tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72995317021788000562024-03-13T18:11:50.870-05:00Joys and BoysAndreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-38767933808676263042014-11-15T22:03:00.000-06:002014-11-15T22:06:07.803-06:00Our Daily Bread To say it's been a while since my last post would be an understatement! Life has been crazy and I haven't had the time or inspiration to write much. But I have something on my heart that I need to share. Have you ever said The Lord's Prayer? I'm guessing most people have. You know the line that says, "Give us this day our daily bread"? I had never thought much about it until the last several months. Let me back up, in the fall of last year Bart was presented with an opportunity to change jobs. He was content at the job he had been working for the four previous years, but was open to a change and the possibility of providing more, financially, for our family. We were hesitant to take the new job because after an introductory period it would be commission only. We prayed A LOT before we both felt a peace about our decision to accept the new job. Things started out pretty well. Bart was very excited and eager to work hard in his new profession. Anyone who knows Bart, knows he loves talking to people which is important in any sales position. After several months he seemed to hit a wall and was not able to be as successful as he wanted and our funds were getting low. We came to a mutual decision that even though we had prayed about this job and felt God was leading him to take it we needed to begin the process of looking for something with a more steady paycheck. Here is where we come back to the Lord's prayer. "Lord, give us this day our daily bread." When it says daily bread, it means what we need for today, not tomorrow, not next week or next month, but today. Until that point, neither of us had been at a place in our lives that we felt we had to fully rely on God for our immediate needs. We had both been struggling to understand why God would lead us down this path and then it not work out the way we had expected. Finally, one night we sat down to talk and came to the conclusion that God wanted us to learn to trust HIM. Yes, it's important to work hard and do our best in everything we encounter but it's ultimately God who has given us the talents and abilities that we possess. It's God who knows our needs before we can even ask. We went a couple of months with no income and God blessed us and provided just what we needed through our families as well as friends who had no idea what we were going through. It was a very stressful time but we were trusting the Lord to provide our needs and he has done just that! Bart has been at his new job for a few months now and he enjoys it very much. God decided we needed a reminder just this week of how amazing he is. We had discussed over the past couple of weeks that a part-time job would be a big help but Bart's hours are irregular making it difficult for either of us to find something that would fit our schedules. We hadn't even prayed specifically for God to provide a job but He knew it was on our minds. This week Bart was approached about a part-time job that is flexible and should work out well with his schedule. He found out on Friday that he should be starting there the beginning of December. God knows what we need! We are so humbled to serve such a loving God. We often go through things that we don't understand and we definitely don't enjoy but we can be sure that God always has a plan. He has what's best for us in mind. Jeremiah 29:11 is an awesome reminder, <span class="text Jer-29-11" id="en-NIV-19647"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup>For I know the plans<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-19647A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-19647A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup> I have for you,” declares the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>, “plans to prosper<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-19647B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-19647B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup> you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-19647C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-19647C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup></span> As Thanksgiving comes around this year we are thankful for our Provider!<br />
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-21480985258192281172012-08-09T22:25:00.000-05:002012-08-09T22:26:02.332-05:00Gratitude <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7X3jekDGgyjJ1sa4qBq7fgNtPC639nbmIa-ouYggTdykILremLfXuKYSLRjPe44NYG-C92pRgGqQqdoDcgwN0258CUOd9sH6p3gJtdepWjMeq1uNn7GdkkdQIKNBKFcn_p5d8CAFK0btw/s1600/IMAG0310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7X3jekDGgyjJ1sa4qBq7fgNtPC639nbmIa-ouYggTdykILremLfXuKYSLRjPe44NYG-C92pRgGqQqdoDcgwN0258CUOd9sH6p3gJtdepWjMeq1uNn7GdkkdQIKNBKFcn_p5d8CAFK0btw/s320/IMAG0310.jpg" width="213" /></a> Last night our family had the joy of hearing Ugandan Thunder, a children's choir from Uganda composed 22 of orphans. They arrived in the U.S. less than two weeks ago and will be touring all over the country for the next several months. As we were preparing to go to the church last night Carson came to me and told me he had collected some toys that he wanted to give to one of the kids in the choir. I was hesitant because I felt like they were sort of inadequate because they were used and not in perfect shape but we were running a little late so I decided not to argue and allowed him to bring the grocery sack of toys to church. The boys very much enjoyed watching the singing and dancing. After the service was over Carson made his way up to one of the boys and handed him the bag but didn't explain that he waned to give it to him so the boy handed it back. We came to another boy and I explained that Carson wanted to give the toys to him. He accepted, expressed his thanks and gave Carson a hug. A few minutes later Carson asked to have his picture taken with the boy, whose name is Julius. He of course agreed, but it was after we took that picture that the most touching thing happened. He hugged Carson again to thank him for the toys and became so overwhelmed with emotion that he began to cry. He was so grateful for the few toys Carson had given him and I had almost interfered with the blessing that God had in store for Julius and for us. What we didn't know until the end of the evening was that yesterday was Julius' birthday. God had Carson pick those toys as a birthday present for a boy we had never met when we didn't even know it was his birthday. When I talked with Julius today I told him that Carson didn't know it was his birthday when he gave him the toys but God did! And he agreed, "Yes, He did!" <br />
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We had the pleasure to visit and play with the choir kids today.</div>
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They truly are such grateful, precious children!</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-46317157705777024122012-04-25T07:26:00.000-05:002012-04-25T07:28:01.018-05:00Tweet Tweet Carson received a wooden birdhouse from his Nana and Grampa for Christmas. He of course had a great time painting it! He enjoys almost any type of art project. The finished product HAD to be put in the backyard. When I originally put it in the tree I didn't really expect any birds to come. A couple of months after we hung it up we noticed a couple of birds hanging around, one of which had some grass in its mouth. To our delight it made its way into the birdhouse!<br />
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The fact that the bird built a nest is exciting but of course there is usually a funny story to accompany most situations in our lives! A couple of weeks ago I discovered Carson had used his climbing skills to take the birdhouse down. As I pick it up I realize there are baby birds inside!! My first thought is, "OH NO, what if the mama bird doesn't come back now!" SO I carefully put the birdhouse back on the same branch hoping the mama would come back. Thankfully she did! The birds are now growing! Carson and I have had a couple of conversations about the importance of not bothering baby birds. If these birds survived our yard they probably have it made!<br />
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-76482596371193638862012-01-27T22:19:00.000-06:002012-01-27T22:19:33.827-06:00Time is flying! It's been a while since I've posted. Things have been going much smoother since the first week in January which felt like chaos. I realized today as I took a 10 month picture of Canton how quickly the month has gone by! In the past week Canton has started pulling up and crawling in the traditional manner. For the past couple months he has been doing the "army crawl" and has mastered it! He had been up on his hands and knees rocking back and forth and today decided that must be the way to really get moving.<br />
Collin had a follow-up appointment today with a Pediatric Endocrinologist. Over the past 18 months his weight and height have been checked regularly because according to the growth charts he is below normal for his age. Our pediatrician first referred us to a Gastroenterologist and they tested for a couple things that can affect growth and nutrient absorption with the results being normal. He then referred us to an Endocrinologist who has done an x-ray to check Collin's "bone age" which was also normal. At our follow-up today his growth was minimal so they may perform a more invasive test to check his growth hormone levels after he turns three. But for today they just drew blood and will see him back in three months. I have very mixed emotions about the whole situation. I really feel like there is absolutely nothing wrong with him but there is also that nagging thought that if he does have a growth hormone issue and it can be treated, I would feel horrible if we didn't address it. At this point we will just keep encouraging him to eat and wait it out. For those of you who know me well know that waiting is not my favorite thing :) I guess all those times I have quizzed Carson on the definition of patience will come in handy!!<br />
Carson on the other hand continues to grow so fast! He is very tall for his age and while hanging out with Papa the other day at Hydro Hose we discovered that he weighs 49 pounds! Last I knew he was about 44 pounds. He has begun to enjoy drawing much more than in the past. He is able to recognize most of his letters and knows quite a few letter sounds. He is also acquiring a list of scriptures he can quote. We are very excited about his willingness to memorize scripture! <br />
Bart had quite an exciting time last weekend. On Saturday night he and his good friend Scott "camped out" at the Buffalo Wild Wings that was scheduled to open Sunday morning. Why would he do this? The first 100 customers received free wings for a year. Bart just happened to be number 100! So it looks like we will be eating wings pretty often for the next year. Thankfully they have my preference, boneless wings, as well!<br />
We are all doing well. I am very excited I have made it to the gym four
times this week! I have been enjoying the activity and the boys enjoy
playing in the "Kid Zone"! I have also gotten on a reading kick over the past few weeks. I am enjoying a series by Terri Blackstock and have been staying up past my bedtime to get in some reading :) Hope all is well with each of you!<br />
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-83998607668560605342012-01-05T08:35:00.001-06:002012-01-07T21:13:16.810-06:00Back to normal! If you aren't a member of my family you probably haven't seen me in a couple of weeks. It's been crazy around our house lately! My <a href="http://www.joysandboys.blogspot.com/">last post</a> covered the excitement that took place Christmas day. Well, New Year's definitely took the cake! Canton woke up at 12:30 with a stomach bug. By six a.m. he seemed much better only to be sick again that night. Monday morning he was not too spiffy when I got him out of bed. He had slept all night but seemed tired and really out of it. The pediatric clinic wasn't open so we ended up at the ER. It turned out that he needed IV fluids. After receiving several different test results he was cleared to go home. Poor thing, he was pitiful and I didn't get a smile out of him for quite a while! It was Wednesday before he was really back to normal.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't worry the excitement doesn't end there!! </span></div>
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Tuesday morning Bart wasn't feeling too hot so he ended up staying home from work. Trying to care for a sick husband and a sick baby plus handle two rambunctious little boys is no easy task! But we survived the day. I was happy to be able to stay home Tuesday night from my part-time job and it turned out to be arranged by God! Bart and Canton went to sleep early and the other boys were in bed by eight p.m. or so. I decided to quickly vacuum the living room while there was no one in it, ha!As I finished and had just turned off the vacuum I heard the bathroom faucet. I thought Bart had woken, but soon heard a blood curdling scream. I ran into the bathroom to find Collin holding his hand up to his mouth. As he looks up I realize there is blood, a lot of blood! His top teeth went completely through his bottom lip. As there was no other place open, another trip to the ER was in order. This trip was MUCH longer than Canton's visit. I am so thankful my mom tagged along because she entertained Collin very well! We left the ER about 12:30 with a little glue on his chin/lip and a very sleepy boy. The insane part is the next afternoon as we read a book just before nap time he managed to pull the glue almost completely off without me knowing! Our Pediatrician checked the ER report and discovered that it was merely superficial and didn't really require the glue so we thankfully didn't have to make ANOTHER trip to the Dr. :-)<br />
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We've had a few somewhat calm (as calm as it gets with three boys in the house) days and are so thankful that everyone is pretty much back to normal!! Still praying the stomach bug germs are not secretly lurking around our house waiting to attack those of us who haven't been bitten! <br />
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Getting all three boys together and still for a photo doesn't happen often!</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-84256994922262645632011-12-28T20:57:00.000-06:002011-12-28T20:57:03.457-06:00Late for Dinner Having watched <em>Christmas Vacation</em> last week, that is one of the first things that comes to mind when I think about our Christmas. For those who haven't seen the movie, Clark always has all these big ideas or mental pictures of what he wants something to be like but something usually goes wrong. I didn't have any big activities planned but I still had planned out how I thought things would go. Well the day did not turn out like I pictured! The boys woke up about 6:30 and we read a story book about the birth of Jesus. By about 7:15 Collin had thrown up twice, not a very pleasant start to the day! Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who willingly cleaned up the mess and ran to Walgreen's to get Sprite! So the big question, is it a stomach virus?!? I was praying, literally, that it wasn't. We had been around tons of family members less than 12 hours before. If we started a bug that got passed around it would not be a fun Christmas! Well after a few hours we still didn't know what had caused the upheaval but Collin was back to normal, running and playing. So we decided that it would probably be ok to attend the family dinner at my Gramma's house especially since we had seen them all the night before lol! I made the call and said I wasn't sure what time, but we would be there. I never really heard a definite time but figured since church wouldn't be out until about noon that dinner would be closer to 1:00. Well there was quite a miscommunication.We arrived about 12:40 and were late for dinner and I didn't even realize it! My call had been understood as don't wait on us, which made perfect sense. I usually think of myself as somewhat easy going and laid back. This was not one of my better days. In my sleep deprived, stressed out state I was offended and hurt when we arrived to just about everyone already seated and eating dinner. I'm embarrassed to say I caused some drama. Which thankfully we all were able to laugh about within a few minutes. It was a good reminder that things don't always go as you plan or hope but it's not the end of the world! The rest of the day was perfect and I'm so thankful for sweet family who can just ignore crazy irrational days that women have sometimes! Especially thankful for a Saviour who is never surprised by the way things turn out because He's in control!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-8954909312971874172011-11-15T15:13:00.001-06:002011-11-15T15:25:57.297-06:00Money Saving Mom One of my favorite blogs is Money Saving Mom. Crystal, the author, does an excellent job of posting great bargains and coupon deals as well as just general information that is helpful to almost anyone. She has authored a new book entitled <em>The Money Saving Mom's Budget</em>. It's release date is not until January 2012 but you can pre-order it at the following link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451646208/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=monsavmom-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=1451646208">The Money Saving Mom's Budget</a>. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-90103268543455478862011-11-09T13:11:00.001-06:002011-11-09T13:12:45.392-06:00Fall Fun!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
The weekend before Halloween we had the pleasure of attending our church's Fall Festival. It was so much fun! They had a lot of activities and the boys had a blast. It was hosted by a family from our church. They live outside of Tupelo and have a big yard where everyone had plenty of room to roam and explore. It was quite comical, as we got onto the Natchez Trace to make our way to the festival, Carson says, "Collin! Look we're in the country!!!" I guess I take my country raising for granted! </div>
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The festival had all the things that come to mind when I think of fall: bonfires, including s'mores, hayrides, carnival-type games, including bobbing for apples, hot chocolate and apple cider. Carson also got to go fishing which lasted less than ten minutes, ha! </div>
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Their attention was captured by the horses who were saddled and ready for riders. Carson was eager to ride while Collin could only be convinced to ride with Mom, which I was very excited about! </div>
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When I say the boys had a blast, I mean all the boys! Bart was one of the first to bob for apples</div>
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so maybe he didn't get too many germs. </div>
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I'm so thankful that we had the opportunity to get outside, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and watch the boys experience some new things! God has truly created a wonderful world! </div>
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<br /></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-75165148110293398642011-10-21T15:35:00.000-05:002011-10-21T15:35:47.704-05:00Happy Fall Y'all I have been so excited about this fall weather! Fall is one of my favorite times of year. Mostly because it leads into the holidays, which are my absolute favorite. Getting family together and all the traditions that come along with the holidays are memories I will never forget. With all that being said I decided to do some fall artwork with the boys. I enjoy doing some crafty things with paint but don't allow the boys to paint as often as I should simply because they always make a mess. Because keeping my house clean is already such a challenge I don't want to add more work on top of the normal tasks :-) But as I said today I bit the bullet and got out the paint. After perusing online for a few minutes I found an example. Here is our interpretation of it! I added the squirrels, grass, and flowers after the boys finished the trees. <br />
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I actually opted to put these of canvas because I thought they would be neat to keep and possibly frame! <br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Fall Y'all!!</span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-8429995653088087042011-10-20T12:49:00.000-05:002011-10-20T12:49:58.265-05:00Pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pancakes are a favorite at our house. The boys love to help make them but they LOVE to eat them! Today we made a favorite of mine growing up, "Mickey Mouse" pancakes. Mine have always seemed to turn out looking like hearts. My mom's always looked more like Mickey Mouse! Today we actually ate them for lunch. My mom's recipe is healthier than a mix so I feel a little better about serving them. Carson ate about five pancakes. He wanted more but I cut him off lol! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxsQeFx64bQJt6K1tvLW24YGcI2bzmm9rQkp1izN0l4hwoNTCOvJAf80wkAhIMjnyK179bm3xAupreNs3qZxlVfL_IL4C9VDI3QujzfFYS3g-ocEuygQvY1rmCtU4uMuaM5164pDK4l_d/s1600/059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxsQeFx64bQJt6K1tvLW24YGcI2bzmm9rQkp1izN0l4hwoNTCOvJAf80wkAhIMjnyK179bm3xAupreNs3qZxlVfL_IL4C9VDI3QujzfFYS3g-ocEuygQvY1rmCtU4uMuaM5164pDK4l_d/s320/059.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-2348522432115363392011-10-19T15:24:00.000-05:002011-10-19T15:24:44.631-05:00Are you impressed? Carson grabbed a sale paper earlier this afternoon and started copying letters and numbers onto a sheet of notebook paper. He called me over to get some help writing a number five. After a couple minutes of pointing out letters he had written on the page he said, "Mom, are you impressed that I wrote all these letters?" He amazes me everyday! I was impressed by the letters but even more so that he used "impressed" in the rigth context. I'm not sure if that came from a book or just conversation but he has obviously been paying attention! Just had to stop and make sure to write this down. I've been keeping myself way too busy the past few weeks!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-81478585158858629872011-10-04T21:43:00.002-05:002011-10-04T21:43:21.226-05:00It's a phase, right? On Sunday nights instead of a normal service our church has small groups that meet in members' homes. Two or three weeks ago at our meeting we called all the children into the living room of the home we were meeting in and Collin comes out of the bedroom with no shirt. To top it off we can't even find his shirt. Of course all the other mothers just laughed. Then one day in the check-out line at Walmart the cashier informs me that he is trying to undress. For quite some time undressing has been the first thing he wants to do when we come home but I wasn't prepared for it to be done in public!! I've figured out as a mother I am constantly coming upon things I'm not prepared for!<br />
As I was talking with some other mothers from my MOPS group I declared that I think a major part of having children is learning how to navigate your way through the phases that they go through. Of course they are not all bad, but while you're in the middle of it they can be quite embarrassing! I guess as adults we go through phases as well so I shouldn't be too hard on the little guy. Plus the "phases" are passing by all too quickly! My boys are growing up!!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-89495254796613598252011-09-17T12:40:00.002-05:002011-09-17T12:40:38.145-05:00Another Funny By the request of his Grammy I have another story to share. Carson was in Sunday School and they were discussing creation. The teacher said that God rested on the seventh day. Carson said, "Why did He do that? He's God. He doesn't need to rest!!" Of course they shared with him that God was setting an example for us. But he just couldn't get past the fact that God doesn't need rest! I was thoroughly impressed with his deep thought on the subject. It's amazing how we try to dumb things down for children when they usually don't need it!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-2624425161676323102011-09-16T13:13:00.002-05:002011-09-16T13:15:11.249-05:00Funny Boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I thought I would share a couple of funny things the boys have said. One day Carson was sitting at the table eating his lunch. He started coughing and I asked if he was ok. He said, "Yes! My food just went down the wrong pole!" I couldn't help but laugh! I hated to, but I did tell him that the saying is "the wrong pipe." I think I should have let him keep saying it his way for a while because it was so funny.<br />
When we go places people always comment on how cute Collin is and I think this may have to do with the fact that he smiles A LOT! Just now I laid him down for his nap, which of course he didn't want to take! I went back by his bedroom to check on him and he was saying, "Momma, I'm sad, Momma, I'm sad" the whole time with a big smile on his face! Only Collin!!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-6139462115602246532011-09-13T20:27:00.000-05:002011-09-13T20:27:42.852-05:00Schoolwork Over the past few weeks I have been attempting to do some work with the boys, mostly fun stuff. We have been making a craft to go with letters of the alphabet, playing games with letters, and reading educational books. I generally try to trick them into learning, especially Carson, by doing fun activities. Discovering what exactly Carson knows if quite difficult for me. I haven't really done many workbooks with him because he is so active. So one day I was shocked to discover he had traced all his numbers in a dry erase activity book that he has. Then yesterday, I wrote his name and asked if he wanted to give it a try. He has attempted to write a C before and has difficulty knowing which direction it goes, which I think is pretty common, so he asked me to help him. I also helped him with the s. But the other letters he wrote on his own. I was SO excited! It's funny how much he knows that I don't even realize :-) <br />
Overall, doing schoolwork has been a challenge with a two year old and a five month old but the past two days have gone much smoother. Hopefully we are getting into a better routine and that will help! Here are pictures of some of our work.<br />
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Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-24810923751330402072011-09-03T22:09:00.000-05:002011-09-03T22:09:28.163-05:00Growing Up Collin has decided he is too big for the crib! I put him down for his nap yesterday and a few minutes later Bart asked if I had put him in the crib. "Yes" I said, his response, "well...he's out now!" Bart proceeded to put him back in and watch him cautiously climb out again. Of course he has stayed in the crib longer than Carson did which was nice. It made life much easier to let him sleep in there as long as he would. So we have been reminded what the wonderful world of the terrible two's is like. He seems to be a little quicker to fall asleep than Carson was at that age. The personality differences between those two are amazing! Collin has also just started opening doors in the past few weeks. So this afternoon after he had been asleep for a couple of hours I was startled to look up and see him standing in the kitchen. I remembered, "Oh yeah, he can get up by himself!" It seems like he was just learning to walk! I've heard people say that the days seem so long but the years so short. This seems so true lately. The months are flying by! Tonight as I checked in on each of the boys it was confirmed when I saw Collin sleeping in his "big boy bed". Lord help me cherish these days and not rush through them, because all too soon it will be Canton in the big boy bed :(Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-23893060407989588952011-08-31T16:15:00.001-05:002011-08-31T16:15:57.545-05:00Wisdom from a child Carson came to me one day carrying a purse that I haven't used in a while. "Momma why do you have this purse? All of your stuff is in your other purse. What is this one for?" I said, "Well, sometimes I like to use a different one." Carson responded, "but you don't need another one!" <br />
Ha! This is pretty comical because I don't have nearly as many purses as some people I know. I'm just not one of those gals who changes purses to match every outfit. I'm usually carrying a bag for Canton, a bag for Collin (he's potty training ), a carseat, plus dragging the kids along. I'm doing good to remember to grab my purse! My purses generally consist of one for summer and one for winter. Hey, I never claimed to be a fashionista!<br />
Back to my original thought, I have to admit Carson did make a good point. How many purses can I carry at one time? I come from a family of bargain hunters. Sometimes, I get so caught up with getting a good deal that I buy things I don't need. So I responded "I don't really need more than one, I just <strong>wanted </strong>to get another one." We continued this conversation a little longer and I used this opportunity to help him understand the difference between wants and needs. I suggested that the next time he asks for a toy at the store maybe we should decide if he really needs it or just wants it. How come nobody ever told me kids were like a built in conscience?! I guess I need somebody to keep me straight :-)Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-29378552667492811012011-08-26T17:08:00.000-05:002011-08-26T17:08:19.830-05:00Sweet Story Just read this article and felt like it was a good reminder of how we should treat our spouse. It's easy for me to mistreat Bart because he's around when I'm worn out, stressed out, or both, ha ha! I'm sure none of you are guilty of this :-) <br />
<a href="http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Faith/2011/couples-handle-with-care.aspx">http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Faith/2011/couples-handle-with-care.aspx</a>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-2044119261473576372011-08-25T21:16:00.000-05:002011-08-25T21:16:54.192-05:00Daddy When you wake up in the morning what's the first thing you think of? For me? All too often it's, "can I go back to sleep?!" Sunday morning Carson walked out of his room and the first thing he said was, "Does Daddy have to go to work today?" Wow! It brought tears to my eyes just thinking about how much he loves his Daddy and looked forward to spending time with him! After just a minute I was convicted! How many times is our Heavenly Father the first thing on our mind in the morning? Are we looking forward to spending time with Him? In Mark 10 the Bible talks about having a child like faith. I think this situation shows a perfect example of how much Carson looks up to Bart. We should treasure our Heavenly Father so much that He is the first thing on our mind and we are excited to spend time with Him! I'm so thankful for Carson and the Lord using him to remind me how blessed we are to have a Savior who loves us even when we don't respond to that love as we should!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-31784368080665232992011-08-22T21:41:00.000-05:002011-08-22T21:41:45.057-05:00MOPS In July when we visited some family in Michigan, my cousin Sarah mentioned being involved in a MOPS group. I had heard of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) before but wasn't familiar with how the group worked or what was involved. After talking with Sarah I thought it sounded like something I might enjoy being involved in. After we came home I looked online and found that there is a MOPS group that meets at First Baptist Tupelo and thought I might look into it a little more. <br />
A couple of weeks passed and I noticed that Sarah had visited Nashville for a MOPS convention. She said she had been thinking it would be neat if she met someone from the Tupelo group to tell them about me. Low and behold she ended up near the Tupelo group in the lunch line one day. She talked to them and found out when they would be meeting. She let me know the date and said I should check it out. When I called to get further info. the lady I spoke with had been one of those who met Sarah. I thought it was so cool how God worked that out!<br />
All that to say, I attended my first MOPS meeting on Thursday last week. I have to say this was stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit because I didn't know anyone else who would be there. But I thought it would be good for the boys to be around different people and give all of us a chance to make new friends. I was so thankful none of the boys cried when I left them in their rooms. I wasn't quite as nervous as I thought I'd be. I discovered I knew a couple of people and met a few more. Overall, it was nice to get out and try something new! The ladies who help lead the group seem terrific and I look forward to being involved! Thanks, Sarah!<br />
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-20097727909997831892011-08-19T08:21:00.000-05:002011-08-19T08:21:14.094-05:00Toys Good Morning! Just came across this deal. It's a site sort of like Groupon if you're familiar with them, but mostly mom and kid related. A new deal that came available today is $30 worth of Melissa and Doug toys for $15. I think I might snag this one! There is a link below if you're interested!<br />
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<a href="http://www.8moms.com/referral/national/xAlnrO?dt=1313759597334">http://www.8moms.com/referral/national/xAlnrO?dt=1313759597334</a><br />
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-81090160059105907952011-08-16T13:44:00.002-05:002011-08-16T13:44:58.948-05:00Encouragement As I'm sure you can tell, Money Saving Mom is one of my favorite blogs to read. So.... here is another great post from Crystal!<br />
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<a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/uphill-is-the-hardest.html">http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/uphill-is-the-hardest.html</a>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-92124616021093839052011-08-15T15:31:00.000-05:002011-08-15T15:31:00.135-05:00Update So, it's been a while! I wasn't feeling very inspired there for a little bit but realized I don't always have to have something extremely profound to say. I could just give an update on what's been going on with us!<br />
While I have failed to heed my own advice on writing down goals. My sweet husband has his written down and has been on quite a roll doing the Couch to 5K program. I'm very proud of him and have been challenged by his motivation!<br />
We continue to truck along. I started a simple preschool curriculum with the big boys today. It went pretty well! Canton has started eating some baby food in the last week. I must share this little funny from Carson. As I was feeding Canton one day, he kept grabbing his bib and putting it in his mouth. I made a playful comment about him making a mess. Carson's response was, "Mama! He's a baby! That's what babies do!" It really cracked me up and reminded me how much the boys listen to us and remember things we say. Collin is still progressing with his potty training and it's nice not buying quite so many diapers!<br />
I did read another post about goals and thought I would pass it along! <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/10-goals-for-this-week.html">http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/10-goals-for-this-week.html</a><br />
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299531702178800056.post-64429234126469104202011-08-06T05:56:00.000-05:002011-08-06T05:56:00.100-05:00 <br />
<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-49639 aligncenter" height="245" src="http://moneysavingmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/87830441_uhz1ystv_c.jpg" title="87830441_uhz1ystv_c" width="206" /><br />
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I ran across this quote last week and I've been thinking about it ever since! How many of us actually believe that wishes come true? I would think the majority is no, this includes me. So if that is the case, why do I not have more goals set for myself and my family?<br />
It's confession time. I don't like to fail! Of course, who does?! It's easier not to write down my goals because then it doesn't seem as bad if I don't reach them! On the other hand it won't be as rewarding if they are reached! <br />
I guess the solution is to accept failure. Failure is normal!! I still need to convince myself of this. How do we expect ourselves to be perfect(or close) when most of us know Jesus is the ONLY perfect one, we are human, after all. I now suggest one of my Dad's favorite concepts, <strong>balance</strong>! A balance of attempting certain achievements but also not beating ourselves up if we don't get it right the first time. To quote the movie Finding Nemo, "just keep swimming!" Life is made up of good days and bad. Hopefully the good ones outweigh the bad! <br />
"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" Philippians 3:14. Press on, in other words, keep swimming! It's a new school year, I think it's time that I <strong>write down</strong> some goals. How about you?Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854716674430583660noreply@blogger.com0