Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I know I'm a little late for wishing you Merry Christmas but I'm doing it anyway.

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and I hope you have a fantastic New Year.

God Bless You All!

HOLY COW

Has it been over a months since I last wrote anything?

Who would've thought I'd get out of the habit of blogging?

I STILL refuse to say I'm taking a "break" cuz I'm really not.

I just have gotten into my routine here at the house and I'm not on my computer much at all anymore except to check email and the news.

Since I last wrote I celebrated my 5 year wedding anniversary and I turned 30.
Here are me and my hubby.


I'm still working out although I took a couple weeks off because my feet were hurting so bad. I have extremely HIGH arches and my shoes were not supporting them very well. I got these.... and I wore them for the first time last night and they were awesome....i'm very excited.

My oldest is doing amazing in school. As of today she has 3 A's, 2 B+'s and 1 B. She's been doing cheerleading and she's been very involved in her church youth group. I can't believe she's halfway through 7th grade....she's growing up SOOO fast...she' 5'6 1/2 which makes her 2 1/2 inches taller than me....it's crazy! We had to get her new pants because she's grown over an inch since school started and all her pants are too short!!!


The little one is nuttier than ever. She talks in sentences and says the FUNNIEST things, and she KNOWS she's funny. She can say her ABC's and she can count to 20 only missing "15" occasionally....She can sing just about any song on earth, 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', 'Silent Night', 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'....She's over 3 feet tall and weighs about 35 lbs. She's in 5T tops and 4T pants....size 6 diapers....and she's not potty trained yet. I better get going because 6 is the biggest diaper....She love Dora, Diego, Elmo, CAILLOU...she loves Caillou. She's still doing gymnastics and she's doing so good. She can do her forward roll ANYWHERE, including my mother-in-law's tile kitchen floor and her hardwood floor....She knows her colors and shapes and she suprises me EVERY SINGLE DAY with something else she knows. She's sleeping pretty good too.


Here are the girls...


And although this one is fuzzy...here are me and the girls.


My husband is still doing wonderful. He's still the best husband ever.

I'm excited for Christmas...I always am. This year my oldest brother will be here for a week and my neice will be here for 3 days.

So...there's an update....Sorry it's been so long. I think about all of you guys all the time. I'll try to write more often.

:-)
Stephanie

Ramblings of a crazy woman....

So I just wanted to say hi.

I'm going to the gym about 4 times a week...taking Cardio Boxing and Cardio Dance and doing the stairs or treadmill....It's been 2 weeks...i lost between 5 and 7 pounds...i'm pretty happy about that.

My husband took me to GNC and got me this and this...plus I'm taking extra calcium and fish oil every day...

WOW...I can totally feel a difference in my moods and my energy levels...

I've actually been pretty consistent...for a week...:-)

Remind me to share with you about my terrible months of July to about the end of October...and why they were so terrible....Praise the Lord that it is all over...for now I will tell you this...if you are considering the Depo shot...make sure you research it and if you begin getting it...pay attention to any changes in mood that you may begin to feel. It can affect some people (like me) in a TERRIBLE TERRIBLE WAY....I had no idea how bad it had gotten until the last 2 weeks...after my last shot totally wore off. It's only been the last 2 weeks that I've felt back to normal...I'm not knocking the shot because it's awesome and fine for some...but for many I've read about and talked to it can be a nightmare....

LET ME JUST SAY I HAVE THE GREATEST HUSBAND ON EARTH WHO WALKED ME THROUGH THIS HARD TIME HOLDING MY HAND THE ENTIRE WAY AND WAS SO UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENT WHEN HE COULD'VE JUSTIFIABLY GOTTEN VERY HURT AND ANGRY BY SOME OF THE THINGS I DID/SAID.....HE REALLY IS AMAZING!!!!

ANYWAY...I'll tell you more later...no time to go on now...gotta clean and get to GYMNASTICS with my wild child!

:-)

New Marriage Book Recommendation

Love and Respect.

This past Saturday the Women's Ministry at my church did a sort of study/presentation of the woman's side of this book...it was awesome.

I haven't read the book but I know a lot of what is in there. I'm gonna get it and read it and I'll let you know how it goes.

:-)

Want a good laugh?

Check out the Friday Funnies over at Girl Talk.

Reality

I saw this on Dionna's blog.

This is why using magazines, billboards and movie stars is an unrealistic measuring stick to measure our own beauty by....I just LOVE what Dove is doing...

6 Years ago Today....

It was a Sunday...

It was my husband and my first date....

we had only talked a few times but I decided to go out with him on a date.

What started out as breakfast and and art museum turned into Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner....art museum, basketball at the YMCA, walking around the mall, and going to a movie....we were together 13 hours on our first date....and we've been together every since that day....

1 year, 1 month and 9 days later we were married.

Wow....

I love you baby! You are the greatest husband ever!!!

My New Video

Can you guys see the video on the right?

It's one of my ALL TIME favorite songs and another one I've adopted as a theme song for me.

BUT I CAN'T SEE IT!

I see the box but nothing is playing.

On my oldest's computer I can see it....but not on mine.

WHY OH WHY?

I've narrowed it down to my internet settings.

I've turned off my firewall and virus protection and nothing changed so it has to be my internet settings. I've fiddled with those too but it hasn't worked.

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

ANYWAY!

I have a lot to do today.

My house is pretty clean but I have some detail stuff to do that would make me so happy if I got it finished.....so why am I sitting here typing? Because I'm doing what I do best...PROCRASTINATING!

So off I go....to clean up....and stuff.....here I go.....

:-)

Legacy Lyrics

(Nichole Nordeman)

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

And I enjoy an accolade like the rest

And you can take my picture and hang it in a gallery

Of all the Who's Who's and So-and-So's

That used to be the best at such and such

It wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights

We all need an "Atta boy" or "Atta girl"

But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides

The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile

To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy

It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile

Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

Not well-traveled, not well-read

Not well-to-do, or well-bred

Just want to hear instead

Well done, good and faithful one

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love?

Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace

Who blessed Your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

Best of Friends

 

Her Majesty

(It's not easy being a princess) 

Toddler Laws of Property

(The Toddler Laws of Property
1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
3. If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
4. If I think it's mine, it's mine.) 

Funny shirt

(I do all my own stunts) 

more cute shirts on a cute kid....

(It seemed like a good idea at the time)

(I Love Mom)

 
(Everyone Loves a Brown Eyed Girl)

The Shirt Says it All!

Target has some great tshirts for toddlers.

I got a bunch!

I'll share them as she wears them.

This is one of my favorites.

She did it again....

a year and a half i dyed my hair super duper blonde....it took 4 boxes and 2 trips to the salon to get it right....

needless to say i really damaged my hair.

Sometime I'll post the progression of my hair color over the last year and half...

Since last December I've been trying to dye it dark again, it keeps washing out so I keep going brown...

Here is my most recent effort...it's the darkest it's been and I like it the most ever in life...

WARNING....I HAVE NO MAKEUP ON IN THIS PICTURE...VIEW WITH EXTREME CAUTION AND KINDNESS IN YOUR HEART....

Can you believe it.....

Long story short....

Big sis and lil sis switch bedrooms.

Crib gets broken (by mommy) during move...

Guess it's God's way of telling me TIME FOR THE BIG GIRL BED.....

First night didn't go so well...mommy is stressed....

The next night we tried again....

She did AWESOME!

She woke up several times but went right back to sleep when i went in....

She's been in her bed for 5 nights now.



Suggestions for those of you who have never done this....

(1)Take them shopping for thier own sheets and have them "help" put them on the bed....

(2)Make a big deal about the BIG GIRL/BOY bed....and keep repeating it over and over....

(3)Tell them how little babies sleep in cribs but BIG GIRLS/BOYS like MOMMY/DADDY (sister and/or brother if applies) sleep in BIG GIRL/BOY BEDS.


I read these things in other articles about how to do this....they worked.

So at 2 years, 1 month and 1 week old...she is no long a BABY!

NOW FOR THE POTTY TRAINING...................

For a Friend

Click here to Listen to "Ocean-Floor by Audio-Adreneline"


Ocean Floor (Audio Adreneline)

The mistakes I've made
That caused pain
I could have done without
All my selfish thought
All my pride
The things I hide You have forgot about

They're all behind you
They'll never find you
They're on the ocean floor
Your sins are forgotten
They're on the bottom
Of the ocean floor

My misdeeds
All my greed
All the things that haunt me now
They're not a pretty sight to see
But they're wiped away
By a mighty, mighty wave A mighty, mighty wave

Your sins are erased
And they are no more
They're out on the ocean floor
Take them away To return no more
Take them away
To the ocean floor

"It is possible for the Lord to look at us without seeing our sins because when he forgave us, he removed our sins as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12)

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25)

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13,14)

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)


Stop beating yourself up.
Stop letting Satan steal all the joy you could have.
Look up instead of behind you.
Forgive yourself.
The Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven you.
The Creator of the Heavens and Earth has forgiven you.
Jesus Christ went to the cross and died for your sins too....every single one.
There is no joy in holding on to the past and the Lord has wonderful things to do through you, but you must let go in order for the Lord to work through you.
Satan wants to bind you with your guilt so you cannot be an effective witness for Christ...and he's got you all bound up. DON'T GIVE HIM THE VICTORY!
You have Christ on your side...but you have to call His name...lean on Him....give Him your yoke.

Be encouraged, the tomb is empty...

Be strong, the Lord is your strength.

I love you girl!

You'd Think One Would Learn

So...how many times have I gotten my poor little precious 2 year old out of her sleep routine, only to have to endure one or two nights of torturous crying and yelling?

I've done it again. Yes...the crying it out method works for me...until I undo it all.....bedtime started gettin later and later and inconsistent and so, therefore, hence....yada yada...it is 12:21 and here I sit....she's getting worn out...I think...but then she starts up again...she's really very sleepy...just really very stubborn...I let her sleep out here in the living room last night...so I slept out here on the couch...i hate it...I'm not doing it again...

I feel bad for my oldest....they are right next door to each other...except USUALLY the oldest can sleep through it no problemo...i hope that holds true tonite....

So this really stinks....naptimes are still ok so that's a positive....it's just this whole bedtime thing....for MONTHS bedtime was between 8 and 9...no problem...we read 3 books sang 3 songs...I'd put her down awake and she'd talk herself to sleep....

Not so much anymore....

And boy am I tired....

I'm going in in 6 minutes to wipe her face...give her some water...and sing and put her down...trying to keep my "visits" to 5 minutes...and slowly spacing them further and further apart...first one was 3 minutes...second one was 10 minutes....this one will be 20 minutes (apart...not my visit...make sense?).....

I know after tonite and MAYBE tomorrow we will be back to "normal"...whatever that is...

Pray for my poor little one...and for my oldest...and for me....and for my hubby....

I HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT....at what point will it sink in? UGH.....

Man...still 5 minutes to go....I guess I could watch some TV....

ok...well...just had to share....I appreciate all your prayers.....

Pictures of Sisters....

Just had to share these pictures of my girls....both are growing up so fast and so wonderfully!

Howdy Stranger....

I know I've been MIA...

I don't really know why.

I've been spending naptimes watching my favorite shows that I record on our DVR....I don't get to watch TV really any other time.

Now I've started going to this Bible study one day a week and me and the little one are doing gymnastics 2 days a week....

The little one and I both have bad colds right now...it really stinks.

I have a couple things to share when I have time to really write.

Just wanted you to know I'm not abandoning the blogging world...just slowed down for awhile.

Love to you all!

Gymnastics!

Ok...so Friday I decided to do a free trial class at one of our gymnastics schools. It's a parent participation class for toddlers. I think my little one had more fun than she's ever had in her life. My hubby came at the beginning and snapped some picture. Oh my word...I cannot tell you what it was like except FUN FUN FUN! Mostly just watching my crazy and wild little girl just run and play and have fun! So we are joining and will be going every week. I can't think of anything better for her to get her exercise and learn....oh..it was just great!

So...I didn't tell you her stats from her 2 year doctor appt. She is 33 1/2 lbs and 34 1/2 inches...that puts her weight, well, off the chart and her height in the 75th percentile....Doctor said she is so healthy and smart. Duh...I knew that! hee hee

She cracks me up...she talks SOOOO much...she repeats EVERYTHING and copies EVERYTHING...she's talking in sentences some...sometimes I understand everyword and sometimes I think she's speaking Japanese or Russian or Sweedish...ha ha...she has such a sense of humor and knows she's funny. AND....we are almost positive she is left handed...she eats, colors and does everything predominantly with her left hand...she even kicks with her left foot.

Next time we go to gymnastics I will try to get my hubby to stay longer and take some more pics cuz this is priceless! It will be a week or so before we go back because this is their registration week and they are closed.

SO THERE YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE LITTLE...SOON TO COME...AN UPDATE ON MY OLDEST!

Birthday party

Ok...so I started this post the other day and didn't finish cuz i couldn't get all the pics to upload. Now I was just thinking...why don't I at least post what I COULD upload! SHEESH! Where is my brain these days? Somewhere in Teletubbie Land I think!



Sisters eating the frosting...YUMMY!

YYYUUUMMMMMMYYY!

Mommy and the birthday girl.

The Princesses

WorldBig sis and lil

sis working on the biggest

piñata in history!

My house is Elmo's World!

Birthday Princess

Helping daddy with her "bicycle"

(please no one tell her it's not a BICYCLE)

All partied out (camera phone pic)