Christmas Traditions

1.  Home Alone is my all time favorite Christmas movie.  It's a tradition to watch it Thanksgiving night, and hopefully a few more times by Christmas. 

2.  I buy each of the kids a new, special ornament every year.  This year Jagger has his first Christmas ornaments and Malone got a ballet ornament.

3.  Speaking of Christmas movies, I must also watch The Santa Clause with Tim Allen and the Charlie Brown Christmas special sometime before Christmas. 

4.  We make cookies Christmas Eve to leave for Santa.

5.  We open presents on Christmas Eve with the kids.  We give them our gifts from us and give gifts to each other from the kids.  Then after the kids go to bed, Justin and I give each other our gifts.  This is a special time that allows us to spend some quiet time alone.

6.  Santa Claus brings 3 big presents for each of the kids.  This represents the 3 gifts brought to baby Jesus from the Wise Men.

7.  Stocking Stuffers are my absolute favorite part of Christmas morning.  Sometimes, it's the little things that are the funnest to get. 

8.  On Christmas Day we eat steak, salad, and baked potatoes for our big meal.  Not exactly traditional, but it has become our own traditional Christmas Day meal.

9.  Christmas Day night we go riding through town and neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights.  We didn't get to do it last year because of the snow and road conditions, but a White Christmas was even better!

10.  I love Christmas music, and play it in my car starting at Thanksgiving!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas is here...well less than a month away.  It is absolutely, without a doubt my FAVORITE time of year.  I love everything about it: the trees, the lights, the music, the church services, and even the shopping.  I just think the atmosphere and air seem magical at Christmas time.  This year we decorated our house the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  Justin got all our boxes down from the attic and set up our trees (we have 2 big ones and 2 small ones: one in each of the kids' room).  When he plugged in our big trees both of them had huge sections of lights not working.  After working on them for a while, we decided the one in the living room was not able to be saved and we needed to buy a new one for our living room.  I was devastated because I loved my tree.  I loved the fact that I had the option of doing just colored lights, just white lights, or both together. After getting our new one and putting it all together I was really pleased, even though I would still love to have some colored lights on it too  :)

I was really letting this hurdle dampen my Christmas spirit.  But, as usual it all worked out.  I needed to stop and remember that Christmas is NOT about the decorating (even though that is super fun and special), but about the birth of our Savior.  Justin and I are teaching Malone and Jagger that Christmas is one big birthday party for Jesus.  All the trees and lights are decorations for the birthday party, the presents are a reminder that it's Jesus' birthday, and Santa Claus comes because he loves Jesus so much that he wants all the boys and girls to help him celebrate. 

I have seen several people post, blog, or talk about not being in the spirit this year.  I know our society turns Christmas into one big, commercial event, however, Christmas is what YOU make it in your own life and home.  I CHOOSE to have the spirit, have fun, and remember what it is all about.

Thankful

This time of year is definately my favorite time.  I love fall colors, cooler weather, and the spirit that fills the air.  In a world where many people have little or nothing, I am blessed to have an abundance of things to be thankful for.  With the Thanksgiving holiday a week away I thought I'd take time to reflect upon my life and what I am thankful for.

1.  I am thankful for my salvation.  I am completely undeserving of that precious gift from the Lord, but am eternally grateful to have it.
2.  I am thankful for my wonderful husband.  He is a great man, father, and friend.  He works hard, which at time frustrates me because work takes up so much of his time, but I am so proud of his work ethic and what it allows for me and our family (see #7).  He spends quality time with our children and is a natural with them.
3.  I am thankful for my precious, precious babies.  Malone and Jagger have completely fulfilled my life.  When I was a little girl being a "mommy" to my babies was my favorite thing to play.  I always knew I wanted to be a mommy, but never knew how much love I would have for my children.
4.  I am thankful for my mom, who is my best friend.  She is the most selfless person I know, putting everyone above herself.  And she LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Malone and Jagger.  She is the perfect Nana!
5.  I am thankful for my family.  In a world where many people have no one, I have so many people who love me, and who I love.
6.  I am thankful for my Granny, who is in Heaven now.  Even though she is no longer here with me, I will forever be grateful to have had her in my life.  She was more precious to me than anyone, and I loved her so much.  I'm so glad I knew her. 
7.  I am thankful to be able to be a stay at home mom part time.  My babies have been growing too fast and I can't imagine missing even more than I already feel like I do.  I am again thankful for Justin for letting me have this awesome opportunity.
8.  I am thankful for my teaching job that has allowed me to work part time this year.  It provides some income into our house, insurance and benefits, and a time where I can go have my career and have adult interaction. 
9.  I am thankful for my beautiful home.  How blessed I am to have it, and I am so thankful to have somewhere to stay warm and dry and call HOME.
10.  I am thankful for my church.  It's a place I like to go to learn and be fed in the Word. 

There are many other things I can think of that I am thankful for!  I hope we can all reflect and find things in our lives that deserve our gratitude!  Happy Thanksgiving!

The Princess and The Frog

This year has been an exciting Halloween.  It is Jagger's first Halloween and Malone's first year of telling me what she wants to dress up as!  I can't believe Malone is already old enough to really know what she wants and decides what to be for Halloween.  This year she wanted to be a princess, which is a pretty obvious choice for Malone.  She thinks she is a princess in real life already, so why not dress up as one?! :)  She even had to pick out her own princess dress and it HAD to be a long dress.  We found several dresses online and Malone chose this beautiful pink dress and it was exactly what she wanted.

 I thought for Jagger's first Halloween I would try to coordinate him with Malone's costume, so I decided to make him a frog: The Princess and The Frog.  Malone keeps saying that she can kiss him and make him a prince.  Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard?!  Jagger's frog costume even had a little crown on top.  He was the absolute cutest frog I have ever seen!!!!! 



Malone made a beautiful princess and Jagger made the sweetest frog ever!  What a priviledge to be a Mommy to these two precious gifts from God. 

Today was also the day Jagger is 7 months old!  Wow!  Where did that time go to?  I'm still in shock that he is that old.  He is becoming so interactive!  He loves to clap his hands and bang on things.  He LOVES to eat.  He is a bottomless pit.  I'm just now starting the 2nd foods with him, which are bigger containers of food, and he eats every last bite of them.  He is a little chunk and is getting so heavy.  I love him so much!  Look at the difference from 1 month old to 7 months old.  Wow!  It doesn't even look like the same baby! 

Mommy Guilt

Lately I have had a lot of Mommy guilt.  I feel as if I never get to spend any quality, 1 on 1 time with Malone.  Don't get me wrong, I spend a lot of time with her, but usually accompanied by Jagger or other people.  Recently, on the days I work and I go pick her up she runs to me and won't let me put her down.  This just seems to be another example of how she is missing her alone Mommy time.  And I miss my alone Malone time! 

Jagger is a baby and requires everything to be done for him (obviously).  This takes up so much of my attention and Malone is noticing this.  She does not seem to get mad or upset (usually), but does become much more clingy than her normal self.  I also get alot of alone Jagger time while Malone is at school or when she stays the night with her Nana or Meme.  I know this is not a new problem faced by mothers, and I know there are other mothers out there who have had to deal with this exact situation, but Malone is my special first baby who I was so used to spending all of my attention on, and now the situation is drastically different.  I think it has gotten more noticeable lately because Jagger has become more playful and interactive with me and Malone sees this too!  She is naturally, and understandably, jealous.

This weekend I am going to have a special Mommy and Malone girl day.  I am so excited about this.  My heart hurts that Malone is missing my time, and I am so excited to give her my undivided attention.  We are going to get our nails done, have lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and according to Malone, get a toy and Starbucks too!  I know this seems like spoiling her, but they are only babies once and I will never get this time back again.  I am going to spoil her and cherish her all I want!!  :)  I hope to have many more girl days with Malone in the future so she always knows how special and precious she is to me!!!

I am a...

Worrier!  I worry about everything.  I'm not sure why I'm like that, but I have always been one to worry about things.  Even as a child, I worried to the point that I made myself sick.  I now try to find the humor in this trait I have, but even finding humor doesn't stop the worrying. 

I worry about my kids, health issues (I find a way to worry about getting sick when I'm not actually sick), what people think, work, and I even worry about worrying. But when I find myself worrying about something (which is almost all the time) I find myself reflecting and praying over these Bible verses:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6: 25-27

Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

It is not always easy to stop worrying, but I know that the Lord loves me and cares about my worries.  I know I can go to him with my worries and that they matter to him!  How comforting that is during times when I am consumed with worry.  I also know that I have to stop worrying so much and trust in the Lord.  He WILL take care of me regardless of if I worry or not, so why worry?!  :) 

It's that time again....

It's the time of year again that I start thinking and preparing for Christmas.  I know many people would think "Wow, that's early", but I'm a planner at heart and it's also my favorite time of year, so in my opinion, it's never too early to prepare. I'm one of those crazy people who put out Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving.  I know, I know...that is so early, but like I said, it's the most wonderful time of year, so why not enjoy it?!!!?

 Justin and I have an annual ritual in October where we start our Christmas shopping for the kids.  Both of our birthday's are in October and we always spend one Saturday (usually the weekend in between our birthdays) shopping and then we go somewhere nice for dinner.  We have done this since Malone was born and we usually get her Christmas finished on that trip.  It is one of my favorite days of the entire year.  I love getting to spend quality time with Justin, while doing something fun and special for Malone (and now Jagger too!).   This year our month of October is crazy-busy so we are going to do our annual birthday date early while I'm on Fall Break the first week of October.  I'm so excited!

 I have already started asking Malone what she wants Santa Claus to bring her for Christmas.  So far she has said a car (oh my...I'll be in real trouble when she is 16), a Hello Kitty bicycle, and Barbies.  She loves her Barbies (which I think is so precious, because that was my favorite toy as a child too) so I think she would also love to have a Barbie Dream House.  I think I'll show her a picture of one and see what she says. 

Jagger is easy at this stage because I get to decide everything he gets.  :)  I have several things in mind for him, but I'm gonna keep my options open so I can have fun browsing and shopping next week. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year..... What fun rituals do you have for fall, and leading up to Christmas???

Fall Favorites: Fair and Football

It's that time of the year again...Fall.  Fall means colorful trees, crisp morning and evening air, county fairs, and football.  Our little family has already been enjoying some of the fun fall activities.  Our county fair is in town for the next week and we spent last night enjoying it's opening night activities.  Last year, Malone hated everything about the fair.  She wouldn't even ride the Merry Go Round.  This year was a completely different story.  We couldn't get her on the rides fast enough.  She rode the little fish, the swings, the cars, the train, and the boats.  She had a blast.  She wanted to win a goldfish but we weren't lucky enough to make that dream come true :)

It is also football time in our household.  We are huge University of Georgia fans.  I graduated from UGA and went to every game when I was living in Athens.  Our family bleeds red and black.  The DAWGS have been struggling the last few years, but we support them anyway.  We hope they get back on track this year and have a better season.  Goooooo Dawgs. Sic 'em.  Woof, woof, woof, woof!!!

5 months

Jagger is 5 months old.  How did that happen so quickly?  I'm aware every day that time is passing quickly and he won't be little for long.  He is absolutely precious and is so loving and happy.  He has the most adorable little laugh and he smiles all the time.  At 5 months old he can already roll over.  Actually, he started rolling over at about 3 months old, but he only did it a few times at night when he was asleep.  He doesn't roll much now, but he has done it a few times where I have actually seen him do it.  He is also eating some baby food now.  We tried green beans and carrotts at first, and Jagger had no interest in eating them.  He spit every bite out that I put in his mouth.  But finally, I found something he likes....sweet potatoes.  He ate the whole thing of them.  I was so excited.  He is getting so big.  He wears 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers.  It's amazing to me how much bigger he is at this age than Malone was.  Before long he will be pulling up and trying to crawl and walk.  I hope he doesn't hit that milestone too soon!

I have no words for how much I love that sweet boy.  I could kiss his sweet cheeks all day long and do nothing but hold him in my lap. His face can make my day brighter and sweeter!  Thank you Lord for my sweet Jagger-man!

It's true what they say...

I always said I would not let this happen, BUT it's true what they say: When  you have a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th, etc.) baby you are not as likely to take as many pictures, videos, etc of that baby.  I have actually been pretty good about the picture part.  We have as many pictures of Jagger at this point than we did of Malone.  However, I do NOT have nearly as much video.  When Malone was born I video taped her about every week or so when she was little and then about every month until her first birthday.  Well, I'm ashamed to say that Jagger is 4 months old and I just now took time to get some video of him.  I am already so mad at myself that I don't have any of him at the younger, newborn stage, but I can't change that now.  I just need to go from this point on and get some sweet video of him to watch in later years.  Malone's video from her baby stage already makes me cry because I can't believe she is growing up so fast.

Like I said, I've been pretty good about pictures.  We had his 3 month pictures and I recently got a 16x20 framed and hung beside Malone's 3 month picture.  They look so good in our dining room.  At first I thought Jagger was Malone's identical twin that was born 3 years later, but his 3 month picture looks so different from Malone's that I am rethinking that.  :)

Last week, I took Jagger to get his hand and foot prints painted on a piece of pottery.  I want to have those precious pieces of just him, like I have some that are just Malone's.  One day soon, I would like to have a piece of pottery with both of their prints on it, but I want them both to have their own special pieces and know that I cherished them as individuals, regardless of whether they were born first or second. 

God gave me you

There is a song out right now called "God Gave Me You" by Blake Shelton.  It is a beautiful song that really reminded me that God places everyone and everything in our lives for a reason.  The 3 most important people in my life are Justin, Malone and Jagger.  I wanted to write down the reasons I feel that God gave me each one of them

Justin--
God gave me you to be my best friend.
God gave me you to be the father of my children.
God gave me you to remind me that everything works out the way it is suppose to.
God gave me you to lean on and share my troubles with
God gave me you to laugh with until my sides hurt

Malone--
God gave me you to show me what instant, overwhelming love is
God gave me you to remind me to look at the world through innocent eyes
God gave me you to show me that I do have patience when I never thought I did
God gave me you to nurture and teach to be a child of the Lord

Jagger--
God gave me you to complete our family
God gave me you to help me understand how it is possible to love all of his children
God gave me you to cherish every moment, even hard ones, because they do not last for long
God gave me you to nurture and teach to be a child of the Lord

Fall Clothes

Although we are are in the middle of one crazy heat wave I am starting to prepare for fall.  Malone will go back to school after Labor Day at First Baptist Church for 3 days a week.  I have started buying her some new fall clothes and shoes.  Last year at this time Malone was still able to wear many of the same clothes from the year before because she did not have a big growth spurt and was in the same size.  However, this year she has grown quite a bit (especially her height) and none of her clothes from last year fit.  So, I feel like we are starting from scratch and creating a whole new wardrobe.  Amazingly, at the age of 3, Malone is VERY opinionated about her clothes and shoes.  If I pick out something she does not like she lets me know or throws a temper tantrum from not wanting to wear that outfit.  Wow!  Where does she get that from?!?! :)  Here is an outfit and pair of shoes that we have added to her new fall wardrobe.  So far she approves of both of these items.

Jagger, on the other hand, is set.  We started buying clothes for him when I was pregnant.  Justin has picked out several outfits for him that are super cute and are all boy.  We have flannel shirts and cargo pants, and we have some super cute shoes also.  Here is a picture of one of the outifts we have for Jagger (except his is not short sleeved but looks like it has a layered brown long sleeved tee under it). 

 I love shopping for clothes and have much more fun shopping for my kids than I do for myself.  However, I recently went through my closet for a yard sale and most of my winter stuff got tossed.  My rule of thumb is if I have not worn it in a year then it goes to the yard sale pile.  Since I was pregnant last fall and winter I did not buy any new clothes for that season.  So hopefully this year I can add some cute, up to date, stylish fall/winter pieces to my wardrobe.  However, I struggle finding fall/winter clothes that I really like and think are super cute.  Since I tend to freeze in the winter I want to be practical and dress warmly.  Maybe I can find a cute compromise between practical and stylish.  :)  Happy Fall Clothes Shopping to you too!!!

Time

Well the time has come....school starts back this week.  The time home with my sweet babies has passed by WAY, WAY too fast.  However, I am thankful that I am returning to work with a 90% possibility of working 1/2 time.  This means I will either work 1/2 days, or a 3 day work week/ 2 day work week on an alternating schedule.  I am prayerful that this will work out for me.  Babies grow up too fast and I want to be able to enjoy my time with them as much as possible.  I like teaching and love the kids, but my family is my first priority, ALWAYS.  So the 1/2 position will be a great compromise. We have had an amazing summer.  Although we did not go on a vacation since Jagger was so little during the summer, we did alot of fun things around town.  We did playground time, summer camps for Malone, play dates with amazing friends, lots of time outside in the "baby" pool, long naps, etc...  So my time off was much enjoyed and spent doing fun, memorable things!

Jagger is now 4 months old!!!  He is 1/3, or 33%, of the way to 1 year old.  :)  I can't believe it is going by so fast.  I think it seems even faster than when Malone was a baby.  He can now roll over (he has only done it in his sleep, but we have gotten him up several mornings where he has been rolled over).  He laughs and talks.  I think he can actually say "hey".  I'm wondering if I should count that as his first word?!!  HA.  He is so sweet and loving and likes to cuddle with Mommy, which is priceless.  I think he is trying to cut some teeth.  He loves to put his whole fist in his mouth and rub away.  The slobber is picking up too.  The doctor said today at his 4 month check up to start adding some solid foods to his diet.  He already gets some cereal in his bottles to help with acid reflux, but she said to make some really thick and spoon feed it to him.  I am NOT ready for that  :)  I may wait a few more weeks so he can be a "little" baby a while longer. 

What has your time been spent doing lately?

Yummy in my Tummy

I'm not sure what has gotten in to me this past week, but I can't get food (good food) off the brain.  Don't get me wrong...I always love to eat...but it has been more intense this past week.  I think the fact that I was sick a few days during the week of July 4th and didn't eat for 2 whole days made me start thinking about food when I felt well again.  Here are a few of my favorite restaurants in our area (within an hour drive) and my favorite things to eat there.  All of these places make for a great date night or special outing!!!
 
Henry's Louissiana Grill (Acworth, GA):
My favs are Seafood Ooh La La and St. Charles Seafood Scampi, but you can't go wrong with anything on the menu
www.chefhenrys.com

The Grape (Atlanta, GA):
Scottish Smoked Salmon Flatbread is a great appetizer
Seared New Bedford Scallops is a great entree
http://www.thegrape.com/menus/Menu_Atlanta-dinner.pdf

Canoe (Atlanta, GA):
Slow Roasted Carolina Rabbit entree is delicious
Popcorn Ice Cream Sundae with House Made Cracker Jack is the BEST dessert ever!!!
http://www.canoeatl.com/

Bonefish Grill (Chattanooga, TN):
Bang Bang Shrimp is a great appetizer
http://www.bonefishgrill.com/

Harvest Moon (Rome, GA):
Their pizza is great and I love that you can build it with your favorite toppings
Their homemade bread and apple butter make for one of the best bread baskets I've had at a restaurant
www.myharvestmooncafe.com

Try one of these places out and let me know what you think!  Happy Eating!

Giving

This past week my husband worked with the Meadowdale Mission Alliance, the mission team from our church.  He has worked with the mission team the past few years and they have usually gone out of state to help start new churches or repair churches who needed construction help.  This year they worked on a house in our home town that an elderly lady from our church owned. 

The MMA had one week to work on the house.  They went in and gutted the house completely out.  The team gave the lady all new windows, a new heating/air system, new flooring, a new room, new landscaping, new paint, new sheetrock, and more.  It was a very hard job that at times seemed overwhelming to me. Justin was gone every morning before 6:30am and was not home until 10:30pm or later at night.  It made a very frustrating and long week for me and the kids to not see him at all, but today I saw the finished product at the revealing and the joy on the lady's face was marvelous!  She was brought blindfolded to the house and saw it for the first time since they had begun the cleanup over a week ago.  She wept tears of joy and was overwhelmed with everyone's sincere giving of labor, time, and love. 

What little faith I had when I saw the house on Wednesday and saw how much was left to do.  But the Lord provides.  Everyone worked long hours together and got the house completed before the weekend was up so the lady could move it and everyone else could go back to their "regular" jobs.   

I was very proud of the people in the mission team who worked to make a better home for this sweet lady.  But more than that,  I was so proud of my husband for his sincere, giving spirit to help someone in need.  He worked hard everyday to get the job done.  I know the Lord will bless him, not because of the work he did, but because of the attitude behind the work.  God Bless to all!

Before:

After (if you can see over the people):

July 4th

Every year we go to our church for the 4th of July.  It is close to the fairgrounds, where the fireworks are shot from, and we have a great view from the church parking lot.  The children's ministry at church always provides fun inflatables for the kids to enjoy before fireworks. 

Malone loved the inflatables this year and spent all of her time at one that was set up like a batting cage.  She loved hitting at the ball.  I think we may have a ball player on our hands. 

We also eat and have a cookout at the church.  This year they provided a classic cookout food, hotdogs.  They were very good and they definately made it feel like summertime. 

This year there was a lot of lightening right before the fireworks which made me EXTREMELY nervous because I am very fearful of storms.  My nerves had finally had enough and we decided we needed to pack up the kids and try to find a spot to watch the fireworks from our car, instead of the open, exposed parking lot.  Justin had a friend whos family was having fireworks at their house so we headed there.  I stayed in the car with Jagger (I was afraid it would be too loud for him since the fireworks were being shot from right there in their front yard) and him and Malone got out and watched them.  I was really worried Malone would not like the fireworks since she is afraid of loud noises, but she did really well and enjoyed them.  After the fireworks we came home and Malone played with the glow in the dark chalk that my mom had gotten her to have for the festivities.  She LOVED it and had a blast drawing with it.

I am so thankful we live in America where we are free!  God Bless!!

Happenings

This past week Malone went to ballet camp.  She was so excited to go.  She loves to dance and loves the cartoon "Angelina Ballerina", and she wants to be a ballerina too. 

As I expected, Malone did not want me to leave her each day.  Most days she observed more than she participated, but came home every afternoon and was able to show me what she had been learning.  On Wednesday, her teacher had to call me because Malone never calmed down after I left.  I went back and she finished the day.  On Thursday, her teacher made a special point to let me know how great she did that day. She said she participated and followed directions and was in a great mood.   I was so excited.  But then came Friday...performance day.  Malone does NOT like crowds, attention, or clapping.  She has an even harder time when I am around to watch her.  So on Friday she came around the corner into the ballet studio, saw the crowd, and completely melted down.  I felt so bad for all of the other parents and her teacher.  After that performance I wasn't sure she was ready for dance, but we are going to give it a try and hopefully get her over hear fear of performing.

We have also been having a hard time with potty training with pooping.  We have absolutely no problems with pee pee and Malone is a pro.  But she acts afraid to poop in the potty.  We finally had some success tonight.  Justin caught her about to poop in her panties and she was able to go a little bit in the potty and then said she was done (which I knew she wasn't). So I took her panties off and made her play without them so she wouldn't have that "safety net" to poop in.  Well, for tonight, it worked.  She went in the bathroom all by herself and then called me in there and said, "Mommy, look what I got in the potty".   We were so excited.  We did a happy dance and had a mini-party to celebrate.  I am not getting my hopes up that this will be every time, but hopefully we are on the right track.  Keep praying for poop success for Malone and for it to click. 

Jagger turned 3 months old this week.  I can't believe he is growing so fast.  He is such a happy boy.  He loves to smile and coo.  He is happiest in the morning and loves to get all the attention.  He is growing a lot of hair already and so far it is dark brown like mine.  He goes to bed at 7:30pm every night and sleeps until almost 8:00am the next morning.  He seems like he is going to be a Mommy's boy.  If he is fussy he calms right down if I get him.  He melts my heart so much.  I love his little personality and can't wait to see how it will develop. 

I am so thankful to the Lord that I have such precious children.  They challenge me, especially Malone at the age of 3, but they are also my entire world. 

Anniversary and Father's Day

Yesterday, June 18th, Justin and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary.  Wow...how time flies!  We have had an amazing 6 years together as a married couple.  In those 6 years we finished remodeling my grandparent's old home in Resaca and lived there, sold that house, built our house in Red Bud, gotten pregnant and had 2 precious children, and remained best friends through it all.  Don't get me wrong...we have had some rough spots along the way, but we always work through them.  I know we managed to do that first and foremost by having a Godly marriage.  We go to church together and pray together and keep our Christian life our first priority.  We also managed to have many more good times than bad these last 6 years because we truly are each other's best friend.  We take time and spend together and talk about our interests and lives with one another.  I know the rest of our lives won't always be a glowing report, but I also know that we CAN have a great, happy marriage and not just "get by".

We celebrated our anniversary this year by spending the night in Athens, GA at The Colonels Bed and Breakfast.  We ate our anniversary dinner at our favorite restaurant in Athens, The Last Resort.  I miss living there and was so excited to go back to the campus of UGA and remember good times. 



We also celebrated Father's Day this weekend.  Justin is an amazing father and is very involved with our children's lives.  He takes time to play with Malone (even dolls), and holds and loves on baby Jagger, as well as getting up with him at night (which we luckily don't have to do anymore), changing diapers and feeding him.  I am so lucky to have a man who wants to be so involved with our children, because I know there are many mothers out there who pray for a more involved father for their children.  We celebrated Father's Day by going to church, and then we had our own fathers over to our house for BBQ and home made ice cream.  Malone and Jagger got Justin an I-Phone cover that was personalized with our family's picture.  The kids also made their grandfathers birdhouses with their hand and feet prints.  It was a great day!

A few of my favorite things

Just thought I'd share a few of my favorite things for right now.

--Java Chip Frapuccino's from Starbucks

--My new casserole dish by MudPie. 

--Lipgloss by NARS in Angelika

--Jason Aldean's new song, "Dirt Road Anthem"...I am dying to see him in concert!!!

--Bumble and Bumble hair products

--Dancing with the Stars (I'm obsessed and hate that it is not on this summer)

--Long maxi dresses...they are so cool in the hot weather (and slimming, which is really important )  :)

What are some of your favorite things?

Weight Watchers

6 weeks ago I joined Weight Watchers in order to lose my baby weight.  I have never really struggled with my weight before and didn't know where to start to lose extra pounds.  I like to eat...well that is probably an understatement....I LOVE to eat, and I wanted a program that allowed me to still eat foods I liked.  What I really like about WW is you are taught to make some better choices, while still being able to enjoy the foods you love.  People are assigned a certain number of points per day (I get 29) and then foods are assigned points based on carbs, fiber, fat, and protein. You are also allowed an extra 7 points per day, or 49 weekly, in order to protect you if you need to eat out, are celebrating a special occassion, or just go over on your daily allowance.  This makes me feel like I am not being deprived and helps me to avoid over-eating.  You can also earn extra points by excersise and activity in your life.  I am been very pleased with the program and my results.  So far I have lost 12 pounds.  I am only 5 pounds away from where I was when I got pregnant with Jagger, but I had some extra weight I never lost from being pregnant with Malone.  So, I would like to lose an additional 12 more to be happy with my weight.  I now need to get on board with toning up my abs (which were destroyed by my 2nd pregnancy) and walking several times per week in order to finish off my weight loss and be even more healthy.

Has anyone else ever tried WW?  What did you think?

Summer Fun

The weather is heating up, which for me means pool time.  However, we have found that Malone is terrified of the water this year.  I'm not sure what is going on, but last year she was FEARLESS.  She would jump off of the diving board and swim all over the pool.  This year she barely wants to splash her feet on the steps.  It may be a long, hot summer without our pool time!  I do not want her to be afraid of the water, but I am not going to push her.  I know how it feels to be fearful of the water and being forced into it. 

Malone is attending cheer camp this week.  She has cried every day when I drop her off, but when I pick her up she says she had fun and tells me her cheer.  She is definately not going to be initially outgoing...it takes her forever to warm up to people and places, but I just want her to have fun and get to play with her friends.  I can't wait to see her performance on Friday (if she will do it).  I'm sure it will be super cute!!

Jagger turned 2 months old yesterday.  I can't believe how fast it has gone.  During the first few weeks when times were tough I kept telling myself to not be stressed since I knew it would go so fast.  And I was right.  At 8 weeks he is already sleeping through the night.  He takes his last bottle at 9:30 pm and then sleeps until around 6:30 am-ish.  Most nights he starts fussing around 4 am and wants his paci back, but he always goes back to sleep for a few hours.  I am so grateful to be getting my sleep again.  :)  He is getting so big and I know before long he won't be a baby anymore. 

Blessings

In a time where there are many changes and new things happening in my life, I am reminded by how blessed I am.  I know I am so unworthy of the blessings, but am so grateful to the Lord for allowing them to come into my life.  Here are a few of the blessings that have been on my mind lately:

1.  I have a wonderful husband who is ALWAYS on my side and very helpful with our family.  He works so hard at his job and as a husband and father. I know that I got one in a million. 

2.  I have two beautiful children who have made my life completely joyful.  I am so thankful that I was able to have them and I cherish the job of being their mommy.

3.  Recently I found out that my position as a special education teacher was transfered to a different school with a higher need.  While I am going to miss the wonderful friends I have at my old school, I am viewing the change as a blessing due to many other factors. 

4.  I am finishing up with my Master's Degree in July and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to have a great education. 

5.  In an economy largely driven by the hurting housing market, I am so blessed that we have not had many bumps along the road.  This is even more of a blessing due to the fact that my husband is a realtor. 

Why?

Malone has reached THAT stage.  Everything is "why?".  I tell her to pick up her toys, and she says "why"...if we are out somewhere and I tell her it is time to go, she says "why".  And the list could go on and on. It is so funny!  And I have actually started using that cliched response of "Because I said so".  At first I was explaining the reason why and giving her very detailed answers...but then the "whys" kept coming and it became automatic to just say "I said so".  Oh goodness!  :)  I love her dearly and she keeps me on my toes.  She is too smart for a 3 year old and I can only imagine how it will be as she gets older!

Mother's Day was yesterday and it was a wonderful day.   Justin and the babies gave me some very sweet cards and a gift certificate for an ultimate facial/massage.  I can't wait to use it!  After we got ready for church Malone told me that I looked beautiful and that made my whole day.  We went to church and then went to eat at Harvest Moon.  My mom, aunt, and Justin's parents went.  I am very blessed to have a fabulous Mama.  She is the most selfless person I know.  I see how other mothers treat their children and their attitudes can be so selfish, and I thank God that I had such a wonderful example to teach me about motherhood.  I am so blessed with two wonderful babies of my own and I am so grateful for them!!

Complaints :)

I know it has only been a month since Jagger was born, but I am soooo ready for my regular clothes to fit again.  I have bought a couple pair of non-maternity pants to wear for now, but I don't want to buy too much because it will only be temporary.  And I refuse to wear maternity pants again with that awful belly band pulled up to my arm pits :)  But, it is frustrating to wear the same things over and over again.  I know I am complaining and sound really vain but I LOVE clothes and want to enjoy them again. 

I joined Weight Watchers to help me shed some baby pounds.  I have also been walking some (about 2 times per week), and I want to take a Zumba class a few times per week, but finding the time for someone to watch the babies on a night when nothing else is going on is hard.  My stomach looks like a 90 year old woman's face right now.  Around my belly button it is so wrinkly from how far out it stretched for Jagger and I really wonder if it will ever look the same again.  I keep saying I'm going to start a tummy tuck fund and I'm to the point now that I don't think I'm joking anymore  :)  I know I won't see a bikini this summer but I hope to next year.  For now, I have found a one piece suit I think is really cute and I asked for it for Mother's Day.  Maybe Justin will get it for me.  What do you think of it? 

 

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=516843&CategoryID=8699&LinkType=

Happy Easter

Today was a very busy day.  Justin and I started our day by spending time with Malone and Jagger while they went through the goodies the Easter bunny brought them.  Malone was so excited! Then I finished cooking my hashbrown casserole for dinner at my mom's house.  We went to Sunday School and worship service at church, which was very moving. The choir special was a reminder that Easter is a very special time.  We get so caught up in egg hunts and the Easter bunny that we forget sometimes that it is all about serving a risen savior.  "Jesus Lives"!!  After church we ate lunch at my mom's with her family and Justin's family, and then spent time with my dad's family.  Whew...I am exhausted but very grateful to have so many people who I love and want to spend time with. 

Here is what the Easter Bunny filled up Malone and Jagger's baskets with:

Malone--a Barbie movie, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, a bathing suit, and a pink flashlight with princesses on it (Malone is obsessed with flashlights and always asks for one at Wal-Mart and Home Depot...who knows where that came from)

Jagger--bottles, 2 teething toys, an animal book, and swimming trunks

We are so blessed to have so much in our lives.  I hope your Easter was as wonderful as my family's was!

Random Thoughts

Here are just some random thoughts that have been on my mind lately 

1.  I am desperate to go to the beach.  I love, love to lay out and listen to the ocean and take a dip in the pool.  This year we will be taking 2 babies with us.  Fun, fun

2.  Malone is basically now potty trained for pee-peeing.  It's the other that we are having no progress with.  :(

3.  We are having our family pictues taken next week.  I hope we get at least one good picture with Malone smiling her beautiful smile  (normally she pouts and hates her picture taken)

4.  Jagger had a rough night the otherr night with tummy aches.  I hope he does not develop colic.  My heart broke for him because he was so pitiful

5.  Mother's Day is coming up.  Justin is always so thoughtful with holidays to make me feel so special.  I know he will keep up the tradition.  ;)

What are your random thoughts today?  :)

A Busy Week

This week we have been very busy with appointments and other events.  On Monday, I had a doctor's appointment with my doctor.  On Tuesday, Malone had school and dance class, and I had my hair cut.  On Wednesday, Jagger had his 2 week checkup.  On Thursday, Malone had school and a playdate after with her good friend from church.  I say all of that to make a point that today we have done NOTHING.  In fact, it is almost 5pm and we are still in our pajamas.  We have cuddled on the couch, watched cartoons, played baby dolls, and napped.  It has been wonderful!!!  The only thing that could have made it better is if Justin could have been home from work today and spent the day with us.  But I have had a fabulous day just being lazy with Malone and Jagger. 

Do you ever have those lazy days where you stay in pajamas all day????  They are a treasure in this busy world and I am so glad I got to spend my lazy day with my sweet babies! 

Today was my first day alone (for more than an hour at a time) with both of my babies.  Amazingly enough, our day went very well.  Both babies napped at about the same time which also let me lay down and rest too.  Then we went outside for a few minutes for Malone to swing on her swingset.  The rest of the day was spent watching cartoons and playing in the playroom.  I am glad to have a somewhat "normal" life again.

Speaking of normal...the adjustment of having a new baby has not been as drastic as it was when we had Malone.  With the first baby I guess you really don't know what to expect.  You can no longer pick up and leave the house whenever you want, you are up during the night with a wide awake baby, etc...  With a second baby there is some familiarity with what is going on.  Life has not shifted 180 degrees...maybe just 90 degrees  :) 

The rest of our week is actually pretty busy.  Malone returns to school after Spring Break, Jagger has his 2 week check-up, and I am actually getting my hair cut and colored (gotta cover all the gray that has popped up)  :) 

God is good!

I forgot...

After 4 days at home we are settling in to our new life as a family of 4.  Jagger is precious and rarely cries so far (except at night--more on that later :) ), and Malone seems to be adjusting pretty well.  She does not like when Jagger cries and she gets scared.  We think she is afraid we are hurting him or something and it upsets her.  She likes to rub his hand and face, but loses interest pretty quickly.  However, after 3 years since Malone was born it is amazing how much I had forgotten.

I forgot...

--How much a newborn sleeps during the day.  But those eyes are wide open all night long.  Jagger does not really cry all night (although he does some), but he does grunt and whimper and want to be held.

--How to get his days and nights back on track.  I was able to do this with Malone by 5 or 6 weeks, and I followed some principles from the book Baby Wise, but it is hard to start back over again.

--How much my whole body would hurt after delivery.  I feel like I have been through a boxing match (I'm sure it does not help that I was not very active the last 3 months of pregnancy and my muscles are weak and tired)

--How intense the love is for the new baby.  It was so instant for me with Malone that I worried I would not feel that way toward Jagger.  But I am so in love with him. 

--How stir-crazy I would be to get out of the house.  But I do not feel like going by myself yet, and with Justin working I have to make do with being home all day. 

And one thing I did NOT realize since I have always been around girl babies was how hard it would be to keep a baby BOY from wetting his clothes so much.  Our second night at home we changed his clothes 3 times from midnight to 6am.  I think we are figuring out how to "adjust" his diaper and hopefully will keep him drier longer.  :)

New Addition

I am so proud to announce the arrival of Jagger Ridge Childress.  He came into this world on March 31, 2011 at 4:33pm weighing 7 lbs and 14 oz and 20 inches long.  He has been a perfect littlle baby so far.  He rarely cries and is content with whatever is going on around him. 

It was most definately love at first sight for both myself and Justin. 

Malone seems to be doing well with him also.  She kept saying "that is my brother" over and over.  And she would say "I want to hold him" with her arms outstretched.  I am so proud of my sweet family.  I thank the Lord that Jagger's delivery was free of complications and he was born a healthy boy.  Thank you all for the continued prayers as I recover and we adjust to being a family of 4 instead of 3. 

A Time for Change

Tomorrow Justin and I will check into the hospital for the birth of our second baby, a sweet boy!  We are so excited and ready to have him here.  It has been a long pregnancy and my body is so ready to not be pregnant anymore.  I ask everyone to pray for a smooth labor and delivery, a healthy baby, and a quick recovery.  However, things will definately be different from now on. We will find our new routine quickly, but it will take some getting used to.  Here are some things that will take some adjusting:

--Not being able to give all my attention to just one child.  Finding that balance to make sure each one gets special "Mommy" time.

--More time and planning to just be able to get up and go somewhere.  Even our normal, daily activities will require extra prep time now.

--Teaching Malone how to love her new baby brother.  I hope this comes naturally, but if I am being honest, she is 3 and will be instinctivly jealous.  I want her to know this is ok while also teaching her to adjust and get over it.

--Having to plan time to have alone with Justin.  Our relationship is still the most important thing in order to keep our family happy and we must continue to make it a priority.  I hope to still be able to have "date night" a few times per month.  

I know it will not be long before I am looking back and wondering what we did before our second baby (kinda like I do now before we had Malone), but right now the change can seem somewhat overwhelming.  I am excited to tackle this new challenge because I know our lives will be better for it!!!

A Sweet Life

I have recently started reading blogs due to having extra time on my hands.  My activities have been limited since January due to preterm labor with my second  baby and I took medical leave from work.  In order to fill my time I have spend a lot of time reading and found several blogs I love to follow.  I love to hear what other people have to say about their lives.  It personally makes me feel good when I read a story about someone who I can relate to and have things in common with. 

My life is so blessed.  I have a WONDERFUL husband, Justin,  who helps me out so much.  He is an amazing father and does so much for our family.  My 3 year old daughter, Malone, is precious and keeps us on our toes.  She is so funny and smart and nothing gets by her.  She goes to "school" two days a week for several hours and has already learned so much.  She knows all of her shapes (even weird ones like oval and diamond), colors, ABCs, numbers and much more.  I can not wait to see what she does with all of this knowledge when she goes to "real" school in a few years.  We have another baby, a boy, due any day now.  We are so ready to have him here with us and enjoy the blessings he will bring. 

Here are just a few random thoughts to close by:

--I am so glad I did not have to be pregnant in the summer.  I have major hot flashes now and it is only March

--I pray every night that our baby boy sleeps half as well as our daughter did.  We have been so spoiled and blessed with how well she does.  Justin and I both LOVE our sleep  :)

--I love to eat and worry that this will be BAD, BAD, BAD as I try to lose this baby weight.