Thousands of Millions

Pinterest Projects

2011-09-21T19:16:00.002-05:00

A group of my girlfriends and I have to decided to get together every couple of weeks and try to complete a project from our Pinterest Boards! Today I chose these pine cone candle holders because I had all of the materials:

Pine Cones
Paint or Spray Paint of your choice
Hot Glue Gun
Canning Jar Lids (Looks a lot better than the bottom of a can drink!)

Cut the tapered end of the pine cone off a little so they will stand on their own. Paint the pine cone and hot glue the lids....WaaaLa!

Cute and Easy.

"Momma said there'll be days like this..."

2011-07-01T11:05:00.002-05:00

This song has been going through my head all morning. It's just one of those days that I want to throw my hands up in the air and give up! From my work out to my appearance to my beautiful little 3 yr old.... Serenity Now!

Today was the final day of Week 2 Boot Camp. I went outside to start my sprints and my tata's just couldn't handle it, see yesterday's post! I had pumped off the pressure prior to trying to sprint and I had also read that in order to reduce my supply the ladies need very little movement and stimulation. This one I did throw the arms up and came inside! TMI....sorry.

I did however finish the rest of the workout, but man my heart just wasn't in it and my body knew it! Then I walked by my mirror and just growled at myself. My weigh has been up the past two days and I know it's just what my body is going through this week, but it's REALLY frustrating.

Then there's the girl....This one is my own fault and I'm just merely venting! You know what, I'm not going to. I'm just going to ask for your prayers for my patience and for me to be able to give her the attention she desires!

"Momma said there'll be days like this...."

Who said it was going to be easy...

2011-06-30T08:01:00.005-05:00

From the very beginning of this weight loss challenge, my one concern was breastfeeding. I want to lose weight however I do not want to jeopardize my milk supply. My little man is now two months old and after his two month check up, I have decided it's time for formula. This is a very hard and emotional thing for me to do... In a months time, Little E only gained one pound. At least he gained. I had been talking with the hubs about this and praying about what is best and Ethan's Doctors appointment helped me to feel confident this was the best decision.

So with this decision, I feel like I can have the freedom to really concentrate on my body. This my friends is intimidating! Now I have no excuses, if I fail, it's my own fault.

This week may be a set back in the weight area due to my boobs are like 5lb weights. I am relieving them on occasion but trying decrease my supply. This morning I was up in weight, but I'm sure the Johnsonville Brat Burger and potato salad for dinner last night did not help ;-)

Yesterday was weigh in day (173.6). I have successfully completed every day of boot camp and I know I have lost inches in my thighs and my waist. I have sucked at doing cardio on my off days. Going to hop on the bike as soon as I'm done!

**Update: I just did 30 minutes of Spinnervals on my trainer. WoW! However, time flew by and it was the best ride I had completed on my trainer to date. Troy it's on!

Next week will be hard, but I will make the most of my surroundings and do what I can.

Where does the time go...

2011-06-26T07:50:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's already Sunday and I haven't blogged all week! Sorry 'bout that. I have had a busy week starting off the week with a sick child, then cleaning for company, a Dr's appt and lunch with my dear friend who recently moved away on Friday, a big day of family and eating and visiting with my Dad and sister on Saturday and here we are...Time to get back on track!

However I successfully completed my boot camp for the week, weighed in and lost a little (not quite a full pound) but 'm ok with that! I did not get any cardio in this week other than boot camp... Cleaning and racing around Walmart with a screaming child may have helped a little though.

I think I should set some goals for this week:

1. Cardio - on days I don't have bootcamp.
2. Water - (2) 32oz jugs...this one is usually not a problem
3. No eating after 7:00pm...this one will be hard

Sunday and Monday

2011-06-20T14:39:00.002-05:00

Sunday was a really long day for us! I did get my exercise in and spent the rest of the day tending to a sick 3 yr old and waiting for my husband to arrive home. He and his co-workers took off on Friday and drove to the bottom of Louisiana to go fishing for the weekend! He had a ball, I'd say it was one heck of a Father's Day minus the fact his kiddos weren't with him :( (But we celebrated early and gave him a movie he loves and a mini photo album created by Lindsay Renee Photography. I actually won a photo session and (3) mini albums and he loved them! Lindsay is also a friend of mine, so it was really cool to have her capture our family with her beautiful talent.

Anyways back to my post...Oh wait, the Hubby did bring back some Red Fish (he caught), some mighty fine looking shrimp and some Daiquiri's in gallon milk jugs!!! YUM! Those will be consumed on cheat nights ;-)

Now back to my post... Sunday's Workout:
Bike Trainer - 30 minutes
Weights, Ball Squats

Today is a whole new ball game! Boot Camp is here and YES, I actually did it...Sorda.

I started off doing Mountain Climbers after 2 1/2 sets, I decided to head outside and do sprints! LOL. I did take a bigger break then needed to hop online again to view the moves one more time. My least successful move was the Side Plank Dips. I just couldn't do it, but I tried, even though I looked like a fool. My left side was a lot better than my right...is that odd since I'm right handed? Anyways, Boot Camp W1D1 is complete.

Tomorrow, if I can move my legs I will ride the bike trainer again...

Recovery Day

2011-06-18T09:50:00.002-05:00

Today is going to be a recovery day....

Yesterday morning started off well. I rode my trainer, did my weights and squats and headed over to take a very special Nanna to lunch for her Birthday! We decided to have Mexican, Yum-O! It's been a while for me... I swore that I would eat light the rest of the day, well that didn't really happen! I had a girlfriend come to visit and she and the littlest child and I were going to go eat...Of course she chose Mexican ;-) Even though I had just had it, I did not turn it down. I really wanted a Margarita, but since I had the baby with me, I did not indulge! But I did eat a lot.

So today I will get back on track and prepare for Mondays Boot Camp! Woot Woot

Shout out to my friend and partner in weight loss crime Mae Anne who is running her first 10 miler today! Go get 'em tiger....

A Walk in the Park

2011-06-16T12:34:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a pretty good day... I didn't get much done around the house, but I did really concentrate on my eating. So I am pleased.

Today has been good so far as well. We had a good breakfast and then the kiddos and I loaded up to go the park and take a walk. It wasn't a long walk, maybe 2 miles, but I was sweating! It is H.O.T. on top of that I was pushing the kids in one of those school bus strollers that is so big and hard to control. So not used to that... But we all had fun and ended the trip with a stop at the playground!

This is about all I will do today, besides pick up my house. Tomorrow I will do a repeat of yesterday. I don't want to get burnt out to soon, it's only day two! Tomorrow Sisterhood is posting info about the 6 week boot camp we will be doing.... Looking forward to learning just how sore I'm gonna be ;-)

D-Day

2011-06-15T10:07:00.003-05:00

So today is the first day of my challenge... It's 11 weeks long and I have to weigh in every Wednesday. 11 weeks is a long time in terms of eating right, exercise and losing weight, especially with a 3 year old and a 7 week old! I am pretty nervous, but I am going to use this time to eat better, add some kind of exercise to my daily regiment and feel good about myself.

My problem areas are:
My tummy...hence having a baby 7 weeks ago.
My butt
My thighs
My flabby arms

I guess it's safe to say...It ALL needs help! Here are some before pics I took this morning:

6/15/2011 - 176.0lbs
Cardio -Bike Trainer, 30 minutes
Weights - Arms, Ball Squats

Gross! But I guess that is why I'm doing his challenge...
*Yes the naked little girl had to jump in! Ironically, I did not tell her to cover herself ;-)

It's that time again!

2011-06-14T08:24:00.003-05:00

Time to get my booty back in shape! You know the drill, every year or so I get really involved and my blog turns into my workout accomplishments, blah blah blah... Well it's that time again! Here I am almost 7 weeks after the birth of my amazingly handsome son --

And I'm ready to get this extra baggage off once and for all! I was doing wonderfully with my running and eating, until I came home to be with my precious little girl. I never had any time to get outside, then as you remember, I got pregnant...God had bigger plans for that sweet baby, but I never seemed to lose extra weight I put on. Then in August of last year I became pregnant again and that puts me where I'm at today! With two beautiful children and about 20 to 30 pounds over weight, but it is all so worth it!!! Now I am only about 4 pounds from my "pre-pregnancy" weight, but I want to go further than that, physically and athletically. This is my time, if I can find that precious time to actually do it ;-)

I have many challenges ahead of me:
First and foremost is Breastfeeding! I do not want to jeopardize this.
Next is time, I will have to be dedicated to in-home workouts. I have my bike on a trainer and videos to do the rest...however I have to do them for it to actually work!

So in order to get me started and all gun-ho about exercise again...I decided to sign up for a weight loss challenge; Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans Burst into Summer Challenge!

I am placed on a team with complete strangers who are all working towards the same goal...To shrink their jeans. In the end the team with the most weight loss percentage wins, not sure what they win, but they win! I feel this will really help me to be accountable to myself because I hate to let people down. My girlfriend Mae Anne is the one who found this challenge and is doing it as well! I am excited to be able to share my progress with her and all of you, if I still have readers ;-) My goal is to record my days and weekly weigh-ins here as well. It could get ugly, folks! I may even post some really awful pictures...YIKES! Some posts may be really long and some really short, but it helps me to write it all down.

So please encourage me and I hope to encourage you as well! BTW, this starts tomorrow ;-)

Few and Far Between...

2011-04-20T12:20:00.003-05:00

I just don't feel like I have a lot to say these days... But I for some reason I feel like I need to do a blog post today, so here we go!

Life has been pretty busy lately, which is a great thing because I'm almost 39 weeks pregnant and in total shock that I'm still carrying this little bundle. My sweet little ball of fire was born at 37 weeks with a perfect and easy delivery, so as my husband would say I have been living in a dream world thinking this little guy would show up the same way. Not. So. Much. I started dilating at 35 weeks or so, that is when I had my first exam. Almost four weeks later I am just at 3cm. Knowing that this process is timely, I just take a deep breath and keep moving on. There have been ups and there have been downs, I have had some wild dreams and lots of sleepless nights. Legs cramps, nausea, bathroom issues are just some of the daily things I have become accustomed to. With my due date just a week away, I'm starting to think he is just going stay put. FOREVER! (ha!)

Ella has been so sweet, asking daily when baby Ethan will be here. I'm going to start telling her when she becomes a better listener, he will come ;-) God love an independent child! She is so fun and so full of imagination, but she is also very strong willed and when she doesn't think there is a need for her to do what I'm telling her she just flat out ignores me! We are working on this and I have decided it is mostly a "sleep" issue. (which is my fault and failure) No matter her nap schedule, bed time is always 10pm or later, even if the process begins at 8:30pm. So hard and I just can't even begin to think of the struggles we will have with our schedule in about a week or so... she is a wonderful little girl though and I love watching her grow into such a fun personality!
I am excited to see what role she will take when her little brother comes home. I know she is going to be a big helper, whether the help is needed or not, that is just how she is...She loves to be involved with Jeramy and I. :-)

Here's to a new journey for our family and prayers that God will continue to bless each and every one of us as he leads us...

It's the Final Countdown...

2011-03-16T14:57:00.003-05:00

I had my 34 week check up today and little Ethan is growing just perfectly! His heart is strong, he is measuring exactly on 34 weeks and I have only gained 20 pounds thus far... I say that with pride and a big exhale! I will return to the Doctor on the 30th, then it's every week with an examination, from there. I have been so blessed with this pregnancy! A boy, he's healthy, he's beautiful (from what I can tell). With a difficult first trimester, I am so thankful that the rest of this pregnancy has been a breeze!

We are so ready to begin this next chapter in our lives, God has a lot in store for us and I can't wait to sing his praises!

(34 wks. No lipstick and just woke up from a nap!)

Remember when I showed you a little piece of something I've been working on? Well here it is! My Mother and I made a clock for Ethan's room. Since I don't have any artistic bones in my body, Mom painted his monogram on there for me. I love it!

When I nursed Ella, I had always said I needed a clock in her room. I had seen some homemade ones out there and always thought "Now that is something I can do!" So I did it. It's not perfect, but I think it is a great compliment to his room.

Birthday Bonanza!

2011-03-08T15:36:00.005-06:00

Our beautiful little girl is 3 years old now! She celebrated her big day with lots of special occasions. These pictures are backwards, due to the fact it's been a while since I've blogged and forgot that uploading pictures is such a pain...

Birthday Morning!
Breakfast celebration with some gifts and cupcakes.

Birthday Evening!
Bonfire Celebration with Mom, Dad, Ella and Danner (Our Dog)Ella learning how to cook a hot dog on a stick!

And it wouldn't be a bonfire without SMORES!!!The weekend before her 3rd Birthday!

Family Night at Papa Ron's turned into BIG Birthday Celebration for Ella!!! We planned to just eat pizza and cupcakes and play with cousins, but Nana T and Papa had other plans :-) They had a whole celebration set up for their special little Ella!
Ice Cream Cake!
Cousins! Noelle and Ashlyn, Owen was off playing....
Ella received a 12 gallon fish tank from Nana T and Papa along with 6 little fish! We are sad to report that there are only two remaining....
Mini Celebration with Ella and her Besties....Henry and Grady!

They gave Ella these awesome sandals and some lip gloss that we wear everyday!!!
Everybody wanted some chap stick!
Hugging her Boys and telling them thank you!

She also had 2 more celebrations, one with Nanna and Poppie and one with her cousins on my side, in which we shared an Ice Cream Sundae Party with Dylan who turned 5 that same week...

We are not big Birthday party parents, but Ella sure did have a lot of celebrations from those who love her! Thank you everyone who made Ella's day Super Special!

2011-02-11T15:54:00.003-06:00

I can't really explain where I have been or what I've been doing....

We have definitely been busy, but it's not the "Oh I can't wait to BLOG about this!" type of busy. It's like most every day of the week is filled with good stuff like play dates and Dr's appointments, so I can't complain...I just feel kinda lame!

Ella:
Well she is doing great! She loves that she has had lots of play time this week. She has been tired and sleeping good, but doesn't go to bed early! We have had a great week though, she has been helpful and happy and is she is so excited about her 3rd Birthday coming up! She probably talks about it everyday. We aren't planning a big party, but we are having a joint celebration with my nephew Dylan and our family!

She loves dancing and Barbies and anything girlie! Despite her efforts to do everything by herself...She is such a sweet and loving little girl!

Ethan:
He is doing good! Really starting to make some big movement and he has started getting the hiccups almost daily, usually in the morning. I am 29 weeks and will be going to the Dr. every two weeks until I reach 36 weeks. My weight gain is about 18 lbs, I'm not sure why I just put that out there but oh well! I feel large some days and not so big on others. I have had a lot of sciatic pain, but other than that everything is going great.

I have not done a whole lot to his room. I did get all of the baby necessities from Heather this past week and Ella has had more fun with that stuff... I don't feel rushed to have every little thing right away because I have the basics, but my wonderful group of friends in Manchester threw me and another one of our friends, that is due right after me, a surprise shower last night! It was so much fun and I got some really great things! Cute outfits, diapers, monogrammed bibs, burp clothes and a diaper cover, medicine, wash clothes....I feel so blessed!

The next week is suppose to be really nice outside so I'm hoping we can get out a little and knock some of this dust off of us... In the mean time, I'll try to think of some interesting posts to write about!

Ticking Time Bomb

2011-01-25T14:29:00.004-06:00

The past two days have been um, different. My little love bug is being a little terror! So it's about 3 weeks until her 3rd Birthday and I'm totally convinced it's not the Terrible Twos, it's most definitely the Terrible Threes! She is not being bad, per say...but crazy, sneaky, silly, rowdy, argumentative; I could go on.

Let me give you a couple of examples:

Yesterday, as I was blow drying my hair, I opened the bathroom door to find her slathered in Vick's Vapor Rub! "Look Mommy, lotion!" Oh boy...even though we bathed she looked like a grease monkey for the rest of the day.

As we are standing in the check out at the store, she had her back to me...As I peeked around her I found her opening a pack of Mentos! So of course I had to buy them, but she did not have one. ;-) I decided to share them with my bible study!

My phone rings, this monkey goes wild. Screaming, jumping, climbing all over me! What in the world...

I could go on with examples as well, but I won't. I know my nerves are a little short these days, so maybe it's just me. With all of this craziness she still looks at me with a smile on her face and says "Mommy....I love you!" Brings it all back together.

Speaking of Time...

I have a new little project! Let's just call it wall decor for Ethan's room. I will reveal the whole thing soon, but for now here is a couple of sneak peaks:

Goodwill find for .49 cents

A little paint...

The first coat!

Life AFTER Kids...

2011-01-23T08:09:00.002-06:00

Is pretty amazing!

Don't get me wrong it is definitely hard, we have been through so many struggles. It's a new kind of responsibility, but at the end of the day it is so gratifying! But do you remember the days of just you and the Hubby or even just you, when life was a party?? It was a weekend ritual to eat out, you saw friends on a weekly basis, you both worked full-time jobs and money was never an issue....

When Ella came into our lives a lot of things changed. We both still worked, but time was precious and learned to spent our weekends at home. Don't get me wrong, we still played! We have some amazing family that is so willing to help us and spend time with our daughter, but lately we have become a lot more home bound and even including our Bean in anything we do. I guess you could say, we are becoming mentally prepared for two kids...

The Hubby laughs at me when I get so gitty about going out, with our family! Ella hasn't always been the easiest child to take to dinner, but lately we have had these family date nights that is such a treat... But something always happens, sickness. I try to make excuses, but you know when to call it quits. To me going out as a family is such a prize and being home all day, I look so forward to the company. Which brings me to life AFTER kids, how funny is it that things change so much. The things we look forward to now, the family time we crave.... It's all part of that unseen plan. Life after kids, I wouldn't change a thing!

Ethan John and Some Quality Girl Time!

2011-01-14T08:58:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a big day for Ethan and me! We both had a task at hand that needed to be very successful. I needed to pass my glucose test, in which I will get results for next week, and he needed to show his spine!

At 20 weeks, Ethan was immobile...curled up in a ball and not going to move for anything. Thank God he was proud enough to let us know we were having a precious baby boy! Since he was so snug, my Doctor requested another ultra sound to get the rest of his spinal views.

1. Spine is very important and it comforted me to know that everything was A.O.K.
2. I was thrilled to get to see my boy again!

Ethan really put on a performance for us yesterday! It may have been because I had just chugged pure sugar, but nonetheless he was a Rock Star...

(3D picture: mouth, nose, eyes, arms around face)

(3D: Same Image, maybe a little more of the face)

Thanks to my girlfriend Holly Jane, I knew to ask for some 3D images! WOW, is all I can say. I love it! It was hard to get a great 3D image of Ethan because his arms were hugging his face and his cord was right in that area too.

(Ultra Sound: Profile)

This is where my Rock Star comes in...

(U/S: Lateral View... "Hi Mom!")

I laughed so hard! What a cheese. He was yawning, moving his mouth, sticking his tongue out all things that a baby does. I just wanted to scoop him out and hold him right then and there and kiss is little yawning mouth! But he needs to stay just where he's at for now!

(Right Foot, I believe)

After my ultra sound, I had to do my blood work for my glucose. The Lab Tech assured me that pulling samples of blood is much more accurate than the good ole' finger prick, so I have a good chance in passing! (Let's hope so...) After that I had a great visit with Dr. J and she was very pleased with my progress. I've gained about 14 pounds, which she was was good, but I just laughed...Oh My Word! I still have 3 months to go.

After my appointment, I did some shopping and even bought some blue hangers for Ethan's closet. Yes, I got really excited about coat hangers! Then I met up with one of my best girlfriends to celebrate getting old. Since this time last year we have wanted to do one of those painting classes, but it just never happened... So this year with both of us turning 30, we were determined to go paint! It was so much fun, it was also pretty stressful. We left there saying "At least we can say we did it!"

Erin and I with our Master Pieces!

A Work in Progress!

It was such a great day! And some time away that I so badly needed!

2011-01-10T15:31:00.003-06:00

There was a prediction for snow in Middle Tennessee! Looks like they nailed this one ;-)

We woke up to 6" or 7" inches of snow this morning. It's beautiful! Ella was eager to head outside, so we did...But the real fun came when Daddy got home. We broke out the sled and the coveralls and had a blast!

Ella loved sledding and did it over and over and over....
But got a little tired walking back up the hill! I cracked up at how Jeramy just scooped her up, she didn't care, she wasn't walking :-)
So the trick to sledding is to "wear down the path!" That way you will go REALLY fast. This particular path went between the trees so me, being over-protective, had to go stand down there just in case she strayed from the "path." Meanwhile, I thought it was a great time for a video!

What time is it? Resolution Time!!!

2011-01-07T19:10:00.003-06:00

It's the new year and everybody sets new goals. Some of them are meant to be broken and some goals will go on to be routines within our daily lives. I've never been one to say "In 2011, I am going to be in the best shape of my life..." and so on, however I do always have it on my mind to do better than the year before! January 1, 2011 I felt inspired and inclined to do some sort of exercise. It didn't happen but that is one of the biggest resolutions set in a new year. What was your resolution? Spoken or unspoken.

Being six months pregnant, I should already have an exercise routine in place, but I don't. My first trimester was filled with sickness, homework and of course a lovely two year old! Everything besides those 3 things in my life were neglected. Husband and Housework were a thing of the past. The dishes got done only when there were none left or something smelt really bad and the laundry sat in a pile behind my couch. So needless to say I was not going to go for a walk!

So all of this talk about New Years Resolution has me thinking... Since I can't be an aerobic queen, what am I going to do in this new year? Besides birth a child, raise a 2 year old and love a most giving husband. What I have decided and what I have already accomplished greatly in this year is keeping my home in order, while doing the above listed items! I have these friends and sisters, that I'm not naming names, who keep an immaculate home and here I am praying that my neighbor doesn't stop by to see the mess we live in! For whatever reason, I have emptied my sink daily this week and folded and put away laundry, picked up toys and made beds....The hubby is enjoying my efforts as well as I. Maybe I'm just feeling really good this week, but I hope I can make this more of a daily routine. In a perfect world, there is no reason why I shouldn't already be doing these daily chores and for now this is my resolution!

Thousands of Millions? You Say....

2011-01-06T18:42:00.004-06:00

I wanted to make some changes on my blog and one of those changes was the name of my blog. I feel like I am in a new season in my life these days and I am so blessed to be here! Last year, when we chose for me to stay home with Ella, I joined a group called MOPS(Mothers of Preschoolers). I decided to become part of this group to meet people in my area. Even though I had lived here for 5 yrs, I worked in a different town and had no connections right here. It has been an amazing opportunity! I have met some wonderful Mothers and friends. This year I was asked to take a leadership role in our Group. One of our Mommies made a difficult decision to go back to work and I was asked to fulfill her "Publicity" position. This turned out to be one of those answered prayers, that maybe you didn't want answered... or was to shy to volunteer to do something like this on my own. Publicity and I go hand in hand and God knew that this would be a great area for me to give and to grow! Even though I had a full plate, I accepted the offer and have been blessed so many times over.

(Some of my MOPS friends)

I have recently began a daily devotional, given to me by my dear friend and MOPS Director. On Day 2, it talked about Rebekah and how she was told in Genesis 24:60 to "be thou the Mother of thousands of millions..." Obviously Rebekah did not mother that many children, but she did mother two incredible children that influenced many. As a Mother of young children, I really want to share God's promises with my little ones and pray that my children will go on to influence thousands of millions. I can't imagine any great blessing in a Mother's life!

When I read this story, I knew that it was going to be one that would stay in my heart for a long time. As I grow spiritually, I want my children and even my husband to grow as well. This new season in my life is a struggle at times, but it is up to me and my actions to make sure that my children live and learn to be a follower of Jesus Christ. So through our life and through our actions, I hope that some day we will influence thousands of millions...

What's That U Say...

2011-01-05T16:09:00.004-06:00

You've missed me ;-) Well I've missed you too!

Now that school is over for me for a while, I am needing an outlet. So it occurred to me that Once Upon a Time.... I had a blog! What better way to share the exciting happenings of my life. Let me take you back a minute; last time I blogged, was about May...Mother's Day I believe. That was a hard year for us as a family, but boy did we have an incredible summer! We camped, we went to the beach, we went floating on the river and so on, It really was a great time for us. August comes around and we find ourselves trying for another baby. September hits us with a BOOM! Baby and School. 3 online classes and one sick Momma! Hello. September through November were rough. December rolls around, school is almost out, Momma's feeling good, Daddy is happier with Momma, Ella is being a trooper and we find out that a little BOY will be joining us around the end of April. You still with me...

So I'm thankful last semester is over and decided to not go back for the Spring Semester due to baby and all. Holidays have come and gone and it seems as if I'm playing the waiting game. Not really, we have a lot to keep us busy! So let me show how big our little Ella has gotten:

Christmas Eve

Christmas at Gramma & Pop's!

She had a wonderful Christmas with all of her Grandparents!

Excited to open presents...

So glad to see you again and I hope you will come back ;-) I love blogging and expressing my thoughts! Now I'd like to leave you with a little "Eye Candy!"

Ella (24 weeks)

Big Momma's in the House! I'm definitely bigger then I was with Ella. Wow! Don't judge...hehehe There are a lot of round things in this picture... Can you spot all 3 of them?

Ethan (24 weeks)
(my ball, my belly and my booty)

Now which ones Bigger? Ha! Please don't answer that!

Overwhelmed by Life!

2010-11-22T13:04:00.002-06:00

So it's been a while...

I still read your blogs, just not every day. The Holidays are coming up and bloggers get 50 free photo cards from Shutterfly, which has totally got me thinking about my own blog and where my life has been hiding.

I didn't blog much after last January. My head was in a whirl. Everything was all good and fine but my time was consumed with my bike riding and Ella and having an amazing summer, in which we did! By the end of the summer I was pregnant again :-) already enrolled in 3 online classes and feeling pretty crumby! The past four and a half months have been a blur... I have barely kept my head above water, but I'm still here and the semester is almost over and the baby and Big Sister Ella are doing great, in fact we find out if baby is a he/she on December 7th! I'm so thankful for so many blessings.

but, Life is still good ;-)

A Beautiful Day....

2010-05-09T22:08:00.002-05:00

for Me and my Moms!

I just wanted to share how lucky I am to have such beautiful and amazing role models(Mothers) in my life. Today I was blessed. Every day I am blessed. My Mothers, my sister(s), my friends are chosen to take on the task of being Mothers. It is a hard task, but it is incredibly rewarding.

God has chosen these people to be a part of my life, whether you are a Grandmother, a Mother, a soon-to-be Mother or one day dreams of being a Mother...You have been placed in my life to influence me and support me and I thank you!

I can't help but think of my little baby in heaven today. I have tried not to, but I have. I guess it's just something a Mother would do. Ella did something tonight that she rarely ever does...She fell asleep in my arms. God knew I needed that. I needed my daughter to give me that for Mother's Day. She is amazing.

Today was a beautiful day.

Farmer in Training

2010-04-26T07:52:00.006-05:00

So what do I post about...It's been a while!

We have been so busy. I have been working temporarily, two days a week. This makes our weeks fly by, I can't believe it is almost May! The weather is keeping us outside all day long, blowing bubbles, playing with sidewalk chalk, walking around the house endless amounts of time. We love it! We have also planted our garden. This year we did things a little different, we planted everything by seeds! Our garden may or may not produce but let me tell you some of those seeds are already poking through! I can't wait... I am not one to utilize my gardens the way it should be utilized. I have been known to let the veggies rot; I was working or I didn't have any groceries, etc. When actually I was just being lazy! This year is a new ball game. Since I am home, Jeramy has informed me that this is MY garden.

So I better do good ;) But in all seriousness I have already began making changes in the way we eat. I am trying to buy fresh fruits and veggies and use them all and trying to get away from buying boxed foods and process foods. With the exception of Mac & Cheese, which is a staple at our house per the youngin'!

On another note... Me and my Giant are off to a great start!

I decided to join a team and ride Tour de Cure Chattanooga. This frightens me in so many ways, but I will have Kim by my side to encourage me and I will have God to strengthen me...I can't go wrong there! I have been trying to get in some longer rides to prepare for my 25-30 miles on May 15. Tour de Cure is a cycling event across the states geared to support Diabetes. There is $150.00 minimal fundraising goal in order to ride and anything above and beyond is just more $$ for the American Diabetes Association. I think it's a good cause don't you? It seems to me that Diabetes is becoming just one of those things we, as Americans, get... Well it shouldn't be! It's deadly. Some people can't help but have this disease due to genetics, but the fact that young children are being diagnosed daily is sad, brings me back to why I can't wait for my garden! Anyway off of my soap box now... If you feel like you would like to donate to ADA and my ride you can go to My Tour de Cure Web page and make your donation.

I also want to add that I love it when I see answered prayers! Lately I have seen a lot... Sure does confirm the fact the he is a living God!

How Do You Give?

2010-03-26T09:19:00.003-05:00

Lately I have had a heavy heart. My life has been tight and we, has a family, have had many changes! But I have felt that I need to be a better giver. So many people give to me so freely and how do I return the favor? I know that it doesn't have to be to them, but just giving in general, the way God intended us to give.

My friend Jody gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Will, at 29 weeks and I am so happy to say that after a long stay in the Vanderbilt NICU, baby Will is home with his Mommy and Daddy. Jody and Chris started a blog after Will's birth. They are such an inspiration and a testament of God's strength! I haven't met Will yet, but I feel like I know him and love him so much already!

When Will was born his Doctors discovered that he has a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). What this means for Will is that he will have to undergo heart surgery. Will is now almost 5 months old and the time for his surgery is so near and Jody and Chris have so humbly asked their family and friends to donate blood "In Honor of Will" and his open heart surgery. A service that we should all do more often and since Jody will be donating her blood to Will, she asked if we could all do the same! It Saves Lives!

This REALLY touched me and opened my heart! I want to give. I want to give "In Honor of Will." I want to give to honor God. So for the very first time, I GAVE BLOOD. Through out the day I prayed for Will and I prayed for me. And I thanked God for this opportunity. It was so easy. I have a feeling I will be back in 65 days. And each time I will be reminded of Will and his journey of life and I will thank God for him and his parents and I will give of myself whenever necessary. So if you haven't given blood lately or even at all, like me...I challenge you! If you are able, give blood "In Honor of Will" or someone else you know! I am honored to do this for such a precious little boy!

Unexpected Surprise...

2010-02-24T09:14:00.003-06:00

Last night around 7:45pm we put Ella to bed. We did our usual routine books, pray, kisses... She was very tired so it did not surprise me that she was so quiet and went right to sleep.

I head to the living room to talk to my girlfriend on the phone and Jeramy heads to the computer. Around 8:30 I get off the phone, give kisses to Jeramy and head to bed.

As I approach the end of the hall way, Ella's door is open just slightly. "Hmmm, maybe she got up?" I thought. As I turn into my bedroom, I find the sweetest most peaceful sleeping beauty I have ever seen, tucked tightly into Mommy and Daddy's bed.

Heart Breaker!

My Baby is Two!

2010-02-22T06:24:00.006-06:00

Well Ella came into her TWO's with a bang! Am I surprised? Not Really. We have all been passing a cold around the house for the past three weeks. Last Sunday Jeramy and Ella got the sore throat/runny nose thing pretty bad! By Wednesday Ella got a fever. Wednesday night she began vomiting, only once but it is still hard to watch your baby getting sick. (Jeramy was home with Ella at that time, needless to say he was pretty scared) By the time I got home, Ella's fever had spiked again. She and I moved to her room, to go to bed however, there was no sleeping involved! By 5am, both of us exhausted, she began having convulsions. Apparently this happens when a fever spikes so fast that the brain can not control the signals it is sending to the body to naturally protect itself. As a Mother, this is the scariest thing I have EVER been through. And we have had a lot of scary moments. The day before her 2nd Birthday and you are watching your child lay helpless and unaware in your arms. I began praying over her body immediately. Mean while, I'm screaming for Jeramy and sobbing at through it all. One spell after another and I had no clue what was happening to her. Thank you Lord for protecting her body.

We ended up taking her to the ER and then her Pediatrician. They treated her with an antibiotic for Strep and said that the spells were probably due to her fever. After a long trip we head home to sleep the rest of the day off.

By Friday, Ella was worlds better! We celebrated her Birthday the best we could. We had originally decided not to have a "party." But was going to celebrate with my family at my Mom's house. We had family in from New York and planned to meet over there Friday anyway, so why not add cake and ice cream into the mix! Since she was sick, we decided not to go :(

Nanna had planned to come over Friday to see Ella and a little sickness was not going to stop her from seeing her Baby Girl! She and Aunt Nea(Renee) came over Friday morning with a car full of goodies for all of us! We are so lucky to have such great parents! Aunt Nea made a Dora the Explorer cake for Ella and it was the cutest thing I have ever seen and Nanna loaded Ella up with microphones and goodies galore! (Ella loves to sing into a turkey baster at Nanna's, so a microphone was a perfect gift) We had a wonderful celebration and it warmed my heart to be able to see Ella smile on her Birthday! Later that afternoon, we headed over to Gramma's house. Everybody was out for the day so we thought it was a good time to visit. We enjoyed the beautiful day with a walk and some Fudge Cake!

I really felt bad that we didn't do a whole lot for Ella, but she got plenty of attention and I know she felt special ;) By Saturday, her fever was gone and we went to Cade's 4th Birthday party. Ella wasn't very happy while we were there, but we enjoyed seeing our friends and playing a little. Thank God for the bouncy thingy is all I have to say about that! hehehe :)

On Sunday, since we had this great Dora cake and a gallon of ice cream that never got ate I asked if my brothers and sisters could bring the kids over for a quick celebration. It was plenty of fun and the best part was watching all of the kids play together outside! All in all, she had a great weekend, the weather was beautiful and Ella was feeling better. My baby is TWO! YIKES.

Busy Girl...

2010-02-22T06:09:00.005-06:00

It has been a busy couple of months for Little Miss Thing! Potty Training, Saying bye-bye to paci and now she is in a big girl bed!!

Ella's "big" Birthday present form Mommy and Daddy was her big girl bedding... I know, sounds lame, but she has so much already. She loves her bed and loves that she can crawl in and out all by herself. At first I was worried about that aspect of it, but she has done really well!

Ella and Chelsea Bear

Playin' Around
Sleeping like a Big Girl!

The only thing left to get is some wall art and a headboard. Aunt Kimmy and I plan to make the headboard, so when that time comes I'll be sure to post about it!

Fun in the Snow 2010

2010-01-29T17:56:00.006-06:00

In the five years that I have lived here on this hill, the one thing I have wanted to do is sled down it! Well today was the day :) 1 maybe 2 inches of snow and ice turned into 6 inches of snow! When Jeramy finally made it home, we headed outside and sled down that hill over and over and over... We had a blast! Ella did it all by herself, as you saw in the video, Jeramy sled with her, I sled with her; we had a fantastic time!

This morning was pretty interesting too! As the snow began to fall, the cars began to pile up. Ella spent the afternoon, flipping around in her ball tent and I went from window to window reporting to the Facebook world the activity outside of my house. I had to share it with somebody!

This is a beautiful shot out of my kitchen window!

This is all of the drama! Car after car piled up and down the hill. People out running around, kids on dirt bikes, dogs in the road... I just knew someone or something was going to get hurt or smashed into.

But all is safe and thanks to one very good Samaritan who towed everyone that was stuck right up that hill! Tonight is going to get bad, more ice and more snow. We are safely tucked in for the night and plan to play tomorrow!

Follow Up: Life Without Paci

2010-01-25T08:31:00.002-06:00

We have tried a couple of times to get rid of the paci and for some reason or another, we found it soothing for us or whomever to just let her have it. When I worked full time, the daycare pretty much had her broke of it, but I was the one who gave it back to her after the "tongue incident!" It really did help her.

Ella is almost three and a half weeks away from being 2 years old, OMG! I just realized that myself. I really think that her talking will improve without paci.

It has been about three whole days without paci and ultimately Ella is doing really well. Even being as young as she is, she is definitely human...Exchanging one habit for another! She has her moments of whining, but I just tell her "paci had to go bye-bye 'cause you are a big girl now!" She seems ok with it but ten she asks for a book. Even in the pitch black room, she looks at her book until she falls asleep. I'm very proud of her. Sometimes, I wish I could just give it to her, but I ave to be strong too!

Also, today is my wonderful Husband's 33rd Birthday! I love you Baby and I hope you have a great day!

"Say Good-Bye to Your Little Friend!"

2010-01-22T11:30:00.002-06:00

It has been a long time coming, but I think I'm finally ready for it to be gone. The little one on the other hand would not agree. Daddy actually said he would like it to be gone by the end of January. I have faith in us that we can do it!

Today Ella was having a little throwing fit, imagine that, and threw her paci into the kitchen cabinet. Nap time roles around and paci is no where to be found, seriously we searched the house! So it occurred to me that this could be my ample moment. So I say "Paci had to go bye-bye, because you are a big girl now." Her reply was "Uh-huh." Was it really that simple? I think not! After a sweet little talk with the sad little girl, I said "Now let's go to the back door and say bye-bye to paci!" Oh it was a sad moment for both of us. Then we went pee pee and I told her if she went to bed like a big girl, I would give her an M&M when she woke up. I know what you are thinking...Bad Momma! I promise I won't continue this but my little girl is in love this "mem, mem, mem's!"

She finally fell asleep, but there was lots of sad whining involved. Tonight is going to be harder!

"Now that's Messed Up!"

2010-01-20T08:22:00.004-06:00

** As seen on Channel 2 News.

Not really but did you know this:

This cereal...

Is healthier than this one....

I'm not talking just calories here, the Dyno-Bites has less carbs, less sugar, less fat!

Can't wait for Spring!

2010-01-19T16:40:00.002-06:00

The weather this week has been so enjoyable! It makes our cabin fever even disappear just a little... Sweet little Ella is ready to play out side all day long... I can't wait for that day either!

This past week was crazy busy! And the rest of this week doesn't look like it will slow down. We've been to dinner with friends, shopping, visited by my Dad and sisters, and to Chattanooga and back! This was all since Friday.

This week we have a couple nights out and we will be celebrating Jeramy's birthday on Monday! I have begun a new 'healthier' way of life, waking early to do a work out video, eating better, eating smaller portions... Man I miss eating! I just can't get satisfied. But hopefully I will get to the point that I don't' want to snack. Jeramy is also trying to make some changes in his lifestyle, to help his blood pressure. Together maybe we can encourage each other enough to make it work!

Hope you are all having a great New Year so far!

2010-01-09T08:17:00.003-06:00

*I am writing this post to remember it, sorry if it is TMI.

On November 20th, I knew I was pregnant! This wasn't confirmed until November 24th or so. We were so exited! I remember, I just couldn't wait to share the news with my family. So on Thanksgiving day, I did :) What a glorious day!

For ten weeks I have carried my new baby, Ella's baby sibling. This pregnancy has given us a lot of first, which seems weird because we already have a child. But it would be the first time, I would get to see my child this early on in my pregnancy...Isn't that exciting!

Anxiously awaiting Wednesday January 6, 2010, we head to the doctors for our 10 week U.S. and appointment. The first glimpse of "baby" is breathe taking. What an amazing creation God has made! The second glimpse revealed to us that my sweet baby did not have a heart beat.

I couldn't believe my eyes. There sat this precious child as peaceful as the day God made it. My feelings would not allow me to wait and let this process happen naturally. I just couldn't do it with Ella being around. I scheduled a D&C for that Friday.

Today is Saturday and I feel that I need to close this chapter in my life and start a new, brighter story! God has given me so much strength through this process, he really is an amazing Father! The time will come when we will be able to celebrate life again, but for now God's plan is different and I am open to see what he has in store for me and my family!

Tennessee Christmas

2009-11-30T08:23:00.002-06:00

Oh how I love this time of year! The lights, the presents, the bows... Once it is all done, I love to just sit and stare at all of the beauty. For me, there is such a standard in the way things should be, I have a vision in my head and I know what I want! Do you ever do that? So I start decorating and create this image the best that I can. This year it seems I have done things in sections... I started with my home decor, a couple of days later I proceeded with my tree, the only thing left is the outdoor lights(which is the hubbies job!) However, I did make some cedar swags for my front porch benches with some left over cedar branches. I think they look beautiful, very Tennessee Christmas!

And of course a glimpse of our tree! It was pretty rough getting this thing completed this year, so I turned on the Christmas music and tried to enjoy it as best as I could. The time did pass quickly with the music filling my mind with Christmas!

I saw something in Better Homes and Gardens and I loved it, and I knew I could do it too! Here is my version of BHG's Ornament Centerpiece:

But it seemed kinda lost in that tray... So I added some ribbon and Wa-La! It was very easy to do this... Gather some ornament balls, hot glue them together, garnish with some cedar bush!

I love the ribbon, it adds that certain color splash I was looking for! And last but not least, ornaments from the light fixture! I stole this idea from a couple different people; Heather, Pam... and I'm sure many many more! But I just love it :) It is so simple and I love the decoration it brings into my kitchen.

If you have some of your favorite Christmas decorating ideas, I'd love to hear them! Happy Holidays everyone....

A Special Visit!

2009-11-29T20:14:00.006-06:00

On Tuesday I had a special visit from two very special people! I have not seen this friend in ages, but she is the reason I met my wonderful husband and before that, she is the one responsible for introducing me to Stampede! ( a local bar/country dance club) Oh the good times we have had...

Almost nine years later, she lives in another state and has this super cutie pie that has stolen my heart!!! This is Riley :) Isn't he the sweetest thing?

We took the kiddos to the park and they had a blast!

They loved the slides and climbing and bouncing!

I love that after all of these years, it almost seems that not a moment has past between Bethany(1) and myself. Yep that's right she is a Bethany too ;) We have a lot of fun with that one! Except for the fact that we both have children now. Life is too cool!

Here is Bethany(1) with her little man.

And me and Ella!

After the park, we headed home for some lunch and some Barney Time! Aren't they cute sitting in the bean bag...

Thank you both so much for coming to play with us; It was a very special treat!

Presley Faith!

2009-11-21T19:58:00.004-06:00

Presley Faith is here and she is just precious! Matt and Heather sure have a knack for making beautiful healthy babies. Presley joined our wild family around 12:48pm on Friday November 20, 2009. She weighed 8lbs 11oz and 20 1/4 inches long. She is actually the smallest of Heather's girls! I figure Heather may do an announcement post on her blog, but she will probably be a little busy so I thought I would go ahead and share my pictures until she has a chance to share hers!

Matt & Heather before delivery.
Me & Heather

Mom, Heather, Rylee & Me

Matt is ready to go!

Our first time seeing Presley! Tears of joy...from Gramma and Aunt Bethy. Rylee was so excited to see her and did not want to leave the nursery window. She loved just watching her.

Reagan holding her baby sister for the first time! She looks so happy to me here, I just love this picture.

Rylee and Reagan checking Miss Presley out!

Heather seeing Presley for the first time since her delivery.

And last but not least... One proud Aunt! I love my girls :) I have the best nieces and nephews an aunt could for!

PT Day 4

2009-11-19T11:18:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it is Thursday already! This means so many things to me; It means tomorrow (Friday) I will have a new niece! Just the thought of her coming into this world brings tears to my eyes, I'm so excited! Stay tuned for some sweet little pictures....

It also means that Ella has been using the "Big Girl Potty" for four days! I am so proud of her :) Yesterday afternoon, went pretty well I must say. She was very good at telling me she had to go and/or just going on her own! Panties are still a little hard, but today she is doing very well at pulling them on and off. Before bed, I told Ella that if she needed to go pee pee during the night to call me.... Guess What? She did! I was shocked. 3am and I hear "Momma, Mommmma!" "Pee Pee!" I was out bed faster than I was the first night she had come home from the Hospital!! And let me tell you the poor, sleepy child could not even stand up but she went potty and I was proud to give her that M&M at 3am!

We have had a great day today! I am even being brave and letting her nap in her panties... Don't worry, I lined her mattress with a trash bag and another sheet over the bag, but she used the potty before bed and I just want to test the waters!

I have talked a lot about pee pee, and not a lot about #2! It always seems that this is the hardest part, getting a child to go poopy in the potty. It was hard! The first day, I had to follow her around and try to catch her in the act, but I'm telling you she is a pro now! And she is so proud of herself when she does # 2 in the potty ;)

**Daddy is bringing home a surprise for the "Big Girl" tonight...her very own Elmo panties! I think she will love them...

PT Day 3

2009-11-18T10:43:00.002-06:00

Let start by saying...I am exhausted! I am tired of being cooped up in this house and I know Ella is too!

Potty training is having its ups and its downs. This is a process and I am trying to be as patient as I can! But I totally get why it is so easy to just put it off for another time. For me, we have come this far and I am not giving up now!

For the past two days, we have been naked as a Jay Bird! (Ella that is...) Today we introduced panties, Yay panties! I have had them out and she has played with them over the past two days, if she managed to get them on, she could keep them on. The thing with panties is that she is a little confused... I mean the whole naked thing, there is nothing to catch the pee pee, but panties, well they are kinda like a diaper, right? Let's just say that I have washed panties at least twice in the past two days!

Today she really has done better with these pantie things on! (I say that imagining what Ella thinks of them!) She has pee peed in two pair, BUT she has caught herself and gone to the toilet, which to me is GREAT! Ella is napping early today since she woke up 4:38am and then again at 5:06! So we are both pretty tired today. My hopes are to clothe her after her nap and see if she can continue to progress! It's going to be a battle just getting her into clothes, since she is much happier running around naked :)

Potty Training Day 2

2009-11-17T11:38:00.003-06:00

So we ended the day yesterday with one more accident and two more successes!

Day 2 has been very interesting! When Ella woke up, I'm pretty sure she had a dry diaper, which is great! However, when I tried to take off her PJ's and diaper, she got mad at me and laid back down, pushing me away :) Then she said "Mama Pee Pee!" So I said "Hurry let's take your clothes off!" But I was too late, her diaper was nice and warm. HA!

So we went on with our morning, eating breakfast, playing, etc. The hours past; 9:30, 10:00, 10:15... No pee pee or poopy! She has sat on the potty MANY times, but no go? She is holding it in! So I go for a different approach "Ella you have done so well by not having any accidents, her is a gummy for trying!" 10:25 Ok seriously, she has had drinks and food, why isn't she going? 10:30 "Ella if you go pee pee on the potty, I will give you a sucker!" She runs straight to the potty... SCORE! Yeah, not quite. She ends up getting so mad at me because she wants that sucker. After a small tantrum, she has a little leak. She caught herself and went to the potty! It took another 3 or 4 minutes to actually potty, but she did it! And it was a lot! Let me tell you, she really enjoyed that sucker.

So now it's nap time and I tried to re-enforce that when we get up from nap time, we will go pee pee in the potty! It has been a long day and a half, but that is to be expected. More pee pee talk to come...

Potty Training Day 1

2009-11-16T13:15:00.002-06:00

According to the Farmers Almanac this week in November is the "best days" to potty train. Now, I will say that I don't really believe in stuff like that, BUT since we have had so many attempts at potty training (none have stuck), I thought I would give it a shot. In the past, Ella has always been the one to iniciate this, so today it was Mommy's turn!

After getting some pointers from Chronicles of a Baby Wise Mom, I pulled together a basket for toilet paper, treats and a potty book. I moved the potty into the living room (just something I thought I would try) and awy we went!

We have had a great morning! On ly one accident as of now. We will continue working until she is confident enough to go to the bathroom on her own. I have cleared my schedule this week and plan to be very patient :)

Things we have done today:
Toilet in living room
Bare Naked Baby
Treats! (M&M's have been very successful)
Lots of Praise

If you are reading this, say a prayer for both of us :)

Change...

2009-11-14T20:29:00.007-06:00

Is a good thing!

We have decided to make some changes around our house. For a while now, I have been wanting to paint our bedroom. Back when I bought our duvet(in which the colors weren't at all what I thought), I had to make a quick change in paint for the bedroom. Once the paint was on our walls, it looked very orange or Autumn looking, I should say. I HATE painting, HATE it! but I finally committed to changing this color. Below is a picture of a pillow or should I say inspiration. I took this to the paint store with me and matched up the back round color. When I started trimming out the bathroom, I got really that I had chosen the wrong color again! That this color was too light... Grhhhh! But now that the bathroom is finished, I really like it :) Now I just have to find the time and patience to finish the bedroom!

This is a better picture of the "orange" and the new color.

Moving on....
Do you see anything different?
That's right! No railings.

We removed our old, dry rotted railings and posts and installed these brand spankin' new square fluted posts! And we decided not to re-do the railings. I love it! It looks so much different, but the more I look, the more I love! now I guess I should paint my benches white, considering they are the main focal points now.

And last, but not least: A quick shot of my little ballerina! Grandma made this adorable tutu for Ella today and she has worn it all day. We even made a road trip to Big Daddy's in South Pittsburg and this little ballerina stole the hearts of every "hunter" in the store! Every time she walked by all of the men, she fluffed her tutu and tilted her head ever so slightly...Oh NO she is just like me! Yikes....

WAIT! I forgot to show you my new toy! "I got a road bike, I got a road bike" Have I told you how incredibly sweet and generous my husband is? Well he is! I found this baby on craigslist and I knew this was the one. I have a lot to learn, but I'm so excited to be able to ride with my girlfriends!

F-A-M-I-L-Y

2009-11-14T20:16:00.007-06:00

Ella and I love this song and we love dancing to it too! I thought it would be appropriate to share it with this post considering it is about FAMILY.

I have a large, beautiful family. Full of happiness and joy, full of children and giggles, full of life! My sister is about to give birth to her third little girl and we are so excited :) The women in our family came together to celebrate with Heather and shower her with love! We put together a brunch and spent the morning laughing and talking about our children....Blissful!

This is me, Mom and Heather

I never realized how much we actually do look alike!

Here is Pam, Melissa, Heather, Mary Helen and myself.

We decorated Mary Helen's dining room in Harvest Decor, it was beautiful!

Instead of cake or petite fours, we had miniature pecan and chess pies (from Julia's, nonetheless!)

We decorated the table with miniature pumpkins and gourds and a beautiful red and yellow mum. After our brunch, we took a moment to pray the 'Baby Blessings' over Heather and Presley. We are so lucky that God has blessed us with a wonderful family!

Sunday, Jeramy, Ella and I headed to the farm! It was a very cold day so we bundled up and had a blast.

Ella loves to help Daddy at the farm! Here she is following him down the road...

This is my life, my family!

2009-10-18T11:55:00.005-05:00

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring

Went to bed with a bump on his head and didn't wake up in the morning!

(didn't wake up 'til the morning) actual verse, ha!

This has been our theme song lately. Ella loves playing in the rain, but then again what doesn't she love! She is a girl of many excitements...

So she stands on these steps, going up and down as we sing this song. In which I never realized how morbid that song is. Maybe I have the words wrong?

We have had to get really creative with all of this rain. Ella decided to put on this old straw hat and scoot around in that stroller with Chelsea Bear. It was too cute!

It is rare that you will find this:

Usually this wild child is running from one side of the coffee table to the other, but not tonight. She needed some cuddle time with her Daddy! When that opportunity arises, you have to just sit back and snuggle.

Happy Fall Ya'll!

2009-10-11T14:12:00.006-05:00

As far as excitment, I don't have too much to report...But I do have a lot of pictures to share! Ella is a hoot lately, she is so full of life and creativity. She is really into playing with her doll and I get so tickled when I look in the rear view mirror and she is clapping her dolls hands together to the music. Hilarious. She also is into to wheeling herself around in her doll stroller. Silly Girl! One day I came in and she was just hanging out in it watching tv!

Since I've been home, I have joined a group of Mothers called M.O.P.S. (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people in my community! One of of the Mothers hosted a play date at her house, a pumpkin party! I made rice crispie treats and put little plastic spiders in them, it was really cute.

We decorated pumpkins in these coll monster stickers! Ella really enjoyed this part!

Moving on... How cool are forts! Ella is loving her some forts. We have a flash light and this is where we like to hang out and read books, change diapers...what ever we can do in there :)

It may not be the architectured fort but to Ella it is a super fun place!

Last Thursday I got to go to the Zoo! I mean we got to go to the zoo...

Melissa, Carson and Campbell invited Ella and I to go to the zoo with them. I was so excited!!! Ella has been with them before, but for me it was my first. I love the zoo! Melissa's little neighbor, Mallory, also went with us. She is a sweetheart! Ella and I had a blast, we all did... We took a picnic lunch and enjoyed a wonderful morning taking in the sites

Probably my favorite!

The petting zoo was of course the kids favorite!

Here is Melissa and Ella looking at the turtles!

The turtles were pretty cool too!

House Project # 2 --- CHECK!

2009-09-24T20:13:00.007-05:00

But first I have to show you some pictures I took of Ella today. It seems to me that she has really done some growing here lately. She is talking more and more every day and she is really into playing with her food ;) Seriously, she will get bowls and measuring cups and transfer her snack from one thing to the other, it is really cute!

Yesterday I learned that if I take my eyes off of her for one minute, she will have made the biggest mess you have ever seen! Example #1) Ella loves Danimals Yogurt Smoothies. She loves them so much she thought her "Chelsea Bear" would love them too! I walk into the living room and Chelsea Bear is covered in smoothie and it's all in the rug as well as all over Ella's hands. My consensus is that Chelsea Bear probably isn't the biggest fan now ;) Example #2) If you leave the child alone to eat her scalloped potatoes, make sure she has on a rain coat and a hood or hat! Otherwise she will turn her potatoes into finger paint and hair gel!

Have I told you how much I am loving being able to stay home with her? I can not explain the emotions involved and I feel so Blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity! I feel like a Mother, I feel like Ella and I have never been closer, don't get me wrong; she is still a HOT mess... But she is the best of the best! Being able to enjoy these moments with her is priceless.

My little drama Queen!

Now for the post: The Arnolds finally have landscaping!!!

Yeah this project is about 2 yrs late, but it's done and we love it. And Glory to God that it has rained every single day since we have planted it :)

Below is a picture of our walkway; This is what you will see when you pull up to our home. We decided to plant Soft Touch Hollies and variegated Monkey Grass in this area.

Moving to the front of the house; we captured the corner with Adagio Grass. This is to separate the soft touches with the laurels.

In front, we used Otto Lukin Laurels. We chose these laurels as opposed to Skip Laurels because they will grow wide and somewhat tall, but not overly tall like the Skips. We also staggered each bush. Right now, it is very noticeable but hopefully they will fill in nicely!

On the other side of the front steps, we continued with the Otto Lukins and acceneted with more Monkey Grass. There was a wide area on this side that needed to be filled with something. Our idea was to keep this simple looking and that it is. We couldn't be happier!

HOW 100

2009-09-14T07:33:00.004-05:00

Saturday was an awesome day! For quite some time, I have been committing to riding 29 miles to help support Breast Cancer. I haven't really talked a lot about this because I was nervous I wouldn't be able to complete it. Last September, Kim decided to do this ride for the first time. She had just bought a road bike and this was her first group ride, I think. She loved everything about it, especially the women and the support to this much needed and wonderful cause! When time came this year to start planning, she was adamant I was doing it with her. She brought me her other bike, she calmed my every fear and encouraged me that I cold do this. I really didn't have time to train, a short ride here and there but I told myself "this is for fun and if I have to stop or even turn around, I am not going to stress, but just enjoy the ride!"

Kim was such an amazing riding partner! I couldn't and wouldn't have done it with out her. She was patient and stayed with me through out the entire ride. She encouraged me. She taught me. She made this such a wonderful event for me!

Here I am before the ride. Kim said she could tell I was getting really nervous as we were pulling in! I was, but I think it was hilarious that she could pick up on that.

This is at the start of the ride. The parking lot was full of women all shapes and sizes, some
who have battled cancer them selves and some who are supporting a loved one, it was beautiful!

I was so proud to have made it to the half way point! At this point I was feeling pretty good. We rested and refilled drinks and ate some snacks. We headed out for the ride back.

29 miles later and a hill that almost got me down... We did it!

As we crossed through the balloon arch, we were both just filled with so much joy! I really thought I could have cried... It was a struggle, but we finished and we finished stronger than we were when we began! Thank you Lord for giving us this gift.

By the way, we are already
talking about next year!!!

2009-09-08T10:48:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Holiday weekend! Jeramy and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary on Friday September 4th. We celebrated on Saturday by going to Opry Mills! Jeramy has been wanting to go to Bass Pro for quite some time now. We had a great meal at Tony Romas and then did some shopping :) Being the sweet Daddy that he is, he had to get Ella a little something... Lately she has really been into, shoes and hats! so we found this adorable Cowgirl hat for her; She loves it!!!

For some odd reason, she really only wears the hats when she is sitting at the table eating! She is too funny :)

Since Fall is fast approaching, we have begun to think of MANY outdoor projects. Some of the things on our list involve landscaping, new front porch railings, new roof on the mini barn and now that I am home I have added about 10 more things to that list... We have decided to start with the small things, so last night in the thunder storm, I stained our Adirondack chairs. It was so nice and peaceful under our carport just listening to the rain and the thunder.

Before

After

We decided to use a dark stain, since they fade so quickly. It really looks great, in my opinion, the picture doesn't do it justice.

Aunt Heather, Rylee and Reagan have taught Ella a new song! It's actually a prayer that the girls sing before they eat. Ella loves it and wants me or Daddy to sing it before, during and after her meals or any time of the day for that matter!

A little bit of every thing day...

2009-09-03T06:17:00.004-05:00

Tuesday was a packed day for us...

We started off our morning with Ella's 18 month check up. As usual, Ella's height was in the 75% and her weight was in the 5%. No worries from the Doctor though, she is growing just fine! We also had 2 shots, one was the normal check-up shot and then she had her MMR shot. I'm not sure if it is because she is more aware of what they are doing to her, but she was not happy... She even did the silent scream, so you know it hurt her! She was fine after she got her stickers though :)

After Ella's appointment, we met up with Aunt Melissa, who kept Ella so I could get my hair done! (It was also Campbell's Birthday on Tuesday) My hair turned out really cute. It's pretty short in the back, but I must admit it is super easy to fix that way!

Tuesday morning I found out the my SIL, MaryHelen, had lost her Great Grandfather. Gran was 95 years old and lived a very happy life! After my hair appointment, I met up with Melissa for some lunch with the kids and I was delighted to see that MaryHelen and my nephew Dylan were joining us! Ella only got a 30 minute nap that day as we were waiting in the school line for Carson, but as soon as he hopped in the car, Ella was all smiles... She loves her Carson! The kids played all afternoon and it was a wonderful little day....

Whatta Day!

2009-09-01T05:55:00.006-05:00

My new life is in full swing! It's about 5:50am on Tuesday and I just sent the hubby off with a packed lunch and a croissant breakfast(Jimmy Dean). We have a full day today so going back to bed is not an option today. I thought I would enjoy a hot cup of Joe and reach out to my bloggy friends!

Yesterday was our first day home together, without a fever or a runny nose or a sick momma.

It was bliss!!!

Ella woke up pretty early so I never got a shower. Now I totally get why KIM is always up by like 3am :) a little exaggerated.... but seriously the day flew fast and my shower didn't come until around 4pm.

It was quite an eventful day. First thing after breakfast, Ella was hunched over like she was doin' #2! If you have or had a youngin' you know the stance I'm talkin' about! So I simply asked her if she needed to go "Poopy in the Potty." She looks at the bathroom, then looks back at me and heads for the porcelain throne! So I strip her down and set her on her special potty seat. Surprising enough she Pee peed! So we got off of the toilet to go put a diaper on...when I turned around she wasn't there, she was still in the bathroom. As I head back in I got quite a surprise! A nice pile of "you know what" right beside the toilet!!! Ha!

So from this point on I decided to try the potty training. I gave her treats, she got juice and we even went to buy pull-ups! We had a great day, until her LATE afternoon nap. She woke up as a bear. And didn't want a thing to do with going "pee pee in the potty!" Today I will continue but not going to push as hard. She will be staying t Aunt Melissa's for a bit today while I get my hair done! Yes, ladies and Gents I am getting my hair done!!! And according to my hubby...I need it!

Well I hear the little poopy head now.... Have a wonderful day!!!

Ella is 18 months!

2009-08-24T15:39:00.007-05:00

Ella is 18 months and lovin' every bit of it...So is Mommy and Daddy!

Her favorite past time is riding the four wheeler with Daddy(and sometimes Mommy). She sees the boys behind us on theirs and she runs for our four wheeler! She likes it even more when we are at the farm checking "Moo Cows!"

This past Saturday we went to Camryn's Birthday party. We had such a great time!!! All of the kids played so well together and they all had a fantastic time on the playground. Of course Ella's favorite thing is the slide and by the time we left she was sliding on her belly, face first! She is such a little dare devil!

Here is Samantha Jane and Ella on the slide. SJ is only 11 days older than Ella! Her Mommy and I were friends in High School and have reunited through our blogs. The greatest joy is watching these two beautiful girls grow up and we were so glad they were able to meet. I hope we can play again! BTW, don't you just love Samantha Jane's sun hat! What a cutie :)
On the way home from the park Ella was fascinated by the Elmo seek & find Camryn gave her for coming to her party! By the time we got home she was conked out!
We also got the chance to play with our cousin's Saturday evening! Those kids had the best time... They are soooo sweet to Ella and it is so wonderful to have so many loving cousins!
Yesterday afternoon, Ella thought it would be funny to crawl on top of the coffee table. She knows this is a "No, No" but when we looked into the living room, we got so tickled at her and had to snap a picture!
This is my proof that we had a great weekend! I was testing the waters when I decided to put Ella on our bed to watch some TV while I showered. I just knew in minutes she would be off the bed running around like her normal self. When I got out of the shower, there she was fast asleep. So sweet...

18 months has been great so far. Ella is really comprehending so many things these days. She loves to "help" Mommy, so I use those words to my benefit. She is about to cut her first incisor tooth and is kinda gloomy this week, but still going, going, going! She talks some but not a lot. I'm okay with that! She will get there, but she loves her animals and the sounds they make! I am so excited to spend my days with her and teach her and love on her every chance I can get!

Baby Showers

2009-08-21T08:42:00.008-05:00

This is my first "Show us Your Life" post! When I read Kelly's Korner Blog this morning, I knew I had to be a part of this blog roll.

I had the best baby baby showers an expecting Mom could ask for. Between the 5 girls in my family and our 10 beautiful children, we have become Master Shower Throwers! When I was pregnant with Ella, my sister/SILs decided to split into two's and give me 2 showers. One in the town I am from and one in the town in which I currently live. They were both so beautiful and the thought that they put into these showers, every little detail was perfect.

This was the first shower they threw me and Ella. It was in my home town and all of my closest friends were there. It was held at my sister's home.

The best part of this shower were from these little cards. These are cards prayer cards! On each card there is a prayer for my little one. Ranging from my child's development up to her marriage. Of course I was sobbing! Each prayer held such a great significance in mine and my child's life. The prayers were passed through out the room and read aloud by my closest family and friends... Talk about powerful!

My sister always accents with beautiful flowers! I love that :)

Chocolate covered strawberries were delicious and also a great compliment to the decor! What you may not notice is that the light color is a pink. So delightful.

I have to say that these ladies have mastered the food! I mean what is better than shower food spread across a beautiful table for all to admire, maybe we should do some catering??

Here they are! My beautiful sisters! (and me)

And last but not least, Presents!

My next baby shower was just as wonderful! It was held in my current town so all of my new friends and my husbands friends were able to come. The food was amazing and I definitely had my share ;)

My SIL made this beautiful banner that says "Sweet Ella." I loved this and I even used it at Ella's First Birthday! Maybe I will use it forever more...

The cake was so delicious and it matched my invitations!

Every guest took home some of these beautiful cookies that had Ella's monogram on it!
I must learn how to make these.

This was such an enjoyable time in my life and I was so lucky to have so much Love and Support! Since I am in some crazy baby mode this week,it is fun to look back at all of the blessings a little one can bring!

To view more of these great baby showers take a trip to Kelly's Korner!

Now for the Big News...

2009-08-04T09:48:00.004-05:00

I am so happy to say that my life is fixing to change DRAMATICALLY!!! At the end of this month I will no longer be a full-time "working" Mom, instead I will become a full-time Mom! Ah, I just can't believe it. It is so surreal and it hasn't even hit me yet! After many conversations with the Hubby, we decided to do this and oh my gosh, I just can't say enough about what he(the Hubs) has done for us to be able to accomplish this goal. I have finally shared this with my work and I have gotten some incredible support. So the big secret is out and I just feel like I could scream it from the roof tops. What a blessing this is for us and will be for us. My life is going to change, a lot, but I'm ready for the journey! Thank you every body who has given us support, either verbally or through prayer...You know who you are! We could not have done this without you and we will still need the encouragement, maybe now more than ever!

So today is happy day and I just thought I would share a big ole' smile with everyone :)

Let the Good Times Roll...

2009-07-20T12:52:00.005-05:00

I have so much to say but I'm not sure where to start...

We have had a wonderful time lately. Every body is healthy and happy! We have some exciting news to share, but it's just not time to share it with everyone...(No, I am NOT pregnant) Speaking of pregnancy, Heather is having another little girl!!! Poor Matt but of how it blesses Aunt Bethy :) No really, Matt couldn't be happier! So I have been cleaning out my attic all weekend. All of the things Heather has given to me, talk about being blessed, I am giving it back to her. 18 gallon totes were on sale at Wal-Mart this week for $3.50, so I bought FOUR! I gave 3 back to Heather this weekend and she gave me one too, bigger clothes from Reagan to Ella. I am so thankful for hand-me-downs! Can't you tell I'm really excited about another baby... ;)

Ella has had some really great days at daycare. The past two weeks have been so much fun for her. They've had bubble day, water day, side walk chalk day, tie die day... Below is a picture of Ella in her tie die that she made, it was really cute! She would not pose for me, so this is the best I could get...

Ella is 17 months now and talking up a storm, well sorta...she certainly knows what she is saying, Jeramy and I on the other hand have been playing a lot of the guessing game, ha! The funniest thing she says is "Oh Man!" Of course we Ag it on because it is so funny and cute. Yesterday I was napping and over heard her on the monitor (she was suppose to be napping too). She was just talking to herself and then she said "Oh Man!" over and over and over. It gave me a good chuckle. She has also become just a tad more cuddly. If you know Ella, you know she is not a cuddler, so as you can imagine I am eating this time up!

So Sara Beth is married! Oh how beautiful she looked... From the moment I saw her I just cried. I love her to pieces and I'm so proud she married such a loving man! Her marriage and her relationship with her newlywed reminds me of mine and Jeramy's and it makes me so thankful for Jeramy and the way he loves me!

The Bride and Groom dancing their first dance.

Sara Beth changed into this beautiful little party dress and came out in it to accompany Ala in his "Shark" dance... It is an Ala Dean original and it always shows up at weddings! I love the fact that SB is now an official Shark and adds some spice to his moves...

Ella has a new ride! Carson and Campbell gave Ella their Gator. They knew she was a country girl and you know country girls gotta have a gator! She doesn't understand how to push the gas yet but she knows how to work the horn. She loves this thing! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

Wasn't it a gorgeous weekend? We woke up early and went to the farm to ride four wheelers and check on the cows. Danner came along and had a time with a couple of the "Momma" cows, they were not welcoming to him ;) But Danner had a blast, as always!

I usually let Jeramy drive Ella. I mean I can handle a four wheeler and all but I just feel safer with him holding onto her. However, she joined me when we discovered we had a bull calf missing. So off Daddy went to find the missing pup. (I call baby calves, pup. Just my nickname for them)

After cruising the farm a couple of times Ella and headed back to play. My little monkey climbed all over the trailer and then we took a little walk.

Here is Jeramy counting cows. Still missing one, so he jumped back on the four wheeler to go back and look. Thank goodness he found him! Ella slept most of the way home and after we ate she went back to sleep and so did we! After our naps we headed out for a jeep ride and then we did some grilling... What a wonderful weekend we have had!

Rylee is 5 and Sara Beth is Gettin' Married!

2009-07-01T09:07:00.007-05:00

June has been non-stop for us, but it is all good! Rylee Hope turned 5 years old, these kiddos are growing up so fast! She had the coolest little party at the Pottery Place. Each child picked a piece of ceramic to paint and I have to say this was the QUIETEST 5 year old party I have been to! Each child was so into decorating, that barely a word was said ;) ha!

The Birthday Girl!

Rachael and Ella
Rachael and Emily(our younger sisters) came to visit Tennessee for the week and were able to join us for Rylee's Birthday! It was a nice treat for all of us.

Emily Painting her cup!

Ella working on her Mater Piece! I was really proud of her :)

Cole!

Rylee and Keely

Carson and Reagan

Campbell and his Piggy Bank! They must be teaching him right!

Rylee getting ready for her Birthday song!

This is always the best part!

This past weekend, I was able to spend the weekend with some wonderful life long friends! Sara Beth and I have known each other for many many years, since we were infants... We grew up together, played sports together and now we are going through some more beautiful moments together. 28 years later we are celebrating her wedding in July! She was there for me and I will always be there for her. We headed to Nashville for a girl's night out on the town. We stayed at the Union Station Hotel and made our way around our beautiful city.

From left to right:
Kaci, Gena, Jessica, Sara Beth, Nicole and Myself

Here is our stunning Bride-To-Be!

Sites from our weekend!

2009-06-17T08:42:00.006-05:00

This past weekend, we were able to snag some last minute passes to the one and only BONNAROO! Since my weekend plans changed, I was able to go on Saturday with Jeramy. We had a great time, but I just wasn't into the bands this year. Jimmy Buffett was a surprise gig on Saturday afternoon and I was so glad to see him, what a fun concert! After that we walked around CenteRoo, shopped, visited with friends and then headed over to hang out at the shower camp our friends were running as we waited for the next round of shows. We ended the night with a little Ben Harper at 1am... Needless to say we were exhausted!

Which Stage (Jimmy Buffett)

Roo Graffiti

Enjoying some down time...

Me & Katy

Brad, Jake & Jeramy

What Stage (Main Stage)

Waiting for "The Boss" (Bruce Springsteen)

First time I've seen this at the Roo? (hot air balloon)

Jeramy & Heath looking at the balloon in total amazement, it was too funny!

Me, Lana & Holly in CenteRoo

Showing some ~Roo Love~

Ben Harper at 1am! Check out the new neon sign.

Sunday afternoon, last minute we decided to go back and take our little beanie, one day she will die when she looks back at pictures! I can hear her now "Look at my Hippie parents!" By that time we will be so 'uncool' that maybe we can earn some points breaking out those photos. Ha! She enjoyed it for a bit, but it was soon time to go to bed and we headed home. Of course Ella had to wear her tie dye dress her Aunt Kimmie gave her, it's a Bonnaroo original from '08! She was super cute and totally stole the show ;)

As soon as Ella heard music, she started bouncing on Daddy's shoulders!

Eating & Dancing...great combo!

More Dancin'

More Eatin'

Checking out the Bobble Heads

Posing with her hippie Mom! hehe :)

PHOTO OVERLOAD...

2009-06-08T08:24:00.007-05:00

Wow...it has been a busy busy month. We've had weddings and showers and baby showers galore and Birthdays and cookouts, oh my! This weekend we decided to have some fun. These pictures are kinda backwards, but you will get it.

Sunday morning Ella and I woke up very early to go feed chickens. It has been a while since Ella and I have joined Jeramy, but he loves it when we come! We stopped to get breakfast and coffee(my must have/treat for coming!) and headed to the farm in Lynchburg.

Ella had the best time chasing the chickens! She was not even scared, just took off after them. It was the cutest thing!
(These pictures were taken with my camera phone so the quality is not too good)

Then we found a worm! It was a perfect little worm. Daddy picked it up and Ella was so interested in this little guy. Not even scared!

She immediately grabbed it out of Daddy's hand, but we had to put back so he could enjoy his morning dew.
Last Monday, Ella began pre-school. This has been a huge transition for all of us! I know that she will adjust but the hardest part is when I drop her off in the mornings... She is not happy, at all! She is learning her new schedule and she is learning to nap in a room full of distractions. We have had early nights since her naps are consisting of about 45 minutes a day. She is making lots of new friends and has lots of great teachers. I pray that she will soon adjust to her new school!
Saturday night, we went to Mexican with Holly Jane! I LOVE me some Mexican food and Margarita to accompany it! It was way past bed time when we got home and Ella was in a super silly mood! I started snapping pictures of her and she got so tickled and so then we went to take pictures of daddy and then it turned into all 3 of us... She would laugh so hard when I would show her the picture we just took.

Here are a couple of our goofy pictures!

So it is that time of year when the yard sales are on every corner!!! I love yard sales and I love how all of my blogger friends are finding (and posting) their awesome yard sale finds! Saturday afternoon, as we were cruising in the Jeep, we came across a HUGE tent sale. I made Jeramy pull over for this one, it was just too big to skim. As I was digging through a box, I found this silver trivet with an 'A' etched in it. I love finding old silver trays, etc at yard sales! I got the trivet for .25! Can you believe that... It will be in our family for a long time.
Saturday morning, Ella and I hopped out of bed to drive to the air force base to watch Holly Jane compete in her first Triathlon! It was a gorgeous morning and we had such a great time just watching all of the athletes.

This triathlon consisted of a .6 mile swim, 16 mile bike, and 4 mile run. There were many folks from Manchester participating in this event. So it was fun to watch these familiar faces!

This is Holly coming out of the water after her swim. She was terrified of the swim part... But I knew she would do great and she admits "It wasn't as bad as she thought!"

Holly taking off for her 4 mile run...that she smoked!!!

This is Lana coming out of the water. This is Holly's sister who is a veteran to this race! Lana received the award for 1st place in their age group and Holly got 3rd place in the their age group!!! I was so proud of all of them, but especially Holly for overcoming a big fear and accomplishing a huge goal AND taking home an award... That says a lot!

Good "Clean" Fun!

2009-05-08T13:09:00.002-05:00

Shout Out to the Lord!

2009-05-07T09:47:00.006-05:00

On October 23, 2008, I shared with all of you that Jeramy and I will be going through some life changes. In this process, our goals were to pay off my car and save money to have child #2. It has been a LONG 7 months! This has been the absolute hardest thing we have ever done/gone through. Our marriage was tested, as parents we were tested and most of all as individuals we were tested. There were ups and there were downs, tears came and went, anger and resentment were all around us. However, through it all there was LOVE. Not just the kind of love you share with your friends or your pets, but there was the kind of love you commit to one another as you joined together on that special day. And the only way we knew how to love each other was to pray for it. The older I get, the more I realize that prayer is a HUGE part of life, my life! Fifteen years ago, I would have never imagined my life where it is today and I have my Mother to thank for all of this. She has taught me that the foundation in life, in marriage and in family is prayer and trusting in the Lord. It may have taken me a long time to get here, but I'm here and I am giving God the glory!

Through hard times there is always good. And I have so many blessings, an absolutely amazing husband and beautiful, healthy little girl and a wonderful loving family.

Our goals are still the same and we are so proud to announce that yesterday, we paid off my car! Can I tell you how huge this is. I helped....but Jeramy, he has out done himself. He devoted himself to this goal for me. He worked endless hours and he killed himself every week in some form or fashion. He has given me the best Mother's Day gift of all. With this accomplishment, we can be confident that come December I will be able to be a SAHM(Stay at Home Mom)! Our issues are far from over, we still have a lot more to accomplish, but through prayer and trust and love we have been successful together and that is what a great marriage is made of!

Jeramy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are my rock and I love you so very much!

And this my friends is my shout out to the Lord.

Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength, and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion.
~ Psalm 84:5-7

2009-04-21T09:29:00.002-05:00

Before bed time, we always say a little prayer. I feel that this is important in Ella's life. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed when I started to pray that Ella pulled her hands together, in front of her heart, and held them there until I was done. I thought "did she really just do that?" After I laid her into bed, I told Jeramy about it and we both just shook our heads in amazement. About a week later, Jeramy put Ella to bed, he came into the room I was in and told me that she did it again! Now it is just something she does...

Ella is such a quick little learner and I would imagine that she participates in daily prayer at Aunt Melissa's house. So thank you Aunt Missa for teaching my sweet little girl these powerful gestures. I bet you would have never imagined that she would teach them to Jeramy and I!

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-13T14:16:00.020-05:00

This was a wonderful Easter! It was an extremely busy weekend, but lots of fun for all. We started off the Easter Celebration at church Saturday night. Ella was given a beautiful homemade dress from a friend of ours and she looked like a doll. Easter Service was amazing!!! Every year it is held at MTSU's Murphy Center and the arena is packed. This year we were entertained by Charlie Daniels! What a guy... the funniest part was him singing "The Devil Went Down To Georgia!" It took everything I had not to stand up and play the air fiddle! hehehe :)

Sunday morning we headed over to Nanna and Poppies for a fantastic pancake breakfast. We ate, we played outside, we were exhausted! Next was home to nap and cook for later in the day... but the napping didn't really happen. Oh well, we still had a great day!

Yesterday afternoon we headed over to my brother's house in Manchester for our family Easter Celebration! Craig and Pam were gracious enough to have it at their gorgeous home this year. It was a blast!!!! The food was fabulous, as always and the Easter egg hunt was so much fun! Ella was exhausted but I know she had the best day!

I thank you Lord Jesus for giving us this day!

Yay for Coloring!

2009-03-24T15:21:00.004-05:00

If you don't have your sound up, then do so... Ella figured out how to color, sorda! I felt like I could see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out how to hold it. Then she found that if you touch the paper it leaves a mark...now that is exciting! You can hear her get excited...too bad that paci is her mouth :( When I took it out for some more fun videos, the crayon went straight to the mouth, go figure! Who knew crayons tasted so good :)

Dirty Mouth...Clean It Up!

2009-03-24T15:11:00.004-05:00

I wonder if I wipe Ella's mouth too often????

Girls Road Trip

2009-03-24T14:07:00.025-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, Heather and I loaded up the girls and headed down to Savannah, GA to visit my Dad, Amy, Rachael and Emily. It was a great trip, but the weather was kind of chilly. However that did not stop our fun!!! We had a packed weekend and such a great time...

Friday, we headed to the park to see the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses. They were in town for all of the weekend festivities in Savannah. St Patty's Day was the following Tuesday and Savannah is the 2nd largest St Patty's Day celebration in the U.S. They had a couple of parades and the Clydesdale were walking in them. They are such big and pretty horses!
After our time with the horses, we headed across the way to the playground. We played here until Dad came to meet us then we all went out to lunch.

Heather and Reagan all bundled up!
Reagan on the swings
These things were too fun... And Rylee and Emily loved them!!! They spin around really fast :)
Rylee enjoying the swings
Ella Jean loves to swing! She giggles the whole time...
Ella and Rachael went down the slides many many times...Rachael is such a help with the girls!
Later that evening Heather and I got a date night! We left the girls with Rachael and Emily and Dad and Amy took us to downtown Savannah. Of course our first stop was Paula Deen's!
Then we headed over to the City Market. This is a strip between buildings that hosts lots of little shops and cafes! Very Cool...
They had live music and we just walked around and we even made a little stop in the Fudge Shop!!
Savannah has some really great history and this is one of my favorite spots, so here are Heather and I posing for a picture :)
The plants were in full bloom and there were Azaleas every where! So gorgeous.
Here is Dad and Amy with more of the pretty flowers!
Saturday morning we headed back down to River Street to enjoy some St Patty's Day activities. There were blow ups, and face painting, balloon animals, Irish Dancing; Even though it was pretty chilly we all had a great time!

Dad and Reagan
Balloon Animals; Ella loved these ladies until it was her turn. She got scared and every time the one in the Yellow would step close to her she cried!
Here is Rylee getting a rainbow n her cheek!
Miss Thing striking a pose!
Dad decided to get some luck of his own!
After the festival we headed down to Tybee Island to watch the St Patty's Day parade. We made a quick trip out to the beach and then it was right back to the car! The temps were about 10 degrees colder and the wind was strong. We never made it to the parade, but that's ok! Naps were highly appreciated ;)

Rylee on the beach!
Rachael, Emily and Ella down by the waters edge.
Cold wind doesn't stop this girl! She had an absolute blast...
She kept chasing the seagulls behind her. I am so proud that Ell enjoys the beach! She wouldn't have left if it weren't for me!
Heather and Ella on the bridge.
It was such a quick trip, but it was well worth it! We got some great quality time with our Dad and Rachael and Emily are turning into teenagers too fast. Even though Savannah is a great place to visit, I still miss them all very much!

Update...

2009-03-10T15:46:00.002-05:00

As you may have read in the previous post...

Ella is too brave for her own good! Yesterday evening we were playing on the front porch. She was following me from one side to the other. As I continued to the other side I turn to find her taking a step off the front porch steps!!! In slow motion, I see Ella roll heals over head onto the side walk, with her face scraping the concrete first. Terrified to see what was next I raced over and quickly picked her up. Of course she was screaming but she was fine! Thank you Lord for protecting my Bean! Looks like a little rug burn on the nose and forehead and a scratch on the arm. Oh I felt just awful... But it was bound to happen!

Do you think she has learned her lesson? I doubt it! ;)

Chickens!

2009-03-09T09:42:00.006-05:00

I had some photos on my phone that I wanted to share. They are just sweet memories and events in our lives.

Sunday, Ella and I spent the day with Daddy. It was a fantastic day! We all needed the good, wholesome time together. Jeramy is the hardest working man I know. He does this to provide for Me and the Ella Bean! We have recently taken on chickens... We don't own the farm, unfortunately, but we own the thousands of chickens in the houses. Ella had a ball running up and down the drive way. Daddy also brought out a baby chick for Ella to watch and she was amazed!

It is officially Spring at the Arnold Residence...The calendar may not say it but we definitely feel it! Ella loves being out side. She plays in the rocks and throws a ball to the dogs and even likes to balance on her toys!

This girl has NO fear...

Yesterday, while outside she discovered the steps. She went up and tried to walk down like an adult, "Lord Help Me!" If Jeramy and I weren't there to catch her she would have just fallen... So I tried and tried to show her how to crawl back down on her belly, even after all of that, she still just walked off!

There is no doubt that Ella is an outside girl :)

The First of Many...

2009-02-23T14:26:00.030-06:00

What can I say... It has been a wonderful time in the Arnold household! Here is a quick recap of the past year:

On February 19, 2008 I awoke to a beautiful surprise. Our sweet Ella was coming and there was nothing I could do to stop her. She was 3 weeks early, but in my mind I knew this was right. I knew that she was one of us. Jeramy and I always celebrate early! It is just the way we like to do things. So once my water broke, just after midnight, our journey into parenthood was right in front of our eyes. On that day at 12:34 pm she blessed us with her presence. If only I could go back and see her again for the first time, to see the look on Jeramy's proud face, to REALLY appreciate the love and the family that was there with us!

Fast forward to February 19, 2009, our baby girl is celebrating her 1st Birthday. On Friday we came together with all of our friends and family who were there with us that special day...one year ago. It was so bitter sweet for me. Everything was kind of a blur, but Ella celebrated the only way she knew how and that was by putting a smile on every bodies face, the way she does every single day.
This is the old Fredonia School House where we had Ella's First Birthday Celebration! Jeramy's Father actually attended this school for 1st and 2nd grades!

Cake and Present table. My SIL Pam made the 'Sweet Ella' banner for my baby shower. I love that banner and had always planned to use it for Ella's 1st Birthday.
After many trial runs I finally made a cake that I can be proud of! To be honest I am very proud and I am so happy with how great the cakes turned out.
Mom ordered these delicious cookies. It was a great idea! Thanks Mom :)

These were Ella's party favors! I loved this idea from Everyday Celebrating. My girlfriend, Katy, showed me this link for the fondant polka dots, which I also got off of the above link. I knew I wanted fondant polka dots but I had no clue as to where I could buy them. The favors are cones made out of card stock in which I use stamps to create the polka dots on the card stock ( Thanks Melissa!). I filled the cones with pink and white chocolate popcorn. I got this idea from our friend Jody, she made MTSU Blue popcorn for homecoming! So I used some food coloring for the pink. It turned out so well and was a huge success!
Here I am with the party girl!
Carson and all of the other kiddos movin' it on the stage!
This is my good friend Jill's Mother with Cade and Tinsley (I'm sure you've heard me talk about them before). Terri came to help out Jill with the kids, since Kent had Baseball practice. I love these two with all of my heart and I'm so glad they were there with us to celebrate Ella's special day. A funny story: Earlier that day I'm at the party site trying to set up and move tables. I was just about to lose my cool... There were tables everywhere and Ella Jean had already fallen off the stage TWICE! She knows "feet first!" but failed to do it and had a good little bruise on the corner of her eye. Well Like I said I was just about to lose my cool when I got a phone call from Jill. She had driven out to find the place before it was dark and she was standing on the porch. I quickly asked if she could help me! She was my Angel... God knew I needed help and placed her there at the perfect moment. This is why she is a blessing in my life! She is and always will be there for me. I can't thank you enough!

Here are 3 of my beautiful sisters! They were such a great help with everything...
Heather, Mary Helen, and Melissa

This is Jeramy's Dad, Ron and SM Terri looking at a baby album of when Ella was just born! I thought it would be neat to have the album at the party.

Ella chowing down on some pizza!
10 of the most beautiful Little people I know!
Cole!

Campbell!Maggie!

Opening presents! Ella has so much enthusiasm for things in life...I pray she will continue that throughout the years to come.

Katelyn, Maggie and Rylee having a good ole' time!
More presents!

How can a one year old know how fabulous shoes are? But she did... She threw her arms in the air waving the shoes like she was so excited!
Fridge DJ...oh yeah!
~A yummy marsh mellow sucker~
Nana! Aunt Missa and Uncle Keith and Carson and Aunt Mary Helen!
These beautiful little shoes were my first walking shoes! As a surprise to me and a gift to Ella, my Mother hand painted them. What a beautiful gift and boy did I almost lose it! Thanks Mom, I Love them and I know one day Ella will too...
Now it's time for the cake! After a beautiful "Happy Birthday!" Ella dove right into her cake. I think this girl was made for cake :) She devoured it and enjoyed every bite. I wish we had a video now because she could so do a commercial for a First Birthday...that's how perfect it was!

Right before I took it away...

And the party begins...

2009-02-10T10:14:00.004-06:00

Ella's 1st Birthday is fast approaching! And the presents have started coming... What a lucky little Bean she is!!!

Part of my Mom's gift to Ella was a beautiful little dress and top that I picked out for her to wear the night of her party. So last night we stopped by to see Gramma and let Ella open her first present. It is so cute and I just can't wait, but no pictures yet...we don't want to ruin the cuteness ;) Thanks Gramma!!! We love you...

Last night when we got home, Ella had another gift from Uncle Greg and Aunt Kimmie! I pulled it out of the box, all wrapped in tissue paper and laid it on the floor for Ella to open. She dug right in and pulled out the cutest little stuffed elephant! It is soo sweet and it is the perfect size for Ella, she carries it all around the house. Here is a little video of her opening it:

Thank you Uncle Greg and Aunt Kimmie! You are so sweet and thoughtful, We love you and we miss you!!!

2009-01-31T21:15:00.007-06:00

I came into the kitchen this afternoon and found Ella trying to look out the window. It is at these moments that you realize how big they really are getting! The camera just happened to sitting on the table and I snapped a quick shot...

Ella picked out her shirt today! She grabbed it out of a bag of summer clothes and held it up to Jeramy and I this morning. So that's what we wore :) In this picture, you can barely see the ONE little tooth that Ella has gotten. That ONE tooth is just taking it's sweet time pushing on up!

It was such a nice afternoon, that I decided to get some outside time in. Aunt Melissa and Campbell gave Ella this little bike and she LOVES it!!! Look at her in perfect bike form, she must get that from Auntie Holly. She had such a great time, she laughed and sang and just enjoyed the sun!

This is our pup, Danner. He is a very large dog. Danner has an under ground fence, because we live on a pretty busy road. Lately the fence has been Mal-functioning! STRESS because he has been roaming free...not good! This last time he lost his colar, so Jeramy went to Wal-Mart and bought a new colar, doctored it up and attached is voltage box to it, Jeramy can do anything! Danner fence is fixed, for now and his new colar secure. Here he and Ella are playing in the kitchen. He has such a soft touch around her...Even though it scares me to death, I have to trust him and Jeramy too!

This is a video of Ella playing on Danner. It was really sweet!

***At the end Danner is trying to lick Ella, nothing harmful, I promise!

I did it!

2009-01-29T14:48:00.006-06:00

I successfully baked a cake!!!

Now it was not from scratch, because I obviously can't do that, but it was a delicious strawberry cake and cupcakes. I believe I have fully redeemed myself now ;)

I was in Kroger yesterday and the cake mix was on sale for $0.94. I said to myself "Maybe I should try it again with the box cake?" Pondering and walking the isles, I decided to give it a go. I also bought Butter Cream frosting and red food coloring. We got home, I was feeding Ella, baking a cake, I finally felt 'DOMESTIC!'

I have to toot my own horn, because they were FANTASTIC! I feel a little more compelled to make Ella's first birthday cake. This party planning stuff is stressful. Making sure every bodies schedule works or what to serve, when and where to have it... Jeramy has already informed me that next year will be Mommy, Daddy and Ella! hehehe....We'll see!

On the Move...

2009-01-26T12:39:00.010-06:00

Our little Sweetheart!

Ella is on the move! Over the weekend she has really just taken off. Here is a video of last week and even since then she has improved:

(I promise her room isn't this messy, those are clean clothes that she had just thrown all over the place! hehehe)

This weekend we celebrated Jeramy's 32nd Birthday(it was Sunday). Friday we relaxed and ate dinner, here is Ella enjoying her pasta!

I love that little face :)

Saturday evening we went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate. Here is the Birthday Boy and his favorite little person!

And I had to snap a picture of her in this sweet outfit, she looks so grown up!!

And most of you know, but I'm going to share it on the blog world too, I have been running and right after Christmas, I was out on a long run and something happened to my foot. I hobbled 3 miles back to my car and could barely walk for about a week. The pain slowly got better, I was thinking it was a tendon, but 3 1/2 weeks later I was still not able to run or even walk normally for that matter. So I decided to make a Doctors Appointment. Come to find out my 3rd metatarsal bone in my left foot is broken....See X-Ray below!

Now I have to wear a lovely boot for 4 weeks! Just my luck...

Baking, Ducks and My Old Friend Margi!

2009-01-20T08:28:00.007-06:00

As you know it's Birthday time in the Arnold household! Jeramy celebrates his 32nd Birthday next Sunday and Ella will celebrate her 1st Birthday in February. Me, being the busy mom/wife, is having a hard time deciding if I am going to buy cakes or be thrifty and make them! After searching allrecipes.com, I found a four star cake recipe and the cool thing was, I had all of the ingredients! So off to the kitchen I went... After whipping up the most beautiful batter I have ever seen, I'm talking silky smooth, I decide to make cupcakes. I place the papers in the pan and begin filling them. Evidently, cupcakes are not my for-tae! I guess I filled the muffin pans too high and after about 10 minutes of baking, the cupcakes were over flowing! And the spill over created little fires all over my oven!!! After I got the fire out and the burnt pieces scrapped up, I discovered my cupcakes were empty and looked like mini volcanos!

I guess I didn't get that Posch Baking gene.

I am going to try it again this weekend for my wonderful Hubby. I think he will be getting a cake! not cupcakes....

Jeramy, Keith and Lance (Keith's friend) all traveled to Missouri for some duck hunting. This was Jeramy's first duck hunt and he ws super excited! The temperatures were so cold they were not able to hunt very much, but onthe last day they were able to kill some birds.

Here is Keith and Jeramy and the ducks they killed!

Jeramy took off work yesterday to spend the day with Ella and I, since I was off for MLK Day. We had a very realxing morning and then headed to Tullahoma to do some Birthday shopping. After our shopping Jeramy took me out to Mexican and boy was it tasty. I even enjoyed a delicious Margi, that is Holly's name for Margarita!!! I could have had three, but I wouldn't have been able to walk out of there... We stuffed our face and enjoyed every bit of our night out!
Thanks sweetie :)

While Dad is Away, the Girls Will Play!

2009-01-18T09:33:00.006-06:00

Ella and I have had a Girls Wild Weekend!

Friday night, my niece Katelyn, joined us for the evening. Ella was already in bed but she woke up to a fun surprise! They played all morning long.... While Ella was napping, we got ready and we all met Holly for lunch at O'Charleys! Holly is a brave friend, joining us wild people for
lunch ;) It was a fun day and we were exhausted!!

Today Ella Jean and I made Cinnamon Applesauce pancakes for breakfast. She loved them just a much as I do!!! (That's my girl)
Ella will be celebrating her 1st Birthday next month! So I have been party planning in my head. Trying to make it a simple but special event for our special girl!
Dylan and Aunt MH gave us this fun bouncing Zebra and Ella loves it!!! She gets in it and I bounce her up and down and then she tries to do it by herself. Good Times :)

Poor Baby

2009-01-09T17:07:00.004-06:00

Yesterday morning Ella woke up with a fever. No big deal, she is getting the cold/chest stuff we've all had... I gave her some meds and off we went to Aunt Mary Helen's. As I sat at work, I could not stop thinking about EJ and hoping she wouldn't make Dylan sick! I convince myself "I must go get her!" Not long after that I got a call from MH and she was telling me of Ella's fever and I decided to leave then, my baby needs me!

We spend the rest of the day playing and snuggling. Suddenly she became very fussy! I knew she was tired but this was more of a pain of some sort. I change her diaper and take her temp..102 degrees! Oh my, so what do I do.... Call Aunt Heather! She gives me the assurance I need as well as the advice I was looking for. This is Ella's first "sickness." She has had colds but never with a fever this high! I give her a luke warm bath and snuggle her in her PJs. A while later, after she wakes up, she is burnin up! Of course Daddy is super concerned and hops on the internet to help me find how to break a fever. (I think our intuition was right) We had already removed her clothes, given her the bath and we had started Motrin/Tylenol every four hours to keep the fever down. She did good through the night, only waking up a couple of times and I also gave her some more meds around 2am.

Today has not been good! Ella has become extremely snotty and drooly. She has also had some pretty stinky BMs. After a long day, I realized there was somethin in her mouth? A tooth? NO! Really? Yep, a little white spot, where sometime soon a toothwill push on through!!! Now I have thought those teeth were coming for a long time! So with this fever and snot, I refused to say it was her teeth.

The interesting thing is that it is not the tooth that is suppose to erupt first? It is on the bottom but it is next to the middle two. So this leads me to believe that we aregoing to have an interesting couple of weeks with all of these teeth coming in and catching her up! Say some prayers for our little Bean!

The Things that Matter Most...

2009-01-05T13:58:00.003-06:00

Look at how big she is getting!

Saturday night, Jeramy was playing with Ella and she turned to him and walked right over to him, 2 or 3 steps! He yelled to me to come watch and she walked back and forth from us a couple of times. We sat with tears and amazement. We are just so proud of our beautiful, growing little girl!

Last night Ella was playing in the kitchen after dinner and we were able to catch a step or two on video. She loves her new CARS toy and as you can tell she is all over the place with that thing!

Watch Here:

My Vacation!

2009-01-02T10:44:00.003-06:00

As your read in the previous post, I have been off of work for a week. It was so nice! I also got some time to myself, thanks to Super Dad being his usual wonderful self.

I shared a special Birthday shopping trip with Mom and Heather, Mom's Birthday is December 27th and Heather's is December 29th so we celebrated by shopping! (my Step Mom Amy also has a Birthday on the 29th!)

After shopping we walked over to Opryland Hotel to check out the Christmas lights. It was gorgeous!

I also got a chance to meet up with "City Cousin!" My cousin Amanda and I have started a new tradition. Every Christmas break we meet for dinner at Macaroni Grill, this was the second annual "City Cousin, Country Cousin" outing. We had some wine and some great conversation! City Cousin lives in New York, Brooklyn to be exact. She works down town and lives a fabulous city life, at least that is how I see it! We have grown up together and I am so thankful that we are still able to keep in touch.

One day I will make it to the city so she can show me around....

Ella's First Christmas!

2009-01-02T09:47:00.033-06:00

Wow! It has been a busy two weeks, but we had a great Christmas! Ella had so much fun and got so much attention. She quickly learned about opening presents and she got so many wonderful gifts. We ate, we laughed, we really enjoyed every minute. I have lots of pictures to share and will try to keep the chatting to a minimal ;)

December 23, Christmas Eve Eve! We had Christmas with Jeramy's Dad and his family. We all went over to Todd and Tera's for dinner and presents. We had a great time! The kids are all so much fun and became adapted to each other pretty well. We don't see them as often as we should but we still had lots to talk about.
Here are the girls and the babes:
Jen and Owen, Me and Ella, Tera and Ashlyn
I have no clue what was so funny, I think Ella trying to attack Owen! She is quite the little flirt :)

Jen and Owen, Tera and Ashlyn

Papa Ron and Ella

Nana T and Ella walking through the house!

Opening her first presents!

Ashlyn loving all of her Princess things!

Owen and Ella playing with Ashlyn's bouncy ball

Christmas Eve we stayed the night with Jeramy's Mom. We had such a special Christmas with her and Poppie! She has lots of pictures that I need to get from her, I couldn't find my camera. Nana made us all a huge dinner and then we opened presents! Ella receieved some great toys, books, suckers and a special CARS riding toy, in which she absolutely loves!!! Hopefully I will get some of those pictures to share.

Christmas Day, after a some delicious breakfast burritos from Nana, we headed to my family. Talk about fun... Everybody was there minus Tim, Mary Helen, Maggie and Dylan, they were in Knoxville having a big Christmas with Mary Helen's family! But we sure did miss you... We had our usual family spread, food not waistbands well maybe waistbands too ;) The kiddos were all so excited to open presents but they were all so good waiting patiently.

Grama and Pop

Jeramy, Campbell, Ella and Keely

Katelyn and Me... Trying to steal a picture of us! Katelyn is the oldest of the kids, she is such a beautiful young woman now! She is so kind and patient and helpful...

Campbell and Cole waiting to open their presents!

"The Girls!" minus Mary Helen and Maggie

Uncle Craig and Rylee Roo!

Big Man Carson, this present was a HUGE rocket type gun...needless to say, He loved it!

And here is sweet Ella! Opening her gifts at Grama's House.

I love this picture, she is so amazed by the Jack in the Box!

Her cool vaccuum from Keely!

Tearing into some paper...

I hate pictures with Ella sucking on her paci, but we quickly discovered it was a plug and a good one at that! Every piece of paper went right into her mouth... Paci worked wonders that day :)

Checking out the other kids and their presents!

Super Dad!

Ella and Keely

Reagan and her totally awesome dress up clothes! She was a happy camper clopping around in her high heel shoes :)

After we left my family, we headed back over to Jeramy's Grandfathers house, Pa Ellis. This was a special trip, Ella got to meet her Great Grandfather for the first time! We are bad parents for just know getting over to see him but that's ok, it made for a very special Christmas for Jeramy and Pa Ellis!

Here are Jeramy, his mom, his Pa and Ella Jean. What a special picture!

And here's one with me...

After a long day of celebrating with family, we headed home! Ella was so tired....

I have been fortunate enough to have the week after Christmas off! Ella and I played and slept and played some more... I offically accomplished NOTHING! Here it is January 2nd and my Christmas tree and decorations are still up. Oh well, we had a wonderful time off!

Ella playing with her new toys!

T'was the Night Before Christmas....

2008-12-23T07:59:00.005-06:00

Well almost. I can't believe it is almost Christmas. I am having a hard time excepting that and I feel so unprepared. I love Christmas and meaning behind it, but I just feel lost this year. I can't explain it. You would think this year would be more special then the past years, with Ella, but she doesn't know the experience, the feelings, the excitement. I guess it is up to Jeramy and I to help her with this experience. I'm getting there. Maybe by Christmas Eve I will have the spirit...

Last night, as we put Ella to bed, we kept hearing a thump, thump, thump...
I peak through the door to see her thumping her head on the back of the crib. It was more comical than anything else, but you have to think "What in the world is she doing that for?" I tried to grab my camera to do a video, but she soon settled in to sleep, until I disturbed her when I was standing over her, covering her up with her blanket. I gave her another kiss and laid her back down, only to hear more thump, thump, thump... Silly Girl!

Ella is 10 months now. She is full of attitude and determination! She is a stair climbing master, not by Mommies and Aunt Missa's choice though. She enjoys high fives and making smooching noises! She is learning so quickly. I know she doesn't understand the meaning of Christmas this year, but next year should be super fun...we'll have to start a Christmas fund for next year :) hehehe...

To all of our friends and family, we love you and wish you all the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year!

What do you do when you are called out by your Hubby?

2008-12-16T08:01:00.009-06:00

You Blog! Last night, Jeramy called me out on my family blog. He told me that since I've been running/training I have just abandoned the family...blog, that is :) Well I'll show him...

In all seriousness, we have been very busy. My running blog, I can hop in and update real fast. This one I need interesting stories and pictures. hehehe... So this time of year is just crazy! Christmas Parties, work, friends, family, I could go on all day. To be perfectly honest, I am being quite the Scrooge. Jeramy and I are doing really well on our budget, but in return we are cutting back on a lot of things, like gifts for example. It took everything I had just to decorate my house!

That is sooo not like me, but I have just been busy and with our sweet little girl, spare time is few and far between.

First weekend in December, Read Christmas Kick-off! It was a great way to kick-off the Holiday Season.

Second weekend in December, Tyson Dinner at Miller's Grocery....YUM YUM! Followed by the Riddle Christmas Party

Every year we play Dirty Santa and the gift has a theme, this year the theme was to bring a "T" gift. A gift that begins with a "T". Good times had by all! It was also Holly's and Allison's Birthday so of course Katy, the Hostess with the Mostest, prepared a Birthday Cake and we all sang "Happy Birthday!"

This was a pretty early night for Jeramy and I, but I heard the Dianna's showed up and the party carried on to the wee hours of the morning...maybe just a little jealous ;) Oh I have to tell you about our Dirty Santa gifts...

I got a James Taylor CD with a pack of Trident and Jeramy got a Toupee! Yep he stole it, such a goof :)

This weekend we FINALLY get to see the Pippengers! I am so excited!!! We have been trying to get together for a while, but Ella has had a couple of colds and we don't want Tinsley to catch anything. Also, Saturday I am going to Hermitage to Crystal's Christmas Party. This is going to be such a fun night! $5 Dirty Santa, wine and some of my best girls!

Merry Christmas to all.... We hope your Holiday is filled with many blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T13:39:00.007-06:00

Ella and I went to Heather's house to make our Apple Pies. We started this tradition MANY years ago. Sometimes we get special helpers and sometimes we don't. This year our helpers were Rylee and Reagan! It is always so much fun and I'm sure it will be a tradition passed down to the girls!

This is me trying to make Sweet Potato Casserole! It was a mess. I just don't do a great job at cooking anything. Especially in large quantity. I think this will be the last time I volunteer to make this... It was all over my kitchen!

Happy 9 Months Ella Jean!!!

2008-11-19T08:17:00.007-06:00

9 months ago today our sweet Ella Jean came into this world. She has totally exceeded our every expectation and she is such a blessing in our lives!

Newborn

9 months

(Photography by Crystal Potts)

Some traits that she has developed:

She does not sit still! But in a good way :)
She really only snuggles when she is sleepy.
She naps best with her momma ;) hehehe
She loves her daddy so much and just the sound of his voice excites her!
She LOVES to eat!
She is very impatient when it comes time to eat.
She REALLY enjoys suckers, thanks Auntie Angel ;)
She loves other kids, especially her cousins and Mr. Henry!
She is a gift from God and she shines everyday!!!

We can't believe she is 9 months old. For some reason, that seems like a huge milestone! Before we know it we will be celebrating her 1st Birthday!!!

Can she get any cuter!!!

2008-11-17T14:52:00.003-06:00

Yes, I'm totally biased. That Ella just amazes me every day. This is a video clip of her walking with her toy. She is also quite fascinated with my wheeled rack in the kitchen, she pushes it all over the room...

Last night I was cleaning up after dinner, Ella was playing in "Her Drawer!" She had bottles and cups spread across the kitchen. I left to take some things to the bedroom and came back to find...

Ella had crawled into "Her Drawer!" I immediately grab the camera. By far one of the funniest things she has done.

MTSU Homecoming 2008

2008-11-17T14:31:00.011-06:00

Bet On Blue!!!!

November 8, 2008 Ella and I loaded up bright and early to go down to Murfreesboro for the Homecoming festivities.
First stop -- The Parade!
We met Katy and Jody and enjoyed a beautiful morning sipping Mimosas and eating Sausage bites, yummy!

After the parade we headed over to our tailgating location. MTSU football is great and there were so many tailgaters!

Holly Jane joined us later that day...

We never made it to the game, it was just too cold for Ella, but the Raiders defeated Louisiana-Monroe! Woot Woot...

Running on a Prayer

2008-11-11T08:14:00.002-06:00

I am completely out of my mind, but this week I am starting to train for a half marathon. With God's help, because only he can help me stick this thing out, I will be running a half marathon on March 1, 2009. The thought of it all scares the be-geeb-bers out of me! I don't want to bore all of you with boring training talk, so I created another blog for training purposes.

Running on a Prayer

I will also keep up with this blog to clue you in on all of the fun things in our lives! I would love for you to check out both blogs, if you have the time. I need lots of prayers and lots of encouragement. This is going to be a hard journey, but maybe in the end I will be able to say "What was all of the fuss about Bethy?"

Ironman Lana!

2008-11-04T14:06:00.002-06:00

I just want to take a moment and praise our friend Lana. This past weekend, Lana completed an Ironman Triathlon. For those of you who are not sure what this is:

it is...
2.4 miles swim
112 miles bike
26.2 miles run
Ford Ironman Florida

All back to back, all in one day! And she completed the Tri in 11:58. We are so proud of her. She has put long, hard hours into training and now she is an Iron woMan! She will be posting her race report as soon as she is recovered and if you want some inspiration, be sure to check it out!

Lana's Blog

Way to go Lana!!!

Tennessee White Trash

2008-11-04T13:42:00.003-06:00

I use this title loosely... I love my state, my town, my home, but when you go to Wal-Mart and come out to find that your windshield has been shot, it makes you think twice about the people around you.

True story. Some jerk went around shooting windshields at Wal-Mart Saturday morning and mine was one of the lucky ones chosen! Talk about ruining your day. Then on top of that I have to pay $100 to get it fixed, my deductible. Life is not fair...

I got a phone call yesterday from a Manchester City Policeman and he needed me to take pictures of my windshield for evidence. They have the suspect and are almost certain he is the guy. So I ask him "Will I be able to get my $100 out of this guy?" Chances are no! He is a 30 year old male, with out a J.O.B. and it wouldn't be likely that I would get anything any time soon. Here I am busting my butt to support my family, my husband works multiple side jobs and we barely have enough to keep our heads above water. But then there is this guy, who is putting me out $100 and all that will happen to him is a felony behind his name...you know where I'm going with this... It's not fair and frankly it just hurts my feelings!

But that's Life! Right? God help us all...

Here are some pictures:

Fun Halloween Stuff

2008-11-04T13:09:00.012-06:00

Halloween is Halloween...

Here are some pictures of most of our kiddos this year. We started the holiday at WOC the Sunday before Halloween at the Hoedown. Then on Halloween day I met Heather, Melissa and the kids on the square for trick or treating, lots of cute kids, lots of fun! That evening we went to Moms, it was like Thanksgiving, we had mounds of food, I guess that is a great thing about a big family! Enjoy the pictures :)

This sweet dress was made by Karen Crawford, my mothers friend!
Isn't it gorgeous!

Nana made this adorable pumpkin for EJ

Reagan and Campbell

Campbell, Ella and Carson

Rylee

Maggie

Dylan!

Jeramy and I went to our first Halloween party, together, on Saturday evening. Our costume was silly and a little risky, but it was all done in good fun.

GGW Mtsu Co-eds and Joe Francis

Christmas Cards and Photography

2008-10-24T08:01:00.002-05:00

My girlfriend Lindsay has lots of new things happening in her life, she is starting up her own photography business and she is also designing cards, i.e.) Christmas Cards, Invitations, Birth Announcements...

Please send her a message if you are interested in any of her services. She is an extremely creative person and I wish her the best in this new venture!

Check it out here:
http://lindsayreneephoto.blogspot.com/

There is a light...

2008-10-23T10:32:00.004-05:00

at the end of my tunnel. It all began with a bad day at work and let's just say since then I have been struggling. I have been struggling with that fact that I spend 5 days a week behind a desk, away from our daughter and yet I still have no money? I enjoy the first two weeks after pay day and then it's no life till the next payday... I will tell on myself here, I'm not the best with managing my money! So with the bad day at work and the fact that I have no money left to spend freely on I have had pondering thoughts as to why I am even working? Ok, I know there are many great reasons why I work and probably the most important reason is because my income is needed to pay the bills. I am going somewhere with all of this...

So after a long, boring day at work I come up with a plan, a goal, a life changing matter! I immediately get home to talk to Jeramy about my goal:

"I want to be able to stay home in a years time, therefore I think we need to rearrange how things are being done and do a mock run on our finances over the next twelve months!"

This one sentenced turned into a night long discussion, lots of quiet moments, almost tears and a lot of stress...And that is all of Jeramy's emotions! ;) hehehe

The final result of the conversation is this: My new car, that I got in August, has to be paid off before I even think about being a SAHM! So I am going to continue to pay our normal bills and I will also pay $1,000 a month towards my car... Jeramy is going to continue his normal expenses and pick up grocery money and gas money. This whole thing will be putting a strain on him and I am very grateful to him for being so open to the situation! As a result of this 99% of our leisure activities will be no more. This is a sacrifice we are going to have to make eventually, so why not start now and get ahead as much as we can. Now doing this in a year will be hard so our goal is to pay off my car, then ultimately we will have to save money for our next child, once that is done the light at the end of the tunnel is that much closer!!!

We are so fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family and I know each and every one of you will be so supportive to us and will understand why this is so important to us. Starting this in November is going to be a huge challenge because of the Holidays. Jeramy and I are not going to be able to give as much as we would like and as much as we are used to giving! (This will be very emotional for me, as well as stressing) The Holidays are about spending time with your family and friends and we are going to have to take that to a whole new level, but I know you will all understand why...

I am open to any wonderful ideas you may have as to how I can make extra $$ and please feel free to give us any support you can offer up! With all of our strength and with the power of prayer I know we can accomplish this. Please keep us in your prayers too :)