Sorry for being so quiet since my last post! Hang tight...I've got lots rolling around in this brain of mine, as well as lots of pictures to share!
God bless!!
~S
Friday, December 27, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
12 Days of Happy!
This year, I decided to Link up with a fellow Michigan Blogger, Parsimonious Pash for her 12 Days of Happy! Feel free to head on over to her blog to check out other "12 Days" posts!
The holiday season can be a very stressful time for many people. The rushing around, cooking, shopping, wrapping... Many times we get caught up in the negatives that are happening in our lives. We get distracted trying to make everything perfect, that we lose sight of what already is perfect. Won't you join me in sharing 12 happy things that you will focus on in the coming days?
Here are mine:
1. My Family, both immediate, and extended, blood and non-blood! I could go on for hours listing all of my family members...without these people, I would not be whole! I love each and every one of them for different reasons. Their quirkiness, loyalty, and the intricate part they each play in my life.
2. My Friends. Ooooh, my friends. None of you know just how important you are to me! You are my chosen family. :-)
3. Seeing things from a child's perspective. This is the kind of thing I wish I would remember from my childhood. Can you imagine seeing this huge tree as a kid? No wonder they stare at them in awe for so long! I tend to do the same sometimes.
4. The crafts. I know, I know. There are tons of crafts to do throughout the year, but come on! The hand print wreaths, felt Christmas trees (or construction paper like we made!), the foot and hand print reindeer, construction paper chains. Love them ALL!!! And the kids enjoy them, too. Maybe this will get me into a crafty groove, and the crafting will continue throughout the year.
5. The snow!!! I LOVE THE SNOW. It is beautiful. Beautiful. I love how it sparkles when the moonlight hits it just right. The way it looks when it's falling lazily out of the sky, floating every which direction. It's so serene...so peaceful...so pure.
6. The decorations and lights. One of my favorite times of the year is Christmas because of the lights. The kids are following in my footsteps with this one as well, and I love it. Every time we go somewhere in the car, they start asking "where are the pretty lights, mommy?" So we all look around pointing out all of the buildings and trees that are decorated with lights. Sometimes we come across a scene that would put the Griswold's to shame. Like the house in our old neighborhood: They had the big inflatables, TONS of lights, and even Santa in his sleigh! We drove by that house on purpose on many occasions.
7. Spending time with loved ones. Yeah, this kind of overlaps into the "rushing around" part that stresses many of us out, but really...how many of us take the time that we spend with family completely for granted? I know I probably do. All year, even. So, from now on, especially during the holiday's, I'm going to focus on the fact that I can spend time with family. Not that we are being pulled in five different directions in order to do so.
8. Our health. I am so happy that we are all alive and well. Even when the kids and Michael come down with colds, it's better than the alternative! :-)
9. Fires in the fireplace. We moved into this house back in April, and obviously there wasn't really a need to put a fire in the fireplace during the summer. Well, fall hit, it started getting cold, and we lost power. That was when we had our first fire in the fireplace. It was awesome! It has only happened a few times since then, and I can't wait to have one 'just because'.
10. The goodies...oh the goodies. Cookies...gingerbread houses...cheesecakes...FOOD in general. MAN. That alone would make this time of year my favorite. I love all of the goodies that come along with the holidays! Add in that I made my very own full Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year, and you have the makings of a very happy girl.
11. Christmas clothes. Ok, this is a new one for me. I ordered outfits for all three kids with Christmas pictures in mind! I'm still waiting for them to get here, but I can't WAIT to see all of them together in their new duds!!!
12. The memories. This particular one is why I love my camera and being able to capture the little things. The memories we create may fade over time in our minds, but I want to do my best to save many memories for my kiddos. They deserve to see their childhood. At least to the best of my abilities.
So, what are your 12 happy things that you will focus on? I know you're out there...don't be shy!
God bless,
~S
The holiday season can be a very stressful time for many people. The rushing around, cooking, shopping, wrapping... Many times we get caught up in the negatives that are happening in our lives. We get distracted trying to make everything perfect, that we lose sight of what already is perfect. Won't you join me in sharing 12 happy things that you will focus on in the coming days?
Here are mine:
1. My Family, both immediate, and extended, blood and non-blood! I could go on for hours listing all of my family members...without these people, I would not be whole! I love each and every one of them for different reasons. Their quirkiness, loyalty, and the intricate part they each play in my life.
2. My Friends. Ooooh, my friends. None of you know just how important you are to me! You are my chosen family. :-)
3. Seeing things from a child's perspective. This is the kind of thing I wish I would remember from my childhood. Can you imagine seeing this huge tree as a kid? No wonder they stare at them in awe for so long! I tend to do the same sometimes.
4. The crafts. I know, I know. There are tons of crafts to do throughout the year, but come on! The hand print wreaths, felt Christmas trees (or construction paper like we made!), the foot and hand print reindeer, construction paper chains. Love them ALL!!! And the kids enjoy them, too. Maybe this will get me into a crafty groove, and the crafting will continue throughout the year.
5. The snow!!! I LOVE THE SNOW. It is beautiful. Beautiful. I love how it sparkles when the moonlight hits it just right. The way it looks when it's falling lazily out of the sky, floating every which direction. It's so serene...so peaceful...so pure.
6. The decorations and lights. One of my favorite times of the year is Christmas because of the lights. The kids are following in my footsteps with this one as well, and I love it. Every time we go somewhere in the car, they start asking "where are the pretty lights, mommy?" So we all look around pointing out all of the buildings and trees that are decorated with lights. Sometimes we come across a scene that would put the Griswold's to shame. Like the house in our old neighborhood: They had the big inflatables, TONS of lights, and even Santa in his sleigh! We drove by that house on purpose on many occasions.
7. Spending time with loved ones. Yeah, this kind of overlaps into the "rushing around" part that stresses many of us out, but really...how many of us take the time that we spend with family completely for granted? I know I probably do. All year, even. So, from now on, especially during the holiday's, I'm going to focus on the fact that I can spend time with family. Not that we are being pulled in five different directions in order to do so.
8. Our health. I am so happy that we are all alive and well. Even when the kids and Michael come down with colds, it's better than the alternative! :-)
9. Fires in the fireplace. We moved into this house back in April, and obviously there wasn't really a need to put a fire in the fireplace during the summer. Well, fall hit, it started getting cold, and we lost power. That was when we had our first fire in the fireplace. It was awesome! It has only happened a few times since then, and I can't wait to have one 'just because'.
10. The goodies...oh the goodies. Cookies...gingerbread houses...cheesecakes...FOOD in general. MAN. That alone would make this time of year my favorite. I love all of the goodies that come along with the holidays! Add in that I made my very own full Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year, and you have the makings of a very happy girl.
11. Christmas clothes. Ok, this is a new one for me. I ordered outfits for all three kids with Christmas pictures in mind! I'm still waiting for them to get here, but I can't WAIT to see all of them together in their new duds!!!
12. The memories. This particular one is why I love my camera and being able to capture the little things. The memories we create may fade over time in our minds, but I want to do my best to save many memories for my kiddos. They deserve to see their childhood. At least to the best of my abilities.
So, what are your 12 happy things that you will focus on? I know you're out there...don't be shy!
God bless,
~S
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Down Time
Well, down time really doesn't exist for me at this point, but I'm starting to get used to that. I've been making to-do-lists pretty regularly, and I'm trying really hard to accomplish at least a few things on them each day. Some days go much better than others (like the other day, I actually managed 3 loads of laundry, swept the floor, and something else...I don't even remember!), then there are days that I just get everyone fed and I'm happy. Ha!
Anyways, lack of too much down time also leads to lack of posts on my blog. So, if you're coming here regularly looking for an update, I'm sorry! I'm trying to get back to posting regularly, but it's proving semi-difficult lately.
Now, I have a fine young lady yelling at me, and she's in need of a diaper change! I'll check back in soon, I promise!
God bless,
~Stacy
Anyways, lack of too much down time also leads to lack of posts on my blog. So, if you're coming here regularly looking for an update, I'm sorry! I'm trying to get back to posting regularly, but it's proving semi-difficult lately.
Now, I have a fine young lady yelling at me, and she's in need of a diaper change! I'll check back in soon, I promise!
God bless,
~Stacy
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
We've been crafting!
Finally, haha!
Anyways...On 11/7/13, I got brave and took all three kids outside by myself when they got up from naps. We collected a bunch of leaves from the yard, and made pictures with them.
Then, Julia requested that we make butterflies on 11/25/13.
Yesterday, we made Christmas trees!
I really need to get more glue sticks, though! :-)
God bless!
~Stacy
Anyways...On 11/7/13, I got brave and took all three kids outside by myself when they got up from naps. We collected a bunch of leaves from the yard, and made pictures with them.
Then, Julia requested that we make butterflies on 11/25/13.
I really need to get more glue sticks, though! :-)
God bless!
~Stacy
Monday, December 2, 2013
One Month of Thanks - 2013
This is the third year that I've tried to do this consistently, so here is the full month compilation! Some of these have been edited from the Facebook posts, so if you're seeing them both places, that is the discrepancy you will notice. :-)
November 1: Today I am thankful for my sister and my brother-in-law. They let me drag the kids over to their house today even though they weren't going to be there much! We did have other options, but their house is most familiar. :-)
November 2: I am thankful for our fireplace. It kept us warm when we had no power for the second day in a row.
November 3: I am thankful for good times with good friends and family.
November 4: I am thankful for prayer! Any time I'm feeling low or inadequate, I can turn to prayer - and Jesus - to get myself feeling better.
November 5: I am thankful for the little people that I carried in my womb. They make my family whole...even when they annoy me to no end.
November 5 part 2: I am SO thankful that today has been dubbed movie day. Lord give me patience...
November 6: I am thankful for DAY CARE DAY!!!
November 7: I am thankful for Michael's job, which allows me to stay home and watch the kids grow. They may drive me crazy some days, but it's totally worth it.
November 8: I am thankful...There are too many things swimming around in my head today to choose just one. I am simply thankful. Sometimes it just needs to be that way.
November 9: I am thankful for quiet mornings with hot coffee.
November 10: Today...I am thankful for air freshener. Way to stink up half the house, little girl! haha
November 11: I am thankful for our home. It's not just a house for us. It is HOME. We fought for it...and I'm so glad we did...
November 12: I am thankful for pediatrician offices that work with you over the phone to give you options and save you a possible trip and nearly $100 in co-pays.
November 13: I am thankful for new opportunities! Looking forward to watching my sister grow her new awesome business!
November 14: I am thankful for my hook and yarn. Crocheting relaxes me and allows my mind to let go of the stress as well.
November 15: I am thankful for my faith. Without it, many days I would feel lost.
November 16: I am thankful for my husband. He may drive me crazy some days, but he is our family's rock. He works hard so I can be home with the kids all day, AND...he's putting everything in the blind for me this morning.
November 17: I am thankful for still, quiet days, hot coffee (again) in the mornings, and the opportunity yesterday to rekindle my love of reading.
November 18: I am thankful for flashlights, generators, bottled water, and food that doesn't require cooking. And candles.
November 19: I am thankful for my mom for letting the kids and I spend the night, and my sis and brother-in-law again. Thanks everyone.
November 20: I am thankful that my kids are happy and mostly healthy. They're being troopers with all this house hopping while we wait to see which "1130 pm" estimate from DTE is right.
November 21: Today, I am thankful for my Moby wrap!
November 22: I am thankful for hugs, snuggles, and kisses from my kids (and my husband). They make me feel like I'm doing a good job on my hardest days.
November 23: I am thankful for hot soup on cold days.
November 24: I am so thankful for our heat, water, electricity, roof, clothing, etc.
November 25: I am thankful for good sleeps from the kids. They help me to feel rested in the morning.
November 26: I am thankful that I enjoy every season this awesome state has to offer!
November 27: I am thankful that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom, with a husband that doesn't look at me as a maid and cook. I'm so glad that I get to watch the kids grow and develop!
November 28: Today I am thankful for my family! I am also thankful for my friends...the friends that I've lost, the friends that I've gained, those I've known for years, and those I've never met. I love you all, and wouldn't trade any of you for anything!
November 29: I am thankful for the innocence of children.
November 30: I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to put meat in my family's freezer. Even though I had the ONLY opportunity between all of the times Michael and I went out, and I blew it, I'm still thankful for the chance!
What are you thankful for? Share with me! I love hearing positive things. :-)
~Stacy
November 1: Today I am thankful for my sister and my brother-in-law. They let me drag the kids over to their house today even though they weren't going to be there much! We did have other options, but their house is most familiar. :-)
November 2: I am thankful for our fireplace. It kept us warm when we had no power for the second day in a row.
November 3: I am thankful for good times with good friends and family.
November 4: I am thankful for prayer! Any time I'm feeling low or inadequate, I can turn to prayer - and Jesus - to get myself feeling better.
November 5: I am thankful for the little people that I carried in my womb. They make my family whole...even when they annoy me to no end.
November 5 part 2: I am SO thankful that today has been dubbed movie day. Lord give me patience...
November 6: I am thankful for DAY CARE DAY!!!
November 7: I am thankful for Michael's job, which allows me to stay home and watch the kids grow. They may drive me crazy some days, but it's totally worth it.
November 8: I am thankful...There are too many things swimming around in my head today to choose just one. I am simply thankful. Sometimes it just needs to be that way.
November 9: I am thankful for quiet mornings with hot coffee.
November 10: Today...I am thankful for air freshener. Way to stink up half the house, little girl! haha
November 11: I am thankful for our home. It's not just a house for us. It is HOME. We fought for it...and I'm so glad we did...
November 12: I am thankful for pediatrician offices that work with you over the phone to give you options and save you a possible trip and nearly $100 in co-pays.
November 13: I am thankful for new opportunities! Looking forward to watching my sister grow her new awesome business!
November 14: I am thankful for my hook and yarn. Crocheting relaxes me and allows my mind to let go of the stress as well.
November 15: I am thankful for my faith. Without it, many days I would feel lost.
November 16: I am thankful for my husband. He may drive me crazy some days, but he is our family's rock. He works hard so I can be home with the kids all day, AND...he's putting everything in the blind for me this morning.
November 17: I am thankful for still, quiet days, hot coffee (again) in the mornings, and the opportunity yesterday to rekindle my love of reading.
November 18: I am thankful for flashlights, generators, bottled water, and food that doesn't require cooking. And candles.
November 19: I am thankful for my mom for letting the kids and I spend the night, and my sis and brother-in-law again. Thanks everyone.
November 20: I am thankful that my kids are happy and mostly healthy. They're being troopers with all this house hopping while we wait to see which "1130 pm" estimate from DTE is right.
November 21: Today, I am thankful for my Moby wrap!
November 22: I am thankful for hugs, snuggles, and kisses from my kids (and my husband). They make me feel like I'm doing a good job on my hardest days.
November 23: I am thankful for hot soup on cold days.
November 24: I am so thankful for our heat, water, electricity, roof, clothing, etc.
November 25: I am thankful for good sleeps from the kids. They help me to feel rested in the morning.
November 26: I am thankful that I enjoy every season this awesome state has to offer!
November 27: I am thankful that I am able to be a stay-at-home mom, with a husband that doesn't look at me as a maid and cook. I'm so glad that I get to watch the kids grow and develop!
November 28: Today I am thankful for my family! I am also thankful for my friends...the friends that I've lost, the friends that I've gained, those I've known for years, and those I've never met. I love you all, and wouldn't trade any of you for anything!
November 29: I am thankful for the innocence of children.
November 30: I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to put meat in my family's freezer. Even though I had the ONLY opportunity between all of the times Michael and I went out, and I blew it, I'm still thankful for the chance!
What are you thankful for? Share with me! I love hearing positive things. :-)
~Stacy
Friday, November 29, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving!
I know, I'm a day late with this post, but yesterday was crazy!
I got to make my very first full Thanksgiving dinner! I was nervous and excited about the whole thing. Would the turkey come out well? Or like the one in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? Would the rolls turn out? (I made them from scratch!) How would the pumpkin pie taste? After all...it didn't LOOK that great. Would the kids eat it? Perhaps that was the real test!
Dinner turned out fantastic!!! The turkey came out perfect, the rolls were beautiful, Michael liked everything, and even though the kids are super picky, they even ate some of the food! We discovered that Julia and Justin are both fans of cranberry sauce after much convincing on Justin's part, and Justin...well, let's just say the pumpkin pie passed the kid test, and the husband test! I couldn't be happier with the result. Now next year, I just have to remember to make the gravy! lol!
Of course, a couple of pictures...just cell phone shots.
We also got the Christmas tree set up yesterday. We got all the lights on while there was a lull in the food prep, but the rest of the decorating waited until after dinner.
There's still a bit to put on, but it's already beautiful!
How was your Thanksgiving?! Hope it was enjoyable...
God bless!
~Stacy
I got to make my very first full Thanksgiving dinner! I was nervous and excited about the whole thing. Would the turkey come out well? Or like the one in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? Would the rolls turn out? (I made them from scratch!) How would the pumpkin pie taste? After all...it didn't LOOK that great. Would the kids eat it? Perhaps that was the real test!
Well...
Let me say...
Dinner turned out fantastic!!! The turkey came out perfect, the rolls were beautiful, Michael liked everything, and even though the kids are super picky, they even ate some of the food! We discovered that Julia and Justin are both fans of cranberry sauce after much convincing on Justin's part, and Justin...well, let's just say the pumpkin pie passed the kid test, and the husband test! I couldn't be happier with the result. Now next year, I just have to remember to make the gravy! lol!
Of course, a couple of pictures...just cell phone shots.
The turkey!
Mmmm...Thanksgiving yumminess!
We also got the Christmas tree set up yesterday. We got all the lights on while there was a lull in the food prep, but the rest of the decorating waited until after dinner.
There's still a bit to put on, but it's already beautiful!
How was your Thanksgiving?! Hope it was enjoyable...
God bless!
~Stacy
Friday, November 22, 2013
One Month of Thanks - Weeks 2 & 3
I missed posting week two separately, so here are weeks two and three!
November 8: I am thankful...There are too many things swimming around in my head today to choose just one. I am simply thankful. Sometimes it just needs to be that way.
November 9: I am thankful for quiet mornings with hot coffee.
November 10: Today...I am thankful for air freshener. Way to stink up half the house, little girl! haha
November 11: I am thankful for our home. It's not just a house for us. It is HOME. We fought for it...and I'm so glad we did...
November 12: I am thankful for pediatrician offices that work with you over the phone to give you options and save you a possible trip and nearly $100 in co-pays.
November 13: I am thankful for new opportunities! Looking forward to watching my sister grow her new awesome business!
November 14: I am thankful for my hook and yarn. Crocheting relaxes me and allows my mind to let go of the stress as well.
November 15: I am thankful for my faith. Without it, many days I would feel lost.
November 16: I am thankful for my husband. He may drive me crazy some days, but he is our family's rock. He works hard so I can be home with the kids all day, AND...he's putting everything in the blind for me this morning.
November 17: I am thankful for still, quiet days, hot coffee (again) in the mornings, and the opportunity yesterday to rekindle my love of reading.
November 18: I am thankful for flashlights, generators, bottled water, and food that doesn't require cooking. And candles.
November 19: I am thankful for my mom for letting the kids and I spend the night, and my sis and brother-in-law again. Thanks everyone.
November 20: I am thankful that my kids are happy and mostly healthy. They're being troopers with all this house hopping while we wait to see which "1130 pm" estimate from DTE is right.
November 21: Today, I am thankful for my Moby wrap!
God bless!
~Stacy
November 8: I am thankful...There are too many things swimming around in my head today to choose just one. I am simply thankful. Sometimes it just needs to be that way.
November 9: I am thankful for quiet mornings with hot coffee.
November 10: Today...I am thankful for air freshener. Way to stink up half the house, little girl! haha
November 11: I am thankful for our home. It's not just a house for us. It is HOME. We fought for it...and I'm so glad we did...
November 12: I am thankful for pediatrician offices that work with you over the phone to give you options and save you a possible trip and nearly $100 in co-pays.
November 13: I am thankful for new opportunities! Looking forward to watching my sister grow her new awesome business!
November 14: I am thankful for my hook and yarn. Crocheting relaxes me and allows my mind to let go of the stress as well.
November 15: I am thankful for my faith. Without it, many days I would feel lost.
November 16: I am thankful for my husband. He may drive me crazy some days, but he is our family's rock. He works hard so I can be home with the kids all day, AND...he's putting everything in the blind for me this morning.
November 17: I am thankful for still, quiet days, hot coffee (again) in the mornings, and the opportunity yesterday to rekindle my love of reading.
November 18: I am thankful for flashlights, generators, bottled water, and food that doesn't require cooking. And candles.
November 19: I am thankful for my mom for letting the kids and I spend the night, and my sis and brother-in-law again. Thanks everyone.
November 20: I am thankful that my kids are happy and mostly healthy. They're being troopers with all this house hopping while we wait to see which "1130 pm" estimate from DTE is right.
November 21: Today, I am thankful for my Moby wrap!
God bless!
~Stacy
Monday, November 11, 2013
When a House Becomes a Home
A while back, I don't think I would have been able to differentiate between a house and a home. Honestly, anywhere that I lived was "home". When I lived with my dad...home. When I lived with my mom...home. The guys that I lived with...home. My apartment (which I loved, mind you), was home. About a year before Michael and I got married, he bought his first house, which would then become our first house. Of course, it was home to me. Everywhere I had lived up to that point was home. Maybe it was because I was clawing for any feeling of normalcy in my regularly uprooted life. Having moved more than a dozen and a half times before I turned 21, I wanted something that felt concrete, that felt real, that felt like home. So I made it that way for myself. Were all these places actually home? Absolutely not, and now, I can totally understand why.
Right around this time last year, Michael and I started house hunting again. Yeah, I had helped with the house he bought before we got married. I believe my exact words were "You better put an offer in on this house or we're going to lose it...it's not going to last at this price!" It wasn't an "OR ELSE!!!" statement, it just was the absolute perfect house for us at that time. As our family rapidly grew, though, we realized we needed more. Enter, the new house. We had multiple showings here. The first two, the "tenant" stayed home. (By the way, if you're selling your house, and you want to sell your house, make an honest effort to LEAVE for showings! If I can do it with two toddlers at 6 months pregnant, just about anyone can.) Our first impression of the house was "Well...it's nice, but it needs a significant amount of work..." - HELLO wallpaper in every room?! The second showing, it was already feeling familiar to us, and was becoming more of a "This could definitely work" feeling. The third showing, we had to request that the "tenant" not be here. That was the showing...the moment that we realized this house was the house for us. Being in here by ourselves...just felt right. Despite the gobs of wallpaper that would need to be taken down, the deep cleaning that it needed (and embarrassingly still somewhat needs), the mismatched tile floors, the wall paper, the windows and siding, the wallpaper...are you seeing a pattern? Anyways...despite that, it felt right. So we went for it. Man, did we have our work cut out for us! I can't even tell you how many times *I* was ready to back out, but Michael pushed on. He didn't reach his breaking point until about a week before we were supposed to sign over our old house to the new buyers (which are perfect for that house!). I don't remember what it was, but he basically wanted to tell the sellers to "f-off". Yeah...he wasn't happy. But, we all came to an agreement, and here we sat, in our new house, just a little while later.
So, when did this house become our home? You know, I don't know that I can even put a date on it. It just kind of happened. I can tell you when it really hit me that this is home, though. I have had little moments here and there where I felt like "yeah, this is where we're meant to be", heck, I even sent a message to our real estate agent telling her that because, well, it's true! We're meant to be here, and today, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was standing in the family room looking out the window at the snow coming down over the pond and starting to cover the grass. I could still smell a lingering smokey scent in the air from when we had our first fire in the fireplace last weekend because we had no power. It was that moment that I realized...
This is where we belong. This is where we will grow old together. Where we will invite our kids back over for Thanksgiving, Christmas...you name it. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we also have the rest of our lives to complete it. We will fix it up slowly but surely, and it will become ours. It will become our HOME.
God bless,
~Stacy
this is home
This is where we belong. This is where we will grow old together. Where we will invite our kids back over for Thanksgiving, Christmas...you name it. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we also have the rest of our lives to complete it. We will fix it up slowly but surely, and it will become ours. It will become our HOME.
God bless,
~Stacy
Thursday, November 7, 2013
One month of thanks - Week 1
I think breaking this down weekly before the big all inclusive post would be fun, so here are my first seven days!
November 1: Today I am thankful for my sister and my brother-in-law. They let me drag the kids over to their house today even though they weren't going to be there much! We did have other options, but their house is most familiar. :-)
November 2: I am thankful for our fireplace. It kept us warm when we had no power for the second day in a row.
November 3: I am thankful for good times with good friends and family.
November 4: I am thankful for prayer! Any time I'm feeling low or inadequate, I can turn to prayer - and Jesus - to get myself feeling better.
November 5: I am thankful for the little people that I carried in my womb. They make my family whole...even when they annoy me to no end.
November 5 part 2: I am SO thankful that today has been dubbed movie day. Lord give me patience...
November 6: I am thankful for DAY CARE DAY!!!
November 7: I am thankful for Michael's job, which allows me to stay home and watch the kids grow. They may drive me crazy some days, but it's totally worth it.
What are you thankful for?
God bless
~S
November 1: Today I am thankful for my sister and my brother-in-law. They let me drag the kids over to their house today even though they weren't going to be there much! We did have other options, but their house is most familiar. :-)
November 2: I am thankful for our fireplace. It kept us warm when we had no power for the second day in a row.
November 3: I am thankful for good times with good friends and family.
November 4: I am thankful for prayer! Any time I'm feeling low or inadequate, I can turn to prayer - and Jesus - to get myself feeling better.
November 5: I am thankful for the little people that I carried in my womb. They make my family whole...even when they annoy me to no end.
November 5 part 2: I am SO thankful that today has been dubbed movie day. Lord give me patience...
November 6: I am thankful for DAY CARE DAY!!!
November 7: I am thankful for Michael's job, which allows me to stay home and watch the kids grow. They may drive me crazy some days, but it's totally worth it.
What are you thankful for?
God bless
~S
Monday, November 4, 2013
Starting This Week...
Today is the day of new beginnings! There are a couple of things I've been really wanting to do again, and one that I really need to recenter my focus on. So, today...marks day one!
I ate a lot cleaner than I do now.
I used to exercise very regularly - about five times a week.
I was drinking a lot more water than I have in the last few weeks.
I felt fantastic, and was finally becoming comfortable in my body. Now, a lot of people tell me that I look great for having had three kids. And, I'll be honest, I feel like I do look ok, but I don't feel it. I have about 25 pounds that I would like to lose again, and this is going to do it, for sure!
1) First things, first. I'm changing the way I eat. I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up "my" food. This consisted of a lot of vegetables, a box of Triscuits, a bag of tortilla chips, and a handful of other things. I'm not eating 100% clean (obviously...), but much cleaner than I am now. I didn't do boxed meals. I rarely ate red meat. I focused on raw fruits and vegetables with chicken being my main source of protein. It won't be easy in the slightest, but I want to make it work. Chasing three kiddos around all day will probably mean that making a meal for myself will take an hour instead of 15 minutes, but I need to make it work.
2) Exercise!!! I was doing Turbo Jam and a DVD made by The Firm that targeted hips, buns and thighs with a bonus killer ab workout at the end. I miss those workouts, and need to find time to fit them in again. I may have to wait until the kids go to bed each night - just like I do with my running - but I want to start fitting them in at least a couple of times a week. I will be running again as well. The C25K program has kind of gone on a 2 week hiatus again - unintentionally, and I really want to get back to it.
3) I need more water. I was doing really well when I was still breastfeeding and pumping for Alaina. I mean really well. I was averaging 150 to 250 ounces of water each day. I was dropping weight and still maintaining my milk supply for her - for the most part. Over the last week or so, my water consumption has plummeted. I'm lucky if I get 40 oz a day now! It's no wonder I'm always tired and hungry!
So, starting this week, I'm going to work on making a healthier me! What would you do to make a positive health change in your life? What have you done in the past? Don't be shy! I don't bite, I promise!
God bless,
~Stacy
I ate a lot cleaner than I do now.
I used to exercise very regularly - about five times a week.
I was drinking a lot more water than I have in the last few weeks.
I felt fantastic, and was finally becoming comfortable in my body. Now, a lot of people tell me that I look great for having had three kids. And, I'll be honest, I feel like I do look ok, but I don't feel it. I have about 25 pounds that I would like to lose again, and this is going to do it, for sure!
1) First things, first. I'm changing the way I eat. I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up "my" food. This consisted of a lot of vegetables, a box of Triscuits, a bag of tortilla chips, and a handful of other things. I'm not eating 100% clean (obviously...), but much cleaner than I am now. I didn't do boxed meals. I rarely ate red meat. I focused on raw fruits and vegetables with chicken being my main source of protein. It won't be easy in the slightest, but I want to make it work. Chasing three kiddos around all day will probably mean that making a meal for myself will take an hour instead of 15 minutes, but I need to make it work.
2) Exercise!!! I was doing Turbo Jam and a DVD made by The Firm that targeted hips, buns and thighs with a bonus killer ab workout at the end. I miss those workouts, and need to find time to fit them in again. I may have to wait until the kids go to bed each night - just like I do with my running - but I want to start fitting them in at least a couple of times a week. I will be running again as well. The C25K program has kind of gone on a 2 week hiatus again - unintentionally, and I really want to get back to it.
3) I need more water. I was doing really well when I was still breastfeeding and pumping for Alaina. I mean really well. I was averaging 150 to 250 ounces of water each day. I was dropping weight and still maintaining my milk supply for her - for the most part. Over the last week or so, my water consumption has plummeted. I'm lucky if I get 40 oz a day now! It's no wonder I'm always tired and hungry!
So, starting this week, I'm going to work on making a healthier me! What would you do to make a positive health change in your life? What have you done in the past? Don't be shy! I don't bite, I promise!
God bless,
~Stacy
Friday, November 1, 2013
One Month of Thanks - 2013 Edition is coming soon!
I've done this in the past, and I will be doing it again! :-)
In case you're interested in seeing what the past years included, here are the links! I'm sure there are certain repeats for obvious reasons. ;-)
One Month of Thanks - 2011
One Month of Thanks - 2012
Would you like to join me? I most likely will not be posting here daily, but possibly weekly, with a compilation of all items at the end of the month!
So, what are you thankful for? Please feel free to share with me!
God bless
~Stacy
In case you're interested in seeing what the past years included, here are the links! I'm sure there are certain repeats for obvious reasons. ;-)
One Month of Thanks - 2011
One Month of Thanks - 2012
Would you like to join me? I most likely will not be posting here daily, but possibly weekly, with a compilation of all items at the end of the month!
So, what are you thankful for? Please feel free to share with me!
God bless
~Stacy
Monday, October 21, 2013
Time to get focused....
With the kids being in day care on occasion, it's time for me to focus and get some things on a schedule around here. The house work has fallen way behind, despite my efforts to keep it up. So, the next time the kids are in day care, I will be working on a few things.
1) Meal planning! - I really need to get back to my "clean" eating. I put "clean" in quotes because it wasn't 100% clean eating. I was still eating crackers (Triscuts), string cheese, chicken, and a few other random things. Mostly, though, I was eating raw fruits and vegetables. I felt GREAT!
2) Make a grocery list - This goes hand in hand with the meal planning, obviously! With me wanting to eat the way I used to, I'll have to go to the grocery store once a week for my stuff, and probably once a month for the other stuff.
3) Make a cleaning schedule - Now, this isn't going to be a huge thing...just small things like "Sweep kitchen, nook and family room" on one day, "Clean a bathroom" (we have 3) on another day. Just enough to keep the house maintained. Maybe not spotless, but presentable, nonetheless.
4) Make a "school" schedule for Julia and Justin - Before Alaina was born, I did pretty well with having them sit down for an hour or so with school-type activities, and they both seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
5) Figure out a good schedule for Alaina - Mainly naps and feedings (bottles and solids).
For now, that's about all I'm going to worry about!
God bless!
~Stacy
1) Meal planning! - I really need to get back to my "clean" eating. I put "clean" in quotes because it wasn't 100% clean eating. I was still eating crackers (Triscuts), string cheese, chicken, and a few other random things. Mostly, though, I was eating raw fruits and vegetables. I felt GREAT!
2) Make a grocery list - This goes hand in hand with the meal planning, obviously! With me wanting to eat the way I used to, I'll have to go to the grocery store once a week for my stuff, and probably once a month for the other stuff.
3) Make a cleaning schedule - Now, this isn't going to be a huge thing...just small things like "Sweep kitchen, nook and family room" on one day, "Clean a bathroom" (we have 3) on another day. Just enough to keep the house maintained. Maybe not spotless, but presentable, nonetheless.
4) Make a "school" schedule for Julia and Justin - Before Alaina was born, I did pretty well with having them sit down for an hour or so with school-type activities, and they both seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
5) Figure out a good schedule for Alaina - Mainly naps and feedings (bottles and solids).
For now, that's about all I'm going to worry about!
God bless!
~Stacy
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Do we have seals in our house?!?!
No, we don't. Unfortunately, though, we've been dealing with two toddlers and croup. BOO! Thankfully, they're both on the upswing. We had a couple of pretty rough nights, but now there's just a bit of a lingering cough. Thankfully not contagious anymore. The bad part? I think Alaina might be getting it. :-(
Julia and Justin are starting day care for sure tomorrow! Just once every couple of weeks so that I can hopefully get some things done around the house. It's been suffering greatly, unfortunately. I'm wanting to: get back into meal planning so that we can stop throwing away money on wasted food, start couponing again, get back to tackling some of the things on the ever-growing to-do-list, and spend more time on my crocheting. I really miss my hook and yarn right now! I do have projects in the works, but they're not being completed as quickly as I would like because of how severely restricted I am time-wise.
My sister participated in the "Cupcake Crusades" at the Renaissance Festival the last weekend in September. I helped her with it, and it was lots of fun, but pretty stressful at the same time. I took the kids to her house a couple of times to help work on getting the cupcakes ready for the contest. She didn't end up making it past the first round (boooooooooo), but it was a good learning experience, and we're already thinking about next year! Here are some photos that I got while we were there that day.
Enjoy!
God Bless!
~Stacy
Julia and Justin are starting day care for sure tomorrow! Just once every couple of weeks so that I can hopefully get some things done around the house. It's been suffering greatly, unfortunately. I'm wanting to: get back into meal planning so that we can stop throwing away money on wasted food, start couponing again, get back to tackling some of the things on the ever-growing to-do-list, and spend more time on my crocheting. I really miss my hook and yarn right now! I do have projects in the works, but they're not being completed as quickly as I would like because of how severely restricted I am time-wise.
My sister participated in the "Cupcake Crusades" at the Renaissance Festival the last weekend in September. I helped her with it, and it was lots of fun, but pretty stressful at the same time. I took the kids to her house a couple of times to help work on getting the cupcakes ready for the contest. She didn't end up making it past the first round (boooooooooo), but it was a good learning experience, and we're already thinking about next year! Here are some photos that I got while we were there that day.
Enjoy!
God Bless!
~Stacy
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Put at ease...
At church yesterday. It was so nice!
A little background first. I ran my 5K on Saturday (Yay!), watch for a post about that in the near future. I was EXHAUSTED to say the least. Wound up taking an hour long nap when we got back home, and started feeling pretty sick later on, too. Stuffy nose, cloudy head, sore throat, the works. I decided I was going to go to bed early that night to try and sleep some of it off. Well...I at least have good intentions when it comes to things like that but they never really come to fruition! I don't remember what time I went to bed, but it definitely wasn't early enough.
Anyways. Sunday morning rolled around, and I was reminded of what a wonderful husband I have! I woke up around 8 am (!) to both monitors being turned off, and Michael out in the living 'area' of the house with all three kids. I woke up feeling even worse than the night before. Boo! After a few minutes on my computer and letting myself wake up, I decided I should go ahead and go to church. I got the kids dressed while Michael got ready. When he was done, I got myself dressed and realized I hadn't eaten breakfast OR pumped! Blerg. Que crummy morning feeling on top of everything else. I hooked my pump up (yay for hands free pumping!!!), grabbed some eggs out of the fridge, popped some bread in the toaster and pumped while I made my breakfast. We got out the door a few minutes later than we like to, but we still made it to church on time. This is where the 'put at ease' title comes in...
First off, let me say that I really, really like our new church!
Michael got J&J out of the car, and I carried Alaina in. I had her covered with a blanket, and one of the ushers said to me "Good morning! Is there someone hiding under there?" So I turned so he could see her. He smiled and commented on her chewing on the blanket. As we walked towards an empty pew, Fr. stopped and talked to us. He said to me "I want to congratulate you", while holding his hand out. I was kind of confused so I said "Thank you? For what?" And he replied with "bang, bang, bang" looking at each of the three kids. I chuckled as he started in on a story about his cousin and cousin's wife having 5 kids in 6 years. He said he asked the wife how her health was, and she said she was "always sick". I laughed again because, after all, I was feeling pretty crummy that morning myself!
As we got closer to the time that we offer the sign of peace to each other, my patience had started wearing thin. Justin had been pretty squirmy - but mostly quiet, Julia was all. over. the. place. But again...mostly quiet. Alaina was really tired, but fighting sleep. Thankfully, she only squeaked a few times before falling asleep a little later. When I turned to the lady standing behind us, I shook her hand and said "Peace be with you". She said the same and then said "You have a very beautiful family, and your kids are very well behaved." It made me feel pretty good! I said "Thank you! We're working on it :-) "
Anyways...this has gotten long enough! Have a great day, everyone...
God bless!
~Stacy
A little background first. I ran my 5K on Saturday (Yay!), watch for a post about that in the near future. I was EXHAUSTED to say the least. Wound up taking an hour long nap when we got back home, and started feeling pretty sick later on, too. Stuffy nose, cloudy head, sore throat, the works. I decided I was going to go to bed early that night to try and sleep some of it off. Well...I at least have good intentions when it comes to things like that but they never really come to fruition! I don't remember what time I went to bed, but it definitely wasn't early enough.
Anyways. Sunday morning rolled around, and I was reminded of what a wonderful husband I have! I woke up around 8 am (!) to both monitors being turned off, and Michael out in the living 'area' of the house with all three kids. I woke up feeling even worse than the night before. Boo! After a few minutes on my computer and letting myself wake up, I decided I should go ahead and go to church. I got the kids dressed while Michael got ready. When he was done, I got myself dressed and realized I hadn't eaten breakfast OR pumped! Blerg. Que crummy morning feeling on top of everything else. I hooked my pump up (yay for hands free pumping!!!), grabbed some eggs out of the fridge, popped some bread in the toaster and pumped while I made my breakfast. We got out the door a few minutes later than we like to, but we still made it to church on time. This is where the 'put at ease' title comes in...
First off, let me say that I really, really like our new church!
Michael got J&J out of the car, and I carried Alaina in. I had her covered with a blanket, and one of the ushers said to me "Good morning! Is there someone hiding under there?" So I turned so he could see her. He smiled and commented on her chewing on the blanket. As we walked towards an empty pew, Fr. stopped and talked to us. He said to me "I want to congratulate you", while holding his hand out. I was kind of confused so I said "Thank you? For what?" And he replied with "bang, bang, bang" looking at each of the three kids. I chuckled as he started in on a story about his cousin and cousin's wife having 5 kids in 6 years. He said he asked the wife how her health was, and she said she was "always sick". I laughed again because, after all, I was feeling pretty crummy that morning myself!
As we got closer to the time that we offer the sign of peace to each other, my patience had started wearing thin. Justin had been pretty squirmy - but mostly quiet, Julia was all. over. the. place. But again...mostly quiet. Alaina was really tired, but fighting sleep. Thankfully, she only squeaked a few times before falling asleep a little later. When I turned to the lady standing behind us, I shook her hand and said "Peace be with you". She said the same and then said "You have a very beautiful family, and your kids are very well behaved." It made me feel pretty good! I said "Thank you! We're working on it :-) "
Anyways...this has gotten long enough! Have a great day, everyone...
God bless!
~Stacy
Friday, September 20, 2013
What irks me as a parent
Before I was a parent, I never really gave a second thought to things that I said to other parents. After all, I didn't know how my words were affecting them. How could I? I didn't have any kids. Recently I've encountered a few phrases myself that I kind of wish weren't directed at me. I'm including a few from some good friends of mine as well. Enjoy!
The last couple are from some friends of mine. :-)
Anyways...just my little rant for the day. :-)
God bless!
~Stacy
~~numberone~~
"What a good baby!" - Now, normally, this wouldn't be so bad! However. When this is said in response to a baby that stays silent during church, or a movie, or in the grocery store, or wherever...it irritates the heck out of me. Babies cry. You know, it's their only means of communication since they don't learn how to effectively communicate until they're probably around a year old, at least. Some babies don't start talking until their 18 months, 2 years old, and sometimes THREE! Go figure. Crying is a baby's way of telling you they need something whether it's food, sleep, warmth, whatever. Babies cry. So get over it.
~~numbertwo~~
"You have your hands full!" - OK. I hear this a lot. Yes. I do have my hands full. I have a tiny little spunky 3 1/2 year old, a 2 year old boy - nuff said, really - that has a hard time communicating, and a 6 month old breast fed-turned-bottle-fed-while-I-pump-every-two-to-four-hours-a-day baby. Yes. I have my hands full. Yes. They all drive me batty in their own special way. Yes. I love them all with everything that I am. No. I wouldn't trade it for the world ten times over, and I would much rather have my hands be overflowing than my heart to be empty.
~~numberthree~~
"You're not pregnant again, are you?" (or any variation) - OK. Really. I get that people might be surprised that we have 3 kids so close together, but who cares? It's our life. We're going to do it how we want to - or rather how God wants us to. I have always wanted a lot of kids. Anywhere from 3-6 to be exact. As of now, we're teetering between "done" and "we still want another". I do appreciate people trying to save my sanity - as thin as it may be right now - but it's not your business. Mmkay? For the record, I've heard this from at *least* 7 people.
~~numberfour~~
"When are you going back to work?" - Um, I'm not. At least not any time soon. I'm enjoying being a stay-at-home mom, and being able to see all of my kids' firsts. I love being able to watch their little imaginations grow, their vocabulary explode, milestones being met. Do I want to go back to work eventually? Yeah...part time, maybe. But I want to be there for my kids' sporting events, concerts, plays, whatever they get into so I'm in absolutely no rush to go back to work. I do have days that I really wish I was working, but those days are usually because all three kids are throwing fits at the same time multiple times a day. I'm pretty sure anyone would buckle with that. I used to work full time when Julia was born. It was tons easier than what I do now. But again, I wouldn't trade it for the world ten times over.The last couple are from some friends of mine. :-)
~~numberfive~~
"Mommy gut" - Don't. Just don't. We all know we have it. We all want to get rid of it - maybe...eventually. We don't need a reminder that our midsections are a smidgen worse than pristine condition. Some of us don't care that we have it! Either way, that one falls under the "none of your business" umbrella as well. We don't walk around criticizing your hair, makeup, clothes, body, whatever...so why should you be allowed to ridicule us?
~~numbersix~~
"When are you going to try for a girl/boy?" or "Don't you want a girl/boy?" - You know...this one kind of falls under that umbrella, too. Maybe people are happy with all boys or all girls. Who cares? Asking this question could actually hurt the parents, too! You don't know if they have been trying for another, or if they've reluctantly decided to be "done" having kids. Either way, it's not anyone else's decision.Anyways...just my little rant for the day. :-)
God bless!
~Stacy
Monday, September 16, 2013
My running journey
Well, last night I ran the last scheduled workout of my c25k app! It feels good to have completed it, and I'm looking forward to my run next weekend! Check out my last post on my C25K Journal!
God bless!
~S
God bless!
~S
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Quick little update...
Since I seemed to drop of the blog-o-sphere for a while, here is a quick little update!
1-My C25K is going GREAT! I actually ran for a full 20 minutes straight yesterday! Go me! Hahaha
2-I've had to tighten my belt a notch and that feels fabulous.
3-My crochet shop is back up and running! Yay!
4-I'm doing a giveaway on my Stitchin' Good Time page on Facebook! Head on over and get as many entries as you can!
5-Alaina is FIVE MONTHS OLD now!!???!!! WHAT???
6-We had our new house blessed last night. :-)
7-We've been visited by all kinds of critters here at the house over the last couple of weeks. I'll post some pictures soon!
8-My P52 blog has been updated, all except last weeks and this weeks photo. Go check it out and let me know what you think of my pictures!
That's all for now.
God bless!
~Stacy
1-My C25K is going GREAT! I actually ran for a full 20 minutes straight yesterday! Go me! Hahaha
2-I've had to tighten my belt a notch and that feels fabulous.
3-My crochet shop is back up and running! Yay!
4-I'm doing a giveaway on my Stitchin' Good Time page on Facebook! Head on over and get as many entries as you can!
5-Alaina is FIVE MONTHS OLD now!!???!!! WHAT???
6-We had our new house blessed last night. :-)
7-We've been visited by all kinds of critters here at the house over the last couple of weeks. I'll post some pictures soon!
8-My P52 blog has been updated, all except last weeks and this weeks photo. Go check it out and let me know what you think of my pictures!
That's all for now.
God bless!
~Stacy
Friday, August 9, 2013
I'm King of the World!
OK. Not really, but after last weekends little getaway, I feel like I can conquer anything! See...originally, we were supposed to take a trip to my mom and step-dad's cabin as a family, all five of us. However...Michael wound up having to work on Friday, so it was just me and the three kids. Yikes! I was extremely a wee bit nervous about the 3 hour ride up with three kids age three and under, all by my lonesome. My sister and I planned to caravan up, but a few other things came up for her, so the caravan idea didn't happen. She did drop off my niece, and she rode up with me, though. We left after lunch time, so that the two older kids could nap the majority of the way up. Having my niece with me was nice because she could hop into the middle row if the baby got squealy, or if one of the other two wanted to just chatter while I had to focus on where we were going. It made rest stops a whole lot easier, too!
When we got up there, the four of us shared one room. Alaina in the TraveLite crib, Justin in the full size pack 'n play, and Julia shared the bed with me. The first night wasn't really that bad...considering. Since the two older ones didn't, in fact, take their naps {insert annoyed look here}. The best part??? All three of them slept until 8 am Friday and Saturday morning! We all took a couple of rides on the pontoon boat, and the kids had their first lake swimming experience! Our little fishy boy loved it once he got his sea legs, and Julia, well, she enjoyed it quite a bit too. Alaina only got her legs dipped in, but she didn't even flinch when that chilly water hit her little tootsies!
Sunday morning, Alaina woke up around 7 or 7:30. Not necessarily a bad thing since we needed to finish packing up to come home. We didn't leave at nap time like the ride up. This time...it was before lunch, so I was nervous again. My sister and I drove together, so it wasn't so bad. If I needed to stop for some reason, I could just call her and tell her to pull off at the next exit.
Here's my favorite picture from that weekend. This was Justin's "maiden voyage" on the pontoon...he loved it!
Long story short, we all survived, and now, I feel like I could tackle anything!
God bless,
~Stacy
When we got up there, the four of us shared one room. Alaina in the TraveLite crib, Justin in the full size pack 'n play, and Julia shared the bed with me. The first night wasn't really that bad...considering. Since the two older ones didn't, in fact, take their naps {insert annoyed look here}. The best part??? All three of them slept until 8 am Friday and Saturday morning! We all took a couple of rides on the pontoon boat, and the kids had their first lake swimming experience! Our little fishy boy loved it once he got his sea legs, and Julia, well, she enjoyed it quite a bit too. Alaina only got her legs dipped in, but she didn't even flinch when that chilly water hit her little tootsies!
Sunday morning, Alaina woke up around 7 or 7:30. Not necessarily a bad thing since we needed to finish packing up to come home. We didn't leave at nap time like the ride up. This time...it was before lunch, so I was nervous again. My sister and I drove together, so it wasn't so bad. If I needed to stop for some reason, I could just call her and tell her to pull off at the next exit.
Here's my favorite picture from that weekend. This was Justin's "maiden voyage" on the pontoon...he loved it!
Long story short, we all survived, and now, I feel like I could tackle anything!
God bless,
~Stacy
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Commenting Challenge = Fail
To those of you that came over from Jenna's Journey for the last couple of days of the Fourth Annual Commenting Challenge, I'm sorry I flaked! I really wanted to participate fully, and this year just didn't seem to jive. We had two weekends in a row of being out of town, so I was doubly busy with chasing the three kiddos and packing up for the weekends. Maybe next time. :-) Heck, maybe I'll finally host my own Commenting Challenge!
Til next time...
God bless
~Stacy
Til next time...
God bless
~Stacy
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Day 3...
Well, we're already half way through the Fourth Annual Commenting Challenge hosted by Jenna at Jenna's Journey! It's never too late to join in, so head on over and link up with her! I'll admit, I haven't been as active with this challenge as I would like to be, but these kiddos are keeping me on my toes lately!
I've decided to add a little bit about me. A couple of things that I love which didn't get mentioned yesterday, are I love to run, and I love taking pictures.
I ran on the track team in high school, mainly doing hurdles, but I discovered a love of distance running. Enter the Couch to 5K app on my phone! I started a while back, but had to stop because I thought my milk supply was dwindling. Took a couple of months off, and just started back up this past Monday. Since I'm breastfeeding, I have to ease myself into it. Meaning, start slowly...the only problem I have with that is that I can't NOT run all out, every time. If I'm not giving it my 100%, I don't feel like I'm doing good enough. Monday's workout was too easy. I barely broke a sweat. But...I did it, so that's really all that matters! I have another blog to document my progress (no matter how many times I have to start over again), so feel free to go check out My Couch-to-5K Journal!
On to the pictures...I'm not a professional photographer, yet. Just a mom with some cute kids, nice wildlife, and a nice camera! :-) I would love to take it on professionally, but that isn't going to happen any time soon. I do, however, still get quite a few people asking me to do photos for them, which is incredibly flattering. Last year I started a Project 52, and continued it into this year. What that is, is a challenge to take one picture a week for a whole year, based on a specific theme. I didn't want to go about it all by my lonesome, so I started another blog, and a Facebook group so that friends could do it with me! It's been a lot of fun, and along with the Photography board that I am a part of through Babycenter, I am learning a TON. I haven't updated the blog in a bit, unfortunately, but feel free to go check out my images from last year and what has been posted so far this year on One Picture Every Week For A Year!
Ok, my kids are done eating now, and I need to finish my coffee before it gets *too* cold. (yeah right...in my dreams! haha!)
God bless,
~S
I've decided to add a little bit about me. A couple of things that I love which didn't get mentioned yesterday, are I love to run, and I love taking pictures.
I ran on the track team in high school, mainly doing hurdles, but I discovered a love of distance running. Enter the Couch to 5K app on my phone! I started a while back, but had to stop because I thought my milk supply was dwindling. Took a couple of months off, and just started back up this past Monday. Since I'm breastfeeding, I have to ease myself into it. Meaning, start slowly...the only problem I have with that is that I can't NOT run all out, every time. If I'm not giving it my 100%, I don't feel like I'm doing good enough. Monday's workout was too easy. I barely broke a sweat. But...I did it, so that's really all that matters! I have another blog to document my progress (no matter how many times I have to start over again), so feel free to go check out My Couch-to-5K Journal!
On to the pictures...I'm not a professional photographer, yet. Just a mom with some cute kids, nice wildlife, and a nice camera! :-) I would love to take it on professionally, but that isn't going to happen any time soon. I do, however, still get quite a few people asking me to do photos for them, which is incredibly flattering. Last year I started a Project 52, and continued it into this year. What that is, is a challenge to take one picture a week for a whole year, based on a specific theme. I didn't want to go about it all by my lonesome, so I started another blog, and a Facebook group so that friends could do it with me! It's been a lot of fun, and along with the Photography board that I am a part of through Babycenter, I am learning a TON. I haven't updated the blog in a bit, unfortunately, but feel free to go check out my images from last year and what has been posted so far this year on One Picture Every Week For A Year!
Ok, my kids are done eating now, and I need to finish my coffee before it gets *too* cold. (yeah right...in my dreams! haha!)
God bless,
~S
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Day 2!
Well, today is day two of the Fourth Annual Commenting Challenge hosted by Jenna's Journey! Are you participating this year? Have you found some new blog pals? I've found a few that I fully intend to follow much past the commenting challenge. :-)
Each day, Jenna is posting a new topic that we can use if we need to. I didn't need yesterday's because of the house update, but I'm going to combine yesterday's topic with today's just so I can cover both! So, watch out! Here comes a bit about me, my social media, and my favorite movies/TV shows!
Mondays topic: Some of us have "About Us" pages with our info on them...who we are, where we live, who is in our family, etc. and some don't. Also, some of us use various forms of social media (twitter, facebook etc) and others don't. For your post on Monday, you can talk about who you are and/or link to your About Us page and also share about your social media.
Where do you interact with your blog friends? On Twitter? Only in the comments? Share links to your social media accounts and if you don't have an About Us type page, give us a little background on who you are, what you blog about, etc!
Tuesdays topic: What's your favorite TV show/series/reality show? If you don't watch TV, what about a favorite movie or book series?
Ok, about me...
This is me and my husband on our wedding day.
I'm 32 years old, stay-at-home mommy to our three adorable kiddos:
My husband and I met in March of 2007, were married in May of 2009, and welcomed our three year old in March of 2010! Before I was a stay-at-home mom, I worked for a great advertising company in the accounting department. I started out with A/R work, and moved to data entry. I loved my job. I hated leaving it, but at the same time, I hated being there when I wanted so badly to be home with my babies. Now, I know I have my days when my two toddlers drive me right up a wall, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. A part time job a couple of days a week, maybe...but no more than that! I love to read (my bookshelves on Goodreads have more books than I'll be able to read in the next 10 years I think!), crochet (check out my Facebook biz page!), cook, bake, and spend time with my family...as well as wanting to watch more TV than I can. Haha (we don't have cable).
Most of my blog interaction takes place right here, on my blog. I usually write about random day-to-day living with three small kids, or house related things since we just moved. It might be kind of boring to some, but hey! This blog is my life, in a nutshell. :-)
OK, enough of that, let's move on to TV stuff! I do love to watch TV. A little too much, maybe. We had cable and a DVR for a while at our last house, and it was wonderful! I was able to see the shows I love without trying to stay up until 11:00 every night. However...it sucked nap time away really quick. No cable and no DVR is kind of a blessing in disguise I guess. It gives me a chance to get housework done, or crochet.
My all time favorite TV show has to be Friends. I own all 10 seasons on DVD! I also really enjoy watching American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Moms, Family Guy, Everybody Loves Raymond, and King of Queens. My husband and I joke that we're a combination of the couple on King of Queens, and the couple on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Ok. This post has gotten long enough, and it's been two whole days in the making, so I'll end it here! :-)
God bless!
~S
Each day, Jenna is posting a new topic that we can use if we need to. I didn't need yesterday's because of the house update, but I'm going to combine yesterday's topic with today's just so I can cover both! So, watch out! Here comes a bit about me, my social media, and my favorite movies/TV shows!
Mondays topic: Some of us have "About Us" pages with our info on them...who we are, where we live, who is in our family, etc. and some don't. Also, some of us use various forms of social media (twitter, facebook etc) and others don't. For your post on Monday, you can talk about who you are and/or link to your About Us page and also share about your social media.
Where do you interact with your blog friends? On Twitter? Only in the comments? Share links to your social media accounts and if you don't have an About Us type page, give us a little background on who you are, what you blog about, etc!
Tuesdays topic: What's your favorite TV show/series/reality show? If you don't watch TV, what about a favorite movie or book series?
Hopefully others who read this post will watch the same shows and you can start some wonderful discussions in your comments section!
Ok, about me...
This is me and my husband on our wedding day.
I'm 32 years old, stay-at-home mommy to our three adorable kiddos:
Julia - 3
Justin - 2
Alaina - 4 months
My husband and I met in March of 2007, were married in May of 2009, and welcomed our three year old in March of 2010! Before I was a stay-at-home mom, I worked for a great advertising company in the accounting department. I started out with A/R work, and moved to data entry. I loved my job. I hated leaving it, but at the same time, I hated being there when I wanted so badly to be home with my babies. Now, I know I have my days when my two toddlers drive me right up a wall, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. A part time job a couple of days a week, maybe...but no more than that! I love to read (my bookshelves on Goodreads have more books than I'll be able to read in the next 10 years I think!), crochet (check out my Facebook biz page!), cook, bake, and spend time with my family...as well as wanting to watch more TV than I can. Haha (we don't have cable).
Most of my blog interaction takes place right here, on my blog. I usually write about random day-to-day living with three small kids, or house related things since we just moved. It might be kind of boring to some, but hey! This blog is my life, in a nutshell. :-)
OK, enough of that, let's move on to TV stuff! I do love to watch TV. A little too much, maybe. We had cable and a DVR for a while at our last house, and it was wonderful! I was able to see the shows I love without trying to stay up until 11:00 every night. However...it sucked nap time away really quick. No cable and no DVR is kind of a blessing in disguise I guess. It gives me a chance to get housework done, or crochet.
My all time favorite TV show has to be Friends. I own all 10 seasons on DVD! I also really enjoy watching American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Moms, Family Guy, Everybody Loves Raymond, and King of Queens. My husband and I joke that we're a combination of the couple on King of Queens, and the couple on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Ok. This post has gotten long enough, and it's been two whole days in the making, so I'll end it here! :-)
God bless!
~S
Monday, July 22, 2013
Commenting Challenge Day 1 and an Update!
Well, today marks day one of the fourth annual commenting challenge over at Jenna's Journey! If you haven't participated in a commenting challenge yet, head on over to her blog and check it out! While you're there, go ahead and sign up to participate by submitting your blog link at the bottom of her day one post. This is my second year participating, and though I can't comment on as many as I would like to, I did find a healthy helping of new reading material last year. ;-)
So, now that you've all visited Jenna in her corner of the blog world, here's what we've been up to here! I mentioned last Monday in my Mismosh Update that we were going to be cutting down all of the shrubs along the front side of the house. Well...Michael, his dad, and his two brothers were able to cut down ALL of the shrubs all around the house...not just the front! Yay! As a quick reminder, here is a before picture:
And here is one of the after shots! OMG! There's a FRONT to the house!!! And I LOVE IT!!! (Not that I didn't love it before, but geez!!! P.S. These pictures really show how much difference the time of day makes in photographs...)
The guys really busted their bums...everyone was rewarded with beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, and good chats when the job was done! My mother-in-law, niece and I stayed inside with all the kids most of the day. I really wanted to be out there with the guys, though... Next year can't come soon enough. My green thumb is starting to itch...big time. Between the newly discovered flower beds in front (I knew they were there, just couldn't tell how big!), and all of the garden beds, I'm ready to go to TOWN planting!
What do you like better: Fruit/vegetable gardening, or flower gardening?
Anyways...I have an email to get to, so I will post again in the morning!
God bless,
~S
So, now that you've all visited Jenna in her corner of the blog world, here's what we've been up to here! I mentioned last Monday in my Mismosh Update that we were going to be cutting down all of the shrubs along the front side of the house. Well...Michael, his dad, and his two brothers were able to cut down ALL of the shrubs all around the house...not just the front! Yay! As a quick reminder, here is a before picture:
And here is one of the after shots! OMG! There's a FRONT to the house!!! And I LOVE IT!!! (Not that I didn't love it before, but geez!!! P.S. These pictures really show how much difference the time of day makes in photographs...)
The guys really busted their bums...everyone was rewarded with beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, and good chats when the job was done! My mother-in-law, niece and I stayed inside with all the kids most of the day. I really wanted to be out there with the guys, though... Next year can't come soon enough. My green thumb is starting to itch...big time. Between the newly discovered flower beds in front (I knew they were there, just couldn't tell how big!), and all of the garden beds, I'm ready to go to TOWN planting!
What do you like better: Fruit/vegetable gardening, or flower gardening?
Anyways...I have an email to get to, so I will post again in the morning!
God bless,
~S
Friday, July 19, 2013
Another Commenting Challenge!
For the last few years, Jenna, over at Jenna's Journey, has hosted a Commenting Challenge. This year marks the fourth annual commenting challenge! The gist of it is that you take a pledge to spread some bloggy love around by commenting on some blogs that you may not have known about before. In the process, you may find some new reading material, and some new web pals! It's lots of fun! I fully intend to participate this year, and I would challenge any of my readers to do the same!
Who's with me??? Leave me a comment below if you're going to participate, and leave a link to your blog! I'll stop by soon and check out your little corner of the web!
God bless
~S
Monday, July 15, 2013
Mishmosh update...
Well, it's been a while since I've posted, but here's a quick update!
Things at the new house are going well. We've gotten about 98% of the wallpaper out of the third bathroom, and I was able to get the chair rail down yesterday. Just need to get the crown molding down, and the base molding before we can start sanding the walls. We still need to pull all the nails (these people were OBSESSED with hanging stuff on the walls...), and fill the holes as well. I have picked the paint colors out, and will be starting to shop around for rugs, towels, and a vanity set very soon! Yay! It will be so nice to have at least one room here be "us".
I also cut down the huge shrub that was by the driveway yesterday. It felt so good to be able to get outside and actually do something. I'm always stuck in the house because one or all of the kids are asleep, and I can't leave them inside alone...
Alaina was baptized on June 23rd, but she was less than enthusiastic about it. She had an all out meltdown before hand, and a screaming fit right in the middle of the ceremony. I was mildly embarrassed, but all I could do was laugh. I'm sure the other 3 families could understand anyways...right?
Justin turned the big "TWO" on July 4th, so we celebrated with some at-home fireworks, and a red, white & blue cake for him. We had a little party for him after Alaina's baptism on June 23rd as well. He now has about 6 too many noisy truck toys. haha!
Alaina is now rolling from belly to back, "talking" like crazy already, smiling all the time, and gnawing on her hands like it's going out of style. She just keeps getting bigger every time I look at her. Last night was her first night in the crib, and it actually didn't go too bad! I did have to bring her out for a little bit shortly after laying her down because I couldn't get her to stop crying and I wanted Julia to go to sleep (they're sharing a room). Once she was asleep, she slept until 3:30 this morning, and then until 8:15. Not too shabby. Naps in the crib, on the other hand...leave a lot to be desired. It's a work in progress.
This weekend we will be taking down all of the shrubs in the front of the house!!! It's going to look SOOOOOOOO different. I can't wait to see what kind of flower beds I have to work with next spring, though. I already have so many ideas!
Well, I think that's it for now...
God bless!
~S
Things at the new house are going well. We've gotten about 98% of the wallpaper out of the third bathroom, and I was able to get the chair rail down yesterday. Just need to get the crown molding down, and the base molding before we can start sanding the walls. We still need to pull all the nails (these people were OBSESSED with hanging stuff on the walls...), and fill the holes as well. I have picked the paint colors out, and will be starting to shop around for rugs, towels, and a vanity set very soon! Yay! It will be so nice to have at least one room here be "us".
Before
During
(I need to get another one now that the chair rail is down...)
I also cut down the huge shrub that was by the driveway yesterday. It felt so good to be able to get outside and actually do something. I'm always stuck in the house because one or all of the kids are asleep, and I can't leave them inside alone...
Alaina was baptized on June 23rd, but she was less than enthusiastic about it. She had an all out meltdown before hand, and a screaming fit right in the middle of the ceremony. I was mildly embarrassed, but all I could do was laugh. I'm sure the other 3 families could understand anyways...right?
Justin turned the big "TWO" on July 4th, so we celebrated with some at-home fireworks, and a red, white & blue cake for him. We had a little party for him after Alaina's baptism on June 23rd as well. He now has about 6 too many noisy truck toys. haha!
Alaina is now rolling from belly to back, "talking" like crazy already, smiling all the time, and gnawing on her hands like it's going out of style. She just keeps getting bigger every time I look at her. Last night was her first night in the crib, and it actually didn't go too bad! I did have to bring her out for a little bit shortly after laying her down because I couldn't get her to stop crying and I wanted Julia to go to sleep (they're sharing a room). Once she was asleep, she slept until 3:30 this morning, and then until 8:15. Not too shabby. Naps in the crib, on the other hand...leave a lot to be desired. It's a work in progress.
This weekend we will be taking down all of the shrubs in the front of the house!!! It's going to look SOOOOOOOO different. I can't wait to see what kind of flower beds I have to work with next spring, though. I already have so many ideas!
Here's what it looks like right now...
Well, I think that's it for now...
God bless!
~S
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Whoops!
So...uh...I kind of disappeared for a bit. I won't even give any excuses other than I'm trying to spend more time with the kids, and trying to do more around the house!
Will have an update soon...since the boy turned TWO and all!
Hang tight.
Gid bless...
~S
Will have an update soon...since the boy turned TWO and all!
Hang tight.
Gid bless...
~S
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The Vanishing Act
As I sit here listening to the two older kids play outside with daddy, Alaina making her little baby noises in the bouncy chair, and thinking about this article, I'm reminded about just how fast life can get away from us. I mean, where did the last four years of my life go? Heck, where did last week go? Before kids life was so carefree. So unpredictable. So...easy. Now, with two toddlers and an infant, it's hard to fathom doing much of anything outside of the house by myself. I'll be honest...I'm PETRIFIED to take all three kids out alone, but I'm darn near desperate enough to do it by now! Alaina is now 11 weeks old, and the only times I've been out with the three of them I was either with Michael, or with my sister. (I think I need to get over that fear...)
Anyways...back to the article. This lady is catching a lot of flack for writing this. I can only pray to God that her children truly did feel loved, and that her admitting this so publicly, won't ruin them for the rest of their lives. I can also say, like she said, there are probably thousands - if not millions - of women and men that secretly feel the same as her. I definitely have my days that I think "Man...my independence is totally gone...I wish I had it back", but in no way do I regret my children. Kudos to her for her honesty, but at the same time, maybe she should have stood her ground with her husband. Kids should never be a regret. Nor should anyone ever resent their babies for their own decisions. Just my $.02.
A fellow mama and blogging friend posted this blog post this morning, and it got me thinking too! She is really an amazing mama, and many of the things she mentioned really hit me. I've decided that I will try to do something similar to her post for my next birthday (33! EEK!). There are many moments that I want to document, so maybe I'll do a combination post of my lessons of the year, and moments to remember. I don't know yet. I really need to decide though, because I'm already four months into this birthday year, and I'm just now wanting to start! Yikes!
OK. Back to my original question: Where did the last four years of my life go? Well...it's actually a pretty easy answer, but many of the moments are just a blur. All but, say, six to eight months of the last four years, I've spent pregnant, breastfeeding, and/or caring for one or all of my three beautiful babies. We got married in May of 2009, found out we were pregnant in July, and the end is history! It's amazing how fast life can pass you by if you don't stop and pay attention. I've had friendships crumble, new ones form, and some just kind of fizzled out while others stayed strong despite the distance. Since that first baby was born, we've welcomed two more, sold our house, bought a new home, and moved. The new house has so much potential, and many updates to be made, but with life moving as fast as it is, we'll just be finishing everything by the time we both hit 60! Haha!
I want so many things for my kids. I want them to have what Michael and I may not have had. To be able to participate in after school activities and have sleep overs.
To be in Girl Scouts (or Boy Scouts for Justin) longer than just a couple of years. I want them to feel drawn to God and the life He has cut out for them. I want them to be accepting of other people. Other faiths. Other situations that they may not understand.
I want them to have a two parent, non-divorced, loving home. I want them to find music, art, and reading fun. I want them to use their imaginations to their fullest abilities. Maybe not as much as Michael does (love you honey!), but more-so than I do. I don't want them to feel like they missed out on things like I have, to remember their childhood more than I do, to travel and explore the state, the country, the world.
I want them to be close to Michael and I...to know that they're loved, appreciated, wanted, needed by ALL of their family. Not just us as their parents. I want them to know that they can come to us for anything, anytime, anywhere if they need to.
I don't want their lives to disappear from them the way mine did.
So to my babies...
Slow down.
Breathe deep.
Stop...
Look...
Listen to your life...
Remember everything.
I love you...
God bless,
~Stacy
Anyways...back to the article. This lady is catching a lot of flack for writing this. I can only pray to God that her children truly did feel loved, and that her admitting this so publicly, won't ruin them for the rest of their lives. I can also say, like she said, there are probably thousands - if not millions - of women and men that secretly feel the same as her. I definitely have my days that I think "Man...my independence is totally gone...I wish I had it back", but in no way do I regret my children. Kudos to her for her honesty, but at the same time, maybe she should have stood her ground with her husband. Kids should never be a regret. Nor should anyone ever resent their babies for their own decisions. Just my $.02.
A fellow mama and blogging friend posted this blog post this morning, and it got me thinking too! She is really an amazing mama, and many of the things she mentioned really hit me. I've decided that I will try to do something similar to her post for my next birthday (33! EEK!). There are many moments that I want to document, so maybe I'll do a combination post of my lessons of the year, and moments to remember. I don't know yet. I really need to decide though, because I'm already four months into this birthday year, and I'm just now wanting to start! Yikes!
OK. Back to my original question: Where did the last four years of my life go? Well...it's actually a pretty easy answer, but many of the moments are just a blur. All but, say, six to eight months of the last four years, I've spent pregnant, breastfeeding, and/or caring for one or all of my three beautiful babies. We got married in May of 2009, found out we were pregnant in July, and the end is history! It's amazing how fast life can pass you by if you don't stop and pay attention. I've had friendships crumble, new ones form, and some just kind of fizzled out while others stayed strong despite the distance. Since that first baby was born, we've welcomed two more, sold our house, bought a new home, and moved. The new house has so much potential, and many updates to be made, but with life moving as fast as it is, we'll just be finishing everything by the time we both hit 60! Haha!
I want so many things for my kids. I want them to have what Michael and I may not have had. To be able to participate in after school activities and have sleep overs.
To be in Girl Scouts (or Boy Scouts for Justin) longer than just a couple of years. I want them to feel drawn to God and the life He has cut out for them. I want them to be accepting of other people. Other faiths. Other situations that they may not understand.
I want them to be close to Michael and I...to know that they're loved, appreciated, wanted, needed by ALL of their family. Not just us as their parents. I want them to know that they can come to us for anything, anytime, anywhere if they need to.
I don't want their lives to disappear from them the way mine did.
So to my babies...
Slow down.
Breathe deep.
Stop...
Look...
Listen to your life...
Remember everything.
I love you...
God bless,
~Stacy
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Check out my other blogs while you're here!
Yeah, I'm pimping out my other blogs...haha!
First, here's my Project 52 blog. I started in 2012, and decided to do it again this year! I'm missing quite a few photos for this year, and it needs to be updated again, but there are quite a few pictures there so check it out!
One Picture Every Week For A Year
Second, this is my Couch to 5K blog. I started it a few weeks ago, and I'm really enjoying the workouts! I'm going to have to slow down, though, which bums me out pretty bad! Go check it out and see what I accomplished!
My Couch-to-5K Journal
Now for a quick update. We had some pretty bad storms roll through the area last night. Thankfully, it missed us by a few miles, but I was ready...again! I had a diaper bag all packed up and put in the basement along with a few other things. I know I probably overreact a little bit with severe weather, but I'd rather be prepared than to be caught with nothing ready. A lot of what I put in the basement (SO GLAD we have a basement now!!!) is materialistic things that can be replaced, but they are things that I really don't want to lose. My camera/lenses, laptop, and pump. Guess it's time to start a very detailed inventory of everything we have!
God bless!
~Stacy
First, here's my Project 52 blog. I started in 2012, and decided to do it again this year! I'm missing quite a few photos for this year, and it needs to be updated again, but there are quite a few pictures there so check it out!
One Picture Every Week For A Year
Second, this is my Couch to 5K blog. I started it a few weeks ago, and I'm really enjoying the workouts! I'm going to have to slow down, though, which bums me out pretty bad! Go check it out and see what I accomplished!
My Couch-to-5K Journal
Now for a quick update. We had some pretty bad storms roll through the area last night. Thankfully, it missed us by a few miles, but I was ready...again! I had a diaper bag all packed up and put in the basement along with a few other things. I know I probably overreact a little bit with severe weather, but I'd rather be prepared than to be caught with nothing ready. A lot of what I put in the basement (SO GLAD we have a basement now!!!) is materialistic things that can be replaced, but they are things that I really don't want to lose. My camera/lenses, laptop, and pump. Guess it's time to start a very detailed inventory of everything we have!
God bless!
~Stacy
Thursday, May 16, 2013
For my hubby...
Happy anniversary, honey! Thank you for the last 4 years...and for our three beautiful children! I love you, and look forward to many years to come. :-)
God bless,
Stacy
God bless,
Stacy
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
I want to be a better parent...
Ok. This isn't the original idea for the "new post" I mentioned here, but it will work... Maybe I'll still tackle the other one some day, but for the time being, I can't see it coming off as very nice at all, so it will have to wait!
Anyways... As the title suggests, I want to be a better parent. I saw a blog post the other day that said "You're not a bad parent if..." and named off quite a few different things about parenting in general. I know I'm not a "bad" parent. I do my best to keep my kids in check and keep them safe (especially while we're adjusting to all of the new things in the new house), but along with that comes a lot of frustration, a few spankings, and quite a bit of yelling. I don't want to be "that" parent anymore. I hate seeing my kids get sad because I yelled at them. After all...Julia is only 3, and Justin isn't even 2! What on EARTH makes me think that they understand everything that I say to them? They don't. And that's something that ***I*** need to understand. They are generally well behaved kiddos, and do what we ask them to more often than not, so I really need to work on keeping my frustrations in check!
So...my promises to my kids:
1 - I promise to give you two chances before I "take action".
2 - I promise to be firm, not yell at you the first chance I get.
3 - I promise to get down on your level when I need to talk to you.
4 - I promise to read you books a few times a day.
5 - I promise to get down on the floor and play with you while Alaina is sleeping.
6 - I promise to work my hardest to be the best mommy I can be.
7 - I promise to talk to daddy and have him do the same as me.
8 - I promise to not use the TV as a "babysitter" more than 3 times a week. (Not days, either. 3 TIMES. This is going to be a tough one since your baby sister nurses at least 4 times a day.)
9 - I promise to lead by example.
10 - I promise to get "school" going again in the very near future. You both really enjoy it, and I love that you're learning!
For now, that is all!
God bless,
~Stacy
Anyways... As the title suggests, I want to be a better parent. I saw a blog post the other day that said "You're not a bad parent if..." and named off quite a few different things about parenting in general. I know I'm not a "bad" parent. I do my best to keep my kids in check and keep them safe (especially while we're adjusting to all of the new things in the new house), but along with that comes a lot of frustration, a few spankings, and quite a bit of yelling. I don't want to be "that" parent anymore. I hate seeing my kids get sad because I yelled at them. After all...Julia is only 3, and Justin isn't even 2! What on EARTH makes me think that they understand everything that I say to them? They don't. And that's something that ***I*** need to understand. They are generally well behaved kiddos, and do what we ask them to more often than not, so I really need to work on keeping my frustrations in check!
So...my promises to my kids:
1 - I promise to give you two chances before I "take action".
2 - I promise to be firm, not yell at you the first chance I get.
3 - I promise to get down on your level when I need to talk to you.
4 - I promise to read you books a few times a day.
5 - I promise to get down on the floor and play with you while Alaina is sleeping.
6 - I promise to work my hardest to be the best mommy I can be.
7 - I promise to talk to daddy and have him do the same as me.
8 - I promise to not use the TV as a "babysitter" more than 3 times a week. (Not days, either. 3 TIMES. This is going to be a tough one since your baby sister nurses at least 4 times a day.)
9 - I promise to lead by example.
10 - I promise to get "school" going again in the very near future. You both really enjoy it, and I love that you're learning!
For now, that is all!
God bless,
~Stacy
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Emotional Mass
Today I got to go to mass just me and Alaina. We decided to give potty training a try with Justin, so we didn't want to take him out for that amount of time, only to have to deal with a mess in the pew. So...Michael went to mass with Julia yesterday, and I took Alaina today. It was so nice because I was able to focus on what was being said more than making sure the kids kept quiet and didn't become major disturbances. I don't know why, but I still feel like people look at me like I'm a single mom even though I have that wedding ring on my finger. It's fading...it's not as bad as it was when Julia was first born, but it's still there especially on days like today when I'm sitting at church holding a baby (most likely to the point that no one can see my wedding ring), feeling like I'm being silently admonished.
Anyways...that's not the point of this post!
As I sat there, able to focus and really listen to what the readings said, and what the priest shared in his homily, I got emotional. I didn't exactly cry, but there were tears welling up, and I had to hold back quite a bit. See...the story that the priest shared hit pretty close to home for me today. He was talking about how his dad had passed away when his brother was only 9 years old. Said brother became very musically inclined, and later decided to join the Air Force. The priest ran into his brother one weekend after he had been enlisted for just a couple of short years. His brother was visibly depressed. To the point that our priest was afraid his brother may commit suicide. This scared him, and he became very, very concerned. The following year, the priest saw his brother again and he was happy. Like did a complete 180...was happy, confident, comfortable...HAPPY again. So he went and asked his brother what happened. The response he got was completely eye opening. This is the part that got me... His brother responded with "Dad talked to me." The priest was totally taken aback by this and said "What?". His brother said "Dad talked to me. He told me that he's with me."
I've had a few homilies hit close to home for me, but this one has special meaning especially now. See...this year will mark 4 years since my friend Adam passed away. This homily reminded me again about the dream I had of him. I had been very caught up in the fact that I wasn't able to go to his funeral (Michael and I were on our honeymoon), that I hadn't had the proper chance to say good-bye, and I was wondering how he was since he had passed. I'm the first person to tell you that someone is in a better place...that they're not hurting anymore...or that they're watching over you. But when it's someone so close to you, that's hard to come to terms with. In my dream, I was sitting on a bench with his sister when he approached me and told me "I'm fine". It's still so ingrained in my head... Needless to say, it was very hard to fight back the tears, and I'm getting pretty choked up just thinking about it again. I could barely sing the next hymn, too! It was "Be Not Afraid"... *sigh* The timing of these things just blows my mind sometimes!
God bless, and Happy Mother's Day again!
~Stacy
Anyways...that's not the point of this post!
As I sat there, able to focus and really listen to what the readings said, and what the priest shared in his homily, I got emotional. I didn't exactly cry, but there were tears welling up, and I had to hold back quite a bit. See...the story that the priest shared hit pretty close to home for me today. He was talking about how his dad had passed away when his brother was only 9 years old. Said brother became very musically inclined, and later decided to join the Air Force. The priest ran into his brother one weekend after he had been enlisted for just a couple of short years. His brother was visibly depressed. To the point that our priest was afraid his brother may commit suicide. This scared him, and he became very, very concerned. The following year, the priest saw his brother again and he was happy. Like did a complete 180...was happy, confident, comfortable...HAPPY again. So he went and asked his brother what happened. The response he got was completely eye opening. This is the part that got me... His brother responded with "Dad talked to me." The priest was totally taken aback by this and said "What?". His brother said "Dad talked to me. He told me that he's with me."
I've had a few homilies hit close to home for me, but this one has special meaning especially now. See...this year will mark 4 years since my friend Adam passed away. This homily reminded me again about the dream I had of him. I had been very caught up in the fact that I wasn't able to go to his funeral (Michael and I were on our honeymoon), that I hadn't had the proper chance to say good-bye, and I was wondering how he was since he had passed. I'm the first person to tell you that someone is in a better place...that they're not hurting anymore...or that they're watching over you. But when it's someone so close to you, that's hard to come to terms with. In my dream, I was sitting on a bench with his sister when he approached me and told me "I'm fine". It's still so ingrained in my head... Needless to say, it was very hard to fight back the tears, and I'm getting pretty choked up just thinking about it again. I could barely sing the next hymn, too! It was "Be Not Afraid"... *sigh* The timing of these things just blows my mind sometimes!
God bless, and Happy Mother's Day again!
~Stacy
Happy Mother's Day!
I would like to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all of the mama's that follow me here. Whether you're a new mama, expecting mama, seasoned mama, trying to become a mama, fur baby mama, or a single dad (cause that makes you Mr. Mom you know!). Happy Mother's Day! I hope it's a blessed one for you!
God bless!
~Stacy
God bless!
~Stacy
Friday, May 10, 2013
Just a quick photo share...
I managed to get outside with my camera the other day, and I love the way these tulip photos turned out! There are a bunch more pics that I got that day, but I haven't looked at all of them yet. Enjoy!
God bless!
~Stacy
God bless!
~Stacy
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
An Update From the New House
Just a quick post here...
1) The kids LOVE the house!
2) The kids are adjusting well. Napping and going to bed without many problems. Yay!
3) We have ROOM!!!
4) Everything got moved on Saturday, so now we're just slowly unpacking.
5) We've already had our first ER visit. Justin smacked his head on the corner of a marble window sill, and got a staple in the back of his head. Don't worry, he's ok.
6) 3G sucks here. Just sayin'. Lol
7) I've worn slippers more in the last 3 days than I have my whole life.
8) The VIEW!!! Oh my goodness, the view...
1) The kids LOVE the house!
2) The kids are adjusting well. Napping and going to bed without many problems. Yay!
3) We have ROOM!!!
4) Everything got moved on Saturday, so now we're just slowly unpacking.
5) We've already had our first ER visit. Justin smacked his head on the corner of a marble window sill, and got a staple in the back of his head. Don't worry, he's ok.
6) 3G sucks here. Just sayin'. Lol
7) I've worn slippers more in the last 3 days than I have my whole life.
8) The VIEW!!! Oh my goodness, the view...
God bless!
~Stacy~
Friday, April 19, 2013
Aaaaah!!! No more wifi!!!
Ackk...we just had our internet shut off because we'll be moving this weekend. 3G (occasionally 4G) is so much slower!!!
Now, having said that...I'll be MIA for a bit. Don't go gettin'all sad...I'll be back! :-)
God bless!!
~Stacy
Now, having said that...I'll be MIA for a bit. Don't go gettin'all sad...I'll be back! :-)
God bless!!
~Stacy
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Just a few more details...
I was so anxious to get the story of Alaina's birth posted, that I left quite a bit out! I'll be adding a link for this post to the birth story, as well as these details, though! I'll try to be specific as to where each little tidbit goes.
After we had walked for what felt like forever the night of the 23rd, a second nurse had came in and checked me. She said I was a "good" 3 cm, so I got SUPER excited!!! I thought for a minute that we would be staying and having a baby that night, but the first nurse came back and re-checked me, confirming that I had not in fact dilated anymore. Darn!
After my nap, Michael said he could even tell that these contractions were different than the ones I had been having the night before. They were the "screw your face up, squish your eyes closed, holy COW that kind of hurt" kind of contractions. However, they were still mostly tolerable so I wasn't overly concerned...but again, didn't want to take any chances with how fast Justin was born.
During our second triage visit, the contractions were getting to the point that Michael was giving me his two fingers to hold on to. They still weren't completely unbearable, but were definitely hurting pretty good. I started really focusing and making sure that I wasn't breathing too quickly. After all, with Julia, I felt like I was going to hyperventilate and pass out because my breathing was soooooo quick and shallow.
The contractions got so intense while in labor & delivery, that I started refusing Michael's fingers, and opted for the dry pad that was laying underneath my butt. It's a good thing, too, because he probably would have had two fingers in splints right now! I managed to maintain my deep, slow, cleansing breaths through all of the contractions until anesthesia got to the room.
After we had walked for what felt like forever the night of the 23rd, a second nurse had came in and checked me. She said I was a "good" 3 cm, so I got SUPER excited!!! I thought for a minute that we would be staying and having a baby that night, but the first nurse came back and re-checked me, confirming that I had not in fact dilated anymore. Darn!
After my nap, Michael said he could even tell that these contractions were different than the ones I had been having the night before. They were the "screw your face up, squish your eyes closed, holy COW that kind of hurt" kind of contractions. However, they were still mostly tolerable so I wasn't overly concerned...but again, didn't want to take any chances with how fast Justin was born.
During our second triage visit, the contractions were getting to the point that Michael was giving me his two fingers to hold on to. They still weren't completely unbearable, but were definitely hurting pretty good. I started really focusing and making sure that I wasn't breathing too quickly. After all, with Julia, I felt like I was going to hyperventilate and pass out because my breathing was soooooo quick and shallow.
The contractions got so intense while in labor & delivery, that I started refusing Michael's fingers, and opted for the dry pad that was laying underneath my butt. It's a good thing, too, because he probably would have had two fingers in splints right now! I managed to maintain my deep, slow, cleansing breaths through all of the contractions until anesthesia got to the room.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Time for a few changes
If you haven't noticed, I get bored quickly. It's time for a few more changes on my blog. Check out the new countdown ticker and stat box at the right while you're here, then stay tuned for the new blog look! Bear with me...like everything else in my life right now, it's bound to take 3 times longer than it should...haha!
God bless!
God bless!
Friday, April 5, 2013
It's Official! Daddy is Outnumbered...baby girl #2 has arrived!
Well folks, here it is! The birth story of baby #3! It's a little bit late, but life with two toddlers and a newborn has proven to be a bit of an adjustment...obviously...haha!
When I went in for my 38 week appointment, I was a "good" 2 cm dilated. I didn't get too excited by that because women can walk around 3-4 cm for a week or more without going into labor.
At about 9:45 pm Saturday, March 23, I started having some contractions. I told Michael and said that they were about 4 to 6 minutes apart, but not overly painful yet. I asked what he wanted to do, and we decided to go ahead and go to the hospital. Since Justin was born so fast, we didn't want to take any chances. We changed out of our pj's, called my sister, and got everything ready to go. Contractions came and went, occasionally going about 10 minutes in between.
When my sister got here, we headed up to the hospital, not rushing because it didn't feel completely urgent yet. Let me tell you something...registration at triage is a whole lot easier when you're not doubled over in pain from contractions! Ha! We got all checked in and situated by about 11:00. They hooked me up to the fetal monitors and verified that I was in fact contracting. They monitored me and the baby for about 30 minutes before checking me. I was still just 2 cm dilated, though, so they gave me a few options. I could either walk around for a couple of hours, or they could send me home and we could come back when the contractions got more intense and closer together. Again...given how fast Justin was born, we opted to hang out and wander around the hospital. After about an hour and a half of hallways, stairs, up and down elevators, some more wandering, and even more wandering, all while I was contracting every 2 - 3 minutes, we headed back to triage. It was about 2 am at this point, and Michael and I were both getting pretty tired. They got me hooked back up to all the monitors, and watched for about 20 minutes. I was still contracting every 4 - 6 minutes, but the nurse said it seemed more like it was an "irritable uterus" issue rather than full on labor. Especially since all of the walking didn't put me in a labor and delivery room. They monitored me for another 30-ish minutes, and re-checked me before we left. I was *still* just 2 cm dilated. I was pretty darn bummed!!! We walked out of the hospital, without a little squish, and I was still contracting.
We got back home about 3:00 in the morning, and headed to bed. When I woke up, the contractions had all but stopped, and were down to a dull ache. I was still pretty bummed out. As the day went on, I would have random contractions here and there, but nothing too bad. Michael decided that we were going to get Mexican for lunch since it seemed to work with the other two. It sounded super yummy, so I wasn't going to complain! We sat down for lunch and I happily enjoyed my enchilada, tamale and beans & rice. After lunch, I laid down for a nap. What I woke up to kind of caught me by surprise! I was still having contractions, but these...these were a little more intense! I was actually having to focus and breathe through them more than I did the night before. They were starting to take my breath away, so we decided to have my sister come back so that we could head back to the hospital...again.
We got to the hospital, and got checked in around 5:00. We headed back to triage again and got all hooked up to the machines. They monitored me for about 30 minutes or so and checked me. I was 4 cm with a bulging sac, so I was NOT going home again!!! Wooooohooooo! I was so worried that they were going to want to send me home again. Anyways...I decided that rather than go natural, I wanted to go ahead and get the epidural. They had to run a test on my blood because my platelets were low at one point, so I had to wait until that result came back before they would give it to me. Once we got into a labor & delivery room, I started having some pretty wicked contractions and asked about 150 times when the anesthesiologist would be up with my drugs!!! LOL!!! About 30 minutes and 15 contractions later, they were in the room giving me the epidural! Yay! HUGE difference. HUGE difference. I went from wanting to kill someone and practically breaking the bed to laughing, chatting, and having a good old time. Heck...I could open my eyes again! I felt a warm gush and said "Oh, I think my water just broke!" But I was wrong...it was just the bloody show. Then, the doc broke my water, and I was still able to feel the pressure when the contractions got stronger, which I couldn't really feel with Julia, so I knew when it was time to push. When I said "Ok, I'm ready to push!" the doctor checked where the baby was, and she was practically crowning already. I had labored down so much, that she was right there waiting! My doctor said "Ok, you get two pushes, that's it!" (hahahahaa) When the next contraction came, I pushed, paused for a breath, pushed again, and her head was out. Breathed a few times, pushed again, and out she came! Less than 5 minutes, and about 2 1/2 pushes later, and our baby girl joined us!
Little Miss Alaina McKenzie was born just after 8 pm on March 24, 2013. She looks just like her big sister and brother did!
Just a few more details...
Here she is on her birthday!
And here she is with her big sister and big brother on Easter Sunday! (Justin was less than thrilled with the idea of a picture...lol)
God bless!!!
Some parts of this post may be TMI, so read at your own risk.
Please be sure to visit the link at the bottom of this story as well. It has some of the missing details that didn't make it into this post. I will be adding them here, but until then, the link will have to suffice. :-)
Please be sure to visit the link at the bottom of this story as well. It has some of the missing details that didn't make it into this post. I will be adding them here, but until then, the link will have to suffice. :-)
When I went in for my 38 week appointment, I was a "good" 2 cm dilated. I didn't get too excited by that because women can walk around 3-4 cm for a week or more without going into labor.
At about 9:45 pm Saturday, March 23, I started having some contractions. I told Michael and said that they were about 4 to 6 minutes apart, but not overly painful yet. I asked what he wanted to do, and we decided to go ahead and go to the hospital. Since Justin was born so fast, we didn't want to take any chances. We changed out of our pj's, called my sister, and got everything ready to go. Contractions came and went, occasionally going about 10 minutes in between.
When my sister got here, we headed up to the hospital, not rushing because it didn't feel completely urgent yet. Let me tell you something...registration at triage is a whole lot easier when you're not doubled over in pain from contractions! Ha! We got all checked in and situated by about 11:00. They hooked me up to the fetal monitors and verified that I was in fact contracting. They monitored me and the baby for about 30 minutes before checking me. I was still just 2 cm dilated, though, so they gave me a few options. I could either walk around for a couple of hours, or they could send me home and we could come back when the contractions got more intense and closer together. Again...given how fast Justin was born, we opted to hang out and wander around the hospital. After about an hour and a half of hallways, stairs, up and down elevators, some more wandering, and even more wandering, all while I was contracting every 2 - 3 minutes, we headed back to triage. It was about 2 am at this point, and Michael and I were both getting pretty tired. They got me hooked back up to all the monitors, and watched for about 20 minutes. I was still contracting every 4 - 6 minutes, but the nurse said it seemed more like it was an "irritable uterus" issue rather than full on labor. Especially since all of the walking didn't put me in a labor and delivery room. They monitored me for another 30-ish minutes, and re-checked me before we left. I was *still* just 2 cm dilated. I was pretty darn bummed!!! We walked out of the hospital, without a little squish, and I was still contracting.
We got back home about 3:00 in the morning, and headed to bed. When I woke up, the contractions had all but stopped, and were down to a dull ache. I was still pretty bummed out. As the day went on, I would have random contractions here and there, but nothing too bad. Michael decided that we were going to get Mexican for lunch since it seemed to work with the other two. It sounded super yummy, so I wasn't going to complain! We sat down for lunch and I happily enjoyed my enchilada, tamale and beans & rice. After lunch, I laid down for a nap. What I woke up to kind of caught me by surprise! I was still having contractions, but these...these were a little more intense! I was actually having to focus and breathe through them more than I did the night before. They were starting to take my breath away, so we decided to have my sister come back so that we could head back to the hospital...again.
We got to the hospital, and got checked in around 5:00. We headed back to triage again and got all hooked up to the machines. They monitored me for about 30 minutes or so and checked me. I was 4 cm with a bulging sac, so I was NOT going home again!!! Wooooohooooo! I was so worried that they were going to want to send me home again. Anyways...I decided that rather than go natural, I wanted to go ahead and get the epidural. They had to run a test on my blood because my platelets were low at one point, so I had to wait until that result came back before they would give it to me. Once we got into a labor & delivery room, I started having some pretty wicked contractions and asked about 150 times when the anesthesiologist would be up with my drugs!!! LOL!!! About 30 minutes and 15 contractions later, they were in the room giving me the epidural! Yay! HUGE difference. HUGE difference. I went from wanting to kill someone and practically breaking the bed to laughing, chatting, and having a good old time. Heck...I could open my eyes again! I felt a warm gush and said "Oh, I think my water just broke!" But I was wrong...it was just the bloody show. Then, the doc broke my water, and I was still able to feel the pressure when the contractions got stronger, which I couldn't really feel with Julia, so I knew when it was time to push. When I said "Ok, I'm ready to push!" the doctor checked where the baby was, and she was practically crowning already. I had labored down so much, that she was right there waiting! My doctor said "Ok, you get two pushes, that's it!" (hahahahaa) When the next contraction came, I pushed, paused for a breath, pushed again, and her head was out. Breathed a few times, pushed again, and out she came! Less than 5 minutes, and about 2 1/2 pushes later, and our baby girl joined us!
Little Miss Alaina McKenzie was born just after 8 pm on March 24, 2013. She looks just like her big sister and brother did!
Just a few more details...
Here she is on her birthday!
And here she is with her big sister and big brother on Easter Sunday! (Justin was less than thrilled with the idea of a picture...lol)
God bless!!!
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