-booty at home. What I see happening is that he gets so used to "going" by himself, we can graduate to underwear next week at home....we'll see.

wide-awake

2009-07-17T00:23:00.002-05:00

Can't sleep, again. Between mild contractions and Ella kicking inside of me, I tossed in bed for an hour before deciding to get up and give my husband a break from my tossing and turning. Poor guy. He's been so incredibly busy and is totally exhausted. I didn't have the heart to keep him up any longer. So...I will blog! :)

A mature Pastor's wife once mentioned to me that I would have to develop "tough skin" being in the ministry and being married to a Pastor. The thought didn't set well in my mind at the time. When Thomas and I were first engaged/married, I was extremely sensitive and self-conscious of the way I was perceived as "a Pastor's Wife". I hid my outgoing and too-talkative personality around "church-people" and made sure that I never stuck out. I desperately wanted people to view me as a grown-up! Not as a silly 18 year old child. My husband was (and always has been) an encouraging and empowering spouse. He constantly reminded me of the giftings the Lord has placed in me and encouraged me not to shrink back from them due to my age. He has a way of taking me from feeling like a small girl to a regal queen.
Anyways, I sure didn't feel like I had "tough skin". Any negative word spoken about me was taken to heart, even if it was unintentional or joking. Even during our marriage preparation, I got so sick and tired of the typical reaction to our engagement. Instead of gushing over questions about what our wedding colors would be, when the date was or even how I was proposed to, I got: "You're getting married? How old are you?" Followed by a haughty sniff and a critical stare. Oh, and the classic from old high school friends, "She must be pregnant."

Of course, these came from people that had no idea the uniqueness of our courtship and relationship. Everyone close to us and everyone that had opinions that actually mattered to us were 100% behind us and supporting our marriage. And of course, here we are 4 1/2 years later!! :)

The first year of our marriage was a lonely time for me as far as not having many girlfriends. As all my friends were preparing for prom and college, I was putting away my wedding dress, painting our first home and planning meals for my husband every night! I poured myself into my home, my husband and work and began noticing a gradual change in myself. There was a wall being formed! New relationships began, but only went so deep. I wasn't sure how to let my personality shine through, afraid of what others might think. A couple years later, after a specific extremely hard and critical season, I completely put my guard up. My trust was broken toward relationships and I was going to make sure that didn't happen again. Sure, I had my 1 or 2 really close girlfriends that I could confide with and be completely open and honest to, but that was it.

Fast forward. Two weeks ago, the speaker for our Women's Summer Bible Study talked about breaking down walls we've built up around us. At the end of the study, she asked us all to have some quiet time with the Lord and ask Him to reveal any walls that we sub-consciously built up. I was running the sound system that night and found myself sighing as I heard her say that. I sat back in my chair after flipping on some dim lighting and "soaking music". I could already feel emotions rising up around the room. It was like a heavy dew. Get a group of ladies in one room and ask them to dig up old, forgotton feelings of inadaquecy, depression and rejection and you might as well ask for a bawling session. Sad to say, but I didn't really participate as much as I should have that night. For about 4 minutes, I prayed and asked the Lord to reveal my "walls" to me, but shut down when I heard His gentle voice whisper in my ear. Ugh, I didn't want to go there! So I pushed it away and left early.

Fast forward to tonight. I was lying in my bed and a word kept repeating over and over in my mind: Tenderness. Where has all my tenderness gone? Then I remembered the advice about getting "tough skin". There's got to be a balance. 5 years ago, I was young, open, a little naive and very trusting. I also cared too much about what others thought and was willing to change my personality to minimize any critical judgements.
Today, even nurses at the hospital complain of how "tough" my skin is! Literally! It takes 3 nurses and 10 different pokes to get an IV going in me. No joke. But seriously, I don't let my mind wander anymore about what others think about me or look for approval from anyone other than my Maker. I know I am right where I need to be and doing what I should be doing. I am confident. But as I was lying awake tonight, I was saddened at the lack of tenderness I have shown lately. I want to be transparent and tender. It's so hard for a woman to do that. It's hard for me to do that. It's like I have to take a deep breath and risk people seeing the raw me. It's easy for me to put on my Sunday face and look like my life is perfectly fine and I don't have a concern in the world, but incredibly hard for me to let my guard down and say, "This week was hard! I'm hurting and heartsick." Then I realize, hello Amity! You are human. Better yet, your are a woman not a robot!

Tonight the Lord gently lifted a curtain from my eyes. I asked Him to restore that child-like innocence, trust and tenderness. I also began lifting up a wall that has been building up. I don't think it will all happen overnight, but it will be a process. I think, little by little, my Father will show me where those bricks in the wall came from and I can break them down from there.

Now, I get to chew on all of this and try to sleep!

Tuesday

2009-07-14T15:11:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting here smiling while I watch my tummy bump every few seconds. She has the hiccups again!

We had our last sonogram yesterday and it was absolutely breathtaking to see our baby girl. The detail was incredible and we saw her chubby little face perfectly! Her hand was also positioned in a "thumbs-up" way and I thought that was cute! It was like she was saying, "OK Mom, I'm ready whenever you are!" Since today I am at exactly 37 weeks, I gave her full permission to arrive at her earliest convenience. So now, it's just a matter of waiting. Dr. Anderson measured her and announced that she will be at the 9lb mark by next Friday and casually referred to her as "A King-sized baby". It made me think of her as a candy bar. King-sized! Ella the King-Sized Twix....lol.

Speaking of Ella...I thought that we were set on her middle name, but we're not. As I was lying awake the other night, I couldn't get her original name out of my mind. Ella Beth. It means "beautiful House of God" and Beth (Lafuente) is a woman that I deeply admire and respect and was a mentor to me before Thomas and I were married. I love the name Ella Claire, but I just keep thinking it might not be "us". I don't know though! Which is SO crazy because I usually make a decision and cannot be swayed from it! I honestly don't know what her name is going to be. *sigh* Thomas feels the same way...he likes both, but doesn't necessarily have a preference. SO! Her middle name is still yet to be decided...we have 10 days, so hopefully we will nail it down by then. Hopefully!

Everyone is happier when Mommy sleeps!

2009-07-08T14:07:00.002-05:00

That's right! Codeine became a new friend to me last night. :) My lower back was just aching and aching last night, so I caved in and took those pain meds. Wow. In 15 minutes the pain was gone and I was feeling soooo relaxed! Sleep was wonderful. I didn't just sleep, I was out like a baby. Ahhh...I woke up this morning feeling like a new woman.

Feeling great today! We all went to the pool over lunchtime for about an hour and the water felt amazing. I gently swam a few laps and loved feeling (almost) weightless in the water.

Aaron's taking his nap and I am debating on tackling sweeping/mopping the downstairs OR propping my feet up and watching a chick-flick I DVRed yesterday...hmmm.....

36 Weeks and ready

2009-07-07T16:21:00.003-05:00

July 24th could not come sooner! :)

With late pregnancy discomforts kicking in high gear, I'm finding myself longing for the next 17 days to pass speedily. Ella has officially "dropped" and I think her head is about 2 inches away from falling out of me. The "waddle" has begun and I can tell you with confidence that it takes exactly 19 steps to get to the bathroom from my bed. (Which, by the way, that trip happens about 10 times per night these days.)
Contractions are a new experience for me in this pregnancy. With Aaron, (Mr. "Head jammed up in my ribcage until 40 weeks") I never experienced any kind of contractions until the day he was born. The nurse informed me as they were prepping me for the C-Section that I was having contractions every 5 minutes, but I never felt a thing...
Last night (and the past several nights), I've been up for hours with these uncomfortable contractions that come every 3-5 minutes, along with pressure and back pain. My doctor put me on some Codeine (sp?) and an antibiotic for Group B Strep and said that should help with those icky contractions.

To pass the time, I am trying to find small projects to do every day until Ella arrives. Yesterday, I washed all her clothes, bedding and blankets then packed her diaper bag for the hospital. That was fun!

Lincoln & Maddox

2009-07-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

Preston and Ashley came to town for a few days this week! The twins are growing up so fast (3 1/2 months old already!) and are as handsome as ever. We got to see a little more of their personalities this time. Maddox seems to be a bit more stubborn and feisty (in a sweet way, of course!!) and Lincoln seems more chilled out and laid back. I got to spend alot more time with Maddox this week. We're buds now!

(in this picture, I'm holding Lincoln and Thomas has Maddox)

What warmed my heart the most was seeing Aaron interact with his cousins. He displayed such amazing love, affection and gentleness around them! He absolutely LOVED getting to hold them,

and help feed them bottles, give them their pacifiers and just watch them! He is going to be a fabulous big brother.

Oh yeah, and it was fun seeing Preston and Ashley as well! :)

Today was THE DAY. I said "adios" to these heavy locks:

and said "HELLO" to this new "do":

When I went into the salon (Oak Creek Salon on Barrow), the receptionist lady looked at me suspiciously and asked why on earth I cutting off my hair. I simply answered with a laugh, "It's time!"
And it really was!! When we got married, my hair was almost as long as it is (well..was) now. The day after we got back from our honeymoon, I chopped it off and enjoyed the change! Change is usually dramatic with me...I never have done baby steps. Isn't that interesting? Personality? Don't answer that....lol.

another Monday!

2009-06-23T15:27:00.003-05:00

Sea World was fabulous! Check FB for pics, because I am too lazy to upload them on here right now. :)
It was so nice to get away for a few days and spend time with my family. After a rough couple weeks for my Mom and the kids, we all welcomed some fun away from Abilene. Aaron absolutely loved Sea World and we plan to go back the weekend of his birthday in October with Oma and Opa. Everyone asked what his favorite part was and I am honestly stumped on that question! He loved Shamu, the dolphins, the waterpark, the Pirate Show...everything! The only thing I was less than impressed on was the show "Cool Vibrations." It was advertised as "a fast-paced show that includes daredevil skiers performing many water ski elements including pair, swivel and solo skiing."

Ha.

Amity's advertisement would read "scantily dressed bikini girls singing and dancing flirtatiously with half-naked beach boys singing about 'partying in the summer' and 'summer romance' along with a little boat/water ski action in the distance." Boo.

Overall though, it was a wonderful trip! We made it 3 days with NO NAPS for Aaron...which is amazing, considering he still takes 2+ hour naps every day. And I think I drank my body weight in Sierra Mist both days at Sea World! :)

Onto a different note! I'm 34 weeks today. Time is flying by and I still have to remind myself that Ella Claire will be here in just a few short weeks! Aaron talks about Baby Ella/Baby Sister with adorable affection and I cannot wait to see the expression on his face when they meet for the first time. *little tear*
I'm experiencing some braxton hicks, but nothing too uncomfortable. Once I lay down and put my feet up, they go away.

Tonight we head to the pool again for picnic, swimming and relaxation. Aaron has a newfound interest in the sand volleyball court. He loves bringing buckets and trucks to "play in the dirt" with. It's amazing what simple things will keep kids entertained for hours and hours! :)

Monday

2009-06-15T20:59:00.003-05:00

Haven't blogged in awhile, but this week has slowed down tremendously so I'm once again finding time for the important things in life! Like BLOGGING!! Or FACEBOOK!!

Ella's stoller arrived at our doorstep last week and it's so cute!

Everything is pretty much ready for her arrival in July. As of now, the scheduled date is July 27th. Thomas has said from Day 1, that he thinks she will be earlier than that. Originally, I thought that was crazy! Especially after me being so sick the first half of my pregnancy. But now, for some reason, I think he may be right!? We both may end up being completely off base, but here's some of our thinking on why she may come earlier:

1) We just "have a feeling"! :)
2) Dr. said she is measuring above average and that I'm carrying her low.
3) Pressure. Lots and lots of pressure already.

Like all Moms-to-be, I am itching to hold my sweet baby girl, but all I really care about is that she comes in God's perfect timing and not a day before she is completely and fully developed and prepared to live outside of me.

Today was a sweet day. Aaron slept until 8:30, giving me some nice extra sleep. I made some delicious tuna sandwiches (with dill relish, apples & raisens) along with fresh apple slices and...ahem...Cheetos! Aaron and I met Thomas up at the pool for our picnic lunch then Katy and Deron joined us for a nice cool dip in the pool. After that, we came home and I was able to get alot of work done from the house while Aaron took a good 2 hour nap. Seriously, is there anything better than a silent house for 2 straight hours? I think not! :)
After a trip to WalMart for some much-needed groceries, I made some yummy Swiss Chicken. If you know me, this is one of our favorite family meals. And it's SO simple! Quick recipe:

2 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
4-6 slices of fresh swiss cheese
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (i use fat free...)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Grease pan. Place chicken in pan. Cover with cheese. Mix the soups and milk. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook 45 minutes. Uncover and cook another 15 minutes.
Serve over white rice. Goes great with broccoli or garden fresh salad!

Tonight, I am listening (via monitor) to Thomas "putting Aaron to bed". His version of Aaron's nightime routine is quite a bit different from mine. I can hear lion roars during a hard-core wrestling match, bubble water being splashed all over the bathroom floor and the most animated version of "Where's Waldo" being read over silly giggles. I don't mind though...Daddy time is so good for him!

So now, I am craving something sweet.... a chocolate cake with rich buttercream frosting sounds amazing...but as I look through the pantry, I just might have to settle for sugar-free chocolate jello pudding.....*sigh*

Our big trip to Sea World is coming up in a couple days...more about that next week!

it's coming along

2009-06-04T15:02:00.003-05:00

The two Handy Mannys put together Ella's crib this week. Aaron loves helping Daddy "fix" things.

So here it is! All done! The bedding is still a bit wrinkly because I haven't washed it yet. I was so excited to put it on to see how it all looks with the colors we picked....I like it! :) Although, I do feel like this wall needs to "soften up" a bit. Maybe some satiny/sheer drapes/canopy thingy around her name? I don't know...

Here is the changing table. Not organized yet...

And her closet...our sweet little girl aleady has too many clothes! :) YAY! Now I just need those matching bows and headbands...

You can see her diaper bag here. I'm going to get "Ella" monogrammed in brown on the flap.

We are putting up a cute storage container/dresser/thingy this weekend...will keep pictures coming.

if you insist....

2009-06-02T16:30:00.002-05:00

tagged by KT love....

8 things to look forward to:
1. finishing setting up Ella's room
2. Seeing my sweet baby girl for the first time!
3. being done with potty-training!!
4. getting my crazy bangs grown out where I can "swoop" them again...ugh.
5. going to Sea World in a couple weeks
6. re-doing our master bathroom...someday...over the rainbow...
7. being molded and shaped into a more mature wife, mother and friend
8. going on a cruise....again...someday...maybe...

8 things I did yesterday:
1. ordered some final things for Ella's room (lamp, diaper hanging thingy, mobile)
2. ate Dante's with my boys and ran into an old friend
3. supported my parents on a hard day
4. got a SUPER CUTE new diaper bag at Kids Village!!!!!
5. had heartburn for the first time...lol...because of Dantes!
6. went to WalMart and got keys made. now we finally have 2 sets...(long story)
7. watched my son hit 4 line-drives in a row (playing baseball in the backyard)
8. went to a Mom's Prayer Group and enjoyed encouragment,fellowship and prayer....and too many chocolate chip cookies! :)

8 things I wish I could do:
1. draw/be more artistic
2. walk up our stairs without becoming out of breath! :)
3. get a pedicure every other week. can you say, "Cha-ching?!"
4. buy my husband a boat
5. get better at writing people notes/cards for no reason except to say "I'm thinking about you"
6. be a more patient mommy
7. be a more serving wife
8. be a more listening friend

8 shows I watch:
1. LOST...but that is losing it's thing for me...getting a little too much.
2. Who's Line Is It Anyways? OK, I know this show is ancient, but I just started recording it and I LOVE it! One of the only shows that actually makes me laugh out loud.
3. What Not To Wear..ha...doesn't really inspire me much during pregnancy..
4. Jon & Kate Plus 8
5. anything on Playhouse Disney (with Aaron...)
6. Dancing with the Stars (when it's on...)
7. Here Come the Newlyweds
8. A Baby Story. I cry every time...

People to tag:
1. Ashley S
2. Rachael N
3. D'nae
4. Jenn B
5. ?
6. ?

2009-05-27T21:02:00.002-05:00

We hit the road to Weatherford yesterday afternoon to trade this:

for this!

2009 GMC Acadia

After a truly awesome trade-in, we started making our way toward Arlington to make a 7:05 ballgame. What we didn't expect was to run into a HUGE hailstorm a few miles outside of the dealership. Hello! New car. Hailstorm. Not good. Thankfully, my husband (an aspiring meteorologist) was able to read the clouds ahead of us and we pulled over for about an hour to let the storm go ahead of us. We were all STARVING so we stopped at a McDonalds for perhaps the MOST DELICIOUS buger ever. It was a fun family meal...

When we got back in our wonderful "new-car smelling" vehicle, we checked the radio to see if the game was postponed. Sure enough it was pouring in Arlington, so they were delaying it. We continued our drive East and pulled into Arlington at 8:30. Hearing that the game was going to begin at 9:30, we had a decision to make: Take our tired toddler (who usually goes to sleep at 8:00) to a nice hotel room and call it a night? OR Somehow find/buy tickets to a LATE game? Can I get the Cool Mom Of The Year Award? Yep, we chose the latter option! :)
As we walked down the walkway toward the stadium we were preparing for the fact that we would just pay $15 each for tickets in the nosebleed section. No biggie, because we probably wouldn't stay the whole game anyways. Uh-uh! A family of 4 were walking away from the stadium with tickets in their hand. As we passed them, I casually asked, "You guys leaving the game?" The Dad spoke up and said, "Yeah, they are starting at 9:30, but it's too late for us...you guys need tickets?"
I love favor. :)
Synopsis of the night: Aaron was literally on the edge of his seat for the 5 innings we stayed for. He cheered & booed, but mainly just watching intently from our seats directly behind home plate.

We got back to our hotel at midnight and it took a total of 30 seconds for Aaron to fall asleep.

Next day we drove over to Grapevine to see Preston, Ashley and the twins. After a visit to Bass Pro Shop, we met up with them at Armend's Pizza & Pasta (like an upscale Joes...).

The boys slept the whole meal, but I got to hold Maddox toward the end! They are both doing wonderfully. Healthy and strong and HANDSOME!!!

We hit the road back to Abilene after lunch and Cito was out before we even left the parking lot.

Will post pics of the new car later!

Friday

2009-05-22T14:35:00.003-05:00

FYI- M&Ms are a wonderful reward to a potty-training 2 year old. On the other hand, they are a nasty temptation to a preggo Mama! We keep a tupperware container full of M&Ms for Aaron in our upstairs bathroom. I've caught myself twice today sneaking a few in my trips up and down the stairs. :)

Ahhh...a day of nothingness. This week has been jam-packed with work, work, work! I've been close to throwing my phone in the pool in utter frustration due to my "reminders" going off every 10 minutes.

*DING DING* Pack $2 for Aaron's pizza party at school today! ("Hmmm...all I have is a $10...)
*DING DING* Interview lifeguard at 4:00 today
*DING DING* Call so-and-so back
*DING DING* You have 50 new emails!!!
*DING DING* Finalize lifeguarding policies/checklists
*DING DING* Don't forget to go get your glucose lab work done this week!! (Oops...)

Today my phone is sitting on the table in front of me with a black screen of silence. Haven't had any phone calls today and only 2 emails...
I am still in my sleep shorts and T-shirt and intend to stay this way as long as possible!

beat that, Target!

2009-05-16T14:01:00.003-05:00

Project Letters is complete!

I headed to Hobby Lobby this morning and found exactly what I was looking for!

Letters-$2.99 Each (no painting required!)
Roll of Ribbon-$1.50

Actual project time: 30 minutes!!

Finished Product= CUTENESS!

The ribbon has pink polka-dots on it...kinda hard to tell in this picture.

more updates

2009-05-11T15:16:00.003-05:00

I can breathe a sweet sigh of relief once again. It a girl. STILL!
You know, you hear of those stories about people preparing for a certain sex and then the day comes where the baby is born and it's NOT what they thought it would be? I think that would be horrible!! But today we saw litte Ella and her "hamburger" was quite visible. :)

I put on 8 pounds this month, but it feels more like 20 lbs to me! I like to joke with my husband that I have rock hard abs...they are just rock hard in a "rounder" kind of way. Ella weighed in at 2lbs 13oz and my docotor warned me that she was looking to be "another large baby!" (Aaron was 8lbs 12oz) She was already head down, which was different from Aaron (breech baby) and that explained some different cramping that I've had the past several weeks. LITERALLY EVERYTHING has been different with this pregnancy...it's amazing!

We finished the painting/wallpapering/crown molding in Ella's room and now we are excited about beginning to fill it with her things!

We'll use Aaron's crib and changing table (both white) and I'm on the lookout for a dresser. A friend of mine told me that you HAVE to have a dresser when you have a girl. I guess for leggings, bows, tights...umm...what else? Anyways,I'm on the prowl. Garage sales anyone?!

This weekend, my hubby is going out of town for a Men's Retreat and I am taking on: Project Letters.

Each one of these letters cost $20. That means our 4-letter baby girl's name would cost a grand total of $80!! No way. So I am headed to Hobby Lobby/Michaels this week to find some cute letters, paint and ribbon. Will post pics of the finished product and let you know MY final cost.

Wylie Swim Club opens up in 2 weeks. I have been extremely busy with all the various pool preparations, new memberships, lifeguard interviews, etc. Whew! This summer will be different from last because we had last summer to learn and this past winter to prepare. But it's still crazy busy!!

One more note: The twins are doing WONDERFUL. Thomas and I had the chance to go over to DFW last weekend and see the little guys.

Both are growing quickly and have doubled their weight since birth! Ashley, however, has had alot of pain recently and the doctors determined it was her gallbladder. She is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning, so please keep her in your prayers over the next week or two. I can't even imagine having 2 little babies and dealing with an ordeal like this! She's one tough lady!!

faithfulness

2009-04-27T15:13:00.002-05:00

Today's "fruit" is Faithfulness.

(For those who are just now reading up on my blog, I have been practicing the Fruits Of The Spirit for the past week...)

Thomas and I really try to live a faith-filled life and I believe that the Lord has truly blessed us from it. Living by Faith has become a natural lifestyle to us. It's become so easy! I heard a wise man once say "Make it easy on you and hard on God!" How do we encorporate living a life of Faith on a day-to-day basis? Simple.
1.We don't worry.
2.We know that God will provide everything and anything we need. No questions asked.
3.We tithe. Therefore, our finances are blessed.
4.We speak positively, even when circumstances seems impossible. (..."with God, all things are _______??)
5.We speak things that are not, as though they are. Read that sentence again.

This morning when I began spending time with the Lord, He spoke to my heart about what part of Faithfulness He wanted me to focus on. My mission today was to focus on the "devotion, thoroughness & loyalty" part of it.

Devotion & Loyalty: My heart's desire is to be %100 devoted to my Savior, and to rely on Him not just as Savior, but Lord. I long to be wholly devoted to Him. To hear His Heart and act upon it with such obedience and dedication.

Thoroughness: This is something I can learn from my husband. He has such a gift of being thorough. He pays attention to detail and accuracy to the point where it drives me absolutely nuts! Don't get me wrong! I get things done well, and usually very organized! But my heart's intention has a tendancy to just say, "Hurry up. Just get done with the basics so you can move on to another project." My prayer is to be sensitive to things that don't just matter to what I want, but rather to what others need.

patience

2009-04-24T13:54:00.003-05:00

Today has not been half as challanging as the past three days. As a Mother of a 2 1/2 year old, I have had a bit more practice with this particular "fruit".
(See below blogs...)

I looked up "Patience" and here is an interesting list of synonyms.
"...composure, stability, submissiveness, sufferance, qualities of calmness, and persistent courage in trying circumstances."

I like the last one the best!
"Persistent Courage in Trying Circumstances"

joy & peace

2009-04-23T19:49:00.002-05:00

Ask me if I knew what I was getting into? Answer: no.

Have you ever seen the movie Evan Almighty? If not, it's a must-see. Clean, funny and heartwarming. One of my favorite scenes from this movie is when the wife is talking to God at the diner (not knowing He is "God"). She is frustrated with her husband and with her life. Here is a golden tidbit...

God: "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

Man, oh man. That is a mouthful.

Yesterday's fruit was Joy. At 7:00am I rolled over sleepily and began to rub my eyes and begin my day. I had meditated on Joyfulness before going to bed the night before. I was ready!! Ha. I wasn't awake for 30 seconds before a sharp & excruciating Charlie Horse (leg cramp) took over my entire right leg. As I (very maturely) pounded my pillow and bit my tongue from screaming obscenities, I felt anything but Joy. To make matters even worse, as soon as the sharp cramp began to wear off, I tried to shift positions in bed causing yet ANOTHER cramp to come on! Needless to say, I limped around the house all morning and STILL am sore from the ordeal. Am I a wimp? Maybe. But IT HURT BAD. Thankfully, the day went smoother and I was able to restore some joy to my life. :)

Today's fruit was Peace. It was the most un-peaceful day ever. Isn't this sad!! I know God has a sense of humor, but really? Halfway through the day I began to question whether this "fruit a day" was a good idea. I was doing great 4 days ago. Now...it's been a battle every day! But it's good for me. I am growing! It hurts and it stresses me out, but....

"I would rather feel the pressure from the Potter's Hand than no pressure at all" -Mary Forsythe

I had several opportunities to get anxious & frustrated. (I won't even get into the details of my day!! Haha...) Each time something came up, I had to keep reminding myself.... of peace. Peace that passes ALL understanding. Yes, I had a short meltdown at around 5:00...but I made a decision to get my emotions under control and rely on the Prince of Peace. When I did that and put it all into perspective, everything that seemed as big as a mountain suddenly became an ant pile. I can deal with that.

Tomorrow is Patience....I'm going to bed early. :)

love

2009-04-21T15:40:00.003-05:00

Last night, when I was spending time with the Lord, I decided I would take the next 9 days to work on the Fruits of the Spirit. I'm taking one a day and asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me on how to better use those gifts on an everyday basis. Some flow naturally, but others I really want to get better at!

So today I started with Love. My first "love" test began at 1:30am this morning when my darling son would not stay in his bed. Ever since Aaron got sick last week, his schedule has been thrown off and he has been getting up multiple times at night. Usually, he goes to bed and stays asleep all night (unless to go potty). He's always been an easy kid when it comes to bedtime. Praise Jesus! BUT, the past several nights have been rough. Really rough. He's been waking up, coming in our room and crawling up into our bed. We have always been anti "kid-in-the-bed" so we just pick him up and take him back to bed. Well, let's just say we tucked him back in his bed about 14 different times last night between the wee hours of 1:30-5:00. Back and forth we went until we were both utterly exhausted. Finally at 5:00am, we caved and decided to let him lay down with us. It didn't even take him 2 minutes to fall fast asleep between us.

As I was getting ready this morning (with dark circles under my eyes), I pondered on Love. How could I show more Love today? Different scriptures came to mind.

...and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us (Eph 5:2)

....Love your neighbor as yourself

How could I truly put aside all selfishness and love others with a Pure Love as God loves me? How could I better communicate unconditional love to those around me?

If you've ever asked the Holy Spirit to constantly speak to you about something throughout your entire day, it's pretty amazing. It seemed like every minute I would hear Him whisper gently to me.
"Just email her and tell her you love her."
"Compliment that person's outfit."
"Reach over and touch your husband and tell him how much you love and appreciate him."
"Hold your son when he starts whining, instead of being harsh and corrective."
"Think about what that person may be dealing with today and have extra grace for them."
"Substitute encouraging words instead of being witty and sarcastic."
"Say that in a gentler way"
"Don't speak, just listen"

Love, love, love!

potty updates!

2009-04-14T17:33:00.003-05:00

Well, we did it! Aaron poo-pooed in the potty yesterday all by himself!

In the afternoons, I let him run around the house/backyard with a shirt and pull-ups (no pants) which makes this easier for him to go potty by himself. It has become exhausting for me to go back and forth to the bathroom, squat and help a 2 year old unzip his pants, stay in squat position while he does his business, and continue to squat to help him get his pants back on! So, we ditched the pants and he is able to go to the bathroom by himself, with the exception of me helping him put his pull-ups back on.
ANYWAY. Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch checking my emails and I noticed he kept making funny faces and running to the bathroom. He would sit for just a couple seconds, then get up. This went on for about 10 minutes and I began to get the idea he was "baking a cake." Sure enough, I walked toward the bathroom and saw him cringe and let a little yelp. I help him sit on the potty (because he didn't want to move) and not 2 seconds after his butt hit the seat...PLOP! :)

I squealed and cheered so much he said, "Mommy, no screaming!" (In my defense, I wasn't screaming...just got really excited!!) After rewarding him with 2 M&Ms, we called Daddy to celebrate the big accomplishment in the Humphries Home.

He has stayed dry all night for three nights in a row and dry for naptime as well. He'll occasionally have an accident in his pants, but overall is doing wonderfully.

...M&Ms are getting low...need to stock up again!

bored

2009-04-11T09:38:00.002-05:00

Thomas got home from "Man Trip" with some guy friends last night and I am being a good wife and letting him sleep in for his birthday...so I'm downstairs in my pjs at 9:30 and thinking, It's a good time to blog! :)

Well, I am feeling Ella kick and punch me like crazy now. She (just like Aaron) is most active at about 11pm and 8am. Basically I go to sleep getting kicked in the bladder and wake up getting kicked in the ribs. I stopped using "weeks" and started saying "months" when referring to how pregnant I am. 6 Months sounds good. Can I make it? YES I CAN! (Bob the Builder is on....)
Unfortunately, I had to refill my Zofran medication due to being sick every day this week. I take it before I eat a good lunch and it keeps me feeling good until about 9:00...so I've been eating extremely light for dinner (Cereal & Fruit or Juice...mainly). No biggie.

I had the HARDEST time finding Aaron some brown summer sandels this week! No joke, I went to 10 different stores before finally finding some at Shoe Carnival (it's BOGO there...so stock up, ladies!!!) He wears a 9 1/2 and has a THICK foot. Half the shoes he tried were too small in the thickness of the shoe...not the length. Needless to say, I was very pleased to find some good shoes yesterday! :) I also got some cute cute cute black flip-flops for myself at Carnival. Swollen feet and closed-toed shoes don't mix. I literally stretched a hole in my favorite black flats because of my puffy feet. The three body parts that grow immensely for me during pregnancy are: boobs, feet and the obvious...tummy! :)
Anyone know of good CHEAP pedicure places in Abilene? Gotta have cute toes....even if they do look like mini sausages!

This weekend is going to be amazing...I LOVE Easter Sunday. We have some special things planned for our service at Champions. I cannot WAIT!

the secret to getting away with anything!

2009-04-08T10:43:00.002-05:00

...Is being pregnant! How else can you get away with some of these things! If you did this and you were not pregnant, people would label you as weird, socially awkward or a gluttonous pig.

1. You can order pineapple and green pepper pizza and people think it's cute.

2. You can puke your toenails out in a public bathroom and people stop you at the sink to offer to buy you a sprite out of pity.

3. You can accidently let a little fart or your tummy can make crazy noises and people just smile at you.

4. At a birthday party, you can confidently ask for seconds on cake and people will be proud of you.

5. You can wear the same outfit several times a week (because it's the ONLY thing that fits you right now!). And no one cares!

6. You can gain 40 pounds in 6 months with no guilt or shame!!

Potty-training update....

2009-04-04T13:16:00.002-05:00

ALERT: This is a "Mommy Blog" and "potty" words are used frequently in this post. Beware.

We are now in full-time pull-ups during the day! AND, because Walgreens carries cheap but GOOD pull-ups, we are not having to spend almost $10 a week. Praise Jesus! :)

Aaron is doing really well! If I am consistant on having him sit on the potty every hour, then he goes! We are still working on "going" all the way and not just a little at a time. I give him 1 M&M every time he pee-pees. He only gets candy when he actually "goes" and that seems to help him get the point of going potty! He is even pottying in public places (Wal-Mart, etc...) when we are out doing errands.
We have not mastered poo-pooing...I guess I haven't caught him at the right time yet.

This method seems to work best for my Aaron. He hates being rushed and needs a laid-back environment in order to accomplish something different. I'm very proud of him. :)

this is too funny...

2009-03-31T15:44:00.002-05:00

Last night was an exciting game for the Champions Church softball team! After the 1st inning, we were down 12 runs and came back to beat them by about 12 runs!! Yay! We are 4-0 after last night! Go guys!!

I have to share this story...so hilarious.
Aaron came with me to the 6:30 game last night and I was truly impressed at how much attention he paid toward the game. For the majority of the time, he just sat next to me on the bleachers, watching the game intently, and cheering when they made a hit! It was funny to hear my 2 year old shouting out phrases like,
"All right!"
"Home Run!"
"Ooooh, Almost!"
"Good eye!" (Don't think he really understands that one...)
He has always LOVED sports and he will watch almost any sport in fastination. He is amazingly talented at all the Wii Sport games and hits a pretty hard line drive from his T-Ball stand! Gotta brag... :)

Anyways, at one point during the game he got up from his seat and walked over toward the dugout. I kept my eye on him as he approached one of our player's bat bag hanging outside the dugout. Something in it caught his eye and he reached up and pulled it out. A cup. Yes, a cup. A "pee-pee protecter cup", if you will. Trying to be discreet while the other Mom's were stifling giggles, I sweetly (but sternly) called to Aaron, "Oh honey, that's not yours! Please put it back right now."
Aaron kept turning it over in his hands, trying to figure the contraption out! Now here's the funny part: Faith Quinonez was standing near Aaron and when she saw his newfound discovery she skipped over to him and informed him in her Motherly tone, "Oh Aaron! That's a nose proctector! See?" And then she proceeded to place the "nose protector" over her nose to show him how to correctly use the device.
All of us Moms nearly fell out of the stands because we were laughing so hard. While Faith put the "nose protector" back in the bag, I was scrambling to find my hand sanitizer in my purse.

Oh what innocence! :)

that funny little feeling...

2009-03-30T14:14:00.002-05:00

Uh-oh. Spring is in the air. My windows are open. Time to CLLLEANN!!!!

There is something about Mondays that always send me into a crazy organization project. Today I completely took apart Aaron's booster seat, washed the fabric, hosed off the crusted cereal crumbs/fruit snacks that were embedded beneath the fabric and spent about 2 hours trying to figure out how to put it back together!
I also got the car vacuumed & washed. Yay for clean cars and carseats! I am now contemplating on how to dust our master-bedroom ceiling fan blades (which are hung about 12 feet from the floor....hmmm...)

Thomas and I bought a new juicer last week.

I can already tell a difference in my energy level from drinking a cup of juice a day. We made a decision last week to really make an effort at healthier eating. So we have been juicing for one meal (usually lunch) and having a small high-protein/low fat meal for the other. "Juice" usually consists of 1 apple, 1/2 orange, 1 or 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk and maybe a random broccoli or cantalope in there...
I LOVE juicing real citrusy fruits like grapefruit/lemon/apple and my personal fave is strawberry/kiwi/apple. Those are more like desserts than meals!! Ha! Watermelon is also really good, but I prefer to just eat that.
Anyways, tonight's menu consists of talapia, steamed rice and broccoli. (....not in the juicer...lol)

...and for those of you that noticed on FB....I did cheat today and make HOMEBAKED sugar cookies. Hey, at least they are low-fat!!! ;)

I will be 22 weeks tomorrow. Everything has been going much more smoothly. I've only been sick about once a week for the past 3 weeks. YAY! We have pretty much decided on "Ella" as our baby girl's name. Not quite sure on the middle name yet...but we have a couple we are debating over. My next appointment is on the 13th and I think I get to do the wonderful glucose sugar testing thingymabopper. Mmmm... I love me some sugary orange soda! ;)

Well, that's all for now! I am going to take advantage of naptime to get a few more things done around here...ceiling fan HERE I COME!!!!!!

i'm loving this...

2009-03-17T20:53:00.001-05:00

Here's the bedding I have picked out for our baby girl's room. When I saw it, I just knew-this is the one!!

and matching lamp...

and wallpaper border...

and pretty little baskets!!

a whole new world

2009-03-16T15:44:00.002-05:00

The past several mornings I've awakened to sharp cramps and what feels like indigestion. This morning at 4:00am, I couldn't go back to sleep because of that nagging discomfort. So, after tossing and turning for a couple hours, I decided I must be experiencing Braxton Hicks. I went ahead and called my doctor at 9:00 just to ask the nurse if these cramps were normal. I didn't expect her to tell me to go ahead and come in at 1:00! So I got dressed, went to WalMart and did a few errends. The nag never went away, but it was never really unbearable or anything...just sharp and mainly annoying!
Thomas was able to get out of work to come to the appointment and I am SO glad he did! My sonogram was suppose to be next Monday, so I was surprised to find out they wanted to go ahead and check out the baby today!!! On the way to the doctor's office, I joked with Thomas, "I'm wearing a bright pink shirt today...is that a sign??" We laughed. Haha.

I knew that everything was fine with our baby, but it is such a wonderful feeling to actually SEE the heart pumping and beating. As I watched the screen, we saw all 10 fingers and toes, arms stretched high over a perfectly round head, and....nothing in between her legs. "Looks like a girl, at first glance!" the doctor announced to us. I laughed, "Now, when you say 'looks like', what percentage would you say?"
"I would say 90-95% based on what we are seeing here." He replied

Stunned. That was the only emotion I felt for a few minutes. I didn't believe him! No way.....

I guess I am still a little bit in denial even now!! Calling my family and saying the words "she" and "her" was so foreign to me. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that we will have a sweet daughter along with our little boy, but I was just SO SURE....

Anyways...because the appointment was so last minute, he was moving quickly through the measurments. He did say he was very pleased with the way she was measuring. We got a picture of her feet and hands....will post later! Turns out the cramps I was feeling were stretching pains because I am carrying her so low. They said it's possible she might be pushing on a nerve as well...

Oh my word. A little daughter. I cannot wait!! Girl clother are wayyy cuter than boy clothes and I cannot WAIT to go buy some cute outfits with matching bows and shoes...ahhh. So much fun!!!

i never know what to put in the title...

2009-03-15T18:34:00.004-05:00

Today is the last day of our Spring Break. Oh, how I wish it was longer!!
We decided VERY last minute to get out of town on a much needed family-time vacation. Using my mad priceline skills, I got us a gorgeous room at the Sheraton in Arlington for an el cheapo rate of $40.00!

The original plan was to drive in on Wednesday morning, see Preston and Ashley, go to the Omni, stay the night, go to the Dallas Children's Museum, go home. We ended up having such an enjoyable time together we stayed an extra night and went to the Parks Mall. I think that was the first official "family" vacation since Aaron was born! We have traveled as a family, but usually to stay with friends and family. This time it was just US. We did whatever we wanted as a family with no time restraints or schedules. It really warmed my heart to just be with my boys.

Tomorrow is back to reality! I have Monday to get my grocery shopping, laundry and phone calls done before Aaron heads back to school and I back to work on Tuesday. Oh by the way, potty-training didn't happen this week. Go figure. He has shown a little more interest lately and sometimes stays dry during the night and during naptime! No rush...I just would love having a short "no diaper" period between kids...

I'll be 20 weeks on Tuesday and I love reading the pregnancy week to week calendars online. (www.pregnancy.about.com)
This specific website stated that at 20 weeks, my baby is measuring around 9.8 inches and weighing approx. 10oz!! That seems a bit hard to believe that my baby weighs the same as a steak I ate a few days ago. Amazing....I'll be excited to know MY baby's measurements next Monday. Every now and then I still have to pull out my pills at night to keep the nausea away, but that's down to just a few nights a week. PRAISE GOD!
I was sad this morning when I got out my black Express slacks to wear to church and the button no longer reached. So I'm down to my last pair of pants that fit. My good ol' jeans. Hopefully, this weather will warm up and stay warm where I can get out my capris, skirts and shorts! Until then, if you see me wearing the same pair of jeans every day...well...sorry!

Phase 1

2009-03-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

Spring Break is here. So is potty-training.

On Thursday (last week) I had Aaron put on his new underwear. After 2 straight hours of "trying" every 15 minutes, he was frustrated and crying. He hated going potty and I was getting a headache. Even after chugging two cups of juice, the kid just wouldn't pee!! So after what seemed like the 18th time of "trying", I went into the kitchen to cook dinner. Not 5 minutes after he was sitting on the pot, I hear a gush of liquid from the living room. I pop my head around the corner to see Aaron grinning from ear to ear. "I clean it up now!" He said cheerfully. So much for that. I stuck a diaper on him and called it a day.

Fast-forward to today. This morning I had a ton of errands to do, so I decided to have another try at it after naptime. I put him to bed around 1:30 and he slept until 4:00. As soon as I heard him wake up, I took him to the bathroom where I discovered a miracle: A CLEAN diaper. Sure enough, after a few minutes he PEED! I was so happy. So on went the pull-up and off we went to get a prize from the Potty Treat Bag. That was the only pee pee accomplishment today, but it was enough for me! He tried several more times this afternoon, but we never made it at the right time.

Aaron's personality is very cautious and he absolutely HATES being rushed at anything. So I am taking this slow for his sake. In the past when I push him, he resists. In fact, he completely turns off to any idea I throw too fast at him. I decided not to keep my expectations too high and just hope I get him potty-trained before college. That's my goal! :)

springtime

2009-03-04T15:24:00.003-06:00

I felt the need to blog...since it's been a while!

Had a Dr. Appt today and that went wonderfully. We heard the little one's very LOUD heartbeat and it made me smile. Originally my Dr. said I would find out the sex today, but apparently decided to wait until I was a little farther along. At first I was dissapointed, but realized that in two weeks things will be bigger and much clearer. Next appointment is March 23rd. I've gained back another 6lbs which was good and am feeling almost back to normal.

We bought Aaron some new "big boy underwear" the other day. He picked out Cars themed undies.

I plan on potty-training all next week. He still doesn't mind wearing diapers (wet or dirty!) so it might not happen as quickly as I hoped. We'll see. As long as he's out of them by Baby #2, I will be satisfied!

BIG NEWS. Our church signed a contract on the Mansion yesterday! So it's official. Champions Church will soon be the new owner of Abilene's White Mansion. This is so huge for our church. For years, we have had numerous prophets and apostolic leaders (Mary Forsythe, Larry Titus, Ron Campbell etc.) prophesy about how this mansion will soon be used for Kingdom purposes through Champions Church. Even before Thomas and I were married, we began praying for those gates to swing open!! It feels like Spring to me. New changes. New growth. Fresh winds. And beautiful things beginning to bloom. I am so so so so excited for this new season. More about the mansion later. Including PICTURESSS!!

My 22nd birthday is on Friday. I long to be past 21. Our day so far looks like: Lunch with Mom and Granma at Bonzai (SUSHI!!) and game night with friends at church while Aaron stays the night with Oma & Opa. I think I am even more excited about sleeping in on Saturday morning....it's been awhile since we've been able to do that. (Cito has been getting up at 6:15 recently...ugh.)

That's all for now...

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2009-02-14T12:54:00.002-06:00

The banquet went beautifully and we are finally enjoying a relaxing weekend HOME together. This week has been CRAZY busy for me.

Today I got to go do my FAVORITE thing! Get. A. Haircut. There are few things that compare to having someone wash your hair while you rest comfortably on a chair without getting water in your eyes....ahh...pure bliss. As a mom, I have come to appreciate the little things! I got about 1 1/2 inches off and it feels SO much better.

"V" is very very...extraordinary!

2009-02-02T16:43:00.000-06:00

I think the Lord knew I needed a little pick-me-up. :) He is always so faithful...especially in the little things. Have you ever wanted something that is considered a little self-centered and maybe even meaningless to some people, but would mean THE WORLD to you? Before my friend Ashley met her husband (Cameron) she had asked the Lord for her future husband to love Jeeps! And when she met Cameron, he drove up in (can you guess?) a black Jeep. It might've sounded silly or completely unreasonable, but God honored that simple request!

Anyways! Back to today. Champions has the 4th annual Romance Banquet coming up next Thursday (12th). With the "baby bump" beginning to grow, I have been wringing my hands on WHAT TO WEAR. The banquet is something I look forward to every single year. It's a time we get to dress up and be in a fancy environment with our friends. I personally LOVE feeling like a princess for a night. :)

Theses are from 2 Years Ago

This morning I went to the mall and thought I would drop by Dillards to check their formal dress sections. Lots of times there are good sales there! (I got the dress shown above at Dillards...) I had already settled that this year would probably be the year that I wore a skirt or a nice maternity blouse. But I still had a teeny hope of finding SOMETHING! My wishful goal was to find a dress that would stretch or hide "the bump". I walked through the section and found 2 dresses that were "OK" and one that I absolutely LOVED. So I tried on the "OK" ones and they were both really pretty. But the next one was perfect. Not only was it my favorite color, but the material was perfect for the trimester I am in now. It stretched cutely over the bump and was actually very flattering. I stood in front of the mirror for several minutes just smiling and almost giggling at how PERFECT this would be. Then...the price tag. *dun dun dun*

I kinda have this rule when I'm shopping for dresses: Never look at the price tag until AFTER I try on the dress. That way, I don't talk myself into liking one better than the other just because of the price. I knew when I tried on "the dress" that it was (by far!) the most expensive out of the three. So I took a deep breath and pulled out the tag. $140.00 marked down to $78.00! Well, as good of a deal as that, it was still too high for our budget at the moment. I had about $40.00 that I could spend. I decided to go ahead and have them hold it at the front...just in case. My mind began to think of ways to make some extra cash this week. Sell the XBox that we NEVER play? Last minute garage sale...ugh. Donate plasma?
I chewed on my thoughts as I handed the "most gorgeous dress of all time" to the Dillards saleswoman.
"Do you mind checking the price on that dress, just to make sure it's not on sale?" I asked casually. The lady got out her gun and zapped the barcode and the number on the screen made my heart jump! $35.00!!!

So...I bought my dress. I got home and twirled in front of the mirror for 30 minutes. A little thing...but it made my day. :)

Amatee

2009-01-30T09:48:00.000-06:00

I am sitting here watching Aaron and Thomas play Wii Baseball. It is the cutest thing. Aaron really knows how to play! In fact, he has beaten Thomas fair and square 4-2. We've created alot of our family and friends as Mii characters and each time one of them hits or makes a catch, Aaron says, "Good Job Mimi!" or "Almost Andrew!" It's hilarious. Just now, my sister-in-law hit a home run and he jumped up and exclaimed, "Home Run Ashley!!"

Anyways, a few minutes ago my Mii character was up to bat and Thomas said "There's Amity." Aaron looked at the Mii, back at Thomas and said "Amatee? Barbara Amatee.." (and continued to sing the popular Veggie Tales Song "Barbara Manatee")

*sigh*

A coke a day...

2009-01-26T17:41:00.000-06:00

...keeps the headaches and nausea away! Thank you KATY!
I've never experience real migranes until just recently. Ugh. How many pregnancy symptoms ARE THERE? With Aaron, I ditched the caffeine almost the entire pregnancy. Haha...and just last week I became a coffee drinker (decaf) and a coke-a-day girl.

Oh, and this is pretty interesting! The other day I was lying on the couch and began feeling little flutterings and movement in my tummy. I laid really still and just waited...and they kept coming. I hollered at Thomas and he pressed his hand down where I was feeling them and looked at me wide-eyed. It was really neat. So yes, it's an active one! :)

Productivity is so wonderful

2009-01-23T17:35:00.000-06:00

This week was so productive! Aaron was back in school from being sick last week, I was able to go to work, and I thoroughly cleaned my house. It was a Good week.

Mother's Day Out has been a lifesaver for me. Aaron gets a fun day of interaction with other kids, crafts and games, while I get to be in the office and get all my ECM work done. Right now with the Valentines's Banquet coming up, my plate has been extra full at work. But I like it!

Connect Groups started up this week so my "Weekly Wednesday Cleaning" began again. Our home serves as a host home on Wednesday nights since Thomas and I are both at church. It's nice to have a little motivation to REALLY clean every single week. Over the holiday break, I got a bit spoiled and the cleaning began to pile up!

Yesterday, Thomas and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary. We made a lunch date at Fuji's and enjoyed having a meal alone together. After lunch he surprised me with a massage appointment at Absolute Perfection Day Spa. It was wonnnnnddeerrrrfulllll! I sent him to play golf today in return.

Well, gotta get dinner on the table.

freedom (by Run Kid Run)

2009-01-16T19:31:00.000-06:00

Have you heard that song? It's probably one of my favorite songs on the radio right now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJSl8F3Lkzg
There is a line in the bridge that says:

I scream "Father, please!
I need rescuing,
I need You and You alone!"

When I was between the ages 6-13 I would play dress up with my siblings. Rebekah would usually be the damsel in distress, Andrew would be the quiet hero, and I would usually be the rebellious character. I'd be the girl that would jump on a horse and be right there with the "heros". I'd kill off bad guys and scoff defiantly at the enemy. I'd play the Princess that would sneak out of the castle to embark on some dangerous, forbidden journey that would lead to a heroic victory. Sometimes I would even play the boy character, just because I was better at it!! I liked being the hero! I liked saving the day! Of course, I would occasionally play the Princess who would be swept off her feet by the gallant Prince, but there was never something romantic about your 4-year old brother coming to "rescue" you.

As I grew older, something began to tug on my heartstings. I longed to be rescued. I got tired of being the hero and the tough girl. I longed to swoon in Someone's arms and be completely vulnerable and trusting. But our society has taught women (and girls) to be catty, quick-witted and sarcastic. Be quick to cut others down, then slow to build them up. It's suppose to be sexy and attractive. The world has taught us that we don't dare show our weakness or let our guard down for a second. Once our trust gets broken, our heart gets hardened so we "toughen up." We begin to think that we can take care of ourselves and we don't allow ourselves to ever be rescued.

But that is not the desire of our Prince. He desperately longs for us to raise our arms in surrender to Him and present every weakness and every need to Him in a pure, transparent way. He joys in sweeping us off our feet and carrying us to a peaceful place. He takes us out of the darkest places and "trades us a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness." (Isaiah 61:3)

Father, please,
I need rescuing!
I need You and You alone....

thursday

2009-01-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

Yes, I updated the site a bit because it was a getting a little boring for my taste. Here are a few updates:

Me: I'm 11 weeks and doing great. Zofran in the morning and Phenigren at night has worked wonders for me. The "nag" is constantly there, but I'm learning to adjust around it. I am craving the weirdest things. I crave things I haven't eaten in YEARS! Like fishsticks! And today, I got the oddest craving for those hot dogs with cheese inside of them. Wow...it's probably been 12 years since I've had one of those. Oh, and sweet tarts. Mmmmm.
I was watching "A Baby Story" today and the episode was about a woman who had a water birth. I love watching those shows and seeing all different kinds of people and different ways of birthing.

Aaron: Aaron got sick with pnemonia and was home from school all week. Here he is taking what he calls his "dinosaur medicine!" Poor baby.

I'm glad he will be better by next week because the firefighters and firetrucks are visiting his school and he wouldn't want to miss that. I hope they take pictures....
He has really enjoyed "school" (Tuesday, Thursdays 9-2:30).

Fam: My sis-in-law, Ashley was admitted to Baylor Hospital in Grapevine where she will be until the twins are born. She's 26 weeks pregnant and they are hoping to make it to 36 weeks. Since she is at risk for early delivery, the Dr.s want to keep a close eye on things. Contractions have stopped, and now they have named her room "The Baby Farm" because she is confined to her bed with the sole purpose of "growing the babies." I thought that was cute. :)

Our 4 year anniversary is coming up in a week! We are agononizing over the decision of going out on a much needed DATE or attending the LOST season premier party (which is the highlight of the semester!). *sigh*....will try to make the decision soon.
I got this sweet email from my husband last week. The Subject Line read: Want to Go on a Date?

"To The Caribbean on a cruise for our fifth anniversary in 2010?
Little _____ or ______* will be 6 months old and ready to stay with Oma and MiMi for a few days.
Think about it. Love you!

T"

*i hid names...

Soooo....we'll see! I doubt we will go in January because the baby will probably be nursing exclusively until at least 8 months. But maybe late Spring, or early Summer. This email was so heartwarming to me because, if you know my husband, he DOES NOT EVER plan things. He is a last minute kind of guy. So this was HUGE to me, being a big plan-aheader.

That's about it.

Monday

2009-01-12T17:55:00.000-06:00

Thoughts of my day....

1. Rice Cakes should not have the word "cake" in it's title.

2. Warm gatorade doesn't taste that bad...

3. It's OK for Aaron to stay in his pjs all day.

4. Bubble baths are wonderful.

5. Ginger Ale is overrated.

6. It's better to eat then puke, then never eat at all...(haha, get it?!)

I'm back!

2009-01-07T15:52:00.000-06:00

Not quite 100%, but slowly working in that direction! I am eating so much better and found that fishsticks (of ALL things) taste so good to me! Then yesterday I tried a Sweet Onion Chicken Teryaki sandwich at Subway...mmmmm...it was amazing! Have you seen that soup commercial where the guy says "Mmmm...I like the taste of taste!" Yeah. That describes my eating life right now. It's like the Hallelujah Chorus plays when I eat something with FLAVOR! :) Still staying away from really heavy or spicy foods for now.
Had another Dr appt today and the scale showed a 5 pound difference from last week! YES! (Jeans, sweater and shoes helped...*ahem*, but STILL!!!)

Saw Baby again today! She/He was moving around like crazy! I told the Dr. it was finally happy that I was eating! Heartbeat was steady and strong. In this picture you can see its eyes and mouth...pretty amazing!

i need a change....stat!

2009-01-02T13:35:00.000-06:00

I seriously don't know how much longer I can deal with this. My typical day usually started with a "to do" list of all the things I would get done that day. And I would get them ALL done. Laundry. Dishes. Grocery Store. Thank you cards. Work. House cleaning. Phone calls. I would end my day with a clean home, a well fed family and a day filled with stuff "that got DONE!"
Other than my laundry accomplishment yesterday, I haven't been able to get ANYTHING done in way too long. I hate asking Thomas to do everything. And I really try to have him do the bare minimum. Change Aaron's diaper every few hours. Clean up the dried yogurt from the kitchen floor. Run out to the store for "just a few things".
But I am getting to the point where I feel so annoyed because I am stuck on the couch trying everything in my willpower not to throw up the Boost drink I just had and leaving my husband to do everything I SHOULD BE doing! I hate this. I hate watching TV all day. I hate it. I am so stuck in this emotional rut today. I go from being frustrated to bawling my eyes out.
I'm not blogging this to send a message that I need anything from anyone...it's mainly just to fume. I know I can call on any of my amazing friends and family and they would be here in a heartbeat. I just hate that I can't do what needs to be done.

I've lost a stinkin 18 pounds with my Dr. telling me if I lose another 3lbs by Wednesday, he is putting back in the hospital. I will NOT go back there! It does no good! I am not going to eat any more THERE than I would here. Seriously, if I COULD eat, I WOULD! Right now, if I try anything heavier than a bagel with cream cheese it ends up in the toilet. I am not scared of gaining weight. I would gain 80lbs in a heartbeat if I could just feel better! So I decided that I would wear my heaviest clothes to the next appt (jeans, sweater, belt, boots, heavy change in my pockets....) and chug as much gatorade as humanly possible right before I hit the scale. Yep. I'll cheat!! I am taking all my vitamins, drinking protein drinks, and keeping down as many calories and fat as I can...just not gaining weight yet.

.....I really am thankful that all this is eventually going to turn into an amazing blessing for our family. A sweet baby! I am thankful to be pregnant. I know that's a HUGE thing and some people wait years just to be expecting! But this is where I am at right now. I'm just really having a hard time....

Happy New Year....Happy Laundry Room!

2009-01-01T15:57:00.000-06:00

My laundry has piled up. This is what happens when Mommy is sick all day and doesn't care that all her clothes are in the dirty hamper. (Because I just wear pj's and slippers ALL DAY EVERY DAY! Whooopee.)

But today, being New Years, I really wanted to do something productive...but not too tiring. So I conquered the laundry! My day was spent loading, lying down, switching, folding, putting away, lying down, loading, lying down, folding, etc etc etc.
UNTIL IT WAS DONE!

And now...there are NO piles of laundry anywhere in sight. Ahhh...it's a good day.
Here are a couple more pics of the pretty clean laundry room. Below shows the picture my sweet sister made for me for Christmas this year. Yes, she made it all by herself! :)

And here are some pictures I took on my trip to Europe in 2002. They turned out so pretty!

So YAY! I start off 2009 with a squeaky clean laundry room. :) Now onto the pantry!!!

Sonogram

2008-12-31T20:09:00.000-06:00

Here she/he is!! A whole inch long! :)
The heartbeat was quick and strong, and Dr. said everything looked "perfect."

just an update...

2008-12-28T19:59:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it's getting a little better. The new medicine (Zofran) does not make me sleepy and has helped alot with the nausea. It took about a week to kick in. Either that, or my hormones are leveling out a bit. Who knows. :)
I graduated from crackers, oatmeal and string cheese to chicken, cereal and soup. Yay! I miss fajitas so much. I am used to eating them AT LEAST twice a week. I mean, that is MY FOOD. So...I figure, give me another week or two and maybe I will have a beautiful plate of sizzling beef fajitas with sour cream, guacamole, cheese and SALSA in front of me. I will be drooling. Haha...I am drooling now!!!
OK, enough about food. Today I really enjoyed the service today at church. I love worship so much. I long to just break free and dance around the room like no one is watching. His presence is so sweet. We sang one of my favorite songs that I haven't sung in FOREVER! I think the title is "When I think about the Lord." The words are so simple and pure...but speak such gratitude.

when i think about the Lord
how He saved me, how He raised me
how He filled me with the Holy Ghost
how He healed me to the uttermost
when i think about the Lord
how he picked me up
turned me around
how He set my feet
on solid ground

it makes me want to shout
hallelujah! thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you're worthy
of all the glory, and all the honor
and all the praise!
Hallelujah! thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you're worthy
of all the glory, and all the honor
and all the praise!

Love it. My husband preached the message this morning about hope. I am always so proud to watch him speak. He has so much wisdom and speaks in front of people with such EASE! He constantly amazes me....and he looks pretty hot with a microphone. ;)
Thomas also spoke briefly of not being complacent of where you are at in your walk with the Lord. I'm not content. I want to go deeper! I want to be used. I want people to look at Amity and see Jesus. Another favorite song of mine has these words that clearly define how I feel.

"Open up my eyes to the things unseen,
Show me how to love like YOU have loved me!
Break my heart for what breaks Yours...."

That's about it for now...I'm looking forward to a New Year! I'm so excited to see what is in store for the Humphries' family in 2009.

Grilled Cheese and Heartbeats

2008-12-17T16:41:00.000-06:00

Today I ate a grilled cheese. It tasted AMAZING.
Grilled Cheeses always strike up the same conversation between my husband and I. One of the greatest husband/wife debates of all time.

Is it better to butter the PAN or butter the BREAD for a perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

I say PAN, hands down!!! It just tastes better!

...as you can guess, my husband says BREAD.

Something we may never agree on. Oh well.

I also had a Dr. Appt today! He did a sonogram and I got to see our sweet little teeny baby's heartbeat. It was such a relief to me. As much as I have been claiming perfect growth and development over our precious baby, I was getting concerned about it not getting enough nutrition. I really HAVE tried to eat...but nothing seems to set right. (Until this wonderful grilled cheese miracle!)
So, it was sweet to see that steady heartbeat....
Dr. changed my pills. We'll see how these work better. :)

August seems so far away.....

2008-12-15T19:08:00.000-06:00

So....we were going to wait until after Christmas to break the news, but after the whole hospital-stay thing, news travels fast! WE'RE PREGNANT! Yay!
Due date is August 4th, but we will probably have a scheduled C-Section end of July.
We found out the day before Thanksgiving and when we told Aaron that "Mommy has a baby in her tummy", he lifted my shirt and said, "Not here!". :) Then, we asked him if he wanted a brother or sister....he thought for a second and answered firmly, "A friend!" Oh so sweet...

I have a Dr. appt on Thursday to do another sonogram. I've been sick as a dog for several weeks now. December 4th was the last day that I actually kept a meal down. Since then, I have lost 11 pounds, upchucked 500 gazillion times and chugged two 6-packs of purple gatorade. I had a REALLY good day yesterday (Sunday) and ate two crackers with chicken salad on them! (and kept it down) Today was OK. I woke up feeling a bit queezy, but refrained from taking my meds. (They knock me out all morning and don't really help) I took advantage of my sudden burst of energy and caught up with the laundry, dishes, etc....all that stuff that piles up when Mommy is sick. Anyways, I took my meds (Don't remember how it's spelled, but it sounds like "fenigrin") and took a nap this afternoon while Aaron slept. That was nice. Tonight I'm back to puking and telling my husband to lay off the cologne again. Everything SMELLS!!! I mean...STRONG! ugh. I wasn't sick one day in the 40 weeks of pregnancy with Aaron, so I'm betting on this one being a sweet little girl. Who know, though.

But speaking of Thomas, I must say this: He has been my knight in shining armor these past few weeks. He has worked tirelessly to change dirty diapers (potty traing is on hold...haha), get Aaron dinner, give Aaron a bath, put Aaron to bed, run out to the store for Ginger Ale, Ginger Tea, Ginger Snaps, Lemon chillers, etc... He has been AMAZING. He even insisted on staying with me at the hospital when they stuck me in there for bad dehydration. Yes...he slept on those dreaded blue hospital chair/bed thingys. He was a trooper. AND!! Didn't even ask to watch sports while we were there! LOVE YOU T!

Anyways, we are really excited and blessed to have another little one on the way. Like I said in the title, August seems SO far away...but hopefully will be here soon. :)

Thanks for your prayers and your encouragement!

Holidays

2008-11-25T15:24:00.000-06:00

I was really in a funk yesterday. I mean REALLY! I usually look forward to the holidays with the excitement of a kid in a candy store, but actually caught myself dreading this week! Yesterday, I was so busy wallowing in self pity and depression, I totally forgot about the entire meaning of Thanksgiving! I mean...hello!
Everyone knows that most holidays bring out how crazy or dysfunctional your family is. Some more than others.

But I had to really sit back and focus on Phil 4:6:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God."

I am thankful! God has given me a wonderful husband. A precious son. A beautiful home. A supporting family. An awesome church family. Incredible friends. Amazing jobs. Chocolate....

So have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I will.

Big Boy Room

2008-11-17T15:19:00.000-06:00

It's coming together! We finished painting this weekend and got his bed set up.
(Sorry about the spots on my camera)

I want to get these signs for his room.

funny stuff

2008-11-17T15:08:00.000-06:00

I always find the most interesting things when cleaning....

Here is a letter that Thomas received his Senior year at Amarillo High from a 2nd Grader. ( The Elementary kids were asked to write the Seniors a letter adressing drinking alcohol on graduation night )
Here is the letter (without corrections to grammer/spelling)

Dear, Thomas Humphries
Do not Drink on graduation night. If you do you could nbe smashed in a car. If you smoke a nickel of pot you "will" be very Dumb. Do not get high or else you will be gone-

sincerly
David W

>Haha....I laugh every time I read this! Sweet little David! :) <

Boys...

2008-11-08T15:46:00.000-06:00

I got this forwarded to me and I thought it was cute...

You find out interesting things when you have sons, like...

1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft.
house 4 inches deep.

2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with
roller blades, they can ignite.

3.) A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a
crowded restaurant.

4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not
strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and
a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint
can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5.) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on.
When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a
baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7.) When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.

8.) Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9.) A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even
though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10.) Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old Boy.

11.) Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12.) Super glue is forever.

13.) No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14.) Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15) VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20.) The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24.) 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their
friends, with or without kids.

25.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

lost and found.

2008-11-06T15:14:00.000-06:00

I was cleaning house and found some notes to a song that I wrote when I was 15...
He is Faithful.

(verse 1)
It's 1:00AM and you're up again
So lonely and confused
So sick of being no one
And tired of being used
You wanna relax and just fall into
Someone's arms and feel loved
Hang on a little while more
Cause Someone's about to come

(Chorus)
He is the One you give your troubles to
So let those burdens go
When you're crying at night
He sees those tears fall
And He just wants you to know,
"I am the One who made your every part
Especially that fragile heart.
Don't give it away that easily!
Child, if you would only trust Me."

(verse 2)
You think that boy who just caught your eye
Could be the one to love
He could hold you close and kiss your tears away
Like an angel from above
So you pour out your heart and give yourself away
Not thinking about the end
When he leaves you stranded
Alone and rejected
Who to turn to now?

(repeat Chorus)

(bridge)
He will always be there to pick you up
Every time you fall down hard
And when you go to Him with a humble heart
He only sees a Child of God!!

D-O-N-E

2008-10-20T14:15:00.000-05:00

All Done! (Except clean up...and a few accessories)

Day 3: it's coming together!!

2008-10-18T10:46:00.001-05:00

They say it should be finished today...we'll see!!!

2 years

2008-10-17T15:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Pablo-Cito!!

Day 2: The Frame

2008-10-17T11:28:00.000-05:00

The frame is nearly completed at the end of Day 2!

Aaron makes sure that Opa and Dada are following the correct directions.

Day One.

2008-10-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

We have begun the great Swingset Project. Here are pictures from DAY ONE.
Went to Lowes. Bought LOTS of wood. Thomas begins the staining process.

Breathing

2008-09-23T10:08:00.000-05:00

That's what I'm listening to right now at 10:15AM. Quiet, smooth and peaceful breathing of my sweet son.
Aaron started wheezing really bad on Sunday afternoon, along with coughing and constant fussing. I took him into our pediatrician yesterday (Monday) because it wasn't stopping...actually it was getting worse. He also wouldn't eat. (Which, if you know Aaron, that's CRAZY)
The Dr. came in and took one listen to his heaving chest and went to go get a breathing treatment started for little Cito.
I left the Dr's office with 3 perscriptions in hand and had a full day of stopping at 3 different pharmacies/medical supply stores. Now, after 5 breathing treatments at home, he is resting peacefully. Thank God. He slept all through the night and only needed to take one treatment at 6:00AM.

Thomas and I are praying and believing in faith that these symptoms will cease immediately! and won't be something Aaron has to deal with any more.

"...if you ask anything in MY NAME, I will do it." John 14:14

Growing up.

2008-09-22T07:48:00.000-05:00

Aaron turns 2 in 25 days, and the day is quickly appoaching where he will need to transition to a "big boy" bed. I found this bedding that I absolutely LOVE for him. (He loves drums, guitars...anything musical)

Now, I am on the prowl for a twin bed set, dresser & nightstand!! I've looked at Wal-Mart and Target (online) and everything seems to be too elaborate for what we need! I just want something simple and somewhat cheap! I mean, he will be using this bed during the roughest, rowdiest, most "interesting" years of his life. I want something that won't make me cringe when I walk into his room and he is jumping off of his bed onto his dresser...or whatever little boys do. Haha. Anyways...I'll keep watching for one. Maybe I find one at a garage sale...

Speaking of GARAGE SALES! I discovered a new favorite hobby. Last weekend, knowing that Thomas would be mowing/doing yardwork from 8AM-2PM (at least), I bought a newspaper on Friday night and scouted out 12 nearby garage sales. I organized a list of the perfect garage sale route, including detailed directions of where each one was, then headed out (with steaming hot chocolate in hand) at promptly 8:00AM. We had borrowed our good friend's portable DVD player and so I plugged in good ol faithful Blues Clues and my little one was as content as could be!
Here are a few things I came home with!

*A BRAND NEW Breadmaker! = $5.00

*2 Cute stand thingys...don't know what to do with these yet... = $0.50

A Scrabble Game = $1.00

A Scene It? Jr. Game $2.00

And a big race car toy for Aaron! = 25 cents

That's all for now! :)

4 Months Later....

2008-09-20T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's how long it's been since I've last blogged. So sad!
Summer is officially over and what a summer it was!!

Today I completely organized our "Nook" in our living room. Since it has a curtain in the doorway of it, we've kinda made it our "whatever doesn't have a home" room. In other words, it was filled with random books, old cell phones, board games, cassettes, tons of CDs, computers, a printer and billions of pages of sheet music! Literally. Billions. It was ridiculous.
So, here was my thinking:
"I just got this gorgeous, shiny, brand-new laptop and I AM NOT going to put in any old unorganized room!!!"

So I made it nice!

She's Baaaack!

2008-05-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

The church has closed on the Wylie Swim Club and I have been up to my neck in "pool stuff". I also took a 10 day lifeguarding certification course!
My husband was excited about that! He told me "Now you can do that cool whistle-twirl-on-your-finger-thing that lifeguards do!"
Yes darling, I spent 30 hours getting certified and pulling a 190 lb person with a spinal injury out the bottom of a 12 foot pool to "twirl my whistle." Sigh.
So finally, my days are slowing down a bit and life is getting back to normal. Like today, we actually ate at home...during normal meal times!
So to all my friends (ahem, or all 3 of you that read this...) I am sorry if I have been out of touch with you! I miss you! After this week, it will be alot better.

Tag, I'm it!

2008-05-05T16:04:00.000-05:00

Katy tagged me! I'm glad because I have been blanking on what to blog......

4 jobs I have had in my life:
1. Cashier at United
2. Babysitting (every day Monday-Friday- 2 summers in a row)
3. Teller at ASB
4. ECM Coordinator at Champions Church

4 movies I have watched more than once:
1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. Nacho Libre
3. The Count of Monte Cristo
4. Benji.....Aaron's favorite "Pupee Movie"

4 Places I have lived:
1. Abilene, TX
2. Chester, NH
3. Groton, MA
4. Derry, NH

4 TV shows I watch:
1. LOST (need I say more?)
2. Beauty & The Geek ( oh Joe.....)
3. Rachael Ray
4. Law & Order (sometimes....)

4 Places I have been:
1. London, England
2. Paris, France
3. Plum Island, MA (where we got engaged....*romantic sigh*....)
4. Denver, CO

4 of my favorite foods:
1. Beef Fajitas from Tamollys
2. Stuffed Meat Pizza from Dantes
3.Bistro Cornbread Crackers with Vermont Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (& a glass of Fresca)
4. Twix

4 Places I would like to visit:
1. Bahamas
2. Italy
3. Australia
4. Lake Tahoe (to ski)

4 Things I am looking forward to in the coming year
1. Champs Camp Xstreme!!!
2. Possibly going on a cruise this fall
3. Getting pregnant sometime AFTER August/cruise
4. being more and more blessed with God's provision in finances and relationships (that's right! Me too, Katy!!!)

4 Bloggers I am tagging
1. Ashley S
2. Crystal D
3. Dad
4. D'Nae

Take me out to the ball game...or two!

2008-04-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday (April 10th) was my darling husband's 30th Birthday. I decided to whisk him away on a Mini Manly Birthday Vacation to DFW. (By manly, I mean, doing manly things...not girly things like spa treatments or Celine Dion concerts)
So we got up on Thursday morning, picked up our favorite car trip buddies (Isaiah & Amanda) and hit the road to the Texas Rangers Ballpark.
The game for the night before got rained out, so our tickets turned out to be good for 2 games that day! (one at 4:00 and one at 7:30) Yes. We stayed for both games. The whole thing. Both games. Like I said, Manly Vacation.

It was SUPER fun though! Here are a few highlights of the games.
1) It just happened to be $1.00 Hot Dog night, so we probably scarfed down 27 hot dogs between the four of us! :)
2) We all got new Rangers T-Shirts
3) The first game was pretty empty so we ended up sitting 15 rows behind 1st base. (SUWEEET!)
4) I got Josh Hamilton's autograph (he actually asked me if I wanted to come hang out in the dugout, but I told him no...)
5) I learned the art on how to correctly eat sunflower seeds...
6) The Rangers won both games

and the highlight of the entire game:
7) We got to see a streaker. Yes...it was hilarious...and yes we cheered him on. He actually make it all the way from 1st base side to the end of center field before he slid on his knees with his arms in the air and let the security dudes take him out. It was great.

So after 8 straight hours of baseball, we headed over to our hotel in Downtown Dallas. We stayed at the Shereton on the 29th floor. Amazing view.

Friday, we SLEPT IN!!! And then headed over to a nearby mall and shopped till we dropped. Thomas, Isaiah & Amanda all got Chinese Acupressure Massages. (I declined....because something about the way they were slapping people on their back and twisting their arms around their face, looked quite uncomforable. ) They all loved it though...

The last activity of our Manly Vacation was stopping back in Arlington at a Movie Theater where you can order meals while you are sitting at the movie. We had pizza. Yum. What a great concept! A restaurant and a movie at the same time. It was fun. Oh yes, and we watched the very manly blackjack movie called 21. (It was pretty good...a couple of typical Vegas scenes...but other than that, we really enjoyed it!)

THEN....we headed home and got back around 10:00pm.

Baseball. $1 Hot dogs. Sunflower Seeds. Streaker. Classy hotel. Shopping. Guy movie. Food. And numerous hours in our car with some fun friends.
It was a good trip.

Pretty Flowers!

2008-04-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

Today we decided to add a little splash of color to our front yard!!

It was so much fun....I never knew how much I enjoyed planting flowers.

Whever Happened to Happy Endings?

2008-03-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

Seriously! The past 4 or 5 Movies that I've seen have had the worst endings! Either everybody dies or the main character goes crazy or the two people that are hopelessly in love and meant for each other don't end up together. It's really getting on my nerves. Maybe I will write to all the major movie companies in the world and give them my basic outline of "The Perfect Movie".

1) The first scene captures your attention with an evil scheme, a blossoming romance or untimely death.

2) The 1st Conflict: Something has to happen where it seems like there is no way around an unfortunate ending!! The damsel is in distress and the heroic lover comes at JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT!!!

3)The Break: A slower scene after all the intense drama and action (popcorn break, sappy love song, etc.)

4)Conflict #2 (I will give the writers freedom here...but a few suggestions)
option a: the evil villian that we thought was dead shows up unexpectantly
option b: the damsel gets in distress again...those silly damsels....
option c: sickness falls on the adored prince charming

5) Resolution: a romantic and happy resolve to conflict #2

6) Ending:
Action-A new threat arises and a second movie is hinted at
Romance- The man expresses his undying love for the fair lady and they ride off together in the sunset....or they go out to eat or something....

There. The Perfect Movie Outline. *sigh*

Gentle!

2008-03-19T12:22:00.001-05:00

Aaron's cutest Word of the Week is "Gentle"...or as he pronounces it, "DenDuuuul!"
Naturally, as a boy, he can be a little rough without realizing it. I decided to teach him "gentle", after watching him attempt to pull out a cat's eyelash. It seemed like the right time. :)
So now, being "gentle" has become a sign of affection from my sweet son. In the mornings, I get him out of his crib and bring him to our bed. Then, he crawls over to Thomas and lightly pats him on the face while saying the Word of the Week. "denduuuul!"
This morning, while I was cleaning the kitchen, I overheard his voice from the living room repeating his version of "gentle." I peaked around the corner and had to hold back a laugh when I saw him petting the TV screen during an episode of Veggie Tales. He was being "denduuul" to Bob the Tomato. It was adorable!!

First Blog (dun-da-Dun!)

2008-03-15T13:09:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am! I figured, hey, I think alot and I talk alot...so why not write about it?
Today is an absolutely gorgeous day and we are about to leave to take a picnic to Nelson Park. Aaron has no idea yet, but I am charging my camera to make sure I capture that moment when he sees that there are ducks. He is in love with ducks.
That's basically all I'm thinking about now....Picnic. Park. Sandwiches. Cheddar & Sour Cream Chips. Watching Aaron get chased by crazy ducks. Laughing at Thomas attempting to make a fishing pole out of a fork and string.....
That's pretty much a day at the park with the Humphries clan. :o)