Livin on Love

It Matters!

2012-02-09T14:38:00.001-05:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been attending a bible study at church on the book of Revelation. It’s a Beth Moore study called, Here and Now – There and Then. If you’ve read this blog at all or know just a little bit about me, then you know I love Beth Moore. She is an amazing bible teacher and a woman who loves God with more of her being than any other person I have ever met. Do I know her personally? No. But her character, her attitude, her actions, her person, exudes Christ.

“By their fruit you will recognize them” – Matthew 7:16. Meaning by a persons character, attitude, actions, etc, you will know they are a follower of Christ. Wow. That’s a BIG example to live up to and I know I fall short every day. But, it also brings me to the title of my post today – It Matters!

It does indeed matter how we live our lives. We are called to be righteous and holy people, and God will surely judge our unrighteousness. The whole chapter of Psalm 119 reminds us that it matters how we live. Point blank. It matters!

Today, our lesson was on Revelation chapter 6. If you want the living daylights scared out of you, just read Revelation chapter 6. It’s on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and it basically describes end-time events and how it’s all going to go down. Scary with a capital S! Thankfully, I believe in the one true God. I know how it all ends and I know I will be standing in heaven when all is said and done. But, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still frightening when I think about these events in the context of our present culture and environment.

So what does Revelation chapter 6 have to do with how we live our lives today? It’s a reminder that Christ called us to live a certain way – for Him alone. If we choose to live any other way .. well, I just don’t even want to go there. We live in a world filled with sin. Even believers sin on a regular basis. There is just no way around it. But Christ knows our hearts and He is merciful to those who are earnestly seeking him with their entire being. For we all will be judged, but thank heavens for James 2:13 which states, “because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Time and time again, God give us the opportunity to choose Him. To choose Him over telling a lie. To choose Him over lashing out at our kids. To choose him over disrespecting our husbands. To choose Him over sex before marriage. To choose Him over a night of binge drinking. To choose Him over road rage. To choose Him over laziness. .. the list could go on forever. What it boils down to is choosing HIM, time and time again.

Now, in the past, have I always chosen Him first? The honest answer to that question is no. That’s why I’m so thankful for James 2:13. Mercy triumphs over judgment. So, if you’ve fallen short of His glory (like we all have), you can choose Him today. Make a change today. Repent and choose Him, above all else. Choose to live your life, every waking moment, for Him and His glory. Not because of any rule book. But, because it matters. It matters how I live. It matters how you live. How we live now, chooses how we will live for eternity. That’s heavy.

The time has come
To stand for all we believe in
So I for one am gonna
Give my praise to You

Today today it's all or nothing
All they way
The praise goes out to You
Yeah all the praise goes out to You
Today today I live for one thing
To give You praise
In everything I do
Yeah all the praise goes out to You

All we are is Yours
And all we're living for
Is all You are
Is all that You are Lord

Hillsong couldn’t have said it better. “Today, today, I live for one thing. To give You praise in everything I do. The praise goes out to You.” It matters.

Cori Belle says…

2012-02-09T07:52:00.001-05:00

Cori is a wealth of words and information these days. Always saying something funny or profound. At least her parents seem to think so! :) A few of my friends have started jotting down what their kids say and then blogging about it once a month. I think I might give it a try. It will be SO much fun to read later on. Here goes…

“I go pay-gound (playground). Wee (swing), and slide!” I hear this request ALL day, probably over 100 times a day. I should keep track one day.

“Moon? Moon? Where’d it go? .. Oh, der it is! Hiding behind trees. Silly Moon.” haha!

“I wub you, mommy.”

As we were leaving the mall the other day, there was a ramp we had to walk up (since I had the stroller with Finley). But there were also stairs to the right and left of the ramp. Cori started veering to the right, heading over to the stairs and said… “Up stairs, mommy. Meet you, K!”

We were listening to “Forever Reign” in the car the other day. Cori calls it the Jesus song. It was getting to the part where they sing “Jesus” over and over again. All the sudden Cori turns to Finley and says, “Baby, you hear it? Jesus!”

“Baby Gace” .. meaning, Finley Grace.

Her response after every picture I take … “Aww, cute!”

We were walking out the the parking lot after gym class one day. She ran ahead of me into the street. I ran after her and grabbed her shirt to stop her. I explained the rules about running ahead of me into the street and told her that I wasn’t ready for her to see Jesus yet. She responded, “Oh, I see Jesus.”

Cori requests to read the story of Jesus calming the storm pretty much every night before bed. Throughout the whole story she repeats, “Jesus, wake up!”

Cori – “Oh, yuk!”

Me – “What?”

Cori – “I eat carpet.”

Upon getting her PJ’s on after a bath, she stood up and announced, “I pretty now!”

Me – “Cori, do you know where Jesus lives?”

Cori - “In my heart, mommy” as she pointed to her heart.

Just some rambling…

2012-02-07T16:06:00.001-05:00

It really has been a great past few days!! I have to admit, this past month has been hard. Dave has been on the Wards at the hospital, meaning he works 13 hour days and only gets 4 days off the entire month. That makes for a lot of single parenting, long days, over tiredness, and frustration. Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel … 3 more days of Wards!!

I also feel like I’m never home. I’m completely at fault for that. We are always on the go doing fun things, but sometimes those fun things leave me stressed. Mainly because I’ve pushed my children to their limit and then I pay for it by their overtiredness, whininess, and ornery behavior. I recently had a conversation with a good friend about all of this. She reminded me that sometimes we just have to say “no” to some things. I can’t make every play date, attend every gym class, run every errand, attend every bible study, etc. Sometimes I just need to stay home. So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do around here and it feels SO GOOD! I’m blessed that I have the ability to stay home with my kids. I don’t have to rush them around to daycare so I can work. I have the opportunity to work from home and when I want to. I should embrace that by actually spending some time at home, right?! :)

It really has been magnificent. Cori and I have actually been able do some school stuff. Finley has actually been able to nap in her crib in the mornings. Imagine that?! I certainly am a girl who thrives on a schedule. It’s just so hard to decide what is and isn’t an important thing to do. But the more I think about it, the more I realize how important this very moment is with my children. They are two and 7 months. And they will only be this age ONCE. It’s time to stop trying to do “everything” and start slowing down to do what’s important – spending quality time with my girls, who are the absolute LOVES of my life!

Anyway, I took the time to write this down for memories sake. I think it will be fun to look back in 5 years, 10 years from now and remember what life was like. What I was struggling with and excelling at. Just to remember the moments that pass by all too quickly. The moments I just wish I could hold into forever. … All this to say, that it really has been a great few days! And, I know that Christ is the one to thank for all of this. He has always had it all under control. Why did I ever think I could keep it together on my own? All glory to Him for this beautiful life!

Cori Belle matching colors. She LOVES doing “school” related activities!!

My absolutely beautiful 7 month old!

Hope you are enjoying this life as much as you possibly can – Cherishing moments with the ones you hold dear and focusing on the things that matter for eternity.

Until next time…

What I LOVE about YOU!! .. week 29 & 30

2012-02-01T07:45:00.001-05:00

Today Finley Grace turns 7 months old. Time is flying around here and I just can’t believe that my babies are 2 years and 7 months. I LOVE this age with Finley. She is so much fun and working so hard to start crawling. She will sit on all fours, rocking back and forth, and Cori will lay down next to her and say, “Crawl baby, crawl!!” Watching my two girls interact melts my heart on a daily basis. They are already the best of friends.

Miss Finley – 7 months

Week 29 & 30

I LOVE …

Seeing your attempts to crawl. You so badly want to chase that sister of yours!!

Bath time! You LOVE taking baths! At Christmas you took your very first bath without the baby seat. You love sitting in the tub with your sister!!

Swinging at the park. This has pretty much become an afternoon routine. We get up from naps and head to the park or out to the field to play. The weather has just been beautiful lately!!

Reading books with you.

The WONDERFUL sleep schedule we’ve been on for a month straight!! 7pm-7:30/8 am!! I think it’s almost time to move you into your sisters room so mommy and daddy can have their closet back!
All the babbling that’s been going on lately. You’ve really started chatting it up in the last 2 weeks. So far, it’s only, “da, da, da, da…” but it’s SO sweet!
Taking you to your first Gator Gymnastics meet!

How unbelievably beautiful you are!!! I just can’t get over it!

Wow, Finley, I love you more than words can even say. You and your sister both. You girls (and your daddy of course) are my true loves. You three are the most precious gifts God could have ever given me. Happy 7 months sweet girl!

Love, your mama :)

“I see Princess!”

2012-01-24T15:36:00.001-05:00

Those are the words I’ve been hearing around my house for the last two weeks! It goes something like this…

“I see Pin-cess (princess)!” says Cori.

“Who was your favorite Princess?” asks Mommy.

“Ti - bell!” (tinkerbell)

“What did Tinkerbell do?”

“Fly! Boom!” (the boom is in reference to the fireworks that went off around the castle after Tinkerbell flew from the top of the castle. Oh, the wonderful minds of children!)

Last Tuesday Dave and I packed up the girls and took them to Disney World for Cori’s 2nd Birthday. Most people say that kids at age two are too young for Disney because they won’t remember, but I disagree! Not only does my girl continue to talk about the princesses daily, but she had SO much fun in the moment while she was there, and that’s what matters.

It’s actually quite funny – each day when Dave gets home from work, he asks Cori how her day was. Ever since we’ve gotten back from Disney she has responded, “I see Pin-cess!” with more excitement on her face than I can even describe. Apparently, she is obsessed with the princesses! :) It’s all she can talk about.

Our family had such a great day at Disney! Finley would nurse, hang out in the stroller, then fall asleep in the Ergo. She pretty much repeated that pattern all day long. Cori was a trooper! She walked most of the time, but also took rides in the stroller and on our backs. She completely skipped her afternoon nap (we were at the park from 9:30am-8:30pm) and did GREAT!

The first thing we did upon entering the park was visit with the princesses. CB sure did talk a big talk about meeting those princesses, but when it actually came time to meet them, she was not so sure. I had to hold her as we visited with Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora. She held her hands in her mouth the whole time (as she does when she is nervous). I really do think she liked getting to see them though. It was ALL (and still is ALL) she can talk about afterwards!!

Cori was tall enough to do the Race Car ride with me. She also rode the tea-cups, the carousel, the magic carpet ride, It’s a Small World, Peter Pan, Adventures with Pooh, the Haunted House, the Flying Space Ships, and climbed the Swiss Family Robinson Tree. She had a blast!

Teacup fun!

Magic Carpet Ride – this was her FAVORITE!!

Loving the Carousel

Yep, we rode it twice!

Trying hard to pull out that sword!!

Waiting in line with mommy!

Waiting in line with daddy!

Sooo tired by the end of the day!

We watched the show in front of the castle with all the Disney characters. She loved that!!

And, of course, we took a family picture in front of the castle. (Just don’t pay attention to the guy and his daughter bent over behind us – HA!)

It truly was a spectacular day and I already can’t wait to go back! We got a 4 day pass to use before we leave for Birmingham. I never thought I’d look forward to heading back to Disney world this much in my life! It was magical! :)

The following day, we headed to Animal Kingdom. I took my 3rd graders to Animal Kingdom every year for their end-of-the-year field trip and remember it being such an amazing place for kids. And, I’m sure it is, but our day there didn’t start out as planned. The first thing we did upon entering the park was to go see “A Bugs Life.” Well, I must have blocked out how very scary that show is for kids!! The bugs are mean and HUGE plastic spiders drop from the ceiling for crying out loud!!! Cori was NOT a fan and spent the entire show with her face buried in her daddy’s chest. After that, she was pretty timid about everything!!!

Animal Kingdom does have a new Finding Nemo musical that she enjoyed. But her FAVORITE part of Animal Kingdom was the “Dig Site play area.” We spent about 45 minutes just playing in there. She loved it!!

Unfortunately, rain hit around noon and the radar showed it raining ALL DAY! So, we cut our day short and headed to Ikea (my favorite store of all time!!). We may have to use one of our days to take a trip back to Animal Kingdom. But we will NOT be seeing A Bugs Life again!! :)

Until next time…

A Dose of Hope

2012-01-22T15:23:00.001-05:00

I just got back from my second annual Premier Regional Rally. I’ve been a part of Premier Designs Jewelry for about a year and a half now and I’m more excited about my job today than I ever have been. Who would have thought that I would turn from a teacher, to a stay at home mom, to a jewelry lady?

I think I may have mentioned this before, but I struggled for a long time about actually being a “jewelry lady.” I struggled with it not being a very “prestigious” job. After all, I had gone to college and gotten a masters degree in teaching. That was a “prestigious” job, right? But being a jewelry lady is so much more than selling jewelry. It’s actually not about jewelry sales at all. I mean of course, I need to make sales in order to make a living, but those sales aren’t the focus of my business. People are! You see, Premier Designs is a business focused on HONORING GOD and SERVING PEOPLE. Luke 22:27 is a verse straight from the mouth of Jesus that states, “I among you, is one who serves.” That is the verse you will also see outside the Home Office of Premier Designs in Texas. Wow! Premier is a business that stands on the Word of God. Now, that’s a business I want to work for.

Andy Horner (Premier’s founder) spoke at Rally on 3 words that would change our lives and our businesses. They were GIVE, SERVE, and LOVE. It wasn’t about something we could do to make our businesses more productive, to sell more, to sponsor more people. It was about being more like Christ. It’s about giving others a “dose of hope.”

GIVE. Premier is a company that believes in giving. Why else would they GIVE their jewelers 50% of everything they sell? Why else would they GIVE hostesses 30% of everything sold in free jewelry? Why else would they GIVE back to missionaries and ministries in 60 different countries around the world? Because Acts 20:35 says that “it’s more blessed to give than to receive.” And Premier is a company that acts upon the Word of Scripture.

SERVE. Premier believes in meeting people’s needs and serving others who are sometimes hard to serve. Good customer service is rare to find these days. But service adds value to the product. We must ask ourselves how we can SERVE our customers. Christ was the greatest example of a humble servant. Premier wants us to be more like Him.

LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “Three things will last forever – faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.” Andy Horner said, “Love is the most magnetic thing you will have in all your life.” I believe that is true. Premier is a company focused on LOVING others, right where they are, whether they buy jewelry or not. We are called to show them Christ’s love.

You see, I have been reading Acts in the last few weeks. I’ve been reading about Paul proclaiming the name of Christ over and over again to people all over. His purpose in life was to do that. I think sometimes we feel like we have too much going on in this life to focus on proclaiming the name of Christ. We think, “Well that was Paul’s sole job. We have jobs we actually have to go to. Paul just traveled around the world, sight seeing. If that was my job, I could proclaim the name of Christ too.” What we forget it that Paul’s job is our job too. Whether we are accountants, doctors, teachers, college students, cashiers, babysitters, dog walkers, or jewelry ladies. Proclaiming the name of Christ is OUR JOB, OUR PURPOSE. I have the opportunity to go into women’s homes and meet them where they are. Bring them hope. Encourage them. Walk along side them. And proclaim the name of Christ. Wow! Now, that’s a prestigious job!!

Something else I love about Premier is that all my best friends from different stages of life have entered into the business with me. I LOVE that! Ashley was my very best friend in high school. Kristy H. was my very best friend in college. Kristy S. is my very best friend from mommy hood. Lacy, who was a friend from college, has certainly become my very best friend in Premier AND my Premier Mama! Stephanie, who has her training show tomorrow, was my very best friend from teaching. And, my mom is a part of Premier too. WOW! Now, if I could just get Lauren, my very best married couple friend (her hubby Lance is BFF’s with my hubby too!), and a few other girls who are near and dear to me, to join the business too, my Premier family would be complete! :)

Left to Right: Kristy S, Lacy, Ashley, me, mom, Kristy H

Front: Rita

Lacy is my amazing Premier Mama, and the rest are my amazing Premier daughters. We were missing daughters Tina (who was there, just not in the picture!!), Stephanie, Melissa, and Courtney. As well as, my granddaughters Terri & Rhonda (who where there, just not in the picture), and Arielle.

I can’t tell you how much being a part of Premier has meant to me. Premier allows me to stay at home with my girls, helps provide financially for my family, gives me something to do that’s specifically for ME, allows me to build into the lives of other women, and proclaim the name of Jesus. Why do I do Premier? Because I LOVE it and because God is going to do BIG things through it. Wow, I can’t wait to see what 2012 holds in store! Certainly, a dose of hope!

There is Love

2012-01-16T07:54:00.001-05:00

That’s the title to the song Miss Cori Belle requests to hear when we get into the car these days. I love that my girl desires to hear music about the Lord. It’s a Chris Tomlin song and the kids from the Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda, Africa sing in it. When she requests it, she actually asks to “hear the kids, mommy.” You can listen to it here, if you’d like! She repeats over and over, “Oh, la, la, la, Oh, la, la, la.”

Love is the answer

Love will find a way

When we love one another

It’s a brighter day

There are so many things about a two year old that melt my heart. The things she says, the compassion she has, her hyper-activity at times, her imagination, the truth in her heart, the way she isn’t ashamed of Jesus, the way she loves, her desire to learn, and the list goes on. Oh, how I pray for her to know and love the Lord with all her heart. There is NOTHING more important than that in this life.

My sweet Cori – 2 years old

33 1/2 inches

24.4 lbs

6 Months

2012-01-14T14:20:00.001-05:00

January 1 not only brought in the new year, but it also marked the day that Miss Finley turned 6 months old! Wow! 6 months. What a milestone!

week 22-28

Here’s to playing catch-up!

I LOVE…

The way your cheeks are always so rosey!
The way you love to trace my face with your fingers. You are always reaching up and touching my face – my eyes, my nose, my mouth. Sometimes you take both hands and touch both my cheeks. I LOVE those moments with you.
Watching you try to crawl. You have been pulling your legs up underneath you and pushing up on all fours. You aren’t really going anywhere yet, but you certainly are trying!! You do like to roll over and over in order to get yourself closer to the action – aka, your older sister! :)
Your excitement to try new foods! I just wish solids didn’t make you so constipated!!
Your current sleep schedule of 7:30 pm to sometimes 8 am!! Girl, these last 6 weeks have been up and down with sleep routines. Your momma has spent quite a few nights up with you and I’m SO thankful for the sleep you’ve given me for the last few days. PLEASE, let’s keep it that way! :)
The BEAUTIFUL laughter between you and your sister.
Watching you interact with your toys. You have some favorites and you love playing with Cori’s dollhouse people.
Snuggling with you, hugging you, kissing your sweet face, gazing into your eyes, holding your hand, nursing you, etc. etc. etc.
Being your momma, plain and simple!

Sweet Finley,

In your 6 months of life you have added so much joy to our home. You are such a precious baby and we love you more than words can even express!! You had your 6 month old check-up yesterday and here are your stats…

25.5 inches long

13.11 lbs

You are just as petite as your sister who weighed 13.2 lbs and 25 inches at her 6 month check-up. I LOVE my little girls!! :)

The HEART of the matter

2012-01-12T07:41:00.001-05:00

It’s 6:57 am as I start my blog post this morning. It’s been a great night/morning. I got a full night’s rest from 11pm-5:30am this morning when Finley woke up to nurse. I made a warm cup of coffee and sat down in the kitchen with my bible. Cori did wake up at 6:30 and think it was time to start her day, but I kindly escorted her back to bed. :) I started a new bible study last night called Here and Now … There and Then. A Lecture Series on Revelation by Beth Moore. Wow, is it good. Although I expect nothing less from a Beth Moore bible study! My sister is doing this study with me and I’m SO excited about that!

“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.” Rev. 1:3

Oh, wow. That is good. How many times have you read the word of God and shut your bible thinking, “Check. I’ve read my bible today. Done.”? Hmm, I hate to say it, but I have. God’s word is so much more than words on a page. I want to hear his word and most importantly, take to heart what he said.

I’m reading Acts in my daily study of scripture. In Chapter 15 verse 8, Paul talks specifically about God knowing our hearts. Jesus came to show us that all God cares about is our heart. Our actions and everything we do and say come directly from our hearts. Oh, how I pray for my heart to be changed by the word of Christ that I may take to heart all that he has said.

In the middle of Act chapter 15, my bible has a few maps drawn in it. The maps of Paul’s journeys to spread the Gospel.

Did that guy travel, or did he travel?!? Talk about a guy who read the word, heard the word, and took to heart the word of the Lord. His sole purpose in life was spreading the love of Jesus all over the place! Shouldn’t that be our sole purpose as well? In all we do and everywhere we go?

When I look at that map of Paul’s Missionary Journeys I feel a very strong calling to be more like Paul. I tell David all the time that I feel like God has something like this in store for our family. It’s something that we will be praying about and seeking the Lord for guidance, but something in me says that God desires for our family to live elsewhere (like another country elsewhere) to share his love to others. I think it’s a few years down the road, but we will see what God has in store.

Praying for a heart transformation, for you and for me, that we may truly have a heart changed for the glory of the Lord.

Blog Thoughts

2012-01-09T16:27:00.001-05:00

Welcome 2012! It’s taken me a little while to get my blog thoughts up for the start of 2012. Mostly because Cori Belle has decided that 7 am is a good wake-up time for the new year so my quiet time/blog time has been cut short by an HOUR!!! I’m going to have to start waking up at 5:30 am it seems. Heaven help me!

Yesterday at church we sang two songs that moved me to my core. One I’ve shared with you before, but the other one is new to the blog. Both are Hillsong worship songs. I LOVE Hillsong. They take worship music to the next level. They write Anthems, and those are my most favorite songs to sing to the Lord. (David, if you’re reading this – I’d LOVE to go to a Hillsong concert. hint, hint!)

I’ve shared “The Stand” before.

I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours

The other is called “Forever Reign.” You can listen to it on youtube here. Cori and I watched the video this morning (several times) and she sang the name of Jesus. Every time the worship leader sang “Jesus,” Cori would repeat him as she swayed back and forth on the couch. Precious. The lyrics are so good and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I’m running to Your arms,
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I’m running to Your arms
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

My heart will sing
no other Name
Jesus, Jesus

As we enter 2012, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want this year to look like. I’ve been reading Radical by David Platt, which has really challenged me. It talks a lot about putting aside the things of this world and living radically, with heart abandon, sought solely after God. It’s a life that looks different. A life that says it’s not about me, it’s about God. A life that points everything back to God. A life that leads others to God. After all, that’s what it’s all about, right? When Jesus walked the earth, he made disciples of people. That was his purpose. Well, that, and to save us all from our sin! Which I’m pretty sure are the same thing! When Jesus died, he made sure his disciples knew what he wanted them to do. To carry on the gospel and make disciples of ALL NATIONS, to the ends of the earth! That’s why we are here. We aren’t here to climb the corporate ladder, live in fancy houses, have nice things, etc. We aren’t here to be comfortable. This life is NOT about us. It’s about Jesus. And EVERYTHING we do should point back to him. We should intentionally be living to show the love of Jesus to others. Intentionally making disciples. That was the last thing God asked us to do. Are we doing it? Wow, does that change your perspective on life when you think about it that way. At least it does for me.

Those words say it all. God is MORE than anything we could ever want. He makes us whole. He gives us life. He is GOD and of all else I’m letting go.

So, this year I have but one thing I want to accomplish. A life that looks more like the life of Jesus each and every day. It’s a big thing to accomplish and I know it will take YEARS of God teaching and refining me, but I’m so willing. I know I will mess up and make it about me at times. I’m human. And, because of that, I’m so thankful for God’s grace. I will never be perfect, but I will choose a life that is radically seeking the Lord. When this life is over, I want people to remember me as someone who did it HIS way (God’s way) even if that looks a little strange to some. It only matters to One. Jesus.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Good-bye 2011

2012-01-02T14:05:00.001-05:00

Well, before I can officially start blogging about the new year, I need some closure on 2011. I print our blog each year as my digital scrapbook full of memories. I LOVE looking back and reading about where we were and where we are now. So, let’s remember 2011 and celebrate the JOY it brought us!

January started out with us being the parents of a ONE year-old! We thought she was so big then. Just look at her now!

In February we found out that baby number two was officially a GIRL and we even decided on her name. Finley Grace Smith. Cori was already practicing her big sister skills with her baby dolls.

March brought David and I FIVE YEARS of marriage! Wow! We left Cori Belle (age 14 months) with her grandparents for the first time and went away for a few days to celebrate. We headed to Savannah, Georgia and it was such a wonderful trip! Looking at this picture makes me want to go back there!! That lunch we had at the Wilkes House was the best lunch EVER!! YUM!

In April, Cori met her cousin Taylor for the first time. Taylor and Aunt Rebecca came down for a little Spring Break visit from the cold Northern Tundra. So glad we could share that Florida sunshine with them!

In May, Dave ran his first marathon! We traveled to Chattanooga Tennessee for a marathon in the mountains. He did awesome and is already looking for another one to do soon. Did I mention he also wants to do a triathlon this year too?!

In June Cori celebrated 18 months of life and our family headed to the beach for the annual Smith family beach vacation. I look forward to this week ALL year long and am so thankful that we have started this annual tradition. I really do think family vacations are so important!

Yikes, what a belly!!!

July 1st brought us a precious newborn baby girl named Finley Grace. What joy she brings us!

Cori also graduated from her ISR swim lessons at the end of July. She was such a great swimmer over the summer! Hopefully with a refresher course next summer, she will be good to go!

August is always birthday month as I turned 28 and Dave turned 29 this year. I had another delicious meal at The Melting Pot and Dave was in for a SURPRISE when I decided to throw him a Gator themed surprise party this year.

In September we really tried to get into a Tot School routine, but with a new baby in the house, we just weren’t as consistent as I hoped we’d be. This is one of my new year resolutions!!

October brought some Halloween fun and the girls dressed up as Cats. I made their costumes and we had such a fun time Trunk or Treating.

In November David and I were invited to attend the Noche de Gala for the Sebastian Ferraro Foundation. It was an honor to be there and such a wonderful evening!

December ended with our firstborn turning TWO and all the Smith cousins together for the holidays!

Another year came and went. I just can’t believe how fast the time goes. It definitely feels like it goes faster once you have children. As we close out the year and head into a new one, one piece of scripture comes to mind…

“May you run with endurance the race God has set before you.”

Hebrews 12:1

Happy New Year!

Sweet Cousin Pictures

2011-12-31T08:18:00.001-05:00

This Christmas was the first time we had all 4 of the Smith cousins together. With Casey & Rebecca living in Minnesota and us living in Gainesville, we don’t all have the opportunity to get together as much as we’d like. So, the day before we left to come home, we decided we’d set up a mini photo shoot with the kids. Jamie has taken a liking to photography and does a really good job so she took the pictures! They turned out SO cute!!

Cori Belle – age 2

Taylor Ryan – age 1

Jona Lily – age 6.5 months

Finley Grace – age 6 months

sweet babies

Getting a picture of them all together was a difficult task to say the least! I mean, why wouldn’t 4 small children want to sit all morning to have their picture taken?! Sounds so simple, right?! :) HA! Since we had just taken Cori’s 2 year pictures earlier that morning, she had about had it! So, it may not be the best picture, but at least they are all looking and no one is crying!

I LOVE this group shot with Yaya and Mt. Grandma. Yaya was tickling Cori and her smile is precious!

For these children we prayed.

1 Samuel 1:27

All Things Christmas

2011-12-31T06:58:00.001-05:00

What an exciting Christmas we’ve had. Like I blogged about earlier this month, Dave and I really wanted to start up some of our own Christmas traditions this year. Cori and I finished up our Truth in the Tinsel Advent Calendar. She truly enjoyed reading her bible verses and making an ornament each day. I think she will like it even more next year!

We began our Christmas Eve morning making Gingerbread houses. It was a blast! My mom, sister, brother, Dave, and Cori & I together as a team, each made a house. Check out our supplies…

and a very excited little girl…

Here is the finished product.

Cori and I made the second one on the left. Most original in my opinion! :)

Then we moved right into baking a birthday cake for Jesus. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to bake a cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve. It’s something that I’ve talked about with Dave ever since we were dating. I always thought it would be so special to bake that cake with my kids each year and celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. It was just as special as I’d hoped!

We spent Christmas in Tampa this year as we have every year since I can remember. It’s been tradition that we do Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Dave’s family. It works out nicely that way. The girls got to wear some very special smocked dresses on Christmas Eve this year. A friend of mine had her mom make them for the girls and they are TOO cute! I loved seeing them in those dresses!

Cori wasn’t being super cooperative during family pictures so Dave started trying to make her laugh. She thoroughly enjoyed it! HA!

Then we moved on to opening up presents. In my family we always opened all our gifts on Christmas Eve and then the only presents we got on Christmas Day were Santa gifts. Dave’s family does ALL their presents on Christmas Day. It’s so funny to me how different every family does their Christmas. I guess it’s what makes it special to that particular family. So, to keep tradition alive, the girls opened their gifts on Christmas Eve with my family.

After a full day with my family, we packed up and headed over to Dave’s parents house to sleep so the girls could wake up to Christmas morning over there. It’s funny how I never seem to snap many pictures of Christmas morning at the Smith House. I think it’s because there are so many people and it’s just hard to get everyone in the same place at the same time. We literally opened presents up in sections. A few minutes here and a few minutes there. The best Christmas present of all was the surprise visit from Casey and Rebecca. Everyone knew they were coming except for Dave’s dad. He had tears in his eyes when he opened the front door and saw them standing there! It was so nice having everyone together on Christmas!

Finley and Jona opening up their matching soccer balls!

Cori running through the house delivering presents to people! She gave most of them to me even though they weren’t all actually for me! Ha! I LOVE my girl!

We had a great Christmas, but I’m glad to be home! We spent a full week in Tampa visiting with family. I know my girls enjoyed their time with their grandparents and sweet cousins. We took some precious pictures of the cousins together and I’ll post those soon. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!!

Happy Birthday Cori Belle!

2011-12-29T21:34:00.001-05:00

December 28, 2009 was a big day for me. It was the day I became a momma. Just writing those words makes me tear up a bit. I can’t believe two years has already passed. I remember holding that precious baby in my arms and just couldn’t believe she was mine - - ours. What a miracle a baby is. Truly a gift from God. God’s perfect way to show us just how much he loves us – in the form of a baby. And what a beautiful baby she was.

Our first picture together

… to TWO years later

My dearest Cori Belle,

I can’t believe you are TWO! You are the most amazing two year-old I have ever met. You amaze your daddy and I more and more each day. Words can’t even express just how much we love you. We know God has big plans for you. Our prayer is that you will use that vibrant personality of yours to lead others to know the Lord and be an example to the world. We have a special verse that we pray over you and it’s Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Here are some things you are doing at TWO…

Your favorite thing to say right now is “okay". It’s pretty much the response to any statement I say to you. And you say it with such enthusiasm!
You are talking in full on sentences and it makes your daddy and I stand in awe.
You sometimes answer your own questions and it’s so funny! In the car today you said, “Mommy, I can’t find my nook. Oh, here it is. Under the blanket.” Then you laughed at yourself! Daddy and I laughed too!
You are a GREAT runner. And you thoroughly enjoy running around in circles when you reach the point of past bed-time deliriousness.
You love to play duck-duck-goose!
You have no fear of meeting new friends. We were leaving church the other day and you saw 3 kids sitting in the grass together playing duck-duck-goose. You ran as fast as you could to join in on the fun!
You say “hi” to anyone and everyone passing by. I love how friendly you are.
You have started signing songs. It’s really funny when you sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself. :)
You LOVE saying your own name. Cori Belle.
You have the most precious unconditional love for your little sister. I hope it’s always that way. You say her name so sweetly and I always find you kissing her and holding her hand. Talk about melting a momma’s heart.
You can count to 10.
You thoroughly enjoy bouncing! Jumping on the bed is one of your most favorite things to do right now!
When you give someone kisses, you kiss them right on the lips.
You have a heart that loves to pray. Each night when you go to bed you say, “I pray mommy, I pray daddy, I pray baby, I pray Mimi, I pray Yaya, I pray Poppop, I pray Granddad, Amen.”
You LOVE to pretend play! You have tea parties, picnics, set your babies up to eat together at the table, nurse your baby, rock your baby, talk on your cell phone (and have LONG conversations with lots of your family members – mostly Mimi, Yaya, and Aunt Nen)

We celebrated your birthday with a play date at the park with a few friends, homemade blueberry pancakes for breakfast, yummy spaghetti for dinner, cookie cake for desert, and time with all your family members in between! We are planning a trip to Disney for your birthday in a few weeks! Oh, how I can’t wait!

And no birthday is complete with out pictures!! Here are some BEAUTIFUL two-year old pictures taken by your Aunt Jamie!

Happy Birthday Sweet one! We love you more than life!

Christmas Card

2011-12-14T22:07:00.001-05:00

Well, it’s Christmas again. 2011 is coming to a close. Here we come 2012! Absolute craziness! It’s been a great year. We celebrated 5 years of marriage, welcomed another sweet baby girl into our family in July, and will celebrate TWO years of life with our dear oldest daughter in just a few days. God has been good to us in SO many ways!! Let me count the blessings!!

As every year, Dave made our Christmas Card and it does not disappoint! I showed him one that I liked on Shutterfly, and he re-created it with his own artistic twist and I LOVE it!! I do love that I have a talented husband. He is talented in SO many ways and just amazes me with his artistic abilities! Not to mention his handy-man abilities too!! :)

Cards went out in the mail yesterday along with a note from my hubby. That’s another one of his talents – writing our Christmas card letter. I have attempted it before, but it never turns out as wonderfully written as his. Since we can’t send cards to EVERYONE, I thought I’d include Dave’s 2011 Christmas Letter here. That way, when we are 80 years old, we can read about life in 2011 via our blog book. :)

A note from Dave…

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Smiths. Another year has flown by and we find ourselves asking where the time went. In the past year, there have been countless events that have kept life interesting, the most exciting of those being the birth of our second little girl, Finley Grace. She was born on July 1^st and is truly a blessing to us. She added a now third component of estrogen to our house, and we are beginning to feel like God’s plan is for me to spend the next 20 years cultivating my feminine side. Finley joined our family and instantly fit in with her older sister. Cori Belle is now 2 years old and going on 18. She took over her role of care-giver for the new baby instantly. We have had no jealousy issues and Cori truly loves her little sister. It is amazing how quickly they are growing up and even though you hate for them to get bigger, it is incredible to watch their development. Cori is speaking in sentences, cleaning up after herself, and trying to use the potty. Before we know it there will be licenses and weddings; let’s enjoy the lack of drama and innocence while we can.

As for Danielle and I, we are still deeply in love after a long 5 ½ years of marriage and feel blessed to have the opportunity to raise a family of our own. Danielle is balancing her thriving jewelry business, Premier Designs, with raising up our daughters. I am finishing up my third and final year of pediatric residency. It was a long road, and right when the light at the end of the tunnel could be seen, I decided to enter into 3 more years of indentured servitude by going to fellowship. Fellowship is extra training in a specialty of pediatrics, and I have chosen to pursue Pediatric Emergency Medicine. I underwent a long interview process that encompassed visiting 11 programs, but in the end, I matched at my number 1 choice of University of Alabama, Birmingham. This means that after 11 years living in heart of the Gator Nation, Danielle and I will be moving our family to start over in a new town. We are excited for the plans that God has for us as we embark on this new adventure.

As I close, I hope this letter finds you well and that during this season full of blessings you find yourselves around family and the ones you hold dear. I hope that during a time of vacation, Black Friday’s, indulgence and food, we all take some time to recognize that Christmas represents the greatest present that we could ever receive, in the form of God’s one and only son. In our culture, it is very easy to get caught up with the hustle and bustle, and never really spend time to reflect on the real reason for the season. So as we drink egg-nog, sing Christmas Carols, and spend time with our loved-ones, let’s take a minute to recognize the blessings that God has placed in our lives and thank Him for giving us the present of eternity with Him.

Cheers,

Dave, Danielle, Cori Belle & Finley Grace

True Love

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Those are the only words I have for my two precious girls. I am truly in love with them!!

Happy Friday!

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-08T15:34:00.001-05:00

Before I get started on Christmas Traditions, I want to make note that today I stayed home ALL DAY! Well, it’s only 3 pm, but I don’t intend to go anywhere for the rest of the day. (That is until I have to leave for a jewelry show tonight.) .. I am taking the time to write this down because I’m always on the go. Lately I’ve been feeling a bit stressed and I attribute it to the fact that I’m NEVER home. A day at home it just what the kids and I needed. It’s been fabulous! Not to mention, Willie and his mommy (and his THREE little brothers) came over to play. I think I need to make a point to stay home a bit more often. I know Finley would sure appreciate a regular nap in the morning! :)

Now, onto the title of my post – Christmas Traditions. I’ve been racking my brain over the last few months about what kind of Christmas Traditions I want to start for my family. The only tradition I remember growing up is having our whole family get together on Christmas Eve at our house to eat and open presents. And then, of course, Santa.

I really wanted to start something with my girls leading up to Christmas. Like an Advent Calendar, but I didn’t want it to be a traditional Advent Calendar where they get a piece of candy everyday. Now, if that’s what you do with your family, that’s great! I just wanted to do something a little different. I want our girls to really know what Christmas is about – the REAL reason we even celebrate in the first place. And, I wanted to incorporate that into our Advent Calendar. So, I was on the hunt! About a week ago, just as December was beginning, I stumbled across this. It’s called Truth in the Tinsel and it’s a meaningful way to celebrate the days leading up to Christmas. It’s an e-book and downloads onto your computer in minutes for only $4.99. Each day, you read part of the Christmas story out of the bible, and then make an ornament that represents what you read. Cori is LOVING it!! We do it every morning after breakfast and she really looks forward to it. Her face lights up as I pull out my bible and craft supplies. She claps and smiles as she chants, “bible story, bible story!”

Here is our craft from Day 6. We colored Mary and Elizabeth and talked about the babies that were in their bellies – Jesus and John. Everyday we hang her hand-made ornaments on the mini tree in her room.

I’m so excited about this Christmas Tradition. Next year we will get Finley her very own mini tree and they can both make ornaments to decorate their tree leading up to Christmas! LOVE it!

Some other Christmas Traditions David and I have talked about are…

Making Gingerbread Houses every Christmas Eve morning followed by…
Birthday Cake baking! That’s right, a birthday cake for Jesus!
Church every Christmas Eve.
Opening one present from Mom and Dad every Christmas Eve – I’m thinking Christmas Pajamas that they wear to bed that night!
Santa and a BIG Christmas morning breakfast!
Volunteering in some way to show the love of Jesus.

What kind of Christmas Traditions do you do with your family?

Training Schedule

2011-12-04T22:43:00.001-05:00

2 weeks down and 12 weeks to go until my very first half marathon!! Yep, that’s right, come February 28th, I will be sporting a tutu and running the Disney Princess half marathon with my 2 SIL’s and a few friends from church. Check out my awesome training schedule created by my hubby! … That’s right, Katie. YOU are part of my training!! :)

This may sound crazy to some of you reading this, but my 4 mile run yesterday was AMAZING!! I actually ran 4.2 (yeah, I’m counting those extra .2 miles!!) and I felt great the entire time. It was perfect running weather yesterday!

I may be feeling great because of my new nifty shoes I got to train and race in. Check them out!

Dave wanted me to move to more of a minimal shoe. The guy at the running store said that this was more minimal than my previous shoe, but not such a huge drop that it would injure me. I’m not really a “runner” so I don’t really know much about all that mumbo jumbo, but what I do know is, they feel great! My knees don’t hurt and that’s all that matters!!

I’ve only missed one day of training so far and that was Katie’s class on Friday. Dave went so maybe that makes up for it?! HA! I was working the JBF consignment sale. I’m sure I will end up missing a few days here and there, but I’m posting it up here on my blog for a few reasons… (1) so you all can hold me accountable to my training schedule, and (2) incase any of you readers out there want to join in on the running fun, you’ve got a pretty good schedule to use if you’d like! (**You just have to make up your own “Katie’s Class” if you don’t live here in Gainesville. It’s basically an hour of intense boot camp and it’s awesome!!**)

I will say that my calves are pretty sore after my run yesterday. I haven’t had to run with the kids in the double BOB yet. I know that’s what we got it for, but I’m really enjoying these runs by myself! Pray for me as my mileage increases. I don’t think I’ve ever run more than 5 miles in my entire life! There is a first for everything!!

Until next time! …

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-03T22:35:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone and we are well into the Christmas season already! Wow!

Dave had to work again this Thanksgiving. Tis the life of a resident. So, the girls and I drove down to Tampa last Thursday morning to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. We always have Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncles house. It really is the one time of year that my mom’s entire side of the family gets together. It’s truly a wonderful time.

I got to spend some quality time with my grandparents this year and it was SO nice. My grandpa is 89 and having a much more difficult time getting around these days. It was really nice to set next to him during Thanksgiving dinner. My grandma on the other hand is 88 and acts (and looks) like she’s 68!! I do love them so much!!

My grandma had the BEST time playing with Finley Grace. It was so sweet to see them together!!

Look at all those generations!! It really isn’t the best picture, but it’s the only one we had together!

My grandma, my mom, me, and my two girls. LOVE!

Last year I remember Cori pushing this same stroller around. She was just learning to walk then. Now, she is all over the place! Crazy how fast those kiddos grow!

Finley thought she would give it a try too..

We also snagged a sibling picture. It’s rare to have all of us together these days! My brother has decided to grow out his beard! Such the grizzly man! :) HA!

Speaking of my siblings and I … we decided that we’d do the whole Black Friday shopping thing this year. We normally never do. Since Kohls is just down the street from my parents house, we decided to head over there when it opened at midnight. The line to get into the store was literally a quarter of a mile long! It only took us 15 minutes to get into the store. It was a MAD HOUSE while we were there though!! And to top it off, we waited in line for an HOUR AND A HALF just to check out!! They even had signs posted while you waited in line that said, “15 minutes to check out from this point.” HA! I felt like I was at Disney! We didn’t get home until 3 am!! … The real kicker was when I went back to Kohls on Saturday, all the sales were completely the SAME and all the shelves were re-stocked! Go figure!!

Dave drove down with his grandparents on Friday morning so we could celebrate Thanksgiving with his side of the family. We always get dressed up and take our Christmas card photo the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year was no different and we had one extra special person added into our family picture this year! I LOVE my little family!!

Ryan and Missy took some cute ones too..

And a few more favorites of mine… Wish Casey, Rebecca, and Taylor were there with us!

We ended the weekend with some girls in Christmas dresses! All three of these dresses were David’s little sisters when she was 4 months, 16 months, and 28 months. We put one on each of the girls. They looked ADORABLE!!! Too bad I didn’t get any good pictures of them. This was the best one out of 30 attempts! Hopefully Mama Smith got some good ones on her camera!

I do love this sweet one of my hubby and our girls together!!

Hope your Thanksgiving was marvelous!! :) Until next time…

Sweet Home Alabama

2011-12-01T15:22:00.001-05:00

That is the title of my favorite movie and the place we will be moving come June! That’s right, all the waiting has finally come to an end. After 20 Fellowship applications, 11 interviews, and the ranking process, we found out yesterday at noon that UAB is the place Dave will continue on to do his Pediatric ER Fellowship. We couldn’t be more pleased!!

These were the top four on our rank list…

1. UAB

2. Phoenix

3. Charlotte

4. Charleston

God is so good! Dave had such a great feeling about UAB while he was there, and even though he liked many of the other programs he interviewed with, none left him with that lasting impression like UAB. It was his 4th interview of 11 and the first one to talk about God. During his interview, they actually talked about some of the churches in town and where our family might fit in. Dave got to talk about his faith and was encouraged by the program director as well as some of the other fellows. I really believe God used those conversations to give us peace about moving there. Finding a new church home is something that is really important to us. Being in community with other believers is what spurs us on in our faith. I am so thankful that God has that on the top of his priority list as well! And, I can’t tell you how excited I am to visit David Platt’s church in Birmingham!! Not to get off on a tangent here, but David Platt is the author of a book called, Radical – Taking back your faith from the American Dream. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s GOOD!!! My friends who have read the whole thing say it will change your life! I can’t wait to finish it!!! And, I can’t wait for the opportunity to sit in his church to hear him preach in the coming months!!

So now what? Well, Dave finishes up his residency here at UF in the middle of June. Before that time comes, we have to figure out what to do with our house in G-ville and find a place to live in Birmingham. If you know anyone that wants a cute 2 bedroom, 2 bath let me know!! Sale or rent!!

Here is a sweet picture of our family a few minutes after David heard the news. We wanted to capture the moment! … Bama bound!! :)

I do have to admit, I’m pretty excited about moving to “the south”!! Smock dresses and big bows, OH MY!! :)

What I love about you … week 20 & 21

2011-11-27T23:41:00.001-05:00

week 20 & 21

I LOVE …

Your BIG, BEAUTIFUL smiles!!

The sweet cooing sounds you make as you drift off to sleep.
That you are always chewing on your tongue and puckering your lips together. You make such cute faces.
How much you love bath time!

The dimple on your left cheek when you smile.
That you’re are officially unswaddled and sleep so soundly on your side. We still wrap your swaddle underneath your arms so your lower body doesn’t get cold in the night.
Sweet family pictures!

Getting to spend time with you in the church nursery last week. The dress you were wearing is my all time FAVORITE dress from Baby Gap!!

Your big brown eyes! They are just beautiful! And, those sweet eye lashes!

That you’ve been sleeping soundly from 7:30 pm to 7:00 am for the past few nights. I sure hope that continues!!

I’m so IN LOVE with you sweet girl!! :)

Thankful

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I wanted to take a few moments to jot down a few things I am thankful for…

1. A GREAT God who created me, gave me purpose in this life, and loves me through and through.

2. My incredible husband who is a huge source of strength in my life. I’m so thankful that he is a man after God’s own heart and seeks to be a Godly example to his family in all things!

3. My sweet, sweet girls. They are my pride and joy. I look at them each day and just can’t believe I get to be their mom!

4. Premier. What a blessing Premier has been in so many ways. I get the opportunity to stay home with my girls, meet and encourage amazing women, and provide for my family financially.

5. Good Health. I feel like everywhere I turn, someone’s got cancer or something else. I’m SO thankful for good health and pray for it to remain!

6. Answered prayers. Dave and I pray for our families and friends on a daily basis. Recently, my mom has been walking closer with the Lord than I have ever seen! God is being glorified in so many ways and I’m SO proud of my mom!

7. Good Friends. God has truly blessed me with some amazing friends to live life with.

8. Laughter. :)

and a few silly things I’m thankful for…

1. Holiday drinks at Starbucks!

2. Good sales.

3. WHITE spray paint.

4. Christmas music. Let the Christmas season begin!

Miss Finley

2011-11-23T20:55:00.001-05:00

I had to add in one more post today about my sweet Finley Grace. She is growing so fast and has had a great week of learning new skills! I’ve been really working on rolling back to front with her. CB had started rolling back to front by now, and not that I need to compare them by any means, but I figured I’d at least start practicing with Finley! :)

On Monday of this week were were hanging out on the floor for some tummy time. She was laying on her back and I was stacking blocks next to her. All of the sudden she decided that she wanted to help me with that block stacking because she picked up her left arm, reached it across her body to where the blocks were, and in an instant she rolled over to her belly as she was reaching for that block!! I thought maybe it was a fluke so I put her down on her back again… and she rolled over again!!! I LOVE when babies learn a new skill. Go Finley!!

To top off all that rolling madness – we did some practice sitting up today. I sat her up with the Boppy around her to give her some support. After a few minutes of that, I took the Boppy away to see if she could stay sitting on her own. She did a terrific job! I wouldn’t say she is 100% stable and I definitely won’t let her try sitting on the tile by herself, but she sure is doing great!! Check out these pictures of my sweet girl…

with Boppy support

with out Boppy support

Don’t you just love that beautiful smile?!

Cori Belle thought she would practice sitting too! I’ve actually been teaching her how to stretch. She was practicing her butterfly here! :) So serious!

And of course, some SWEET sister love is always one of my favorite things!!

Busy Bees!

2011-11-23T14:29:00.001-05:00

Whew! We have had a busy week! Which may or may not explain my absence from blogging! HA!

Even though we know we are moving come June, we have been itching to do some home improvement projects. Our first project that we took on a few weeks ago was re-organizing our closet. If you happen to follow me on Pinterest, you would have seen some new boards and pins of closet and office organization! Oh, how I love me some organization!

Our main reason to re-organize our closet was to make some space for Finley. Stop right there. I know what you’re thinking. “You’re putting your baby in your closet?” HA! … YES, we are! We have a huge walk in closet and poor thing just wasn’t getting good sleep in our room. She isn’t quite ready to move into her big sisters room so we decided a little nursery in the closet was our next best choice. It’s been fabulous! Little one gets some good rest in a nice, peaceful, cozy, dark space. And, we get some zzz’s as well! It’s a win, win! Here is a peak into our closet space…

I’m loving it! When you round the corner to the left, Finley’s pack and play is on the back wall. I’m thinking of hanging a sweet picture over her bed to really make it have the feel of a mini nursery.

Did I mention that my amazing hubby (and Lance) put in all the new closet shelving?! He is such the handy man!! :) Once the closet was installed, Dave’s next project was building a white washed distressed frame for this huge fish we have hanging in our room that we bought for our 5th anniversary. It was quite the project! First, Dave bought some wood at Lowes. Cut it to size, and glued it together to make a frame literally the size of our dining room table!

He then started painting it black as you can see in the picture above. Once the black dried, he put a very THIN layer of white on top. Then, he preceded to paint the frame with Elmer’s glue. Once the Elmer’s glue was dry enough to feel sticky, but not completely dry, he coated a THICK layer of white on top. To create the distressed look, he used a hair dryer while the paint was still wet to shift the paint and create cracks.

When it was all said and done, it looked like this!

Then, we hung it up on the wall in our room. I do LOVE it!

The next project was getting NEW carpet! Our carpet was not the prettiest thing on the block. In fact, I might have described it as disgusting! It was going on 6 years old with two kids and a dog that sheds. It had stain after stain and we couldn’t seem to get them out. Being that we are moving in June, I didn’t think anyone would want to buy or rent our place with the carpet we had. So, why not get new carpets NOW so we could enjoy them too?!

We basically had to move out of our house for an entire day to have the carpets done. All of our furniture had to be moved and when they finally finished the project around 7:30 pm, I came home to a house turned completely upside down. But, the carpets looked amazing!! It gives such a fresh new look to the house. Here is a sample, although the picture certainly doesn’t do it justice …

To add to the craziness of getting new carpet last Thursday, we also took a trip to the ER! Except this time, we weren’t going to visit daddy at work, we were patients! … I was putting Cori in her car seat after Mom’s Group Thursday afternoon when I heard a pop in her wrist. It sounded like a knuckle popping, but she was in immediate pain! Dave was off work so we met him at a friends house so he could take a look at it. She cried the ENTIRE way there. :( She refused to use her right arm at all. It laid by her side and she held it saying that it hurt. She went from her sweet, bubbly self, to a shy, sad little girl. SO depressing! We decided an x-ray was in order.

Dave originally was going to just take her in. Finley was sleeping and I was supposed to watch my friend’s kids that afternoon. About 5 minutes after they left, I completely lost it! What was I thinking letting my little girl go to the ER for the FIRST time with out me?!?! How could I not be there?!? I called Dave, balling my eyes out, and decided I’d meet them there. I loaded sleeping Finley into the Honda Civic and headed to the hospital. When I got there, Cori and Dave were waiting for me in the ER lobby. We went right back. VIP service! We waited for a few minutes in a room before they took us back for x-rays. Dave sat with her during the whole x-ray process and she balled her eyes out the entire time. It was so sad! During x-rays Dave said he heard another pop and as soon as all was said and done, she returned back to her normal self. She literally got up from the x-ray chair, wiped her tears, regained a smile, and skipped back into our room. Yep, it was Nursemaid’s Elbow. SO glad it wasn’t anything serious! Here is a picture of Miss Priss back to her normal self!

We ended our week with a NEW bed! Dave’s parents decided that it was time for them to get a new bed. Being that our bed was Dave’s bed from high school, they thought we might want a new one. So, they offered their old bed to us. It was certainly newer than the bed we were sleeping in and we also got to upgrade from a Queen to a KING! Score! It’s super comfortable and I think it looks great in our room!

Whew, it was a busy week! Now onto Thanksgiving tomorrow. YUM!

I wear my sunglasses…

2011-11-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

I was doing a little organizing in Cori’s closet yesterday and found a pink pair of sunglasses from LAST summer. Not the summer that we currently had, but the one where Cori was only 5 months old!! Man, time flies! I was looking for those when this summer rolled around and couldn’t seem to find them. Oh well.

Check them out on Cori Belle when she was a BABY!!! She was 21 weeks old here!

Cori was super excited about these sunglasses and immediately put them on. She pretty much wore them all afternoon and was just the most adorable little girl I’ve ever seen! That is, until she put them on her sister! And then, they were the TWO most adorable little girls I’ve ever seen! :)

She thought playing peek-a-boo was hilarious with these sunglasses. Like I couldn’t see her with them on! HA!

Peek-a-boo!

Lookin’ cool! HOW do I have an almost 2-year old?!?!

Then, baby sister got to wear them! Finley was hanging out in her green jeep when Cori decided that she needed a turn in the sunglasses. Is this not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?!

Catch ya later! :)