Honest to blog

Milestone

2011-01-25T20:14:00.003-05:00

That is a picture of my beautiful daughter Elli. She is 2 years and 9 months old and has been potty trained for almost 2 weeks. I know this might seem a little trifle or pointless, but she potty trained herself. I couldn't believe how easy it was with her. I had heard stories of kids just deciding to use the potty and never wear diapers or pull ups again. I never expected my child to be one of them. What you might not know is that Elli has an older brother who is 5 years old named Carson. Now, Carson did not care one bit about learning to use the potty. Alan and I actually forced him at the age of 3&1/2 to learn to use the potty. He just didn't really care about using the potty. It was a battle from the beginning and we still have lapses to this day. So when Elli said she was done with diapers and pull ups I wasn't sure if I should believe her or not. Thank goodness she showed me that she was serious. She has done beautifully in adjusting to this new aspect in her life. I was ecstatic that is was so easy with her, but it is kind of sad. This means we have reached a new milestone as parents. We no longer have any children in diapers. It is exciting to not have to worry about buying diapers and the carry all bag is a lot lighter, but it does make me a little sad. She is a beautiful little girl and I am so blessed to have her my life. I love her so much and can't wait to see what she learns to accomplish next. =)

Finish Line

2011-01-18T10:39:00.003-05:00

Today is the last day of my classes for the next 2 weeks. I am really excited to come to the end of these classes. I am really excited about turning in my projects and not having the weigh on me anymore. I know I will feel a weight lift off my shoulders when I hit the submit assignment button. I might just do a little dance when I do it =) I am also excited about my next two classes. They will be more with my major. Next term I am taking Anatomy and Physiology I and Nutrition Planning and Management. I enjoyed my classes this term but I am ready to concentrate on something new and learn something new. Well, I need to get back to work. See ya next time!

Later days~
Dori

Snow =)

2011-01-11T19:06:00.010-05:00

We have had some crazy weather lately in the south. First, we had a white Christmas. This was the first white Christmas in 47 years. Then just a few weeks later we had another big snow storm. I live in the south not the north. The town I live in is not used to this kind of weather and is not prepared to fully handle this kind of weather. As I am writing this the kids have been out of school for 2 days. This means my 2 year old can not go to mother's morning out. So, my 5 year old and 2 year old just aggravate each other all day long. When we had our Christmas snow the kids were getting over colds so they couldn't go out and play. This time around they were able to have fun and play. Here are some more pics to enjoy!!!

New Year

2010-12-30T21:59:00.002-05:00

With the new year fastly approaching. I can't help but be excited =) This past year has been a hard one for us. Even though we have faced many trials many great changes have happened, and many great things will happen in the New Year. The approach of a new year always make me excited. The excitement of something new and the unknown. It almost seems like when the clock strikes twelve and we usher in a new year that we get a new start. A clean slate to start over and make all the changes that we have always longed to make. When a new year begins we can choose to take the baggage from the previous year with us or we can learn from our mistakes and make the best of the coming year. I am choosing to learn from my mistakes and take this coming year and make the best of it. I am going to make some resolutions but they won't be outlandish ones. I pledge to grow closer to my Lord and Savior, support my husband as he graduates college, continue to be healthy, and continue to further my education. I know the next year will have it's trials and hardships, but I am here to say "Bring It!" I know there is nothing I can't face with my Savior on my side and the support of my husband and family. Happy New Year and God Bless you and yours in 2011!!!

~Dori

Break!!!!

2010-12-20T16:33:00.002-05:00

Christmas is coming and in the world of education it is time for winter break. I am just a few days away from my two week break and I am so excited. This term has been a little bit harder than the others have. So I am very ready for this break. I am also ready to spend time with my family and celebrate Christmas and Jesus' birth and not worry about homework.

This Christmas season has been a little different than others in the past. This is the first season that both of our kids have understood (mostly) what is happening this time of year. Elli has gotten old enough to learn about what Christmas is really about and get excited about the traditions we share. In a couple of days hubby will be home to help me do a humongous post with pics from most of the stuff that has been happening here. =) Until then......

~Later Days
Dori

Frustration -_-

2010-12-10T23:33:00.002-05:00

I am feeling some frustration. This is midterm week for me at school and I am a bit frazzled. In my Nutritional Analysis class I have to not only do what we have due normally every week, but I also have an extra midterm project. Yay!! (please insert sarcasm here). I am also starting to get into the prewriting process for my research paper for my Comp II class. I am not sure I am headed in the right direction with it. That kind of scares me. We have a rough draft due in two weeks and I don't feel ready to do any of that. It is not my instructors fault I just feel ill prepared. I have no idea why I just do. Part of the problem is I keep going back and forth about my thesis. I am too scared to commit to one. All this apprehension bites. Oh well, gotta go and get back at it. Before I go just wanted to say I hope to post some pics of us getting our tree and stuff. =)

Later days~

Dori

What would I do?

2010-12-05T22:00:00.003-05:00

This week in my comp II class we talked about plagiarism. The question was asked, "What would I do if I was plagiarized?" I think if this happened to me I would at first be very shocked. This is such a serious offense. I have seen what it does to authors who write fan fiction. They are very angry when they learn of the situation but above that they are really hurt. When you plagiarize someone you are stealing their ideas from them and calling them your own. I have seen authors pull stories never to be finished or revisited because they feel so hurt and betrayed.

I am sure that is how I would feel. I would like to think that I would act all diplomatically and talk to the person rationally, but I can't promise that will happen. I won't really know what I would do until it happens. I know I would take action and get the situation remedied. I would like to think I would do that in the best way possible and not bring embarrassment to myself or anyone else. All I can do is hope and pray that is what I would do. I guess we will see until then.

Later days~
Dori =)

GF Thanksgiving =)

2010-11-28T17:53:00.002-05:00

Hey y'all~

This is the first year that I have to face the holidays gluten free. I thought it was hard enough being sugar free, but gluten free can be a challenge too. So, I decided to have a Thanksgiving dinner with my hubby, kids, and my parents, that was all gluten free. Do you want to know how it was? Yeah!?

Drum roll....

It turned out GREAT!!! We had turkey (it is naturally diet friendly), stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin pie. I forgot to mention that it had to be milk free as well. UGGGHHHH. Ok, back to it =) The only things that were tricky of course was the stuffing and the pie. I made an easy stuffing this time that used tortilla chips (it's good I promise) but for Christmas I am going to use a recipe that will use cornbread. The pie I ended up making a gluten free pie crust and then the pie filling was sweetened with agave nectar instead of sugar. It was sooooo good! If you want any recipes just ask and I will share the link for them. I am really excited about Christmas and all the food I can make over.

The one thing I did, that really took courage for me, was take leftovers for myself when we had the big family dinner the next day. I don't like to draw attention to myself so I usually just eat what I can and suffer for it that night and the next day. I didn't do that this year and did not have one single bought of sickness. I was so excited. Even my hubby notice the difference between the two meals and how he felt. All in all we had a wonderful holiday =) I am very thankful for my family and friends and most of all my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Later Days~
D

Housekeeping

2010-11-23T21:40:00.002-05:00

Ok, it is time for me to finally update on my blog. First I need to say welcome to my CompII classmates. Hey guys!!! I will be updating on my blog a lot more often and on a more regular basis. The reason being is that I have to blog now for my CompII class. This is the kick in the but I needed.

Now for those of you who are just joining me, this is not my first time to blog. My name is Dori and I live in North Carolina. I am married to Alan and we just celebrated our 10 year anniversary. We have two beautiful children. Carson is 5 years old and in kindergarten and is homeschooled. My daughter is Elliana (Elli) and she is 2 &1/2. I am 32 years old and so is my hubby =) That is all I can think about me for now. You will learn more later, promise.

Now for everyone else. Stuff has moved on here. We are all a year older and wiser. We started our homeshcool year in September and are enjoying it very much. I am starting to learn how to cook and bake gluten free and sugar free. That can be tricky but is fun too. I will post stuff about what I make sometimes. If you couldn't tell I am back in school to earn my BS in Nutrition Science. It is very interesting and a lot of fun. So, we have lots going on but God is guiding us through it. =)

Later days!!

Out?!

2009-07-17T21:29:00.002-04:00

Ok, here goes. I have decided to come out of the "closet" and tell the world that I am *gasp* addicted to the Twilight Saga and all that is associated with it. There, I said it and it is out there and I can't take it back. I became addicted to all that is Twilight back in May and it has been a whirl wind romance since. I have been uneasy about telling people because I am not a teenager, who the books were written for. I don't care anymore!! My deares hubby (who I tell is the Edward to my Bella) does not care about my obsession/addiction. He thinks it is rather cute and indulges me whenever he can. I love him. The cool thing about all this it that through this I have started making friends across the country and the world through a sisterhood called OME. I love beign apart of this group. The main goal of the group to make friends and do some charity work along the way. I love my OME sisters. I also love me some Rob;) Also, Kristen is an amazing actress. I enjoy reading fanfic associated with twilight. I get twitters all day from sites that are all about TWS. I am in deep but I don't care. I am a Twerd and I love it. So, don't be afraid to talk to me just know where the conversation might go because I am really good at turning it to TWS. I will go to the midnight showing of New Moon on November 20th and I will enjoy it! So, please don't shun me because I am all about TWS. I am still the same person you know and love I just have a different lifestyle than you do.

~Later Days/Twilight

Thoughts....

2009-07-07T14:01:00.002-04:00

Lately in the news there have been reports of numerous deaths. Wether famous or not. I know that this is a part of the cycle of life. It still saddens me though to think of the families left behind, and if the person was not a Christian, the lost opportunity. I have noticed that when people die, others have the tendency to say I will be praying for him and the family he has left behind. I know that this is said because no one knows what else to say. But it just bothers me a little. So what I am going to say applies to me and if you want to apply to someone else please feel free. I am a Christian, so please don't pray for me when I am dead and gone. What's done is done. Pray for me now, and pray for those you love now. Tell them that you are praying for them just as regularly as you tell them you love them. Why should this be a secret? I covet your prayers and any prayers for me. I am challenging myself to not be ashamed or afraid to let people know I am praying for them now before it is too late.

~Later days!

Ta-Da!!!!

2009-07-05T21:01:00.004-04:00

This is my new blog layout. Isn't it pretty! My talented friend Rebecca made it for me. All I did was approve the theme. It goes back to my Southern California days, channels my inner surfer girl:)

On to other things. I have picked a 5k to run. I will run (that's right, I said Run) in the Fallston 5k & Fun Run. This will be taking place on October25, 2009. My friend Rebecca is going to join me in the fun, and also my hubby is thinking about running with me! I am so excited about this, and nervous too. Thursday (July 2nd) I ran 3 miles in 30 minutes. This is a feet that I never dreamed of accomplishing. I even cut 2 minutes off of my mile time. So all around it was a good day for me. The bad thing is I have been dealing with some knee muscle pain. Think it is from not stretching enough. So, my wonderful hubby found me some stretches that seem to be doing the trick. I love him so much!

So know it's out there. I can't take it back. I am going to run a 5k. I hope to finish it faster than 30 minutes. We will see. I will keep you all posted about the progress and stuff.

~Later days!

Ooopps! I found out this is an old date, but I will run the same race. It will probably be on the 24th.

My little vandale:)

2009-04-25T11:36:00.001-04:00

Friday, as we were getting ready for a walk, Dr. DarkSpot decided to leave his mark on our black car with a rock from our gravel driveway. We only saw him rub the rock on the driver side of the car. It wasn’t until later that night that it was brought to my attention by a friend that he also got the passenger side and some of the back. Bond and I were mad for a little while during the walk but that broke when the Dr. started singing Bible verse songs. I couldn’t stay mad at him while he was praising the Lord through the neighborhoods. Bond and the Dr. are washing the car today in hopes that the scratches can be polished out. I will let you know how it goes and maybe post some before and after pics. I never thought either of my children would turn to vandalism.

On a lighter note, I officially started running today. This is a big thing for me because I have been known to say that I only run when running for my life. Although, come to think of it, I guess I am now. Running will hopefully help me get rid of body fat that needs to go and make me a physically healthier person. Also, I know of many people who run to clear their heads and kind of use it like therapy. That could be really good for me too. I have found a beginners running plan that will help me build up to 30 minutes of running in 8 weeks which could get me ready for a 5k. Wow! Me talking about running or even running a 5k sounds crazy, but I am going to do it. I even have a bff wanting to give it a try. Bond has been great support and is excited because now we can run together. I don’t consider myself a runner yet because I feel that runners are just so out of my crasp right now, but probably someday I will call myself a runner. Until then……..

Almost forgot to mention that my little gril turned 1 year old on the 9th. So much has happened in the year since she came to join our family. I am so blessed that God gave her to us and I am so excited to see where the Lord takes her. My beautiful Elliana, I love you so much and I am so glad to have you as a doughter. You are so much fun and you have such a wonderful personality. No words can express how beautiful you are. Your daddy and I love you so very much (Carson does too). Happy Birthday sweet girl!!

~Baker Galore

Bedtime song!

2009-04-14T19:11:00.003-04:00

That is Dr. darkSpot singing "Cherry pie" by Warrant. We were unable to catch his theatrical ending on video, but believe me it was priceless. The Dr. learned this song because Bond played guitar hero, although in defense we have not played that game in a long while so he has pulled this song out of his memory bank. Quite impressive! Hearing him sing made me laugh until I cried and brightened up my day. I love him so much!

~Baker Galore

Elli's Dedication

2009-04-03T21:43:00.004-04:00

The Grind

2009-03-28T10:35:00.002-04:00

To go along with my new diet, I have started baking bread. My bestie Rebecca has been helping me with this because I had never baked regular bread in all of my life. The cool thing is not only are we baking bread we also grind our own wheat. Which totaly amazes me that I am doing this.

I started 1 week ago with a bread off in Rebecca's kitchen. She made bread the old fashioned way and I made it in the bread machine. We both used a recipe that was very similar to each other. After the bread was done I realized I like bread the old fashioned way better. So this past week I baked 2 more loaves this way for my first time and loved it.

The bread that we make is so healthy for us. There is no preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, additives, or anything else that is bad for us. We use honey as a sweetener, but only 2 tbs. This bread is so good and so good for us. The cool thing is Wednesday for supper James Bond (a.k.a. Alan) and I had grilled cheese sandwiches with fresh out of the oven homemade bread. It was the best sandwich we had ever had. I told Bond that I was officially spoiled and he said I did it to myself.

The amazing thing that really gets me excited is, that since God has lead us down this path, my children may not ever know or realize that bread comes in a bag and not straight out of the oven. Also, I can pass this on to them and they can do this for their families. How exciting and amazing! The generational sin of eating poorly and not taking care of our bodies, ends with Bond and I. This just gives me goose bumps and really shows me how God is working in our lives through this difficult time. If it wasn't for our situation I don't think we would be making a change like we are. Thank you God for Your mysterious ways and for not showing me what was coming because I would have chickened out. The Lord is so good and His love endures forever!

Natural or Organic?

2009-03-24T18:45:00.003-04:00

That is the question or at least I thought it was. I thought I would go to the grocery store and just pick wichever product in natural or organic. I was so wrong.

I have learned just because those words are on the label does not mean that I can eat it. I wrongly assumed that those two words meant that it was ok to eat this it is good for you. WRONG! They still have sugar and white flour. Granted not as much white flour or the sugar is organic, but that doesn't really help me. Sometimes I will buy these products but it is not the easy cure all I was hoping it would be. Don't even get me started on things that claim to be whole wheat. It is all in the ingredients which I have to still read. So it takes me 2 hours to go grocery shopping and I have to go to more than one store, but the benefits and impact this could have on my family far out ways all of that.

On a side note. Dr. DarkSpot (a.k.a 3.5 year old son) started Prekindergarten Monday. We have chosen to home school (at least this grade) and we couldn't be happier and more at peace with our decision. Especially since this is where the Lord wants us to be. I have been doing some Preschool work with him, but this is our first reputable curriculum that we have done. We have chosen to do K4 Foundations from BJU. So far we really like it and the Dr. seems to be learning a lot. He blows me away everyday with what he can do and I am just so blessed and honored that God has lead us down this path so I can see all of this. I never planned to be doing this with my family, but only God knows the plans He has for me.

New Beginning

2009-03-14T16:19:00.003-04:00

Happy birthday to me, I am a year old blogger! I never dreamed or thought I would start a blog or keep it this long. Yay!!!!

Now, onto other things. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am having to change my life a lot. One way things are changing is in my diet. For health reasons, and by the suggestion of a good friend, I am cutting out 90% sugar, white flour, corn syrup, and red dye all on a tight budget. I am slowly changing things over to this new way of life, and am learning a lot of things along the way. So, I will start using my blog to talk about this and get out frustrations and such as I need to. I am also homeschooling my 3.5 year old son and 11 month old daughter (as much as you can an infant), so I will be talking more about that too, hopefully. My desire is for God to use this blog to His glory, give friends and family updates, and maybe help someone along the way.

~Dori

Things

2009-01-27T23:19:00.003-05:00

I have been tagged several times so here is my 25 random things.

1. My feet are always cold. The only time they are not cold is when I am pregnant.

2. My husband Loves my cold feet and really misses them when I am pregnant.

3. When I feel sick I drink Mt. Dew. Of course if you know me you would think I feel sick all the time since I drink that a lot.

4. I make my own laundry detergent and fabric softner (dryer sheets).
5. I am an only child.
6. I like my fruit cold except bananas.
7. After 8 years of marriage my husband finaly admitted he did not like frozen green beans, which is how I would only buy most of my vegetables.
8. I really don't like barbecue.
9. I have very little confidence when it comes to this blogging thing.
10. The thought of disappointing people scares me to death and makes me almost cry.
11. I love the middles of brownies and cakes.
12. The more chocolate the better.
13. My go to junk food is doritos and bean dip or funions(s/p?).
14. I have had both purple and pink hair within the past year.
15. I love changing my hair.
16. I am really shy which can make people think other things about me.
17. The Office is a great show.
18. I think it is ridiculous that I am 30 and still battle break outs.
19. When I am stressed I really crave a Dr. Pepper or Mt. Dew. They are kind of like my version of cigarettes.
20. I spent most of my childhood living in Burbank, California, not always as glamorous as it sounds.
21. I hate trying to decide what to eat. I wish it could be planned out for me.
22. I live with ADD. Hey look Chicken Little is on!
23. I have a digital alter ego named Cherry and she lives in Dewville.
24. I know with every fiber of my being that I am supposed to be a stay at home mom and I love it, not all the time but usually.
25. Milk hates me.

Blessing

2008-12-26T22:35:00.002-05:00

God always amazes me. I know I shouldn't be surprised when He shows me things, but I always feel truly humbled when he does because I have always thought that He was very busy. When will I get it through my heart that He is never too busy for me? Today we were blessed by God more than I could have ever imagined possible. When Alan came back in with the mail we discovered that we had been sent a card with no return address. Inside the card was a good sum of money and an amazing sentiment. I started to cry. Alan and I both felt very undeserving of this wonderful gift. That doesn't matter though because if we had to feel deserving for God to bless us He never would be able to bless us. So, if you are the person or people who sent this amazing gift or you know them please tell them thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and know that God used you to really bless us in a time when we needed it whether we want to admit it or not.

Dedicated to Alan

2008-10-22T21:37:00.003-04:00

October 21, 2008 marked 8 years of marriage for me and my hubby. We have been together as a couple a total of 11 years. Wow! I never thought that in 8 years we would have 2 kids, own our own home, and be sending Alan back to school. Alot has happened to us and for us in the past 8 years and I have never felt more blessed than I do now. These years have all been wonderful. Now I won't lie, we have had some terrible days, but the year as a whole always good.

Alan, I love you so much, and I always pray that God will keep our marriage strong and centered on Him. I love the husband that you are and the father that you have become. If I ever take the time to sit and be still and think about all the ways I have been blessed just by knowing you it takes my breath away. I watch romantic movies and I don't have to wish that I had someone in my life that would sweep me away because I already have it. You are truely my best friend and the love of my life. I am happy and proud to say that I am your wife and I can't wait to see what the Lord has waiting for us in the years to come. I love you. Happy Anniversary Babe!

P.S. don't forget to read to me:)

Funny story!

2008-10-15T09:40:00.002-04:00

I just had to share a quick story. The other day Carson and I were reading our daily Bible story. This particular day was the story of Jesus over turning the tables and running out the sellers. Well this story had a picture of Jesus turning over the tables. I could hardly get through the story because Carson was fascinated with the picture. This is what he said.

Carson: "There's Jesus! Jesus making mess. Jesus making mess!"

He said it several times. He was so emphatic about Jesus making a mess that I had to read the story really quick and close the book so we could move on to something else. I just thought it was so funny that he knew the picture was of Jesus before I even started reading the story, because all of the pictures in the book do not include Jesus. Hope this made you laugh like I did!

6 Months

2008-10-11T20:06:00.002-04:00

My little girl is 6 months old as of this past Thursday. I can't believe it has been six months since she has come to be with us. It seems like we just brought her home and we were concerned about the troubles I was having nursing and she was losing weight. Now she has chubby little thighs and loves to eat her vegies and fruit. In our family when a baby turns 6 months we do a little half birthday celebration with cupcakes. As you can see in the next picture she really got excited when she saw her cupcake.
Now they don't eat the cupcake but they get to taste the frosting a little and she loved it. She looked a little sad when the frosting went away. The first picture is one we took later that night as a fulfilment of a promise to have a picture of her in her bumgenious diaper. She is quite adorable. I believe she is the most beautiful girl in the world. Elli, you are wonderful and an awesome addition to our family. I am so excited to be your mom and I can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring. We love you and pray that you will find true beauty in the Lord. Love you baby!

Beckham and Catwoman

2008-09-23T20:36:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday my 3 year old started soccer. For those who don't know. They don't play games at this age they just work on skills. Well, to start the practice off we have a coach who has only taught 3 and 4 year olds one other time before (that we know of). She acted like she had never taught them before and asked them questions that they had no idea what the answer would be or what she was talking about. Then he got tired not even halfway through and instead of daddy running the drills with him (he has played soccer). C wanted mommy to run the drills with him (i have never played soccer). So there I was in t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops running up and down a soccer field. This was supposed to be a father son activity but boy was I wrong. Then the week before that I learned that my 5 month old daughter could hold her own. A friend at playgroup was holding her, when her 2 year old son came over to see what his mom was doing. Now at 5 months she does not have great control over her arms. So as he was looking at her she flailed her arm and poked him in the eye. Well, as the playgroup progressed his got worse and worse until his mom took him to the doctor that night. The next day I got a txt message that was a picture of him with an eye patch and tape on his face and eye. E the cat woman scratched the boys cornea. Can you believe it? I couldn't. I was completely shocked and I felt horrible that this happened, but the little boys mom said the only reason he was wearing the patch was because he could not leave it alone and it healed over night. Phew! That was the first time one of my children have sent another child to the doctor and will hopefully be the last, but I am not going to hold my breath. So watch out boys, E can handle herself just fine. She is cute but apparently dangerous if you don't watch out. Hope you enjoyed a slice of our interesting lives.

Cloth diapers?!

2008-09-08T13:53:00.010-04:00

There are quite a few things I said I would never do. One of them is use cloth diapers. Now we all know we should not say "I never will ...", but I did it anyway and I am now eating my words. We have been currently cloth diapering Elli for about 2 months now and I love it. We don't use the traditional cloth diapers with the pins and diaper covers. We are quite modern and use a fully adjustable pocket diaper called bumgenious. They are so cute and come in adorable colors. They have a microfiber insert and Velcro closers. If you want to see what they look like you can go to http://www.kellyscloset.com/. That is where my diapers came from.

The reason we are cloth diapering is not because we are trying to be all "green" even though it does help. We are not doing it because she is allergic to disposable diapers. Although it looked like she was headed in that direction. We are doing it for the purely selfish reason of saving money. I know that is not selfish, but those other two reasons can sound a whole lot better.

Now I get asked a lot of questions about these diapers so here I go to answer them. The start up cost can be a lot, but a wonderful bestest friend of mine (you know who you are) who believes in cloth diapering (just as much as I do now) bought the diapers for Elli. We have 12 diapers which cost about $220 or a little less. If you shop around you can get free shipping. 12 diapers allows me to do diaper laundry every other day. I wash the diapers with borax and strip them of build up with oxiclean once a week. What about the poop? We use rice paper liners to catch the poop. It really just helps keep it off the diaper as much. The liner is flushable and 100% biodegradable. No, you do not have to dunk the diaper in the toilet to get the poop off. If you do the diaper will become extremely heavy because the microfiber insert will soak up a bunch of water. If there is excess poop. Just wipe it off or take out the insert and rinse off the diaper. No, the diapers do not stain or smell. I can't even tell which diapers she pooped on because the poop stain is gone. Which still amazes me every time. She has only leaked one time because she went to bed, woke up, and had a bottle feeding without a diaper change. Any disposable diaper would have leaked too. These diaper hold an amazing amount. We only change her every 3 &1/2 to 4 hours unless she is poopy.

So, to wrap up I love these diapers and wish I had used them with my first, but I will say that cloth diapering is not for everyone. It was just right for me because we save money at the grocery store, and doing one more load of laundry is no big deal (it is just 12 little diapers). So, that is my cloth diaper experience so far. Many people have said I needed to write about this and I finally have. I am open to answer any more questions that come. I really do love the decision we made to switch and we are not going back. Sometime I will post a cutie diaper picture. Cloth diapering and loving it!

Happy First Day of School!!

2008-09-01T20:08:00.002-04:00

Today was our first day of home preschool. I am so excited! We are using a great free curriculum written by a homeschool mom. The curriculum can be found at www.letteroftheweek.com and is worth checking out if you have prescool aged children at home or teach them. She also has stuff for pre-k and kindergarten. It is great stuff. Right now we are doing the prepatory curriculum to get C ready for sound of the week and story of the week. It did not take us long to do our school work and he had lots of fun doing it. We have a theme, shape/color, number, vocab. word, letter, and nursery rhyme for the week. All of that is added one at a time and we do all kinds of activities that go along with the lesson. In these pics C is coloring a cow which is our theme for the week. He also got tired of his pic being taken which prompted the "no more pictures" shot. He is so cute! This is just something fun for us to do during the day and it keeps him a little busy and he feels so proud when he accomplishes something. We don't have a strict schedule we just do stuff when we can. Feel free to ask me any questions. So far I love the material and am really excited about it. I will keep you posted on how it goes during the year.

Grosgrain: Apple Orchard Overalls GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-26T19:37:00.000-04:00

Grosgrain: Apple Orchard Overalls GIVEAWAY!!!!

This little outfit is so cute! Actually all of her stuff is cute. She is so talented and also a fellow MOPS mom. So go check out her stuff and enter to win some free stuff. It is definitely worth the stop.

Happy Birthday Carson!!

2008-08-18T14:48:00.003-04:00

My handsome baby boy is now 3 years old. I can't believe it. This picture was taken at his birthday party Saturday. We had a small celebration on his birthday the 14th. Then we had a Diego "dirtday" party with his friends. He had so much fun. Everytime someone said happy birthday to him he would say it back to them. By the time his party rolled around he was very well versed in the birthday song and blowing out candles since he had two parties before the one with his friends. He got lots of fun toys and two very cute shirts. We have started a family tradition of having a doughnut cake on your actual birthday. Hubby and I might start another tradition of our own of having a celebration after the birthday child goes to sleep to celebrate that we made it another year.

Carson, we love you so much and are so happy that God chose us to be your parents. You are becoming such an amazing child and big brother. We can't wait to see how God will shape and mold you for His glory. We love you and are very excited about the boy we are seeing take shape in front of our eyes. You really are a blessing to us and Elli. Our prayer for you is that you let the Lord lead and guid you in all that you do. Love Him with all your heart just like we love you. We are very excited to see what the next year has in store for you.
Love You,
Mommy and Daddy

Catching up!

2008-07-28T15:43:00.002-04:00

A lot has happened at our house since my last post. My beautiful baby girl got her ears pierced. Yes I know she is only 3 months old, and I am glad I had it done. She didn't cry that much at all. She cried a whole lot worse when she got her shots last month. I love how they look on her. It also gave me a little piece of mind knowing that I would be the one feeling the anxiety of the event and not her. Our ac broke again, but the Lord gave me a miracle and it was fixed for free and sooner and faster than the repairman thought it would be. Thank You Father for hearing my cry and giving me the miracle I needed. Carson went to VBS for the first time at Putnam Baptist and loved it. He looked like such a big boy walking away going to join his class. I felt a little sad and happy. Sad he was growing up so fast and happy that he was going to have this experience. We also had a member added to our family. He was a calico gold fish named fishy. Sadly though we have already had to say goodbye to said family member. He will be missed. The crazy thing, looking back this all happened within a time period of a week and a few days. All I can say is thank goodness that long week is over. Next comes the daunting task of planning a birthday party for my soon to be 3 year old son. Please pray for me!

30

2008-07-15T14:10:00.002-04:00

I turned the big 3-0 on Saturday. Unlike my birthdays when I was little, the day just seemed ordinary. The day before I had gotten an awesome new hairdo, and my husband and kids threw me a little party because Carson was going with grandparents for the night. So that was exciting. Then the actual day came and it was just like any other Saturday. The laundry still needed to done and the dishes still needed to be washed. Alan and Carson did go build a car at our local hardware store. So I had a nice peaceful morning with my daughter. It just seemed like all the magic and excitement of birthdays had gone. I was excited though for that evening because an awesome friend of mine J'aime got a girls night together and we went out to eat in Gastonia and had KK doughnuts for dessert. We had so much fun laughing and talking that I really did not want our time together to end. It just still did not seem right, and after much talk with Alan and many people asking how it feels to be 30. I finally realized what was the problem. It felt wrong to be 30. Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with that age or any age above or below that I just thought I would never be 30. It always seemed so far away and then it came like every other birthday. I am sure I will probably get used to saying that I am 30, but it still feels wrong in some way. I am not afraid of my age or anything like that, but I have been twenty something for 10 years now. I just need a little adjustment time. So far it is fine being 30. I think I just expected some epiphany or some great huge astronomical thing to happen and it didn't. Why I had this idea that something would happen I don't know, but I did. The thing is I know just a little bit more than I did before my birthday. Only because you learn a little something everyday, but the universe of knowledge was not opened up to me. I do have to say though that I am where I hoped to be at 30. I wanted to be happily married with children and I am. So really 30 is fabulous because I have family and friends who love me and a Heavenly Father to guide me and love me through the next 30 years. Here is to the next 30, may they be filled with love, laughter, and many blessings.
Cheers!

Beach Part 4: The Final Instalment

2008-07-02T20:20:00.002-04:00

We packed our bags, said our goodbyes, and headed back to South Beach Marina for a little more fun. Which we did have. We saw beautiful mcaws, ate a good lunch at the Wreck at the Salty Dog, and even got some super man ice cream to top off our vacation. So now we had to start our long trip home. I hoped I wouldn't have to spend most of it in the backseat, but I did. We didn't run into too much traffic which was nice. We made it home a respectable time, but as soon as we pulled into the driveway our vacation abruptly ended. When we get the care parked in the carport we see that 2 huge limbs from our pecan tree in the backyard had fallen during a bad storm. Not bad. Then we open the door to our house and are hit with stifling air. Alan goes to look at the thermostat and it says that it is 80 degrees in our house and it was set for 72. Our air conditioner had frozen up and we needed to get the kids to bed and unpack. While unpacking we realize that we left our travel fan at the beach house. So Alan had to go to Wal-Mart to buy another travel fan because we use that for noise to sleep and also that night we will be using it to keep cool. Alan said bad things happen in threes and I believe those were our 3. We had a nice vacation but reality sure did come and hit us real hard real fast. Our air did get fixed eventually and it just needed freon and didn't cost that much to repair. Thank God! Well, that's the story of our beach break. It was fun and we will probably try to go back on our own sometime. Thanks all, and have a good rest of the day!

Beach Part 3:

2008-06-30T13:56:00.002-04:00

Here is the highly anticipated 3rd part of the Hilton Head saga. This day was Monday the 16th. The day started of relaxed and slow as usual. We had decided to take Carson (and Elli) to the Sandbox which is an interactive children's museum. First though we had to get a new camera. Our old one was really a pain to operate and it fell in the sand at the beach and stayed broken for a few minutes.

So off to Wal-Mart we go. In our Wal-mart experience we decided that Wal-Marts are all about the same no matter where you go. There are a few helpful people but in general the associates look at like you have just ruined there day by asking them to help you. Thankfuly the person helping us was nice, but not the other people around her. The poor woman had to help a man, before she got to us, who thought that maybe she had a degree in digital cameras and was asking her questions that almost no one could answer (except her, she rocked). We did eventualy get our camera and were able to head out for fun.

The word museum really doesn't fit the description of this place. It was more like a huge playroom with different stations. There was a place to play in the sand, a building room where you could play with pvc pipe and other things, a dress up corner, a pirate ship, climbing wall, store/kitchen, cockpit, bank/post office, toddler-infant room, art area, and a whole area upstairs geared toward older children. It was a lot of fun. I thought that Carson would never leave the building area, where he made me and alan wear hard hats, but eventually he did. When we got to the store/kitchen he made me wear a chefs hat with him. My hat was pink and his was blue. Carson did almost everything. He did not want to play dress-up (big surprise) or climb the wall, but he did enjoy everything else. We stayed there for 2 hours. The cool thing is that it did not seem like we were there for that long.

Later that evening we went on a date because hubby's boss and wife kept the kids for us. So, we decided to go to another Hilton Head hot spot called Harbour town and eat at the Crazy Crab. Crazy was the appropriate name for this place. Not only were the portions crazy big but it was also crazy busy. Alan kept calling it the crusty crab (sponge bob ref.) just to be funny. Also, because I tend to say things wrong once I here them wrong like saying Crusty Crab instead of Crazy Crab. In other words Alan did it on purpose to hear me trip up all night and laugh. After dinner we walked around and looked in the shops and eventually made our way back to South Beach Marina to look at those shops as well. All in all it was a fun day and a nice and relaxing evening. Although in the back of my mind I keep dreading the trip home. More of that for later!

Beach Part 2:

2008-06-23T21:29:00.003-04:00

Before I start about the beach here is something ironic. I get home from my MOPS night out and both of my kids are asleep and my husband has to study for his final exam. Oh well.

Day 2 was Sunday and it was a whole lot better. It was also Father's Day and I realized that ever since my husband became a father we have gone out of town on Father's Day or the weekend after for Father's Day. We have gone nowhere for Mother's Day. I digress. We went to the beach for a few hours which was very interesting to try to get to. I did not realize how much you have to pack for 2 kids for the beach. You need toys, diapers, drinks, bottles, sunscreen, towels, and 2 kids. Then you have to lug all of this down to the beach which is not bad until your 36lb. 2 year old wants to be carried by mommy who is already carrying 2 bags herself. When we finally get to the beach my darling son starts whining about how he does not want to play in the sand he wants to go back to the house, which is code for he wants to swim in the pool. He finally got happy when hubby showed him what all he could do with his sand toys. So they spent their whole time like this, hubby would build son would destroy like he was King Kong and give the most evil laugh after he stomped the creation to bits. My darling daughter spent her time sleeping and eating. We only spent a couple hours at the beach which was enough for them. When we got back to the house they took naps and we just rested. So much work for so little time spent at the beach itself. Son would not even go to the ocean. I think the vastness of the ocean scares him. I can fully understand that.

That evening it started to rain. Everyone at the house was going out to eat that night together, which consisted of 6 adults and 2 kids. Hubby's boss wanted to take us to South Beach where the infamous Salty Dog Cafe was to eat that night. See not only was it Father's Day but it was boss' birthday. So we could eat wherever he wanted, a good note too was that he was paying for it on his birthday which was very generous and sweet. So we get to the Salty Dog in the rain and it is going to be an hour and 20 minute wait. Boss said we could shop and they would buzz us when our table was ready. Shopping in the rain is not possible with 2 kids, it is hard enough when it is not raining. So thank goodness for portable DVD players. We just played a movie while we waited. Actually, hubby let me go shop for souvenir shirts while they watched the movie. I made the mistake of calling him one time and all I could hear in the background was crying. When I got back to the car hubby said they freaked out when I left. When we did finally get seated my darling son just wanted to go look at the fish tanks and lobster tank. Which was really funny because he called the lobsters crabs, but he was so excited to see them that we did not have the heart to correct him. He would also go around to people in our party and tell them that he saw crabs and would proceed to show them where they were as if he was giving tours to the crab tanks. So very cute. The food was good at the Salty Dog and as I said before hubby's generous boss payed for our dinner. After dinner it was still raining so we went back to the house and had ice cream and put the kids to bed.

So ends our second day at the beach. It was allot less stressful, and full of new experiences.

A crane that was in our yard at the beach house, or as Carson called it a big duck.

Some of the creations before they were destroyed.

This is how Elli spent her time at the beach.

Fun

2008-06-20T20:01:00.002-04:00

Tag....

Where were you ten years ago?

Dating hubby, living in Shelby

Five items on your to do list today:

1.Elli 2 month well check
2.Nail appointment
3.Laundry
4.Dishes
5.Pick up around house

Snacks I enjoy:

KC Masterpiece chips, brownies, mt. dew, dr. pepper, cold fruit

What would you do if you were a billionare?

Buy a house in Hilton Head, share money with church, friends, and family, pay off debt, and buy a new car exactly the way I want it, buy brother-in-law plane to fly us to Hilton Head.

Places I would live:

the beach (used to be any beach but now I have fallen in love with Hilton Head), and here just in a different house

Bloggers I am passing the challenge on to:

anyone who reads this

Have Fun!

Beach Part 1:

2008-06-20T17:08:00.002-04:00

My next few posts are going to be about our recent trip to Hilton Head Island, SC. So, here it goes.

We left on Saturday, the 14th at about 10a.m. Thankfully we were able to get everything we needed packed into the back of our Dodge Stratus. My hubby atributes his success to all of his years of playing tetris. The trip was to take about 5 hours. Well little did we know that traveling with 2 kids makes the trip go longer. This was our first long trip with 2 kids and a 2 month old, so I think we did good getting there in about 7 & 1/2 hours. Part of that was spent at a Chik-fil-A in a town I can't remember. We happened to be there when all the other beach goers were headed home. There was so much traffic that it took us at least 10 minutes to get in the parking lot. Let alone the fact that the place could barley handle the amount of people there. The cool thing is a gentleman struck up a conversation with my hubby because he was holding our beautiful daughter while getting us drinks and we ended up with a free chicken salad sandwich. How awesome is that! We stayed there for a whole hour, but it was worth it because my son got some energy out and my daughter got her poopy diaper changed in a nice restroom. Most of the trip I spent in the back seat with the kids in between the 2 car seats, because my darling daughter was high maintenance or just being a 2 month old on a long care trip. I don't know. If you don't know a Stratus is not very roomy with 2 car seats in the back. It is a midsized 4 door car, but sporty. I am 5'8" with the hips of a woman who gave birth 2 months ago. Not such a comfy ride. Hubby and I started talking minivans really quick and somewhat seriously. We made to Hilton Head safe and sound though, and we all loved the big room that hubby's boss graciously let us have because both kids were going to sleep in the same room with us. Our room had a fire place, jacuzzi tub, and a king size bed. Can we say Fun! I wish we would have taken pics of the room but we didn't. Well, that is it for day 1. Stay tuned for the next instalment of The Beach Chronicles.

OUCH!!

2008-06-09T13:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday our pastor preached on Daniel 3:1-8, 13-18. This is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. During the sermon Pastor Spargo touched on the fact that these 3 guys were going to stay devoted to God wether or not He saved them from the furnace. I thought wow, I want to be devoted like that. In the sermon outline there was one last point which read, the idol I bow down to is called:(blank). I thought this is where we would take time and search our hearts to find what we bow our knee to. No, Pastor Spargo did it for us and hit the nail right on the head.

The idol I bow down to is called: ME. OUCH!! At first I thought how dare he say that. Then the Lord opened my eyes to how true it is. When things are going great and there is no trouble in my life I am completely devoted to the Lord. When things start to go wrong or not my way I bow my knee to the golden idol of myself and become to devoted to me. I become so self-centered and whiney. I start to throw pitty parties and wonder where is God in all of this. Why is He doing this to Me. When instead I should be seeking Him out for strength and become even more devoted to Him. I do seek out the Lord, but is to yell at Him and throw a fit. Now there is a time for that, and I feel it is ok to yell and scream and ask why, but I don't stop there. I wollow in selfishness.

As a matter of fact it happened this weekend. I let one little situation darken what could have been an awesomly fun weekend. I let circumstances get the better of me and take my focus off of my Heavenly Father. I was whiney and ugly, and I let that spue out onto others. So, the Lord has really been showing me alot in the past 24 hours. Which praise His name that with a repenting heart I can go to Him and confess and He will love me and wipe me clean as snow.

Thank you Father for showing me the idol I kept hidden. My goal is to stay devoted to Him no matter what. Friends and family will let me down and money won't always be there, but He will be. That is so comforting to know because I have felt so alone the past few days. I am glad this is out in the open because know I can focus and bow my knee to the Lord. I know I won't always get it and I will definitely bow to myself again, but it is so comforting to know that my Father is there and He loves me and He alone will get me through it.

The Adventure

2008-06-04T13:24:00.008-04:00

A couple of Saturdays ago we took the kids to get their pictures taken. Elli needed her 1 month done and I thought it would be a good opportunity to get sibling pics as well. We made an appointment for late in the afternoon wich started out promising. Carson took a great nap. Alan actually had to wake him up. He was in a great mood until we tried to get him dressed for the pics. He decided he did not want to wear the blue polo shirt that I picked out for him. Instead he wanted to wear an orange one. This is when I thought that it was going to be a rough afternoon. Things settled down though. We got to the photography studio and there were people everywhere and again I thought this was not going to be good. To my surprise they went ahead and took us back because we had an appointment and the other people did not. Carson was still on the fence with good behavior though.

When we get into the little studio (I really mean little) Carson starts getting into Everything. The photographer did not care though, she was great. We took pics of Elli first in her dress. Then Carson starts turning on the charm and saying "cheese" so cutely that I have hope of their sibling pics turning out ok. He could not wait for his turn in front of the camera. As a matter of fact he got to take pics all by himself because the photographer fell in love with his cuteness and "cheeses". So while sissy was getting ready for her first (and ONLY) naked pics. (You hear that Hef? Only naked pics ever!) The photographer gets some great candid shots of Carson.

Now it is time for the nakie pics. The poor girl would not turn her head the right way. Everytime we tried to postion her the way her head was going she would look the other way. Also, she kept sliding around on the black velvet background. She eventually pooped all over the background wich just added to the fun and drama of the day.

Well, we finally pay for pics and head out to the car when we notice that someone has taken our nice, sweet, fun loving boy and traded him for a two headed, tantrum throwing monster. What just happened? From the studio to the car he completely changed and not even a trip to McD's would calm him down. That is the tale of one of our many trips for pics., but it was worth it. Here are some of my favorites.

Argh!!!!

2008-06-03T14:07:00.003-04:00

I love my darling daughter. I really really do. She is just really testing me right now. She is 7 weeks old and will not take naps in her bed. She will take a short catnap in her bed, but to get her to sleep along time I have to hold her or wear her (put her in a wrap). Most of the time I don't mind holding her or wearing her because I know that this time is fleeting, but the past 2 days have been so tiring with this that I feel like I am about to snap. My hubby says that sometimes we might just need to let her cry. Easy for him to say. He is not here so he doesn't have to hear it. I know he means well and doesn't like to see me tired or frustrated, but her crying just makes the situation worse. We have tried all kinds of things to get her to stay asleep too. Oh well, she is just going to be my spoiled princess. I do love her so very much. Thanks for listening!

Update

2008-05-28T22:18:00.002-04:00

My God is so good and my heart is about to burst with joy and praise for my Lord. My friend Anna is back at home. Her contractions have stopped and she is now on bed rest. She had an ultrasound and her cervix is closed and the little dilation that had happened is gone as well. A God thing that has happened through this is that she is now under the care of a christian doctor. So he is taking care of her and praying for her as well. God is so good and it is so awesome to see a prayer answered so fast. A lot of times I don't always notice when prayers are answered so it is such a privilege to know I saw Him at work. The goal is for her to go to 35 weeks. So please keep her in your prayers. Thank you again for lifting her up. God definitely showed His power.

Prayer Request

2008-05-27T22:05:00.002-04:00

Since this is my blog I can use it for whatever I want. Today I am using it to send out a mass prayer request for my friend Anna. She is 25 weeks pregnant with her first child which is a boy. Sunday she was admitted to the hospital where she lives because a fibroid tumor on her right side is agitating her uterus and causing her to have consistent contractions. The doctors are doing everything they can to stop her contractions but if they can't she will have to deliver. Please pray that her contractions will stop and that the baby and mom will be healthy. I found out this news today and it has weighed heavy on my heart ever since. God has been tugging at me to post this prayer request for her. I don't think that it is an accident that I just started my blog the day before. Thank you all for listening and for your prayers. I will update you when I get more info.

Long awaited

2008-05-26T21:57:00.002-04:00

Ok. So here it is, my first blog in the great world of blogdom. I have been trying to decide what to blog about for quite sometime now, and I am finally biting the bullet and doing it. My problem is that I am a slight perfectionist when it comes to things that people are going to see or know about. I am not the type that wants everything perfect. I am the type who makes a plan in their head about how to do something and if I can't figure out a good enough plan I don't do the thing I need to do until I have a plan that works. Most of the time that leads me to procrastination. So, hopefully this won't be my only blog.

Now, as promised to some of my MOPS friends I am going to post our summer schedule. Please feel free to join us for any of these activities if you are a mother of at least one child who is 5 and under.
June:
12th-Mom's night out- 7p.m. Broad River Coffee Shop, Shelby
16th-Lunch playdate-10:30a.m. McDonald's across from Shelby High
23rd-Mom's night out-7p.m. Broad River Coffee Shop, Shelby
July:
10th-MNO-7p.m. Broad River Coffee Shop, Shelby
21st-Lunch playdate-10:30a.m. McDonald's
28th-MNO-7p.m. Broad River Coffee Shop, Shelby
August:
14th-MNO-7p.m. Broad River, Shelby
18th-Lunch playdate-10:30a.m. McDonald's
25th-MNO-7p.m. Broad River Coffee Shop, Shelby

Hope to talk to you all soon. I don't know about what but that is ok, and I won't let that stop me.