One Day at a Time

Christmas Part 3

2012-01-23T12:05:00.003-06:00

When we got home from TN, we had our own Christmas! It was weird not having it on Christmas Day, but we still had so much fun!

Ralphy the Elf riding the train!

As you know we always get the kids 3 gifts a piece.

We got Hallie a doll Armoire with a few outfits inside. She loved it!

We also got her a "sister" for her American Girl Doll. I was so excited about this because I found it on sale back in October for $17 it's normally and still is right now $34.

And Chad got her a fancy nancy doll set.

Owen got a hovercraft helicopter thingy. lol.

Some Bey Blades, this isn't the Bey Blade brand, but they sold these at Toys R Us and were about $10 cheaper and came with cooler stuff. He has had tons of fun with this!

We got him this four wheeler at a Garage Sale for $50, it was practically brand new! He Absolutely LOVES IT!!

So does Knox...

We only got Knox one gift..I didn't really want to get him anything, because he doesn't really need anything and he's so young..

Stockings!!

After opening gifts we went outside to throw the boxes and trash away and the kids saw this!!! We got this on sale for $79 at Wal-mart.com-free shipping!! It's not the one I wanted but we saved about $300. lol. They were so excited!

Christmas Part 2

2012-01-23T08:37:00.002-06:00

We met up with some old friends in Cookeville, Jason and Rebekah Sacran. I wish I would have gotten a picture of just the adults together. We meet up with them about once every year. Wish we could see them more often! Here are all the kids!!

The day after Christmas we went to spend some time in Smyrna with my family. We had a Christmas party that night and exchanged gifts with everyone!

I just took random shots of everyone..hope you enjoy!!

Little Kayleen just came up and sat in Knox's lap haha, They were so cute playing together!!

Soo funny story. My sister Hannah, as you already know, loves to take pictures of herself. And..maybe if I was as cute as her, I would too. So she took this one particular picture of herself and posted it on facebook. And as you can imagine..I thought it was hilarious..

So I texted the picture to all my siblings and told them to take a picture of themselves with this pose and post it on facebook..they couldn't resist.

We even got the kids in on it...

...and the dog...

Some of her friends even caught on and posted pics of themselves doing "The Hannah"

I thought she would think it was funny..she wasn't very happy about it, she was pretty mad, actually. I just explained to her that I thought she was so cute and I really wasn't trying to be mean. Anyways, at our Christmas party she gave everyone a gift and this was what was inside:

I thought it was awesome.

Christmas Part 1

2012-01-22T19:27:00.001-06:00

We went to Cookeville, TN for Christmas which is where Chad's parents live. We were going to have our own Christmas for the first time ever and not travel anywhere. I promised Chad we would. But then we found out that Chad's parents were being called on a 3 year mission (I can't disclose the location yet, but I'll let you know soon) So we decided that we would go to TN and spend this Christmas with his family, because we knew it would be a while before we had Christmas with them again.

Our Christmas Eve Party!!

Chad made some really good sushi

Everyone eating yummy food and having a fun time!

My cute babies

Knox always puts his foot on the table when he is eating

Opening gifts..we draw names every year and open them at our Christmas party, I wish I would have taken more pictures of everyone opening their gifts.

Bedtime story!!

Snuggles from Mimi!!

Hallie and Owen asleep and dreaming of Christmas morning!!

Christmas Morning

Life Lately

2012-01-20T08:55:00.002-06:00

So I feel like I haven't really been very personal on this blog, for quite a while, actually. Since I moved to Columbus really. I think it's time for an update on what's been going on in our lives.

First of all, I really hated Columbus when we moved here. And part of me still, kind of, does. When we first moved here, I thought I could NEVER live here permanently. I hated the ward (okay, strongly disliked), I hated this city, I hated the grocery stores (I know, but it's a big deal, okay! We have no Kroger!) Sad I know. But now I feel like I'm beginning to feel like it's kind of, sort of, gasp!, home? Maybe? I feel like I could possibly live here permanently. So that's good right? I still miss home, home, but at least there is some progess. And...I finally don't feel like the "new girl" in church anymore, finally. I'm starting to make friends and I feel more comfortable. I'm loving Hallie and Owen's school and the town I live in, Midland, a suburb of Columbus, and although I hate my Kitchen ;), I feel SOOOO blessed to have our home. I'm also really grateful that Chad has a job! That's a great one! To be together as a family again, after so long has just been Wonderful!!

So, I recently found out that I have a thyroid problem. I had been having problems with exhaustion, (almost) depression, joint pain, weight gain (I gained 7 lbs in 2 weeks). The thing that bothered me the most was the exhaustion. I mean I literally had NO energy. I just figured it was from having a 1 year old. Anyways, I went to the doctor, for a routine checkup, not because of any of the symptoms above, it was the end of the year and our insurance covers a checkup once/year so I went, expecting a clean bill of health. They called the next day telling me I had hypothyroidism, which means my thyroid is not producing enough hormones, causing all of the symptoms above. I started bawling, the only thing I had heard about having thyroid problems, was that people that had it, couldn't lose weight. I've always had a problem with my weight. It's much harder for me to lose weight than the normal person. So it was hard for me to hear this. So I'm having a hard time with it, and trying to figure out how to lose weight. But the medicine has helped a lot, I am no longer exhausted, in pain or depressed, but there still is the weight issue I need to deal with. Ever since my pregnancy with Knox, I have had a really hard time getting all of my baby weight off. I have been working out, trying to eat healthy and I am starting to cut soy out of my diet. We shall see how it goes.

So here is an update on Chad: He is working like crazy but loves it. He is also teaching classes at CSU. He loves that as well. He is about to become a physical trainer, and a certified white water instructor. He is going to school. He has 2 more semesters and he will graduate with his Masters in Public Administration. He will then start on his Doctorate. He is such a good Daddy. He loves playing with the kids and building fires with Owen and Knox in our fire place. He is also a great husband! He treats me like a queen and I'm so grateful to have him in my life!!

Hallie is in Kindergarden and is LOVING it!! We have been working all year on her sight words and sounding out words. It has been a constant battle between us. Lot's of tears and frustration, but it has finally paid off. One day a few weeks ago, she just starting reading..I'm such a proud Mommy!! I really didn't think she would start reading until next year, that's how hard it has been for us. She is sooo sweet. She is very sensitive, like I was. She will cry at the drop of a hat. Yesterday, she started crying because she didn't want Knox to grow up. She loves him so much. She is such a big helper and will help me out in anyway she can. I'm so grateful for her and her sweet spirit.

Owen is in Pre-K at the same school that Hallie is at. He LOVES it. He is learning so much and enjoying his friends and his Teacher. He is our little jokester. He is constantly making us laugh. He likes to aggravate his sister and he loves making Knox laugh. He will do anything to get him to giggle. He got a 4 wheeler for Christmas and that is his favorite thing to do right now. He is a good little boy and we love him so much!!

Knox..oh my Knox. He melts my heart. He is stubborn-oh so stubborn. He has not been a very easy baby. He doesn't smile or laugh as often as Hallie and Owen did. But when he does, oh my, it brightens the whole room. He is very smart. He gets into everything..he knows how to open lids, jars, boxes, drawers etc. He loves to cuddle, which I LOVE. He also loves Yo Gabba Gabba. He is so good at sleeping, which I'm grateful for, because the first 6 months of his life, this was not the case. He is staring to really bond with Chad. I think it took a while because he wasn't really around him the first 6 months of his life. Chad loves cuddling with him and playing with him. Knox loves playing outside. He's obsessed with dogs and trucks. We have a little puppy book and he barks and licks each puppy he sees.

So anyways, that's what has been going on with us! I will be posting about Christmas soon!

Christmas Parties and Teacher Gifts!!

2012-01-10T09:41:00.004-06:00

Hallie and Owen were soo excited about their Christmas Parties this year!

I feel bad because I only got one picture of Hallie! It was an extremely hectic day for me, traveling back and forth between two classes with Knox. I will never do that again. haha..

This is Owen's best friend from church. We were so excited when we found out that they were going to be in the same Pre-K class. (The next 4 pictures were taken by my friend, Meghan)

They LOVED their parties!!!

Hallie and Owen both have 2 teachers in their classes and with a limited budget, finding cute gifts for teachers can get pricey. A few years ago I did that crafty pay it forward post and this is the gift that I received from my friend, Joanna Humphries. I sure hope she doesn't mind that I copied ;) I thought it was so darn cute and I had most of the items anyways, so it ended up costing me about $2 per teacher -which is great!!

Carameled Popcorn Bowls

I bought four $1 bowls from Walmart and wrote the teacher's last name on the bowl with a paint marker.

I just added popcorn, brown sugar, marshmallows, and butter, put them into clear gift bags and tied them with ribbon that I already had on hand.

I then wrapped the bowls in cellophane bags..you can get 2 for a $1 at the Dollar Tree. Don't bother going anywhere else for these..trust me. Walmart and Target did not have them and they were pretty pricey at the Party City. Tie it up with a ribbon and include the recipe.

It is some pretty yummy stuff so beware!

I have two more posts below. I just posted pictures in each post. I am soo far behind as usual.

Thanksgiving and Birthday Partays!!

2012-01-09T20:01:00.000-06:00

A game of Quelf

"Dicorating" the Christmas tree.

2012-01-09T18:42:00.000-06:00

A Little Christmas Cheer

2011-12-30T18:29:00.001-06:00

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but didn't have time..

My favorite place to buy wrapping paper is Hobby Lobby

Seriously, it is fantastic..I'm a little obsessed.

Every year I buy one or two rolls, and they last forever!

I wish I could buy every single roll they have.

It has the cutting guide lines, it's nice and thick and it's usually 50% off

(don't buy it if it isn't because most of the time it is) it's only $4/roll.

I really want this tree skirt...

Or this one...just lovely.


Actually they are both tutorials, so if any of you would like to make them for me, I'd be much obliged ;)

Aren't these pretty?

And doesn't this look Yummy?

I made a lot of my gifts this year..here is one of them, more on that later..

And this little stinker is the reason why the bottom half of my Christmas tree is almost bare..

No pun intended.

Merry Christmas!!!

To put a smile on your face..

2011-12-11T21:04:00.002-06:00

Sounds like something my mom would do.

Seriously.

Yup, although sometimes I do feel like I run like the bottom picture.

Watch out.

The awkward moment when your friend's fat arm makes you look naked.

I soo need one of these.

That one is for my mom.

Chad and I are so going to be this for Halloween next year.

Leggings should not be made in any color even close to this.

To find the sources for these funnies, just go to my Pinterest Page and click on the "haha" board.

Halloweenie!

2011-12-05T13:55:00.005-06:00

Holy Long post! GOod Luck to ya! But you might enjoy it because my kids are stinkin' cute dressed up in their costumes. We travelled to Cookeville the weekend before Halloween. My in-laws had a great Halloween party at their house! I'm talking blow ups, face painting, costume contest, trunk-or treat, haunted barn..fun, fun, fun! My kids loved it.

The day before the party Dallas and My parents came for a visit, Hallie wanted to show them her costume since they weren't going to be able to see it.

Knox and Kayleen=Cute Cousins!! They are only 6 days apart!

Spencer and Audrey were able to come to the Party as well!

I love being able to see my cute niece!!

David being Silly!

Hallie's cute curls after getting her sponge curlers out!

Initially Owen wanted to be Superman, we went searching for a superman costume at a little consignment shop here in town, no luck, but then Owen found this leather jacket and said, "I want to be a motorcycle man like Spencer!" (Spencer bought a motorcycle this past summer and took him for a ride). I was fine with it b/c the Jacket was $6 and the rest we just threw together! So here he is a cute little biker dude!

Hallie as Fancy Nancy!
I found the tutu at a consignment shop, it was actually connected to this ugly leotard, but I cut that off and turned it into a tutu. I found the top at Children's place for $6. I bought a bunch of cheap jewelry at target and walmart and then made some bows and clipped them on to her shoes. She loves all things girly so this was perfect for her!

Owen wanted Knox to be batman, but at the same shop I found this skunk costume and thought it was THE PERFECT costume for my Knox because he is such a stinker..he kept taking it off.

Here is everyone! Kayleen was a cute little Monkey.

Vicki and Candi we're cute M&Ms!

I was able to do the face painting, so I made a little poster for the kids to choose from..although Knox prevented me from being able to face paint most of the time.

Knox wanted some too!

What a stinker!

Halloween!!
Here is our Costume photo shoot!

Owen being mischievious..

"No, No!! Owen!!"

Trick or Treating!!
Chad had class the night of Halloween, so I took the kids by myself, it was a little stressful with Knox..he kept crying I know this is going to sound horrible, but I kept feeding him suckers to get him to calm down..it worked pretty darn well.

"Trick or TREAT!!!!"

All three of my babies in the stroller.

Someone built a haunted house in their garage..the kids LOVED it, we had to go back for a second time on our way home.

People in our neighborhood came up with some pretty creative ways to drive their kids around for trick or treating, I saw haunted hay rides, trucks decorated for halloween and even a golf cart with orange lights!

While trick or treating through out the night, Owen first took off his sunglasses, then his bandana, then his jacket and then his shoe. That's right, just one of his shoes...

Hallie won the best costume award at one of the houses we went to they gave her a big treat, Owen asked why he didn't win and I told him it was because he only had a white t-shirt and jeans on, so he didn't look like he had a costume on. Thank goodness.

Here is what she won!

All the Candy!!

Sticky skunk..you've got a Lolipop stuck in your fur.

What a fun night.

Pheew! That took forever!

2011-11-22T16:11:00.002-06:00

Hallie got was able to be the "Terrific Tiger" at school a few weeks ago. It is a reward the students recieve for good behavior. Once a week the teacher chooses someone and they get their picture taken, they get to wear a special t-shirt and they get to eat lunch on the stage and with their parents and they receive a special treat. She loved it.

Our stake had a Fall Fest, it was a lot better than expected! They had blow ups, homemade rootbeer, carameled apples, donut eating contests, face painting, a chili cookoff, a cake walk, all kinds of stuff! I was way impressed, only Hallie and I went b/c Owen was sick. I was so sad he missed this.

Pumpkin Carving

Hallie Gagging and being a drama queen over the pumpkin..

Storytime!

Mimi Kept trapping Knox..I don't think he knew what to think.

Hallie drew this:

It's a witch, a ghost and frankenstein. I thought it was so cute.

This is a common occurrence, especially when cooking or cleaning. yay. for. me.;)

My Baby Boy and Date Night

2011-11-19T08:03:00.003-06:00

This little guy is talking, waving, pointing, walking, climbing and schmoozing. He is a cutie! We love him!! He loves dogs and reading books. He follows his daddy everywhere. He loves to eat, and cry for that matter. He's a tough baby, but he is so fun when he's happy.

Awwww....Isn't he the cutest?? Look at those bottom teeth...we worked hard for those teeth ;)

Chad and I went on a date for the first time in FOREVER! We used to go at least once a month when we lived in Smyrna. I miss that!! We paid a babysitter for the first time in our marriage and went to dinner and a movie! It was a much needed night away! We had 2 free steak dinners to Outback and 2 free movie tickets, so that's how we justified paying a babyitter.

At first we were the only ones in the theater..then these 2 old ladies came in and ruined it for us :( I wanted to make out dangit j/k...no, but really. ;)

We saw Money Ball. Chad liked it for the baseball, I liked it for Brad Pitt. Cha. Cha. Cha.

Look at the cool Drink Machines they had!! Holy coolness! They had hundreds to choose from! You could click on the Coca-Cola button and like 10 different cokes would pop up, vanilla coke, cherry coke, diet coke, regular coke, pickle coke..or you could click on the Fruit Punch button and like 20 different flavors popped up. We ended up going with Creamcicle Orange Soda. I'm not a big soda fan but I could of stood there all day playing with this Drink machine!

When we got into the car to leave we realized we had a flat tire! So we drove to the nearest gas station to get some air. For the tires...

These next pictures (taken while Chad decided to put air into all of the tires, instead of just the one) are dedicated to my sister's Hannah and Leah and to my cousin, Portland.

I never understood why teenagers love doing this...now I know. It was so thrilling.

I got bored okay. Geez.

Pumpkin Patch and Temple

2011-11-17T09:03:00.004-06:00

A few weekends ago, we were able to go up to TN for a short visit. My mom needed Chad to lay some flooring in her house, and Candi and Ray (Chad's sister) were getting sealed for all time and eternity in the Nashville Temple!! While visiting we went to the pumpkin patch, all the ones here are ridiculously priced! So I was way excited to be able to go to the one in Smyrna. I took my cute sisters, Hannah and Leah and met up with a friend and her two children (miss you guys!) Please Pardon all the pictures, I have to load them for my blog book! Or Enjoy!

And here are the Temple Pics!

Putt Putt, Savannah, Owen's First Day of Pre-School, Knox and Pneumonia

2011-10-14T19:24:00.002-05:00

Wow, I didn't realize how behind I was on my blogging---as usual.

I got some $1 coupons to go putt putt golfing a few months ago. So we went as a family.

It was Hallie and Owen's first time and they LOVED it!

Chad showing them how it's done...

Pretty soon after starting, Hallie got a hole in one!! On her own!! Chad and I kind of freaked out..

My sweet baby..he was soo good, he stayed in his seat the whole time and didn't even cry once (surprisingly)

Chad got a hole in one...

Arggghhh Matey...

And then...Owen got a hole in one..All by himself! Woah..

Rooooooarrrrrrrrr!!

Now...I bet you all are waiting to see my hole-in-one picture..well keep waiting, because I didn't get one.

Shish-Kabobs (Or Shish-Kaboobs as my great-grandmother used to call them) We make these every once in a while and we LOVE THEM!!

These always bring back fond memories from when Chad and I were first married and we would get together with our friends, Jason and Rebekah, and grill out, sit outside and talk it was so fun!

Chad and I went to Savannah to visit Charles (Chad's brother) and Heather one weekend in August. Vicki, Candi and Catelynn drove down and watched the kids for us! (So grateful for them!) It was such a nice getaway.

We went to the beach

Went shopping, out to eat, and to a Roller Derby! It was way fun!

Their Mascots..

Thanks, Heather and Charles, for being such hospitable hosts! We had a blast!

Owen's first day of Pre-School..we decided to put him in 2 days/week, just so he could get the social interaction, with other children his age. I also teach him 2 days a week as well. He LOVES it!

This little guy is into EVERYTHING (as you can see)

But oh how cute he is!

Hallie got the stomach flu a while back and she just never really recovered from it, 3 weeks after that, she was coughing, wheezing, not eating, had no interest in playing, watching tv etc. I took her to the Doctor and was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. She was miserable! Her mimi sent her a get well basket..it really lifted her spirits, which helped her and I both. I hated seeing her sick like that. So, to see my old Hallie again, even just for a few minutes, was such a blessing. Now, 3 weeks later, she is doing great!

Coupons

2011-10-04T11:30:00.001-05:00

So I've decided to become a "couponer" egh..scary right? I've seen a few of you post pics of like a 100 items you got for $7.99 or whatever and I'm not going to lie, I was impressed. But I just never felt like I should jump on the coupon wagon and I'll tell you why. The only time I ever used coupons, was for stuff I didn't really need. It was really cool stuff and I got great deals on it, but I would just end up spending money on items I wouldn't normally buy.

I have not not yet been converted to this new coupon idea. BUT I went to this coupon seminar and she taught us all about couponing. She used to spend $400 dollars/month on groceries (that includes toiletries, cleaning supplies, medicine, etc.) now she only spends $120/month. That's when I knew I needed to try this out. It would be soo nice to cut back on our grocery bill.

So..do any of you use coupons? Do you have any suggestions or advice? Have you tried this in the past and decided to stop? If so why?

So..here is my coupon picture, my first ever.. (Christmas present for Owen)

I got this bad boy for

FREE

Yeahh...

I know, I know, it's not much but maybe one day I'll have one of those pics with my 1100 items that I only spent like $5 on.

Until then..I'll let you know how it goes.

If you want to know how I got it for free go HERE.

Forgotten Photos

2011-09-25T13:52:00.000-05:00

I forgot about a these pics a while back:

Here's Hallie going to Soccer Camp

Owen was sick

Isn't he pitiful

He was well enough to go 3 out of the 4 days

THEY LOVED IT!

Hallie loves playing dress up with Knox..I'm not sure that he likes it though.

Hal's first day of school

She was SOOOOOOO excited!!

As we were walking into school she said, "Momma, I'm a little scared and a little nervous." I told her that she would do just fine and have soo much fun.

I cried.

A lot.

I wasn't expecting that.

Here she is after school.

MoooOOM!!

I got my hurr did for Chad's reunion. I got bangs and went darker.

Here we are about to go into the reunion.

They had their reunion at the Del Monaco Winery.

Isn't this adorable..he loves taking baths..it's his favorite thing to do!

A Few of my Favorite things!

2011-09-06T15:20:00.010-05:00

Favorite Snack:
This Salsa from Sam's

(It's actually not this exact salsa it's the same brand and container, but it's not as chunky)

WITH these Chips

YUUUMMMMM!!!

Favorite dessert:
This Icecream Cake Batter

With this mixed in:

Or this on top:

YUM!

Don't worry this post isn't all about food..although, believe me, I could make a post of it's own, JUST about my favorite foods.

New Favorite Website:
Pinterest

I could spend forever on this site!

New Favorite Lipstick: red

I've always wanted to wear red lipstick, but I've always thought I was way too pale to wear it. But I read this blog post: HERE and it gave me the courage to buy some. It took me about a month and I wore it to church one sunday. I felt foolish the whole time. The second time I wore it, I felt a little better..now I don't care at all, I love it and I'm going to wear it!

Okay, I do care...what do you think??

Favorite Earrings:
When I was younger my Great Grandmother gave me some red rose earrings and I absolutely LOVED them, I was devastated when I lost one of them (I still have the one I didn't lose). I was soo excited when I found these:

The red ones are from Forever 21 and the pink and aqua are from a coffee shop in Cookeville called Poets.

New favorite store:
H&M

I just went shopping there for the first time a few weeks ago, I LOVED it, there were tons of cute clothes and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. For me and my kids! Here is one of the outfits I got Hallie.

Favorite Go-to Recipe Website: Okay I can't pick a favorite but here are my 3 favorites along with a recipe I've enjoyed from each..

My sister's of Course:
www.brittsapron.blogspot.com
Slow Cooker French Dip

(It's hard to pick just one from each site)

Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Coconut Chicken Curry
This was soo different from anything I had ever made before..at first I wasn't sure about it, but the more I ate it the more I loved it! SHe also has a step by step bagel recipe that is GREAT!

and....my new favorite recipe site: So new in fact I haven't made anything from it but..

http://foodgawker.com/

Tonight I'm making this:
Lasagna Soup

New favorite show: Suits

It is soo funny and the characters are well..let's just say, easy on the eyes..

New Favorite Movie: The Help

I laughed, I cried, I giggled, I smiled, I cried, I frowned and cried some more. SOO GOOD!

Favorite Holiday: Christmas

I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

Favorite Baby:
This little guy right here!

Favorite Book Right Now: Hard Times and Holy Places by Kris Belcher

The other day when I posted about my "attack" I was really depressed. I just didn't understand WHY it was happening to me. After reading this book, about a woman who has struggled her whole life with eye cancer, I really do not have any reason to complain. My life is pretty perfect. I can handle this pain once/year or so..I have soo much to be grateful for!

Preschool and Scary stuff again...oh and an update!

2011-08-29T16:41:00.000-05:00

So first of all, I decided not to put Owen into preschool and I am going to teach him myself. I have started writing my lesson plans and I have found tons of fun crafts and activities but I'm having trouble figuring out how to teach him the lessons and what curriculum to teach...do any of you have any ideas, websites, books etc. that you go to?

Second of all, I had another one of those attacks (you can read about it HERE and HERE).

I had another one since that first one, 2 Decembers ago. I was watching Top Chef when it happened.. It was just as terrifying as the first, maybe even worse because I was completely panicking-probably making it worse. I told Chad I just wanted to die during it. I wasn't being a drama queen, I really wanted to, it hurt that bad.

This last one woke me up in the middle of the night. I knew it was about to happen, I went and got some cold water (it helps) and woke Chad up, I tried very hard not to panic and just focused on my breathing. That is all I could do. It is physically soo painful and mentally exhausting because you don't know when it is going to stop and you have to keep fighting not to panic. I prayed and prayed and prayed.. it went away after 30 mins or so (my hands were completely stiff and I was unable to move them again). After it subsided, I was soo relieved, only to have another one, which lasted another 30 mins. It wasn't as intense as the first but just as stressful. I was proud of myself because I stayed calm the entire time, which helped I think.

Today, I have just felt soo sad. I just don't understand why this happens to me. I'm pretty sure it's a panic attack from what I've read, which completely blows my mind, Because- I'm not an anxious person, I'm not a stressed person, I'm a happy person, I love life and I think I deal with my emotions well. I just DON'T ever want it to happen again, but I can't figure out what triggers it. Nothing was going on out of the ordinary yesterday (just like the last two). I'm just really confused about it.

Anyways, thought I'd share with you what's been going on. Other than that..life here is great! GA is growing on me. Hallie is LOVING school. Owen has made a new best friend (he talks about him non-stop). Knox is getting soo big and brings me soo much joy. Chad is loving his job! He's going to school to get his masters (he should finish in a year). And will continue on and get his PHD after that. He is also teaching at the University and loves it!

I feel bad because I used to post 10 times/month. Now, it's maybe 1 or 2 times/month. I need to get better at it again.

She-Ra!

2011-08-22T14:42:00.002-05:00

My kid's were watching She-Ra on netflix..an 80's cartoon. I was sitting on the couch playing with Knox and Hallie yells, "Momma!! Look at him he is sooo handsome!!" I look up to see this guy...

I said, "That guy is handsome?" and she said, "NO..the one with the heart on his chest...There he is! There he is!!"

I said.."Ohh..why don't you think the guy with the blonde hair is handsome?" Hallie: "oh..he looks like a girl."

Wow.

Not my taste but..okay..

Should I be worried??? hahahahahahhaha!

2011-08-06T21:24:00.004-05:00

Have you heard about Pinterest?? Ohmigosh..I LOVE IT!!!

Basically, it's a visual bookmarking system. I don't know about you, but I am constantly book marking ideas, recipes, websites, etc, just to forget about them and never look at them again.

This website is a great way for you to have all of these bookmarks in one place. This is how it works, you just drag the Pin it button onto your toolbar and then when you are browsing the internet and you see a picture you like click the pin it button, it then pins the picture to one of your bulletin boards on the site. I have a dozen or so bulletin boards with different categories, My dream house, Clothes, Dream vacations etc..

You can also browse your friend's or other's pins, and pin those as wellu. Check out some of the pins I have found:

If you want to see all of my bulletin boards clickHere.

You have to be invited to Pinterest so if you'd like an invite let me know. Also, thank you Lindsay for inviting me!

My House: The Conclusion

2011-08-04T20:04:00.002-05:00

As Promised my Lovely Kitchen:

That's right the Washer and Dryer are in my Kitchen...One of my main complaints about this kitchen was that and not having a dishwasher, but as you can see here, Chad got me a portable dishwasher from craigslist a few weeks ago. HALLELUJAH!! The time I spent doing dishes has been cut in half!

There are tons of cabinets as you can see here, I just can't reach most of them...

I know my kitchen isn't the cutest...but there are some positives:

2 ovens (my Great Grandparents had an oven VERy similar to this one)

5 eyes

A HUGE sink (even though it is brown)

There's also a HUGE pantry I didn't take a picture of and another big storage closet.

The Door you see in my Kitchen leads to this:

my kid's playroom

We also have an office..finally!!

...enough room for our computer desk and...my craft desk!!

Eghh..who am I kidding..it normally looks like this:

So I can make stuff Like this:

The 4th & Owen's Birthday!

2011-07-31T18:25:00.000-05:00

My Independence Day Babies...

Going to see Cars 2 for Owen's Birthday!

At the Movies with Mitchell!

MiMi & GrandDavid drove down to see Owen for his Birthday! Yay!! A new Bike?? He LOVES it!!

An ice cream cake??? YAAAYY!!!

(Owen was all sweaty from riding his new bike)

Happy Birthday Owen!!

Free Samples....

2011-07-26T08:47:00.002-05:00

So when Chad was working at the YMCA 3 years ago or so, he brought home a HUGE box of shampoo/conditioner samples.

They were this same brand, but didn't have the natural fruit oils.

I remember feeling a little annoyed, because I knew he expected us to use these samples instead of buying shampoo, buuuut, I used them. Do you want to know how long that box of shampoo samples lasted us?

2 years.

Yup.

2 YEARS!!! Haha. I remember going to buy shampoo/conditioner after that long 2 years and thinking, WOAH..Shampoo is EXPENSIVE!!

The other day he brought these home.

I wonder how long these will last me.

Let's seeee...there are 672 in this box...I'd saaaay...at least until menopause.

Cutest Kid Contest!

2011-07-25T07:51:00.003-05:00

Hey!! If you are on Facebook will you head on over to Autumn Lynn Photography, Like her page and then "Like" Hallie & Owen's picture?

Just click on pictures and then cutest kids contest.

They are the third picture from the top! She is a friend of mine and really is a GREAT photographer. She took the picture above!! If I win I could get a free photo session!! Thanks everyone!!

Summerlicious

2011-07-10T19:26:00.001-05:00

I went to visit my Pop & BJ (my Mom's Parents). My BJ is totally in love with UT football. So much so that she had Pop built her a UT home. Complete with Orange roof.

I got this picture off my Pop's facebook page..

Here is the Kitchen:
They used orange grout for the tile on the floor!

The Bathroom:

My Pop built the cupboards himself..He is amazingly talented and can make and fix anything.

He also made this staircase and the wood floors He used a tree he cut down on his land.

This was my mom's bedroom furniture when she was younger, they painted it orange (My BJ also loves the Chicago Bears)

My sister Brittany did a way better post on this if you want to see and hear more details just click Here.

When Brittany came to TN my mom wanted to get pictures of all the Grandkids. We just happened to found really cute outfits at Gymboree. And they were all really good prices. I think Owen and Knox's outfits were a total of $10!! Here are a few of my favorites:

On May 23rd I walked into the living room to see this little boy sitting up all by himself!

A couple of days later he was standing up in his crib, scooting and then a week later he crawled.

On May 28 we went to Panama City Beach! We live only 4 hours away from the beach now!!

They were exhausted afterwards!

Doesn't my Hallie look soo much older?? I can't believe she is starting Kindergarten on Aug. 8!

And my Knox??

He is growing up soo fast! He is now cruising..he gets into everything..I found him playing in the toilet a few weeks ago, and Yesterday he said his first word, "Hi!" he copied me. He is only 7 months! What am I going to do with him!!

And finally after being soo behind (since I found out I was pregnant with Knox!) I am caught up with my blogging! yeyaw!

Our House: The Inside

2011-07-01T08:49:00.002-05:00

I love little details and extras that older homes have. For example, every single doorway in my house has a door. We have 16 doors in our house and that doesn't include closet doors.

I love the tiny door knobs and the key holes...

Some sort of message table built into the wall, this is where the phone hookups used to be.

All the Built ins!!!

That up there is in my Living room:

(I haven't finished decorating yet)

My favorite room in the house! The Dining Room
(You like my new table? Chad and I got it at a furniture store that was going out of business..It was originally $1000 just for the table..I talked them down to $400 for the table and chairs, it's solid maple or oak--can't remember!)

Including french doors:

A gun case?

Vintage Wall Heaters

These were probably put in in the 70's--I'm guessing..Medicine Cabinets!

While I love the little extras that come with older homes, there are a few details I am NOT very fond of.

Lovely.

I'm guessing the pink and maroon tiles were put in at the same time as the medicine cabinets.

And...perhaps this "gorgeous" ceiling fan??

And this is the only place I can plug my straightener/blowdryer in my bathroom..oh wait, NO--I can't because it doesn't fit!

I miss my old bathroom...

The sink is kinda cool though..

Next up my oh soo..lovely..err..umm..Kitchen..and the Play Room...HALELUJAH!!! And a few other extras..

Springy Spring, Spring, Spring!!

2011-06-27T07:23:00.003-05:00

I took these one sunday when we first moved here..I loved the pretty pink blossoms...

My Knox in April

My Inlaws sent these to me for my Birthday..gorgeous aren't they??

I got sooo homesick on my birthday, these made up for it ;)

I still think it's so weird that I have 3 kids, sometimes I forget about Knox..the other day my SIL texted me and asked what size clothes my kids are wearing, I told her Hallie and Owen's sizes and she asked, "What about Knox?" Oops.. He is wearing 9-12 months, now by the way.

My family came for a visit at the end of April. We went to a mexican buffet..had tons of fun!

My Dad being silly.

Then I saw this car..LOVE!

MiMi (Chad's Mom) sent this Easter basket to my kids..woah! They LOVED it! Thanks MIMI!!!!!

Then we went to the Atlanta Temple open house!

Decorating Easter Cookies

Owen's

Hallie's

Mine

Yum!

Easter Egg Hunt in our Yard..

Our House: The Outside

2011-06-23T18:53:00.001-05:00

Like I mentioned before..it was extremely difficult to find a house to rent here. We found out later it is because there is a HUGE military base here and tons of people rent. Anyways, we had to choose between having lots of space or having something nicer. We chose SPACE! I did sacrifice my dishwasher..which has not been fun. Here is our house in the "country" we only call it that because it is on 2 acres of land, and it reminds me of my great aunt's house and she lived in the country. It is pretty old..we think it was built in the 50s or 60s.

Look at all this yard!!

I love the privacy, there are trees surrounding our entire yard, so we don't see anyone..it's nice.

The front yard

The gate leading to our big front porch.

The Florida Room

And it came with a barbeque pit..we have made lots of smore's and hotdogs on this thing Love it!

Doctor, My Niece, Knox vs. Owen, Moving Day, Chad's Packing Skills & Climbing Trees

2011-05-26T08:31:00.002-05:00

Us waiting FOREVER at the Doctor's office ARGH!

My New Niece Kayleen!!! This was in December:

And this was in February:

Remember This:

That was Owen

This is Knox

My, how they grow!

We moved to Columbus at the beginning of April. It was not fun!

I opened a box to find this:

I thought it was cute how Chad packed his ties.

Meanwhile, the kids love their new home. In fact they climbed their first tree! We live on 2 acres so the kids just run and play all day (when it's not too hot). I love it as much as they do!

Up Next..My house!

Pool, Rock Wall, Strawberries, My babies, & Blessing Day

2011-05-24T14:13:00.001-05:00

So Chad loves his job! Which is great! I know I've mentioned this before but he's the Aquatics director at CSU, at their brand new fitness center. The pool he is in charge of is amazing!!

This is the hot tub..it is huge!

It also has a lazy river...WHAT?! WHAT?!

A diving board, volleyball, basketball, lap pool etc...

He's also in charge of the rock wall...

This is me climbing it 6 weeks after Knox was born..I wanted to give up but Chad wouldn't let me down until I finished..I was so proud when I got to the top!

Hallie is allergic to Strawberries...she broke out into hives for about a week. We assumed it was strawberries, the Dr. told us to try and give her another strawberry a month after this breakout we did and she broke out again. Poor thing, she LOVES strawberries!

Look at my cute babies! This was at the end of January.

Knox's Blessing Day February 6, 2011

Where I've been

2011-05-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I thought once I moved here, everything would get back to normal and I would be blogging on a regular basis again. Boy, was I wrong.

Knox cries most of the day. Unless I'm holding him and I certainly do not want to type one handed, that would take forever. And when he's napping. I need to clean, or watch my favorite shows on Hulu, or sleep, or clean. Because when he's awake...I can't.

What should I do? Just let him cry all day? It rips at my heart and tugs on my nerves. I can't handle it.

Hallie helps alot..but hearing her taking care of him trying to get him to stop crying- makes me feel sooo guilty. He's not her responsibility..but then I heard that in the "olden days" moms would have their 5 year old daughters take care of the babies all day while they got the house work done. 5 year olds? That's how old Hallie is?!!? I can't imagine her watching him all day like that. So I let her play with him while I cook dinner or run to the bathroom. Should I feel guilty about that? Or is it good for her?

blegh.

Life is good though. God is wonderful. We are so blessed and I'm still in love with that little boy..

Life Lately Part 2

2011-04-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

So! We are in GA! We have been for 2 weeks!! We decided upon a house in the "country" with the outrageous utility bill, but we are going to try everything we can to cut back on our energy bill. In fact we haven't turned on the AC except for once, and that was because Knox was so hot he couldn't sleep. I must say, it is soo nice to sit down as a family every night for dinner!! It also very nice, extremely nice..Okay WONDERFUL to be together again as a family! It is soo worth the move. I do get homesick (the worst was my birthday). But so far I have been so busy unpacking that it really hasn't been that bad.

Knox is sleeping soo much better at night usually between 7-8 hours/night (with exception of the past 3 nights). It makes such a huge difference. He has become high maintenance again. haha. He wants to be held all day, if he isn't being held he is crying. I haven't spoiled him. I didn't have time to. Between trying to sell the house, moving and unpacking, when did I have time to? He is just a momma's boy. Any help or advice in this area would be greatly appreciated, as I have had many a stressful days trying to unpack my house.

Thanks for all the words of encouragement on the last post I was EXTREMELY stressed. I don't think I have ever been that stressed, things are much better now. I will try yo post more often, now that things aren't soo crazy!

Life Lately

2011-03-21T20:13:00.001-05:00

We got an offer on our house a few weeks ago. They offered the price we were selling it for, but they also wanted us to pay for closing costs and to do few repairs..expensive repairs. I'm really frustrated because they are already getting a GREAT deal on the house. So I have been torn, should we pay the extra money (and by extra I mean ALOT) so we can be together? Or should we hold off for another offer? It's SOOOO frustrating.

I am here in Columbus, GA. Looking for a house. We are renting because we don't know the area and we want to figure out where we would like to buy. IT has been SOO hard to find a house here. So hard. You could be in a really nice area and then turn the corner and it looks like the ghetto. Not even joking. Renting here is much more expensive, utilities here are much more expensive and groceries are much more expensive. It's SOOOO frustrating.

The first house I looked out I loved, but later found out it was in a bad part of town. The second house we looked out was in the country, on two acres of land. It was an older home with tons of space. I really wasn't that sure about it. I liked it b/c it was big, but it was definitely, very outdated. It was also in a really good area with good schools. We called about the utilities: on average $264/month. WHAT? We crossed it off our list. And the search continued, we then looked at 15 more houses. NONE of them felt like us. The house in the country started to not sound so bad. We went to look at it again and we felt like it was the right choice for us. We put in our application today and are waiting to hear back. Let's hope they accept us.

Knox is 3 1/2 months now. He is sleeping a lot better. The past 3 nights anyways. He slept 5 hours straight! WHAT? WHAT? I'm so excited. He's sleeping right now and I'm too stressed to wake him. LIfe with 3 kids is a lot harder. I don't know if it's because I've been a single mom or if it's just harder with 3 kids. I kind of feel like all my attention has been focused on him that I've forgotten my other 2 babies. I hope they don't feel like they are not as important. They are just as important and I love them just as much, it's just that a little baby is SOO much more demanding.

Can I vent? Some more? I don't want to move here. It's such an ugly city. I feel like I don't have a place here. I know I'm going to be lonely. I don't feel at home. And I wonder if I ever will. I feel lost and unsure. Chad loves his job! Loves the people he works with. I am SOO glad. But what about me? Will I ever love it here? I guess I just feel kind of left behind. I hope that doesn't sound selfish. I really am happy for Chad, for our family. We get to be together again. And I suppose that's all that matters right now.

Christmas 2010

2011-02-18T14:21:00.033-06:00

Hallie about to leave for school on the day of her Christmas Party.

Hallie in her Christmas play she was an Angel

With Santa

Hallie's Christmas Dance Recital

Christmas Eve at my Parent's house!

Christmas Morning

Christmas at my Parents (For Britt)

Christmas afternoon we went to the Day's house, silly me I didn't take any pictures! I should have. It was so fun seeing everyone and exchanging gifts! Let's see I will tell you some things that I got for Christmas. Chad got me a camera. I needed a small one that I could just through into my purse..Love it! He got a really good deal on it. And then he made me a Kindle cover! SO CUTE!!! I was shocked and I love it!

My mom got me that purse I posted about and the FHE chart. And Vicki got me a cute makeup kit and a purse and wallet! Chad's favorite gift I think was his Kinect that thing is soo fun!

We had a great Christmas! Sorry the pics are sideways, I will not be fixing it today, sorry. I will leave you with this darn cute picture!

Skipping Christmas

2011-01-31T09:52:00.010-06:00

I know I'm supposed to post about Christmas. All the Christmas pictures are on Chad's laptop. And he's not here. So I've been putting off blogging until I see him again. I'm just going to skip over the Christmas post and get to it when I can. I think I've been missing out on a lot of blogging b/c of it. So there, Christmas Post. I'm skipping you. For now.

Knox was a difficult baby the first little while of his life. Wow. But then one day he smiled. And he's been a different baby ever since. Not even joking you. He smiles and coos and lays (or is it lies) there and doesn't cry (unless he's hungry, sleepy or poopy).

He still doesn't sleep well. I am up every 2 hours of the night. Sometimes 3 but that's rare. One time he slept 4 hours straight! I jumped up and said, "IT'S A MIRACLE!" He hasn't done it since. I.AM.TIRED.

Random Memory.

When I was younger a couple in our ward (church) lived a few miles away. THe husband of this couple would ride his bike (barefoot) to come and visit us. He was country, but we loved him. One day he offered to help me fix up a bike. We went to the junk yard and got this really old bike, I picked out the paint color and we sanded and painted that bike. I loved it.

It was very similar to this one, blue paint, banana seat and all.

But then I saw all the other Kid's bikes in the neighborhood. Brand new Huffy walmart bikes. And I was embarrassed of my old 1960's bike. I stopped riding it. It sat in my back yard and I don't really remember what happened to it.

Now, I would give anything to have that bike! How sad that I cared so much what the other kids thought.

I think I'll try to find another one, fix it up and paint it pink.

LOOK LOOK LOOK!!

I found these at Design Mom. but you can find them HERE.

I want a little girl so she can wear these ones. No I want a little girl so she can wear all of them!

We are still trying to sell our house! Pray that it sells. I feel like a single mother and it is not fun. ;)

Knox William Day

2011-01-13T15:33:00.002-06:00

I went in to be induced on December 6, 2010 Here I am!

(The Very short Version)
I went in at 5, they came in and gave me an epidural, (I am TERRIFED, PETRIFIED of getting epidurals, it was HORRIBLE) and then they started the pitosin. When the contractions started, I could feel them! I asked for them to up my meds..it didn't work, he told me he would have to give me another one, I started bawling b/c I didn't want another one. But I did it, it was just as bad as the first. It worked on my left side not my right and all down there..I was miserable. The contractions were getting worse and worse, the nurse came in and checked me I was dilated to a 9, I told her I felt like I needed to push and she said, "Oh honey it's not time for that yet." She left the room and another nurse came in. I told her I needed to push, I felt the baby's head drop down and them I screamed and said, THIS BABY IS COMING NOW!! I AM NOT EVEN JOKING YOU! HE IS COMING NOW! The other nurse ran in jumped on the bed and caught him as he came out. YAY!

PICS!

Going Home for the first time!

First Sponge Bath... He hated it!

They change everyday!!
12/10/10

12/16/10

12/19/10

12/28/10

LOOOOONG Post!

2011-01-10T12:01:00.029-06:00

Halloween!!
We receive the Chasing-Fireflies Catolog in the mail-love it! But way too expensive for us..they send out an amazing Halloween costume catalog. All the costumes are elaborate and adorable. I let the kids go through and pick out what they wanted to be..
Hallie picked this:

A southern Belle...

And Owen picked this:

A pirate..

I wasn't about to spend over $100 on each costumes soo..I decided I was going to sew Hallie's costume and come up with a pirate costume for Owen. Wow was I crazy for taking on the task of sewing that southern belle costume. I had no Pattern..it was crazy stressful. I started in August. And finished a week before Halloween. Here is the end product:

We went to 3 different Halloween Parties so Owen was a dragon the first time and a riate the second and third..I made him one but ran out of time and ended up borrowing a cute costume from my friend beth.

Pumpkin Patch

afterwards we painted/carved pumpkins and had mini caramel apples.

Baby Shower

My friend Katie threw me the most adorable Baby shower! She had a hot chocolate bar! SOO Yummy, there were spoons dipped in Chocolate, marshmallows, mints, whipped cream, etc..soooo good! It was so much fun, she did such a great job! Thanks Katie!!

I didn't get any pictures of the people that came :( Or me..I was too busy talking and having fun! Thanks to everyone that came!

Bowling!
We took the kids Bowling for the first time! They LOVED it..Owen still talks about it!

Hallie's 5th Birthday Party!

We had a spa night. I didn't want a lot of fuss so we invited a few of Hallie's friends over and their moms and had a Mom/daughter spa night. I didn't decorate..just got cupcakes and pizza.

The girls came in their pajamas, we put blankets and pillows everywhere, lit lots of candles and gave the girls facials...

Makeup and Nails...

Happy Birthday Hallie...

And Opened presents!

I can't believe my little girls is 5!!!

Donuts with Dad
Chad wasn't here so my Dad took Hallie to Donuts with Dad for school..she loved it!

Audrey's Baby Shower!
My mom and I threw Audrey (my sister in law) a baby shower!

The Best Christmas Gift EVER!

2010-12-11T17:29:00.004-06:00

Chad and the kids made Christmas cookies yesterday, complete with red and green sprinkles.

Fast Forward to today:

I was holding my new, little baby, named Knox, I looked into his left nostril (b/c that's what moms do) and saw something bright green in there. I picked his nose. Sure enough, there were green sprinkles up his nose. I had two guesses how that got there.

Hallie & Owen.

I looked over at Hallie who happened to be watching me, I saw the guilty look on her face, as she said, "Sorry, it was an accident."

Yes, my little baby Knox is here and Yes he is the most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen. I'm completely and utterly in love (I should say "Udderly" with these HUMONGOUS you know whats that I have going on, blegh, it hurts)

Sigh.

Above was going home from the hospital

This was Yesterday.

Knox William Day born December 6, 2010 He weighed 7lbs 6 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long

My Christmas List!

2010-11-29T21:45:00.023-06:00

I'm not doing this so you all can go out and buy me gifts..I just thought it would be fun! I saw someone's Christmas list on their blog and I really enjoyed reading it, so here goes!

This Shirt!! From Downeast found HERE.

With these Flats from Target found HERE

Or the Yellow ones

This Adorable Family Home Evening plaque..I LOVE it! found on Deseret book. HERE.
(Family Home Evening is something we do every monday night as a family, as you can see on the plaque we have a song, a prayer, a lesson, etc..we set this night aside every week to spend time with one another)

A kindle case..I do love THIS one but I think $35 is a bit much. Found on Etsy..HERE.

Or this one, i couldn't decide.

This Sweatshirt from Target found HERE. It is SOO soft..I love it! I like the brown too!

This Ribbon Box..I think it would be so handy for all of my ribbon (I have a lot!) found HERE.

This Purse from TJMaxx

And of course THIS, I know I will not be getting this anytime soon, but a girl can dream right? Maybe in the next 10 years or so :) I like this color a lot but I might hate it in 10 years so, i think I'd pick silver.

Oh and I'm adding this b/c I have wanted one forever! A Can opener that you put under your cupboards..Found HERE at Target.

For your Information

2010-11-29T09:47:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, I curled Hallie's hair, she was very proud of her hair. She ran to Owen and said, "Owen look at my hair, isn't it pretty?" Owen said, "Oh, Hallie, I could just eat you up for dinner."

Chad LOVES his job! LOVES it! I'm so glad.

We still have not sold our house, in fact, we've only had one showing. Very frustrating! We have lowered the price of our house significantly, hopefully there will be some showings this week. Chad and I and the kids are having a hard time being away from each other.

Last week, I went to the Doctor, he said I was dilated to a 3. He said, "It will be any day now, so get ready!" I was hoping and praying so hard he would come last week b/c Chad was here. I walked, I did jumping jacks, jumped on the bed, ate spicy foods, danced, cleaned and one other thing I won't mention on here..:) a few times at that. He's stubborn. He wouldn't come.

This week Chad has this HUGE training everyday until 11pm. He really can't miss it. Someone is flying in to do the training. It would be almost impossible to make up. I'm going to try and take it easy this week so that I won't go into labor. (I secretly want to though). Don't tell Chad.

I had a great Thanksgiving did you?

Now, Chad is back in GA and I'm sad.

I kinda want to put my Christmas list on here, do you think it would be weird?

Savannah & A Wedding

2010-11-28T09:37:00.013-06:00

Every street looks like this!

We went and got our nails did, it was Hallie's first time..she loved it!

We went and ate at the Crab Shack it was cool b/c the whole restaurant was outside ontop of the ocean, they had alligators and everything. I didn't really like the food (I'm not a big fan of seafood..so shoot me) but the atmosphere made up for it.

Jumping on the bed..

Playing at the Rehearsal Dinner

Yum..Cookies are good.

Charles' & Heather's Wedding! YAY!

It was a beautiful wedding and a fun trip!

Cute, Cute, Cute Tutorials!

2010-11-16T21:36:00.014-06:00

Last year for Christmas I made most of my gifts. It was fun but stressful. This year, I'm not doing that because I don't want to be more stressed out with the baby coming and all. Anyways, here are a few of the tutorials I've found on different blogs over the past year. Hope you enjoy!

Adorable Heart Quilt found HERE

Fabric/Felt Album found HERE

Lamp found HERE

I LOVE this tree skirt found HERE

Cute Dress found HERE.

10 Bag tutorials found HERE.

Memo Board Tutorial found HERE

Paper Flower Topiary found HERE.

And this Lovely picture found HERE.

GA Aquarium

2010-11-13T16:51:00.010-06:00

Soccer!!!

2010-11-11T18:47:00.008-06:00

We put Owen in soccer this past September. I thought he would love it b/c he LOVED playing soccer when Hallie did.

Boy was I wrong.

Chad had to work with him to get him to play.

It worked out in the end.

We took him back the next week and he refused to play. Then we went out of town 3 weekends in a row..and I guess we just never went back..oops.

My Babies

2010-10-28T21:49:00.008-05:00

Hey Yiz'all Check out my babies pictures click HERE.
My friend Autumn took them! She is just starting out so she needs some pics for her portfolio, didn't she do such a great job?
Here's a few of my favorites!

STUFFFFFFFF!

2010-10-12T17:14:00.004-05:00

Booo My washer broke. It stopped working after it filled with water. Now I have a laundry basket full of soaking wet clothes and a washer full of water. Double BOO.

I got my For sale sign in the mail yesterday! I was so excited to put it up today, I went outside and with a skip in my step and...I couldn't put it in the ground..it wouldn't stay up. My daddy came and did it for me.

There is a spoon stuck in my garbage disposal. I can't get it out. I've tried. So did my dad.

The wheel on my garbage can broke. I can't roll it back to where it goes. I think I may call my Trash man and tell him to fix it.

I feel so helpless when I'm with Child.

Oh and I got a package today! I was so excited, I opened it up right away and..it wasn't mine. It belonged to the previous owner of our House. Oops. Now I've got to deal with trying to send it back. I love getting packages.

Our house is on the market..as you may have guessed. It's been on the market for a week. Not one person has come to look at it! Should I be worried? Here it is if you want to see it! click HERE!
This website doesn't have all the pictures up though, I would give you another link, but it never works. If you go to www.realtracs.com, click on search for a property, click on rutherford county, select residential, then in the slot that says subdivision, type stonehenge, then search. It will come up with all the pics.

Be HONEST please!!!!!!! Tell me what you think? Are the pictures bad? Do I need to lower the price (I think we do but Chad disagrees)

I went to Columbus this past weekend. I will post more on that later.

Savannah

2010-10-01T20:54:00.003-05:00

We are in Savannah right now!

Yes the trees really do look like this as you drive down the street.

And yes..the houses are this beautiful..Not all of them, but A lot of them.

More to come!

Busy, Busy!

2010-09-24T16:45:00.005-05:00

Wow, I stink, of sweat..and cleaning supplies..eww...

Guess what I have accomplished today??

I have:
-Organized my pantry
-De-cluttered and added cute little bowls, plates etc above my cabinets in the kitchen
-Removed all the magnets, pictures, etc off my fridge
-Ironed the little valence in my kitchen
-organized ALL of the cabinets in my kitchen
-taken almost everything off my counters
-cleaned out my junk drawer (that was a task)
-Cleaned windows
-Organized the closet in my hallway
-DEEP cleaned my hall bathroom and organized the closet
-Organized Owen's closet
-Vacuumed my closet
-DEEP cleaned my bathroom and organized the closet
-Sorted through Hallie's winter clothes to see what fit and didn't, put them in a box and into storage
-I've also straightened the living room, kitchen, my room and Owens,unloaded the dishwasher oh and I did a load of laundry...

And I still have PLENTY more to go.

sigh.

We have someone coming to look at our house tomorrow!!

These Days...

2010-09-22T08:38:00.012-05:00

Chad took Hallie out on a father/daughter Date..so I took Owen out on a Mother/daughter date..we have been talking about having some one on one time with the kids, so it was perfect b/c Chad had just spent some time with Owen on the Campout and I had spent some one on one time with Hallie the night of the Campout(we had a girls night).

Chad took Hallie to Chuckee Cheese, they had a blast!When Hallie found out she was going on a date with Chad, she said, "I have to go home and put on a Beautiful Golden dress for my date!"

I took Owen to Karen's Kustard (he wanted a hamburger) and to GO USA! To ride the go-carts a play a few games. He loved it!

A few days ago, Chad was trying to cover up the phone cords in the bedroom, Owen came in and said, "Hey Daddy, whatcha doin'?"
Chad said, "Don't worry about it, Owen."
So Owen just sat there and watched him.
Hallie walked in and said, "Hey Daddy. Whatcha doin'?"
Owen turned to her and said, "Don't worry about it, Hallie."
Chad and I looked at each other and laughed, I think Chad felt bad though haha.

I got some new bangs, you like?

Chad bought a cute little truck a while back for $400 for his roofing job. Come to find out it needed a new transmission. So we parked it in our yard with a For Sale sign $1250..we sold it for $800..we were hoping for that price! YAY!!

I have been looking around for something cute and different for Knox to wear home from the hospital, my friend Joni sent me this link:
http://www.janieandjack.com/shop/dept_category.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374303717727&bmUID=1284240626490

Aren't they adorable?? I love all of it..of course I'm not going to buy any of it. I'm really hoping it will go on sale before Knox is born..I would love to bring him home in suspenders and a bow tie ;)

Yesterday, I dropped this:

(I keep it on top of my dryer to scrub stains out)

Into this (my dryer vent)p.s. I know my thumb looks deformed..don't judge.

I told Chad about it and he got behind the dryer, opened it up and all of a sudden he screamed and jumped..he got electrocuted! It scared me so bad I started crying. I kept saying are you okay? Do you need anything? All of a sudden he started shaking I screamed and he started laughing. What a mean joke! He really did get electrocuted the first time though..it really got me so scared of losing him or something happening to him..the little punk.

So life is crazy right now! We are trying to get our house on the market by the end of this week. There is so much to be done! I'm doing a lot better now. I was so scared that first day we found out we would be moving to Georgia! Thank you so much everyone for the encouraging words and comments, they really helped! I feel at peace and I know everything will work out! Please pray that our house sells!! We are hoping it sells in the next 3 months or so!

P.S. I have THE BEST husband...Hallie was up all night throwing up, he stayed up with her all night. I love him so much!

There are 3 or 4 new posts under this one..check them out! And comment..I get SOOO excited about comments!

Robby's Wedding!

2010-09-22T08:35:00.009-05:00

This should have come after Our Anniversary Post..oops! Robby is my cousin and I absolutely love his new wife Kelci! She is great!! Here are a few pics of the wedding/reception, there are more on my facebook if you are interested!

Father/Son Campout

2010-09-22T08:16:00.006-05:00

Our stake hosted a Father/Son Campout this past weekend! Owen was sooo excited! He carried his sleeping bag around all week waiting for the day to come. They ended up having a TON of fun! Here are a few pics:

Hallie's first Day of Pre-School & Dance

2010-09-22T08:09:00.002-05:00

I signed Hallie up for a Mother's Day out Program this year. It's twice a week from 9-2. She absolutely LOVES it! Here is some pics of her first day!

She also started dance with her friend Mikayla. She loves it!! She asks me every day, "Is it Dance day today?"

Our 6th Anniversary!

2010-09-22T07:45:00.008-05:00

First of all Chad got me a dozen pink roses..:) and then he told me he was going to take me on a trip. I feel bad saying this but I turned him down..I told him that I was grateful but that we really needed to save money, but that he could take me next year. I think he was fine with it. I got him a GPS..(ours was stolen). He loved it!

We wanted to try something different this year, so I asked everyone on Facebook where we should go and a ton of people suggested BoneFish Grill. It was delicious! I had heard that the restaurant had a really strong smell of fish, so I wasn't interested. I didn't smell fish at all though!
Here is what we got:
First we started out with the Bang Bang Shrimp, I had heard it was amazing! I was expecting it to be sweet & spicy..I can't explain to you want it was like, it wasn't sweet, but it was spicy, but a really good spicy. It wasn't like anything I've ever had..so I loved it!

I got the Fontina Chop (I don't like fish)
Fontina Chop
A boneless pork chop with Fontina cheese, garlic, prosciutto & mushroom Marsala sauce. It was A-MAZ-ING! It was juicy and moist and succulent haha..I loved it!

Chad got the sea bass..over rice..He LOVED it as well. I didn't try it b/c again, I don't like fish. You can kind of see his in the back ground.

Afterwards we walked around and shopped a little and then went and got some icecream at Marble Slab. I love that place!

Anyways, it turned out to be a really fun night! I'm so grateful to be married to him! He is soo patient and understanding. He loves me no matter what! He is really perfect for me. He is also a GREAT father! A wonderful example for Hallie and Owen! I love him so much and can't wait for the years to come!

A New Job!

2010-09-09T13:28:00.002-05:00

Hi! So Chad was offered a position at Columbus State University in Georgia! Crazy huh? He starts October 4. I am having so many mixed emotions about this. I am of course thrilled with this, but at the same time, I'm soo sad! We have to sale our house first of all. And then there's the baby. How am I going to get through these last 3 of months without Chad here? I know I can do it but woah it is going to be hard. And then, when we do move there, I will be there with no one I know, and I will have a brand new baby. I think I might be a little depressed once I move there. Also, my family is here.

Other then that...full benefits, they will pay for 2 classes per semester for Chad to get his Masters Degree!! :) Chad will be doing something he Loves! We will have stability again!!! I am so excited!

Sorry about the venting a little up there, I don't want to sound ungrateful at all, i just wanted to share some of the feelings I've had today. Anyways, thanks for all the prayers! They have paid off!

A-MAAA-ZING!!!

2010-09-05T10:18:00.005-05:00

I found a delicious recipe! I thought I'd share it with ya'll. Yummy.

Chicken Florentine Casserole

Ingredients

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 1/4 cup butter
* 3 teaspoons minced garlic
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (I didn't use this much)
* 1/2 cup half-and-half
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 (13.5 ounce) cans spinach, drained (I used fresh spinach, because it's way better)
* 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 2/3 cup real bacon bits (or you can cook up some bacon and chop it up)
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Sautee the mushrooms and spinach in a little butter. Place in the bottom of the 9x9 pan.
3. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.
4. Pour some of the mixture over the spinach & mushrooms, place the chicken on top, and then pour the rest of the mixture over the chicken. Top with bacon.
5. Place in oven for 30 minutes, top with mozzerella cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve over fettuccine or bow tie pasta. YUM!!

Here's how mine turned out..

I told Chad that it tasted almost like the Pasta Milano at Macaroni Grill but without the sundried tomatoes..a few days later my sister, Brittany, made it and her husband said the same thing. Let me know if you make it, and then tell me what you think!

22 or 23 Weeks

2010-09-02T17:40:00.003-05:00

Put this head

On this Body..

Warts ew.

2010-09-01T08:05:00.006-05:00

Yay! I got on my blog this morning and saw that 9 of my friends had updated their blogs! I love reading your blogs..I get all excited when i see a new posts.

Hallie has had some gross warts on her knee for about 6 months now. There were 4 almost 5 of them growing there. She was so embarrassed of them. She would also scrape them or scratch them or something and they would endlessly bleed. Blegh.

I took her to her pediatrician to get them frozen off..they didn't mention on the phone that they didn't have the liquid nitrogen to do it with. So they sent me to a dermatologist.

We went two weeks ago and they said she was too young to tolerate the pain of the liquid nitrogen so they put some stuff on her warts to make them blister. 2 hours later and for the next 2 days, I might add, she was crying in pain b/c of the HUMONGOUS blisters the medicine had caused. I was like..."OH NO YOU DIENT!!!"

I went back yesterday and insisted we use the Liquid Nitrogen. I had talked to a few other moms and they had said their kids were fine with it. The derm. kept saying, "I just think she is way too young to tolerate this pain, blah blah blah, but it's up to you." ..So I asked her, how long after the treatment will her warts hurt and she said 5-10 mins. I said, "Oh, well, we will go with the Liquid Nitrogen then." Don't mess with me woman.

I obviously did not want to see Hallie in pain, but I'd rather it be for 5-10 mins, then 2 DAYS!!

She got all huffy, walked out of the office and a few minutes later the nurse came in with the liquid nitrogen.

I should of warned them about Hallie. Hallie screams bloody murder if she stubs her toe..she screams bloody murder even if her favorite stuffed bear stubs his toe. Yeah..she's a drama queen.

Well, you guessed it, she screamed so loud it sounded like she was dying..but when the nurse was done, she was fine, smiling and skipping around the room. I walked out of the office, the Dermatologist gave me a look like..."I told you so." I just thought.."Oh well, I won't have to deal with her leaking, bloody blisters for 2 days..thanks."

P.S. DO NOT EVER, I MEAN, EVER look up pictures of warts on google pics. BARF BARF BARF!
P.S.S. Anniversary, Robby's wedding, etc..coming soon!

Dallas & Paige's Wedding

2010-08-16T22:24:00.015-05:00

Not in any particular order..and I'm too lazy to change it ;)

Dallas& Paige

The Fam

The Cake

Hallie Dancing at the reception

The Luncheon my mom had between the Wedding & Reception

Paige and her Sisters

My momma in her cute dress

Hallie & Dallas

Coming out of the temple

The rolls royce they left in

Leah & Hannah..they so purdy

Me Dallas & Paige

The Waiters came and danced as well...they were pretty good

My dad dancing

My flip flops: aren't they cute?

Dallas &Chad wore the same tie!

Me & my Hubby

My Cravings

2010-08-07T17:07:00.011-05:00

With both Hallie & Owen I ate Tuna Fish sandwiches everyday for lunch for a week...before I found out I was pregnant. I had no clue. I did the same with Knox. I don't know why I didn't figure it out sooner. I hardly ever ate tuna.

I have craved:

Nachos (especially the Jalepenos)

BLT's
This was one of those times I HAD TO HAVE IT RIGHT THEN kind of cravings...Chad went out and got me some Bacon..sweet man.

Checker's YUM

Tomatoes

And instead of Chocolate (my favorite) I've craved:

And..You guessed it...

No. Just kidding. But I have craved them separately.

What do you crave?

It's a...

2010-07-29T12:50:00.004-05:00

BOY!!

Can you tell?? haha..

Here is the outline of his little face..oh so cute!

His name will be Knox William..named after my Great Grandfather Philander Knox Smartt... (everyone called him Knox or P.K.) better known as PawPaw..He was so dear to me and I miss him so much. I know he would be soo happy to know that I'm naming my son after him. The name William comes from Chad's, Mom's late Father. I know he was a great man and I'm sure he would be so proud to know we name our son after him as well.

I'm halfway done with this pregnancy and I can't wait for December to get here!

2010-07-27T08:16:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning and thought it was going to be a great day! ...Until I got on the scale...How in the world do you gain 3 lbs in 3 days?

I'm trying really hard to keep my weight gain at a minimum, b/c I was already overweight to begin with. I work out everyday and I watch what I eat. (I could do better, it's just hard when your pregnant and hungry all the time) I'm just really frustrated right now.

On a happy note..I get to find out what I'm having tomorrow at 1:00...YAY!! :)

...And...My Momma gets back from Utah today..she's been gone for 2 weeks!!

Job Update and Maternity clothes:

2010-07-17T13:39:00.015-05:00

I am overcome with Gratitude for my Heavenly Father today. No, we didn't get the dream job we've been waiting for. But..i remember about a month ago, praying and pleading, begging the Lord to help us find a job that was in this area. I remember crying, no, bawling and telling Him that I needed Chad home, I wanted my family back. I prayed for a long time. Well, a few weeks later my prayers were answered.

Chad was home for the weekend, we were pulling out of the Wal-mart parking lot, when we saw a man from our ward, we waved and kept driving, but he waved us down. We stopped and he told Chad that he should come work with him. I don't think Chad would have decided to try the job if this man hadn't done this. It is the same company my Dad works for, Best Choice Roofing. My Dad had tried to convince Chad to work with him before. Well Chad decided to do it, it is 100% commission. BUT...it's really easy. He just asks people if they would like a free roof inspection, and then he works with their insurance company to get them a new roof. All the customer has to pay is the deductible. Nice huh? (We just got a new roof a few months ago for $200, Anyone want a free roof inspection? ;) He is doing well so far and Oh I am soo grateful that he is home now. SOO grateful!

I get to find out what the baby is in a week 1/2!! YAY! I'm so excited about this! Couldn't be more thrilled!!! I am so excited about this baby. I love him or her already. I still get headaches everyday, but other then that, I feel great!

Umm..is it hard for ya'll to find cute maternity clothes? Blegh. Target used to have cute stuff..what happened? It's so sad. With 4 weddings (it was 5, one got cancelled) it has been extremely difficult finding cute, inexpensive dresses to buy, plus they have to match the wedding colors..I guess.... Here are a few cute things I have seen, I can only order them online and I'm kind of leery of doing that. I just can't afford them all anyways!! ;)

Nordstroms:(my favorite)

Shabby Apple:

A Pea in the Pod:

Gap:

Some Maternity website..if you want to know where..just ask and i'll do some digging and find it for you!

Target: (online exclusive)

Where do you shop for Maternity clothes?

The 4th & Owen's Birthday!

2010-07-16T12:29:00.017-05:00

For Owen's birthday present we took him to see Toy Story 3 as a family, which is a real treat b/c we hardly ever go to the movies.

We went the Friday before his Birthday.

On the 4th we played with with firecrackers.

Went to Church.

Went to Gammy & Gampaw's for a yummy dinner. This is Gampaw playing "superman" with both kids.

op..there goes Owen.

Momma & Hallie

Went home and played with Sparklers!!

/a>

Then we watched fireworks from our front porch. I was very impressed with the quality of the fireworks our neighbors bought. They must of spent 1000s of dollars because the fireworks were better then many of the fireworks shows I've been to. I really enjoyed it.

We weren't having Owen's birthday party until the 9th (his is the 5th) So I wanted to do something special for him. Chad went to Krispy Kreme that morning while he was still asleep to get him a donut. He woke up and came and got into bed with me. I told him someone was coming...
"What is it?"

"YAY!!"

"Blow out the Candle!"

His Mimi & Granddavid came from Cookeville and brought him a train table!

We asked Owen where he wanted to go for lunch..he said, "Chinese!" Chad and I were both surprised by this, he's never said that before..but Chad convinced him to pick CiCi's (we got him chinese for dinner)

Then Aunt Candi took him to Target to let him pick out a present, this is what he chose:

Later Gammy brought Owen some cupcakes!

Owen's party!

Thanks to everyone that came! We had a blast

Later this week Owen got a package in the mail from his Grandmama it had a gift card in it..he picked this:

Audrey & Spencer

2010-07-16T10:48:00.023-05:00

My brother Spencer just got married a few weeks ago to Audrey. I love her and I'm so grateful to have her as part of the family now! I was able to take their engagement pictures..it was so fun! Here are a few of my favorites!

We had a "Panty Party" for Audrey at Demos' in Murfreesboro, It was way fun! Especially when a group of Elderly people came in, sat at the table next to us and pretended not to watch her open her Langerie gifts lol.

Chad threw Spencer a tool party. We have started to watch the Cake Boss, I think Chad is secretly jealous of Buddy's talent and wants to be just like him, j/k, but he did make Spencer's cake all by himself, using fondant. I thought it was really cute. All the guys LOVED it.

I took the picture before he wrote "Spencer's Tool Party" on the banner.

I love how Hallie's bottom hangs out of her bathing suit. It's so dang cute.

Spencer and Audrey planned their wedding in 2 months! They wanted to get married before he left for the Marines. Here are a few pictures from the wedding.

Kid Table, let's just say AWESOME! They had tons of treats, a guy making balloon animals, crayons, markers etc. My kids stayed in that corner most of the reception..it was way nice.

Stuff

2010-06-09T09:20:00.001-05:00

The winner for my bow giveaway was announced today. Also, there is a sale going on as well! Check it out!!!

I'm going camping with the kids tomorrow. My family goes camping at Fall Creek Falls every year. I love it. I'm a little worried this time around though..Being pregnant and all..I think I might have a hard time. We'll see. The kids are so excited though!

Chad was offered the job at the bank. It's scary though because it's 100% commission. Blegh.

I have five weddings to attend this summer! Dallas and Spencer, my brothers, Charles and Chase, Chad's brothers and my cousin robby are all getting married!! Crazy huh? I love weddings though. So I'm excited.

We are still getting the house ready to sell! Chad put down a new tile backsplash and tile on our kitchen floor. When it is all finished I'll post pictures.

FREE GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-06-02T18:55:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited! I'm having my first giveaway at Freebies 2 Deals! You can go to my Bow Site to enter to win $10 in free bows! Yay! I hope you win ;)