Phifer Family

Trunk or Treat Take One

2010-10-27T16:33:00.000-05:00

Getting some candy

Little Bo Peep

The soccer player

She held this balloon and her bucket and walked around by herself almost the entire time. It was so funny!

Grandma helping out.

We went trunk or treating this past Sunday at the church where my Mom works and I am currently subbing. Our church has trunk or treat this upcoming Sunday so we are going to be candied out pretty soon! The kids had SO much fun. Tinzley was so funny at first because she would take the candy, say "tank u", and then hand the candy right back. After about 5 or 6 cars she realized she got to keep the candy in her bucket and then she was off. She just kept grabbing the candy out of the same basket and putting it in hers. She was so cute in her outfit and managed very well in all three layers. My Mom made the outfit and I am SO happy with it. Jonas had fun too but was not as interested in the candy as he was in going down the inflatable slide. We also got to go on a hayride around the parking lot and watch a little bit of Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin. It was so much fun to just get to hang out with the family and have some old fashioned halloween fun!

We cannot wait to repeat it with our own church family this Sunday!

Happy Halloween!

Jonas turns 4! ALL ABOARD!

2010-10-04T15:11:00.000-05:00

All of the BIG 4 year olds!

Little miss cutie herself! If you like that skirt, I can make you one ;)

The SILLY 4 year olds!

Getting ready to blow out the candles! He actually smiled this year instead of crying! I was pretty proud of him. He really is getting SO big!

What is a train party without a train pinata?

Or a train cake?

Jonas turned the big 4 yesterday and had a GREAT train birthday party! He had most of his sunday school friends come and they played outside in the gorgeous weather. We had pizza, cake, and ice cream! The theme of course was trains because if you have ever talked to Jonas you know about his LOVE for trains! :)

Jonas is changing everyday! He is playing soccer, and going to preschool five days a week. Three days a week he comes with me to Homewood Day School and the other days he goes to a local preschool 5 min from our house. He loves going to preschool where mommy and Grandma work but still is not so sure about the other one. His main interests is trains. He is really good at building tracks. He also has an imaginary friend named Carkey. Carkey does not go to church, he is sometimes at school, he has a swimming pool and a soccer goal. Sometimes I think this is Jonas' alter ego because Carkey gets into trouble a lot, according to Jonas. Something that Jonas is not lacking is an imagination! He has crazy stories to tell and will talk to anyone who will listen and he is comfortable with! Jonas is really doing a lot better about not throwing fits but he does have some anger/frustration issues. He usually says he wants to tear things up or hit things that he does not want to do. Example: ME: "Jonas it is time to go to church" Jonas: " I am going to hit my church"

Nic and Vanessa got to visit and they thought these conversations were hilarious...me, not so much! :)

Jonas is COMPLETELY potty trained through the night and has little to no accidents. He dresses himself, brushes his own teeth, picks out his clothes, tells me what he wants in his lunch, puts his dishes away, and cleans up his room (okay that last on is a total lie) HAHA!

Jonas LOVES music. He likes all kinds of it too. He loves to watch music videos on YOUTUBE. His favorite right now is the Numa Numa song. He also likes to listen to the GLEE soundtrack but also enjoys some enrique inglesias and eminem. Such great things that he is being exposed to, I know!

He picks up on everything that is said around him and still LOVES any attention he can get from anybody. When he is around new people he talks like a baby which is AWESOME, (sarcasm, big time here) He also says sometimes he wishes he was the baby and does not want to be a big boy. This is only because he thinks Tinzley has it SO easy!

He really is a good kid even though he is LOUD and obnoxious sometimes. He surprises us everyday with new things he has learned and he always makes me laugh with a new story he has to tell!

I cannot believe how much time has gone by and how fast it goes. I was just thinking about when we moved here Jonas was only 9 months old. SO crazy!

Happy Birthday Jonas! We love you!

Pics of the Walker

2010-09-12T16:30:00.000-05:00

I know she is not walking in this pic but she just has some really great expressions :)

Taking some tentative first steps...

Wearing her new walking shoes... :)

Ready for our first soccer game. My Mom has the other pics of Jonas in his uniform. He was not thrilled about getting on the field and playing but eventually got out there and ran around a little bit. It was very HOT and humid but we had a very successful first game. They dont keep score but....our team WON.... HAHA!

Soccer and FINALLY WALKING!

2010-09-10T14:03:00.000-05:00

Jonas started playing soccer about three weeks ago and I volunteered to be the Assistant head coach...I know I have nothing else to do right? It has been a lot of fun but Jonas is still a little clingy to me when we are on the field. We have our first game tomorrow morning so that should be EXTREMELY interesting! We have yet to really get him shin guards, or socks that really fit. His legs are just so skinny and short. HAHA! It is also funny how much they do not understand about not touching the ball with their hands. Like I said, the first game should be interesting!

I also have been working like a crazy person! I have been working at the Homewood Day school mon and wed afternoons while the kids go home with my mom. I also am working every other weekend right now at JCPenney. I am still cleaning my friend Jodi's house every other week and then next Tuesday I will start doing the nursery during Ladies Bible Class at our church.

Jonas is going to school two days a week and I have been trying to get Tinzley out to her very own storytime on Tues mornings. She is SO cute but I can tell she misses Jonas when he is gone. Jonas has become obssessed with Little Einstein's. Seeing as we do not have cable we just rent the DVD's from the library.

Tinzley also FINALLY started walking!!! It only took her 16 months! I will try and get some pics and video soon. I should not say she has started walking...I should say she is starting to take her very first steps on her own. We also FINALLY bought her new walking shoes. Hopefully this helps the process. :)

I am sorry I have been so behind on posting. LIFE IS CRAZY! I am trying to figure out what I really want to do when these kids are not going to need me so much anymore....I am also still trying to figure out life after having no full time job and life after my trip to Guatemala.

The kids are SO good and SO happy. Jonas has been pretty good lately. Tinzley was a little cranky for awhile because she was getting all 4 molars and other teeth all at the same time. Once all of those popped through she was back to her old self again!

I am trying to get back into the routine of school time again with so many of our friends back in school. I am trying to get our church group back to seeing each other and trying to stay on top of back to school events, church events, birthday parties (One big one coming up soon, THE BIG 4 for Jonas, WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?) Fall is SUCH a fun time of year. I am looking forward to football, pumpkins, and trick or treating! Then it will be Thanksgiving and Christmas before we know it! Time sure does go by TOO fast!

First Day Of School

2010-08-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

Ready to go to school

Going down the hallway

This is after I picked him up! Yes he is smiling :)

So Jonas had his first day of preschool today. This has been a day I have been looking forward to and dreading all at the same time! I never thought I would have trouble with it but I surprise myself still! He did absolutely great. He walked right in, put his bag on his hook and never looked back! I did force a kiss on him and a good bye! :) Tinzley and I headed over to Target for some girl time and she was just not having it. So after dropping Jonas off and her screaming in Target I LOST it for a good 40 min. I had a lot of emotions going on but after a Chicken Biscuit from good old Chick Fil A Tinzley and I were good to go! We got a little shopping done just the two of us and then picked Jonas back up from school. He had a GREAT first day. All I know is he had a cupcake, he got to play basketball in the gym, and his teacher said it was okay to wear pajamas to school and he thought that was hilarious. I look forward to many more school stories from this kid!

Cousins

2010-07-23T12:55:00.000-05:00

We are having so much fun with Isaiah and Rachel. Jonas LOVES his big cousins. He is actually acting better too so Tom and I are ecstatic. We are looking forward to another crazy busy week with them!

Guatemala Part Three

2010-07-15T13:19:00.000-05:00

This is a picture from the third day of clinic. Third day of clinic I was relieved from my vital duties and put in charge of Children's Activities. This was so much fun but so tiring. They are so active and busy. They just cannot wait to see what else you have in your bag of tricks. Every experience is a new one to them. Jumping rope, blowing bubbles, playing frisbee for HOURS! We played memory, they colored, we smiled and laughed at each other and tried to communicate as best we could. Some of the boys even learned my name. For some reason they found my name very funny.

After about 3-4 hours of playing with all the kids, and getting a burned forehead and nose, it was time to head up for lunch. We ate lunch in their new church building that they are still in the process of finishing. The guys helped paint the inside and outside of the building. The people of this church each contributed money to help build it. They are also all pitching in to help build and paint it. It is amazing the way these people take care of each other and their community. They contributed 1/3 of their annual income to help pay for the building of this church. Truly remarkable how giving these people truly are.This is the outside of the church.

After lunch I headed in to the dental area to get out of the sun and to have a brand new experience. This is where all the teeth pulling happens. As anyone who knows me, knows I am not comfortable with blood and pain. The most trouble I had was seeing the little kids sit in this big chair and be so brave while a dentist comes and looks around in their mouth. I cried twice while in the dental area but I had no trouble washing the tools. It did not bother me at all!

Future Dr. Banks pulling teeth!These are all the tools that the dentists use to pull the teeth.

After all the dental patients had been seen we had a little time to hang out and take some pictures. Some of us climbed up on top of our bus just to check out the view.

The view from our last day of clinic was absolutely breathtaking! My pictures just do not do it justice. I loved the mountains and how the clouds came rolling in every day right over them. It was amazing how high up we were!

The next day was Sunday and we had a short devotional service and were able to commune with each other on the first day of the week. After an exceptional singing and lesson from Brandon we went into the market. I LOVED THE MARKET. There are people EVERYWHERE. Everyone is trying to sell you things 'for a special price'. I heard that about everywhere we went! I loved walking around and watching all of the people. There was one guy who followed us around the entire time learning our names and really wanting to buy from him. (I eventually gave in) I ended up getting Tinzley a dress, Jonas a bus, and Tom a ring. I bought myself a skirt, my Mom a yellow apple, and a couple of scarves.

I cannot say enough about my experience. I cannot say enough about the people I met, the people I spent time with, and the people that put up with me on this trip. It truly was an experience of a lifetime. I hope that I am forever changed. I know that I have learned the value of patience. Already I have been faced with traffic, long lines, and I really have tried to remember the people that waited all day to see a doctor or dentist. These people will go with me everywhere. I know that life will get in the way and I will forget some of the lessons I learned but this will always be a part of my life now. These people will forever be with me wherever I go. Thank you so much to Kayla (STOP IT, my other brain, Are we there yet? BEST FRIEND FOREVER), Theresa (one of the sweetest ladies I know), Dee (for putting up with my singing), Carol (for making me laugh and cry), Colin (for always making me laugh and being a great Christian Man), Nicholas Nickleby (for letting me call you that all week and for all of your hard work), Danielle (for having such a great attitude and a smile that lights up a room), and Taylor (for being such a great listener and a great friend)

Guatemala Part Two

2010-07-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of where we were the second day of clinics. It was a little different because we did not have a building to be in this time. The people sat all day on these benches underneath a tarp. Dee and I worked together on vitals. I was getting pretty good at getting vitals. The only trouble I had was calling the people's names. I have no spanish background at all so it was hard for me to not sound completely American when reading the names. One of the woman there came and stood by me and read the names for me and she was extremely helpful. Whenever I read the names the ladies in the front row got a big kick out of it. I felt like I had a pretty good comedy routine down. :) This is a picture of the woman that helped me out all morning. She LOVED getting her picture taken.

After we got all the vitals taken we had lunch. Lunch was provided by the village people that we were helping that day. It was so sweet of them to feed us. They prepare a ton of food and comes from there own stock of food. It was hard to not appreciate and enjoy it but the food was definitely different then what I was used to eating. I did my best to eat what was set in front of me. These people are just so gracious and hospitable. They are truly inspiring. In a way that makes you wonder what you could truly do without. So much of what we have is just excess. It is not necessary for our everyday lives. They have such a sense of community and caring for one another. I look for that in my own life and hope that it is there. We really need to start being there for each other and knowing the needs of our brothers and sisters.

After lunch we had some down time to help clean up around the clinic area. There was just enormous amounts of trash everywhere.

This couple was so sweet to me. It is very unusual to see a man hold a baby. This man held this baby all day unless the mom was feeding the baby. Just a very different thing to see while I was down there. Most babies are carried by their mothers or sisters and are carried on their backs.

After the clinic was finished seeing patients and the dentists had seen all of their patients it is time to pack up and get on the bus again. Again, I just LOVED the bus rides. It was so great to see the country of Guatemala and all of the people. Some times on the way home we would see the people we were just helping walking home. How amazing to wait all day for a doctor or dentist and then to walk from miles and miles away to see them.

These people also carry everything either on their head or on their back. Just amazing the strength and endurance these people have to get around. While taking blood pressure and pulses I had noticed some of the pulses were incredibly low. I can only hope that it is because they are in such good shape.

Speaking of working hard. Some of the guys that came with us definitely worked hard. They were helping many of the churches in these villages build church buildings. They carried big cement cinder blocks around all day. They also did a lot of painting. Amazing work and I was so blessed to have been able to witness such servant hearts. This is Nicholas who carried cement blocks all day. He also helped do some cement building the first day.

We headed back to the hotel and after day two I was WIPED. We got back to the hotel later than the other group and not too much earlier than when dinner started so not a whole lot of down time. I tried to journal everyday but as the days got so busy the journal got forgotten more and more. We had chicken that night I believe. (Fried chicken was a pretty popular meal) We then went to our nightly devo and meeting. Brandon talked about Being Inspired. He talked about how would we continuely be inspired and inspire those around us. It is so easy to see God when you are out in a situation that has no technology distractions, or family/kid distractions. It was so easy to focus your mind without anyone there to tell you different. One thing he said that got to me was 'It is time for us to get out of HIS way'. SO TRUE and definitely something I need to focus on in my life. We focus so much on time and not having enough or always feeling rushed. I find myself already becoming so impatient with life. I hope that this is a way that I can continue to inspire myself and those of you around me.

Guatemala Part One

2010-07-13T12:48:00.002-05:00

I do not know where to start. I am going to try and just tell all the details and then hopefully I will have a more thoughtful and introspective post later.

We left from the church building on Tuesday July 6th. We arrived in Atlanta and got all checked into our hotel room. On the bus ride I still had not met many people and was still a little nervous of who I would hang out with on the trip. Everyone ended up being so friendly and such great friends. That night I stayed in a room with two great girls. They are both still in college so it was fun to get to know them and to kind of remember what it was like to be carefree with all you have to worry about is yourself. I definitely had ME time on this trip which was incredible. That night it was kind of hard to sleep just because of all the nervousness and excitement of the trip that laid ahead of us. We got to the Atlanta airport around 7:40 and check in was a breeze because we had printed our boarding passes ahead of time. Once we checked our bags I told Miss Dee that there was no turning back now. :)

We had plenty of time to get a snack and relax before we boarded our plane.

Once they started boarding the plane is when I really started to get nervous. I still did not feel like I knew anyone really that well and here we are about to get on a plane to another country and these are my links to reality. The plane ride was very smooth and it was long but went by relatively quickly. (The in flight entertainment helped, Date Night) We arrived in Guatemala city around 12ish? I really had no idea what time it was the whole trip. Which was very nice. Customs was extremely easy to get through and no one lost any luggage. Leaving the airport you are greeted by a ton of people waiting for relatives to fly in. Unless you are a passenger you are not allowed in the airport. So it was pretty interesting the way we were greeted. We met up with our group leader, Rick, and met some other people we would be spending the week with on our trip. Some of them were even on our plane from Atlanta. We were waiting on our bus to arrive and also for some more planes to fly into Guatemala. I ended up riding in the van instead of the bus. We were given fried chicken to eat in the van. We made a little pit stop on the way where I had my last Milky Way for 5 days. Chocolate was not very big in Guatemala. We made it to the Hotel Santo Tomas around 4:30. My roomie, Dee and I got to take a nap while waiting on the other group to arrive. Dinner was always at 7 every night. The nap was exactly what I needed because I had gotten a little headache from the plane and van rides. Breakfast and Dinner was eaten at the Hotel everyday. The breakfast was the easiest meal for me to eat. Dinner was always a meat and a starch. I did not eat a whole lot at dinner. The first night it was roast beef with some sort of sauce with rice. Most people drank coke but I would get bottled water every night since we could not drink the water out of the tap this was one way to get water. We had a meeting that night after dinner and a little devotional. We found out where we would be going and what we would be doing at the meeting. I found out I would be taking vitals. I had to ask what that meant. It was taking blood pressure, pulse, weight and temp. As I have no medical experience at all I was a little worried about this assignment. I was told how to take blood pressure by two different people and I was afraid I would not be able to do it. Luckily when I got to my clinic the woman that came with us had a digital blood pressure machine so I got to cheat for the two days I had to take vitals. :) I did have to take 5-10 babies pulses. That was not as fun because some of them were really afraid. The language barrier also proved to be difficult sometimes but it is amazing how hand signals are universal. :) The first day of clinic we were in a church building. The dentists set up there station with three lounge chairs that you would find by the side of a pool. They have 4 bins of liquid to clean the tools for pulling teeth. These people just sit there and get there teeth pulled without flinching or making any sort of noise. They get numbed but I do not know how much that helps.

We only had one little boy that was upset and crying. The other thing I was so impressed with was that these people wait all day to talk a doctor or dentist. They get there around 9 or 10 and we did not get done until 4 or 5. They wait ALL day. How patient someone must be to wait that long. They do not get upset or frustrated or angry. They wait happily knowing they are going to get the care they need. This bus is what we rode in every day to get to the clinics and back to the hotel. I was probably in this bus for 12 hours total. The roads are muddy and bumpy and very narrow. They also are winding up and down mountains so sometimes you could look out your window at a 1000 foot drop or more. I actually really enjoyed the bus rides. One member of the team told us of a saying Let Go and Let God. This was so true when riding in these buses and on these roads. Sometimes you just have to have faith and hope that God is with you always. I truly felt this way on this trip.

Too lazy or too busy?

2010-06-25T13:41:00.000-05:00

We have been having a crazy couple of weeks. Non stop fun, non stop action, non stop moving. The kids and I have been busy lounging by the pool this week. We went Monday and Tuesday. Jonas definitely got too much sun on Tuesday and so did I. It was well worth it though because we have such great friends that are moving away this weekend. We are SO sad to see them go. Jonas said to me this morning he wanted to move to Memphis with them. So cute! They moved here the same time we did and they have a little girl that is one month younger than Jonas. It has been so great to watch them grow and play together. It has also nice to not be alone during the terrible 2's, 3's, and so on. :)
Monday we had our Stay at home Mom breakfast and it was so much fun to eat with everyone and then go and hang by the pool a little bit. Have I mentioned I LOVE summer?
I am having a hard time remembering my camera to all of this fun. So not many pics to share.
Also, for those of you who have not heard I have gotten a part time job working at JCPenney. This is to make a little extra money to pay off student loans. I am determined, along with Tom, to get rid of them. If we can stick to our plan mine will be paid off in two years. Just in time for Jonas to go to Kindergarten. It is not the greatest job but I have enjoyed it as much as anyone can enjoy a retail job. I am very thankful to be able to get a job. I know that is a tough things these days.
Tom and I are also planning on running a half marathon with my friend Jodi in October in New Orleans. We are all done with our couch to 5k and we are now onto our 19 weeks until the half marathon. First week has been tricky with work, and the heat, and VBS planning. (Did I mention I was in charge of crafts for VBS at our church? CRAZY!) But we got all of our runs in this week and the big run is always on Sat. So tomorrow we will be running 4 miles. I have not done that since soccer 8-9 years ago. I am SO excited about it though. It really gives me something to look forward to and a goal to achieve.
So I am posting on here two big goals Tom and I want to accomplish this year so that you can all be thinking about us and holding us accountable.
1. Pay off my student loans in 2 years
2. Run a half marathon in October. (I also want to run another one in Birmingham in February with Tim and Nicolle)
That is what we have been up to. I feel like I have been cheating with the blog posts lately. Just posting pics.
I have just been so BUSY. In a good way. All of these things are things to be thankful for.
We have VBS starting Sunday so it is going to be another crazy busy week. Then it is 4th of July weekend. Then I am off to Guatemala for 6 days for a mission trip with our church. Again, so much to be thankful for and to be praying about.
I am so excited for all of our events we have planned and also for my niece and nephew, Rachel and Isaiah coming for 2 weeks after I get back from Guatemala.
I feel like I need a life planner to keep it all organized. :)
We hope you are all enjoying your summer as much as we are. We wish we could see you all more. I am trying to work out some mini vacations but money is SO tight.

LOVE THESE KIDS!

Happy Father's Day.....

2010-06-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

to some pretty silly and awesome DADS!

Family Pics

2010-06-13T06:46:00.000-05:00

13 months

2010-06-08T15:05:00.000-05:00

T
Tinzley is 13 months today. We get told ALL the time how much she looks like Jonas. These are pictures of Jonas around 13 months. Similar but still different. She has WAY more hair then he did. But about as big of a mouth. :)
She is not walking yet but can stand on her own and squat down. Sure laziness really.
She is climbing on everything she can get her little legs onto. Her favorite activity is crawling back and forth on our couch and then diving over the arm into a nearby chair. She also loves going from the fireplace to the ottoman to the chair. This is making me a crazy wreck thinking she is going to fall off all the time. She is not really saying anything new. Still mama, dada, bye bye, her version of Jonas, hi (which come out hiya), paw paw, and hey. So cute!
She is also getting some teeth so she has been really cranky lately. She is also becoming very attached to her blanket. For those of you who have been around Jonas in the last 3 1/2 years you will know this is not far behind him in the blanket obssession. We do not know why but that is definitely what our kids get attached to. Linus is what we called Jonas, but who is a girl character that carries her blankie everywhere?
Tinzley is really a joy to be around and I am sure she will be walking and talking very soon!

This house has gone crazy!

2010-06-03T13:49:00.001-05:00

Jonas was not a quiet child ever but he was not an adventurous child either. He was outgoing but shy, crazy but timid, kind of warring personalities really. Well, the kid has not changed much but he has gotten a lot more adventurous. This brings me to Tinzley. This little girl is CRAZY. She loves to climb! LOVES it. We do not have stairs in our house, thank goodness, but she is constantly climbing on anything she can get her little legs onto. She also has NO fear. She has crawled into the papasan we have from the fireplace. She has jumped off of the couch, some with success and some I have had the mom quickness to catch her. Jonas did not start jumping until he was at least 2 and even then it took him awhile to get the hang of it. Tinzley is not walking yet but give her a few more weeks and I think she is really going to go crazy. She is quick.
Tinzley also is getting, from my best guess, at least 4 teeth. Needless to say she is VERY cranky which is not like her at all. We got home from storytime and taking Tom to lunch today and after I changed her diaper she found her blanket and plopped right on the floor. Poor thing. I am hoping they pop through soon and she can be herself again!

Also, we are still riding the emotional Jonas roller coaster. He has been A LOT better but we still have days I wonder if it will ever get better.

Summer time is really helping. He gets to go outside and play with the big neighborhood kids. This makes me nervous, happy, and sad all at the same time. He is just getting so big. He has the little girl from next door come to the house, knock on the door, and ask if Jonas can come out and play. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? Crazy how time flies. :)

This was Tinzley on this past Sunday. I just thought she looked SO cute. Yes, that is one BIG bow but even Tom said it worked with the outfit. :)

Long Time, No Blog

2010-05-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Summer is officially here!
We have been SO very busy swimming, hanging with friends, going to see the animals, playing in the fountains, running, and all sorts of things.
We have been to the zoo, the pool, and the children museum just this week. Crazy!

This past Sunday I had asked for prayers for patience with Jonas. I think some people thought I was joking but this is NO joke. He really has caused me to question myself as a mother. I was questioning my motives, how I discipline, how I yell, what I say, how I say it, etc. It is not even that he is bad, really, it is just devious, negative, LOUD, and disrespectful. He refuses to LISTEN. He runs away from me in Wal Mart, at church, everywhere. I am really afraid he will get hurt. Anyways, I was TRULY at my wits end. I still am sometimes but it has gotten better. So I had asked for prayers and they were answered on Monday and Tuesday. I had the most precious little three year old in my house those two days. He has not gone away completely but a little bit of that other kid has seeped in the past few days. I really have been trying to be more patient. I also have been avoiding spanking or yelling. Sometimes I have to yell because he still has a hard time listening.

Tinzley on the other hand has been so great. She is just so funny. I know she will be more of a handful someday but for right now I am enjoying every second I have of a relaxed chilled kid. Example of this was yesterday. We went to the pool with some great friends, who are moving and I am so sad, and she sat in a lounge chair by us two moms for over an hour eating her snack and watching all the kids splish splash in the pool. I love that she just wants to lay out and relax. That is my kind of kid!

Here are some pics of Tinzley in her pigtails and then what happens when you take them out. I love it!

BeZOOtiful!

2010-05-17T15:14:00.000-05:00

(I kind of stole the idea of my title from my friend Andrea who happened to be our friend at the zoo today.)
:)
Anyways,
Every month I try, very hard, to get the moms that stay home together. We usually meet up at each other's houses or parks so today I thought it would be fun to meet up at the zoo.
It started out looking gray, and cooler but turned into a beautiful day!
We ate a little breakfast snack and headed into the zoo. We went to the children's petting zoo part first. I had not been through the woodsy area since we first moved here. I actually really enjoyed it because we got to see a rooster up close and personal and we also got to see some otters swimming around.
After we strolled through this section of the zoo the kids wanted to play on the play area. As we were sitting there enjoying our view from the bench the fountains were turned on. (We thought we were not going to get in the fountains because they said they were closed due to maintenance) Well, we headed over there to check it out and much to our surprise and delight they were all fixed up and working! YAY!
So the kids got all changed and had a blast playing in the water. The babies got into it too. Tinzley liked it but wanted to climb up the steps more than play in the water!
What a fun day!

Thanks also to Andrea on the AWESOME pics!

On another note...
I am working on running a half marathon. As some of you may know, I am a HUGE Biggest Loser fan. Every year I have been watching they have ran a marathon on the last episode before the finale. Well, every year I feel like the biggest loser watching these people who were 350-400+ lbs run a marathon. Back in September I took a little stumble down some stairs and have not been able to exercise really since then. Well, I feel much better now and so I have been working on my running game. I am trying to get 3 miles down so I can really start training. It takes about 3-4 months if you can run a good 3 miles. I will keep you posted of my progress. This is something I really want to do!
After saying all of that, I was running Saturday night and took a little spill. I banged up my knee pretty bad and hurt my other ankle. I am taking a couple days off and then I am planning to get back out there. On Saturday I ran 20 min straight rested for 5 and then ran another 10. I am on my way!

Mother's Day :)

2010-05-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

I had a great Mother's Day. I got both my presents the day before. My Mom made me a shirt with a picture of Jonas and Tinzley on it and Jonas and Tinzley got me a show I watched last year the whole time I was pregnant with Tinzley, Legend of The Seeker, on DVD. Kind of cheesy but a good idea. :)
On Sunday I got to sleep a little later than I normally do on Sunday and got up to Tom already having Jonas fed. Tom was a great help all day and was there for anything I needed. Thanks Tom!
We went to lunch at Olive Garden and the kids were very good. We got home in time for nap time. It was a beautiful day outside and a perfect Mother's Day!

Thanks to my Mom and Dad, and also to Tom.

Tinzley's Cupcake Birthday

2010-05-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

Tinzley,
Today you turned one year's old. You weigh around 20 pounds. You are still wearing size 3 diapers and you no longer take any bottles. You do not like peas or carrots but you will eat pretty much anything else. You will literally put ANYTHING in your mouth. You are happy 95% of the time. You can say Mama, Dada, Bye Bye, Baby, Hi, and your own version of Jonas. You stood by yourself for the first time two days ago. You also do not mind getting dirty or scraped up. You love to climb on anything you can. Today we found you sitting in your rocking chair reading a book. You are very independent. You play extremely well by yourself. You prefer me to anyone but Daddy is pretty good too. You are nice to strangers but are still a little cautious when meeting new people. You love to play. You love music and you love to move to the music. You have recently been trying to 'sing' when you hear music. You put your hand up to your ear when we say hello, like you are talking on your phone (I do not know where you get this ;) )
You should also know that you have been one HUGE blessing this year. You have brought joy and happiness to my life. You have taught my patience. You have taught me to love unconditionally and you taught me to be happy. For that is what you are, you are patient, you are happy, and you love unconditionally. So thank you!
We love you and look forward to many more years.
Love, Mommy

Happy Birthday Tinzley!

2010-05-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

She climbed up in this chair and started reading the book all by herself.

I love you Tinzley!

Birthday Banner

2010-05-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

We

We have a birthday coming up soon! So I wanted to make Tinzley a birthday banner. We are not having a huge birthday bash but we are having a few people over to celebrate so I have been trying to come up with ways to decorate. I got this idea from my friend Andrea who is an AWESOME scrapbooker and also very creative.
Tinzley's birthday theme is pink and purple and cupcakes. I found this scrapbook chipboard on JOANN fabrics. It is in the shape of cupcakes so I could not resist.

Here are some pics of the finished product. :)

Pig Tails

2010-05-01T17:58:00.000-05:00

Some Pics and a Happy Belated Birthday

2010-05-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that in one week Tinzley is going to be one year. It is crazy to think about all the things that have happened this year. We have had a lot of changes and a lot of blessings. We have hard times, good times, sad times, happy times, and times of frustration and confusion. I have personally had a year of a lot of thinking, praying, and figuring out of what I want to do with this life I have been given. I never wanted to stay home with my kids. I never thought I could do it or be able to do it. Last year I was forced with a decision. Last year to the day I was told I would no longer have a job teaching third grade. Last year when I found this out I was planning to have a baby in a week. Last year I thought this was the worst possible news I could have gotten. (I have learned it is not the worst news just not good news) Yes, I could have gone a looked for a job. The thought of that was so overwhelming at the time that I just shut down that option altogether. How could I go look for a job? Someone had just told me I was not good enough. Someone had just told me you do NOT have what it takes to be a good teacher, or to be a teacher at all. I will admit I did not LOVE my job everyday but I did love those kids. I loved the people I worked with and my team. That was all taken from me. This are all the things I had to think about last year.
It took me almost the whole year to admit to myself and to my very patient and understanding husband that I had lost ALL confidence in myself. As a teacher, as a mother, a wife, a daughter. I was not good enough to hold down a job and help support my family. I was not good enough to teach other people's children, how would I teach my own? I had failed. This is how I saw it and I saw it no other way.
Okay, I say all of that to say this. I do not know if I was suppose to stay home. I know that I would not have made that decision if I had not been forced to. I do feel as though this year has taught me a lot about myself, my kids, my walk with Christ, and what I really want for my life. It has been hard. It has been challenging. Staying home can be a very lonely place. You can feel as though no one understands or cares about your life because your life is your kids, your husband, your house. You give and give and give and on some days get nothing back and other days get a smile, or flowers, or someone else doing the dishes, or someone else doing bath time, or an uninterupted shower. This are the things you have to look forward to. These are the things that really matter. TIME. TIME with your family, time with your kids. You only get so much. Jonas is going to be 4 in October and Tinzley is turning 1. I only have a few years left until they are off to school and then time REALLY flies by. Do I appreciate everyday? NO. Do somedays I suck as a mom? YES! (Just ask Jonas) Do I try my best? YES Am I happy? This is the question I struggle with everyday. How does one measure happiness? It is so hard. In my heart I know the answer is a resounding YES. But sometimes it is hard. I let other things get in the way. Money is a big one. Selfishness also a BIG one. What does yourself matter anymore when you have kids? It doesn't. That is hard because we, well I, struggle with selfishness and materialism. I also have very little patience. I want to be better. I want to do what is right and I think staying home has really helped. No excuses.
(Sorry, if you are reading this and thinking where is she going? No where. I ramble. My english teachers hated me! :) I am not a very good writer so sorry! I just write how I talk.)
I just want to say thank you to those who have helped me on my bad days, hung out with me and my kids on good days, lisitened to stories, commented on my pictures or blogposts, responded to emails, been my friend, encouraged me through examples you set, answered the phone when you saw it was me (again), and taken on my kids so I could have a break. :) You all know who you are. Those who are reading this and this is not news to you. You were there for me. So THANK YOU! I am still wrestling with the idea of working. My parents on moving down here soon and that would make it convienent. But most of the time it just does not feel right to leave my kids with someone else even if it is family.
Just keep us in your prayers that we know what the right answer/path is for us to follow.

Also, a very happy birthday to my AMAZING husband. I LOVE YOU!

So here are some pics that I promised. Tinzley is getting into everything and is everywhere. She has some very silly faces. She took a little spill about a week ago. So that is the mark on her nose.

Busy but blessed

2010-04-22T09:54:00.000-05:00

I have been super busy this week. I have been watching two extra kids for a friend of ours from church. She has a 3 1/2 year old girl and a 20 month old little boy. It has been different because we have been pretty much stuck at the house. We do not have a car that will hold all 4 car seats legally. :)
It is a HUGE blessing though because of the extra money that I am making because of it.
I have also been busy planning for a very small get together for Tinzley's birthday. Her birthday falls on a Saturday so I thought it would be appropriate to have a cook out and invite a few friends over. It has been hard to get a head count because most people are not available that weekend. Mother's day weekend might be a tough weekend to have a birthday. :)
Here are some pics from our last couple weeks. Having 4 kids in the house is making me reevaluate the want for anymore kids. :) Although these kids make it pretty easy.

Beach, pool, and weddings OH MY!

2010-04-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

We have been in Sarasota, FL since Wednesday and we just got back last night. It was such a nice trip but very busy and very tiring. Vacation with little kids is NO vacation. We did have fun playing on the beach and swimming in the pool. We also had fun seeing a lot of family!
Wednesday we left around 7 in the morning. The kids did great. They both ate and slept in the car and for the most part they were happy. We got into Sarasota 5 our time, 6 Sarasota time. We met up with Tim and Nicolle and some of her family and friends at Old Salty Dog for dinner. We had a good time eating and catching up with everybody. Tim had the most fun while getting soaked by a knocked over drink by who else? Jonas. Other than that no major happenings to report.
We got back to the hotel LATE and we were all ready for bed. We all slept pretty well.
We were up the next day by 8:15 and got ready and headed to the beach. It was a beautiful day and perfect beach weather. Tinzley and Jonas both had a great time playing in the sand and splashing in the water. Jonas LOVED looking for seashells. We were at the beach for about 2 hours and then headed over to Tim and Nicolle's beach house for lunch and a dip in the pool.

Tinzley took a much needed nap while we all relaxed by the pool. We then got ready to go to dinner that night with Tom's aunts and uncles and Tim and Nicolle and her family. We ate at a very nice restaurant and it was pretty rough juggling the kids. They did okay but Tom and I were ready to head out after eating. We got some yummy gelato on our way out and then headed back to the hotel for again, some much needed rest.
Friday Tom went out with the guys to go fishing. The kids and I went out and did some shopping and then let Tinzley take a morning nap. We just hung around the hotel and relaxed. I read a book and Jonas watched some TV while Tinzley napped. We ate lunch and then headed back over to Tim and Nicolle's beach house. Jonas and Tinzley got to swim in the pool together and Tinzley LOVED it. The guys got back and we all got ready to go to the rehearsal on the beach. We then at dinner and got some more ice cream after that! We headed back to the hotel and again got some MUCH needed rest. :)

Saturday we woke up early and headed out to the beach one last time before the wedding. We stayed for about 2 hours again. It was so much fun. We met up with Tom's Nana, his aunt Karen, and his Uncle Grant and Aunt Thea, his Mom, Peggy and brother and sister, Eric and Wendy. We all had fun buliding sand castles and soaking up some sun and splashing in the ocean and looking for seashells. We headed into to get some lunch and get ready for the wedding.
We went to the wedding and then to the reception. It was a beautiful wedding on the beach and the reception was nice too. It was very late when we left and Tinzley had already conked out on my shoulder. We ready to head out and say good bye to everyone.
Sunday we woke up early and headed out around 8. We got in last night around 6:15. I am so happy for Tim and Nicolle. I am also so happy we got to see everyone and that the kids enjoyed the beach and the pool. We hopefully will be taking those kids again soon! :)

Easter Pics

2010-04-04T21:27:00.000-05:00

It was a fun but VERY busy weekend. We went to the Easter Egg Hunt in town and were in rain. It did not stop us from having some fun though. Jonas warmed up enough to take one slide down the inflatable slide. He also got to get eggs for himself and Tinzley. It was fun but we were ready to go after collecting our eggs. We were SOAKED!

We came home and changed. We ate a little snack and we were heading out again. We have been promising Jonas for weeks that we would take him to this Railroad club in town. It is only open on Saturday from 10-2 and it is about 30 min away. We made the journey over and it was worth it just for Jonas' face while watching the model trains go around and around.

That night we dyed Easter eggs. Tinzley even helped by crushing an egg that had not quite boiled enough. Nice....

Today we got all dressed up in our coordinating Easter clothes and went to church. We also got to go out to eat at a very fancy place, Wendy's. We went with friends and the kids had a great time.

Jonas and Paw Paw went to the park this afternoon for an hour a half. Then naps were needed for all!