The "A" Team

Bible Study Suggestions

2011-09-07T08:54:00.003-04:00

I am searching for a Bible Study that I can do on my own...I'd love to be part of a group bible study again, but with my upcoming move, that's not in the cards right now. So, I need a good bible study I can do on my own...any suggestions?

Blogger vs WordPress-Thoughts?

2011-07-22T08:23:00.003-04:00

I deleted my blog a few months ago for a couple of reasons and I've found I missed it. But I feel like if I start it back, my blog needs some focus...or maybe I needed some focus. I'm contemplating a blog redo and I was wondering what people thought about Blogger vs WordPress. I've seen a lot of folks switching to WordPress and wondered what y'all thought.

Let me know what you think.

A Love Story

2011-04-18T13:59:00.002-04:00

I haven't blogged in forever! I've had so much going on in my life lately and when I sit down to blog, the words fail me. But I did want to come out of hibernation to tell you about a wonderful love story.

I met Chris and Stefanie Leist at the church I attended when I was stationed in Illinois. They had 4 kids and were getting ready to adopt sweet Isabelle from China. Since that time, they have adopted 4 more special needs babies from China. I have followed along Stefanie's blog as they have brought each child home and the love they feel for their children is palpable from the first time they lay eyes on their photo! Right now, The Leist family is raising money to bring 2 more Chinese angels home. The story is nothing short of a miracle...rarely do you bring home two children at the same time who are not related. If you are interested, go and get caught up on the story at Stefanie's blog, Ni Hao Y'all.

They have an AMAZING give away going on right now to raise money to cover the costs of adopting these lovely ladies. They are giving away a MacBook, a Nikon camera, an iPad2 and so many other lovely goodies. Please click here to find out more about it or click the button on my sidebar. Some of you may have heard of Stefanie from the t-shirts she designs, WildOliveTees! :)

She has created a special t-shirt for this giveaway that you do not want to miss out on!

I almost never post about give aways from other blogs, but this one was too special to miss. Not only do I think the Leist's are amazing, I couldn't miss a chance to play a part in a great love story!

Please go and check it out! God Bless!

Avery Pictures

2011-01-22T09:07:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted any Avery pics in a little while, so I thought I'd post some from over the last week or so...

Avery's favorite thing to do is play with his trains...he loves Thomas the Trains and Geotrax.

Avery napping in Poppa's chair
This little guy is my whole world!!
Our little frequent flyer
My little food moocher...trying to steal my cheerios!

An Encouraging Word

2011-01-20T10:18:00.003-05:00

In the spirit of sharing good deals with each other, I wanted to share with you about Dayspring's Heart Connection Card Club. It is a monthly club that costs $12.99. Each month you will get 10 beautiful, quality cards. You can elect to take the monthly selection, switch for a different pack, or take nothing that month. There is no minimum orders required before you can cancel either. It is a really neat club.

I like receiving these cards because I always have beautiful cards on hand when I need them. I have needed several sympathy, praying for you and birthday cards recently and I have been able to send them out right away because I already had them.

I also think we don't send enough hand written encouragement these days. Emails, Facebook messages and texts are nice, but they aren't the same.

So, if your New Year's resolution was to stay connected better with your friends and family, consider the Heart Connection Card Club. I love it! and have not been compensated to say so! :)
Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!!!

Menu Planning Genius

2011-01-19T11:57:00.003-05:00

I am so excited about this website that I found...I think it is going to make my life a whole lot easier! I menu plan every week before I go to the grocery store to ensure we have healthy meals to eat each day. I am also doing weight watchers, so I have to have points friendly meals.

I found this site, called e-mealz.com. For $5 a month, it gives you a menu plan AND a corresponding shopping list! You can choose a low carb plan, a ww plan or a normal plan. You can even choose what grocery store (aisle by aisle) you want your shopping list for!

This site is pure genius! If you think you would be interested, let me know and I'll email you a copy of one menu/shopping list just so you can check it out. Also, check out their site for all the options.

If you want to subscribe, here is a coupon code for $2.50 off: ORGANIZE

Can you tell I'm excited??

This and That

2011-01-12T08:18:00.005-05:00

We have had a busy few months! I am at my parents house right now, waiting out my 2nd airline delay in 2 days so I figured I would download the pictures from my mom's camera and update my blog!

My parents came to our house over New Year's and we celebrated Christmas with them. (Christmas pictures from our St Louis Christmas our on the other camera!) Santa brought Avery a new table and chairs and some Thomas Trains!

Mom spent most of the morning taking toys out of packaging!
When my parents left our house, they took Avery with them. He stayed with them for a week until I came and joined them. I went to Orlando to run the Walt Disney World half marathon and then I drove up to their house. Avery has loved being with them.
Poppa took Avery to the Gulf Breeze Zoo...

Avery found a special place to play...
We got to celebrate Christmas with some dear friends who are family. Avery LOVES Uncle Poppi and Cousin Isaac.
The girls got some cute cups...no rivalry tonight! And we all cheered Auburn on to win the National Championship!
Avery got into Cousin Haley's Christmas gift and wrote all over his face. Lovely.
Aunt Monica reading to Avery, Haley and Isaac.
Avery adores Cousin Issac! They were even dressed similar that night!
Avery wanted Mommy to take her vest off so he could wear it. It looks pretty cute on him!

Tuckered out from our early morning trip to the airport that resulted in us not leaving!
All of these travel delays are annoying. But I don't think Avery is complaining about some extra time at Lollie and Popppa's. (Neither is his momma! )

Christmas Card 2010

2010-11-29T09:44:00.002-05:00

Here is a sneak peek of our Christmas card for this year! Since I have a readership of about 3 people, I shouldn't ruin the surprse for too many! :) I absolutely love receiving Christmas cards in the mail and look forward to checking the mail all throughout December. I hope our Christmas card makes people smile this year.

Shutterfly has cards and address labels 30% now through December 1st, along with free shipping on orders over $25! That was enough incentive to stop procrastinating! And if that wasn't enough, if you share your card on your blog, you can get a $25 gift certficate for your next order! What are you waiting for? Go order your cards!! And make sure to send me one. :)

Retro Kaleidoscope Holiday Card

Shop hundreds of holiday photo cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Day 8- A picture that makes you sad

2010-11-24T11:59:00.003-05:00

This is a photo that makes me sad. I am so proud of our military men and women, but each loss saddens me. "All gave some, but some gave all."

I remember you.

Day 7- A photo that melts your heart

2010-11-23T11:09:00.002-05:00

This was one of Avery's 2 year photos...it is my favorite. I have it in B&W on my dresser and in color on my desk at work. It just captures my little boy perfectly. Every time I look at it, my heart swells. I can't believe that he is already 2 and I can't belive I get to be his mommy!

Day 6-20 Favorite Things

2010-11-22T12:13:00.002-05:00

In no particular order:
1. Pedicures
2. Ice cream
3. New shoes
4. Jewelry from New York and Co
5. Vera Bradley
6. Christmas cards (sending and receiving)
7. Country Music (Loving "The House that Built Me" by Miranda Lambert and "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking, by Blake Shelton)
8. A pretty new Bible
9. Beth Moore Bible studies
10. A good fiction book on a rainy day
11. Kisses from my son, Avery
12. Ice Tea from McDonalds, half sweet/half unsweet
13. University of Florida Gator Football!
14. Christmas decorations and music
15. Surprising other people with a gift
16. Sending handwritten notes/cards
17. Reading blogs
18. Romantic movies
19. Sour Patch kids
20. American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines!!

Day 5-Favorite Quotes

2010-11-22T12:03:00.002-05:00

"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive emotion of humanity. It's something we're all touched by, no matter what culture you're from. Everyone loves music." Billy Joel

"The dictionary is the only place success comes before work." Vince Lombardi

"I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is above all, to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have it make a difference that you've lived at all." Leo Rosten

"Icons, like the rest of us, are imperfect, but loveale nonetheless. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times, hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then sure as heck don't deserve me at my best." Marilyn Monroe

"Love must be learned and learned again; there is no end to it." Katherine Anne Porter

" But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord, just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed" From the song Unredeemed, by Selah

"A man can do nothing better that to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work." Ecclesiastes 2: 24

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20

Day 4-Favorite Book

2010-11-22T11:18:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love to read! I have for as long as I can remember. So picking one favorite book is hard. But there are a few books I could just read over and over again. One of those books is called The Princess by Lori Wick. Lori writes really good Christian fiction and The Princess is one of my all-time favorites. I have bought several copies of it over the years because I love the story so much, I often give it away to a good girlfriend!

Day 3- Your Favorite Teacher

2010-11-19T09:42:00.002-05:00

I have been really lucky over my lifetime to have been exposed to some wonderful teachers. I have always loved school and learning so I really thought my teachers were great and enjoyed almost all of them. So, I can't pick just one favorite...

Mrs. Sabitis: 3rd grade-She was an older lady and a little odd, but I loved her. She really had a knack for finding out what people were good at and encouraging them in that area. She also made us use proper maners and be kind to others. It was in her class that I first learned what writing a kind note to someone could mean. I was in this class when the Challenger exploded.

Mrs. Green:6th grade Science-Mrs. Green was a very confident woman who was always happy and perky. She could also write backwards with her left hand, so I thought that was cool. But she was always making science fun and hands-on. I had her in 6th and 8th grade, and in 8th grade she worked a deal with Sony. They mailed her enough radios for all her 8th grade classes and sent a rep out. We learned how to take them apart, what all the pieces did and put them back together. We got to keep them when we were done. I still have that radio today!!

Mrs. Anderson: 9th Grade Biology- Mrs. Anderson was another science teacher who knew how to make it fun and relateable to every day life. She was young, beautiful and hip. I thought she was so cool! She also went to my church and I looked up to her so much. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.

Mr. and Mrs. Lowe: Discipleship class middle/high school- This was a class that met on sunday nights at my church to help you grow in your faith. They were very dedicated and taught for many years. One lesson they taught stands out to me to this day...they were teaching about God's plan for sex and they compared virginity to marbles...I know it sounds crazy. But basically, they were saying you don't want to give your marble away to just anyone. They gave us each a marble as a reminder and I still have mine.

Mrs. Hagans: Acteens teacher- Acteens is a missions program in the Baptist church for teenage girls. Ms. Alice was called and dedicated to working with girls in this program. She led it the entire time I was growing up. What I remember more than any project we did was how much she loved us all and how much of herself she gave to us.

Oh my, I really feel like I'm missing some. But when I instantly think about who taught me things I remember to this day, these few stand out.

I used to be a school teacher and it is hard work. I am so thankful for who choose to sacrifice of themselves for children. God bless them all!!

Day 2- Definition of Success

2010-11-18T08:01:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm playing along with a 30-day blog challenge. You can read about it here, if you want to join in.

Today's topic is what our definition of success is. For me, it isn't in any measurable standard as far as job accomplishment, size of a house or fanciness of car. For me, being successful means doing what God asked me to do. I try every day to be in tune with what God is talking to me about and then if I actually do what he desires...that is success!

I will also count myself very successful at the end of my life if, with God's help, we were able to raise a kind human being, who love's his Lord and loves those around him.

I'm off to try to be successful one moment at a time!

30-Day Blog Challenge

2010-11-17T09:30:00.002-05:00

I was reading some blogs the other day and came across this blog challenge and I thought it would be fun to play along. If you are interested in playing too, go here. Here are the topics:

Day 1 - your biggest accomplishment
Day 2 - your definition of success
Day 3 - Your favorite teacher
Day 4 - your favorite book
Day 5 - your favorite quote
Day 6 - 20 of my favorite things
Day 7 - a photo that makes your heart melt
Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9 - a photo you took
Day 10 - a photo taken over 10 years ago of you
Day 11 - a photo of you recently
Day 12 - something you are OCD about
Day 13 - a fictional book
Day 14 - a non-fictional book
Day 15 - your role model
Day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
Day 18 - my wedding/future wedding/past wedding
Day 19 - a talent of yours
Day 20 - a hobby of yours
Day 21 - a recipe
Day 22 - a website
Day 23 - a youtube video
Day 24 - where I live- in detail, what makes it special?
Day 25 - guilty pleasure
Day 26 - your week, in great detail
Day 27 - my worst habit
Day 28 - whats in my handbag/purse
Day 29 - hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - car you drive ( and past cars too!)

Some of these topics are just plain fun and some of them will challenge me to think. But I'm going to try! Let me know if you're in!!

That Little Boy of Mine

2010-11-10T10:16:00.002-05:00

"Two eyes that shine so bright,
Two lips that kiss goodnight,
Two arms that hold me tight,
That little boy of mine.

No one could ever know
how much your coming has meant.

Because I love you so,
You're something heaven has sent.

You're all the world to me.
You climb upon my knee.
To me you'll always be,
that little boy of mine."
I love you, Avery!

Love a Soldier? Know a Soldier?

2010-10-27T11:14:00.002-04:00

This is so cool.

Go here and check it out. I love any cause that supports the military!

Jumping back in

2010-10-22T07:40:00.002-04:00

I've been stressing lately about how neglected my blog is and how to get back into it. I pondered all these great posts, but ultimately decided I just needed to put a post up there to get back in the swing of things. So, here it is. This post isn't really about anything, but hopefully it will lead me back into blogging!

I took some pictures of Avery this morning before school with my iPhone. Not sure why our walls look so yellow, but please ignore that!

Avery saying "cheese!"
He was engrossed with opening the doors on his toy car...

Here he was telling me "it's a black car"

We keep our University of Florida car magnets on the back of our front door when it's not game day, so Avery was pointing at all the gators! :)

Hope you all have a great weekend! We're taking Avery to Boo at the Zoo, so I'm really looking forward to that. Do you have anything fun planned?

Weighty Matters (and Avery pics!)

2010-08-23T13:09:00.006-04:00

Well, I did it...I joined Weight Watchers online. I lost a decent amount of weight while I was deployed, but I'm still not quite where I want to be. I'm excited to see how I do! If any of you have done weight watchers before, do you have a favorite blog/website or a favorite recipe?? Any insider tips for me? :)

For those of you who just want to see Avery, I've inlcuded a bunch of pictures below!

Watching the Jets at Pensacola Beach

Happy 2nd Birthday, Baby!

Driving with Poppa is a FAVORITE activity!

Slowing down and enjoying just "being"...

Playing is hard work!

Hope you all have a good week!

30% off at Gap

2010-08-23T08:50:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share a coupon with you...hopefully I can combine it with the $50 Groupon I got last week!

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from August 26-29 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy and we'll donate 5% of what you spend to a non-profit."

Avery's 2 Year Pictures

2010-08-18T08:16:00.003-04:00

When we were in Florida, we had Avery's 2 year pictures taken by a wonderful and talented photographer. They just came in the mail yesterday and I squealed with delight! Here are just 2 of the wonderful picutures she took.

Can you believe how big my "baby" is??
This one makes my heart melt...

I keep trying to slow down time, but it seems to just go faster!!

It has been a long time

2010-07-29T13:08:00.002-04:00

It has been a long time since I have posted on here, although I check on all of my blog friends daily. I've been back from Afghanistan for a little over 3 weeks and have been moving ever since. We spent some time in Florida at the beach with family which was exactly what I needed. I am a beach girl at heart and am so happy when I get to spend time at the beach, in my hometown with family!

Now that we're back at our house and settling in, I have a huge urge to clean, purge and nest. I have been organizing closets, getting rid of old cloths and (gasp) even purging my purse collection. Do you guys ever feel suffocated by your stuff? That's how I felt. I want to live simply and to not be always buying stuff. I want to start purchasing with a purpose. Like I just told Avery, "you don't get something every time we come in a store". I think I should heed my own advice!! ; ) But in the midst of the cleaning and organizing, I have been having some precious time with a very special guy. We are having the best time and I'm cherishing every moment.

I have neglected my blog, but it will soon be getting a facelift and re-organized as well, so hopefully that will inspire me to blog more often. I have really missed it.

A few pictures

2010-06-13T05:59:00.003-04:00

This boy loves to be wet!

Watching the "beeeeg shish" at Bass Pro Shop

Here are 2 of the 3 new members of my unit in Afghanistan. Kittens make everything better, especially over here!

Avery is at my parents' house right now and he is having a blast! This child loves anything to do with water and being wet!! Can you believe he's already 2? I can't!
At the Children's park with Poppa
Not too much longer until I can wrap myself up in those little arms!

Sorry the pics are a little out of order...I was having "user error" issues with blogger tonight!

Long Time No Talk

2010-06-05T08:03:00.003-04:00

It was been quite a while since I have posted here! For a while I didn't have internet, and now I have internet again and have been blog stalking all my favorite blogs. I have thought several times that I should update the blog...but have you ever had so much you could talk about that you couldn't talk about anything?!

I'm nearing the end of my time here in Afghanistan, and I'm so thankful for that. I'm ready to get home! If everything works the way it's supposed to, I should be home the first week in July. But if you're acquainted with the military at all, you know things don't always go the way they are "supposed" to, but I'm praying they do!

Have any of you signed up to do the Summer Siesta Bible Study at Beth Moore's blog? They are doing a study on Ruth that sounds wonderful. I'm looking forward to doing a guided study again. Sometimes I get easily distracted on my own! You are supposed to do this with a small group of women, but I don't have one right now. Anyone interested in discussing it via blog? It starts June 22nd. I can't wait to dive in!

Also, I thought about posting about my time over here, but I'm afraid I'd ramble. Instead, if you'd like to ask me any questions, feel free and I'll answer them in another post.

Checking In

2010-01-11T10:53:00.004-05:00

Hello Friends!

I hope you are all having a good start to 2010! By the way, I can't believe it's 2010. I remember it turning 1990 like it was yesterday!

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I am alive and well. I have been in Afghanistan for 10 days now. And it has taken me 10 days to get my sleep figured out! But I think I'm finally through the worst of the jet lag. For those of you on eastern time, I am 9 1/2 hours ahead.

It is kinda strange being here. The base is very basic. It's actually pretty dirty and smelly. I did get a room in a hardened building (instead of a tent) for which I am eternally grateful. Isn't it awesome when God answers your little prayers like "God, please don't make me live in a tent for long"...tents are not fun. Especially when you have to hike to the bathrooms/showers! I got into a room my first day here! It was an answered prayer! I live in what they call a "Mod" which is short for modular housing. It is like a big trailer and it has 6 rooms in it that share a bathroom/shower. We have 4 people in my room with the capacity for 6. The base has a boardwalk with some local shops and places to eat. We even have a subway and a dairy queen. I've heard the dairy queen is good, but I know from personal experience that the subway doesn't even come close to tasting like the real thing! We should be getting a TGI Fridays soon too! None of the roads are paved here, so the whole base is covered in dust. It's pretty gross.

I walk about a mile each way to where I work, but I actually enjoy the exercise. The food isn't great, but it is free! And maybe the fact that it isn't very good will help me lose a few pounds! I feel bad for complaining though. By my American standards, the living conditions are not great. But not even a mile from where I am sitting right now, some local Afghans are living in little mud huts making barely $300/year if they are lucky. I have a roof over my head, a job and all the food I could need. (taste aside) I am very fortunate to be an American, especially in Afghanistan.

The price of what we are doing over here became very real tonight. We put a fallen American Marine on a plane to go home to his family tonight. His name was Jacob and he was 20 years old. Please say a prayer of thanks tonight for his sacrifice and pray for comfort and peace for his family.

Sorry if this seems a little disjointed. I'll be more organized next time! I'll try to post some pictures too...

Love to you all.

Mama's Cuddle Monkey!

2010-01-07T20:51:00.007-05:00

We were very blessed to have had Amber (Mama) home for Christmas before she departed for Southwest Asia and Avery took full advantage. I mean, who better to snuggle, or read stories with?! I managed to sneak in a story or two...and realize that my new year's resolution needs to include some exercise after seeing the picture...but Mama stole the show! ;-)

Amber is mostly settled into her room and is already hard at work taking care of her Army brothers and sisters, and defending the freedom we all enjoy.

Our best to all service members for as happy and healthy a new year as is possible. God bless!

Love and prayers to you Mama!

Leavin on a Jet Plane

2009-12-27T21:36:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,

I had every intention of updating the blog while I was home from the 23rd-27th, but it just didn't happen. It has such a blessing to be at home these last few days and celebrate Christmas with my family. The time has just flown by and I leave tomorrow for my deployment. I don't want to go, but am anxious to get there and get started so I can come home again. I'm hoping to be able to update the blog while I'm gone.

I hope you all have a very happy New Year and that 2010 brings you much joy and happiness.

Love,

The Abom...er...Adorable Snowmonkey

2009-12-19T11:41:00.005-05:00

Looks like we're in for a record! According to weather reporting, the eastern seaboard is experiencing the largest accumulation of snow on record in December in many towns, Alexandria, VA included (see video below)!

That said, I am thanking God for the common sense of Amber's Army brothers and sisters in New Jersey! She had been conducting some field training and was supposed to be in an encampment for a total of six days...in relative comfort as camping goes, but in the field nonetheless. As Amber and I were on the phone last night, the order came across for them to break camp and move back into their barracks. Just in time too! Avery and I awoke this morning to a foot of snow on the ground, and here we are at noon with nearly two feet, and there's still no end in sight! A quick text a short time ago from Amber indicated they're getting more of the same where she is. All's well up there from the sound of things, but Mamma's ready to be home; not long now! :-) Thanks to all of you out there thinking of her!

Avery was interested in jumping into the cold stuff as soon as he woke up! Two feet of snow can't stand up to the Abom...er...Adorable Snowmonkey! He and I ventured out into the blizzard (no exaggeration there!) for a jaunt through the parking lot in the cold stuff:

The Snowmonkey, waiting to pounce.

Can't wait until he's old enough to grab a shovel instead!

OOOOOOhhhhhhh!

Caught him...see, he DOES exist!

Only four days left Mamma! Can't wait to see you!

-T.P.

Daddy's Turn!

2009-12-08T18:50:00.015-05:00

Hello world! Well, at least those of you out there as lucky as I am to know Amber...I'm just a little luckier...I happen to be in love with her too!

As many of you know, Amber is currently away "playing G.I. Jane" as she calls it. Which is just to say, that she's training...hard. Avery and I have been blessed to get to talk to her most days while she's away, and to Skype with her on the days when she's got a little extra time (and the younger soldiers aren't on-line gaming!). But I do know how she misses her little monkey; and so I've promised to keep up with the blog, because when she leaves for the desert later this year, well, we're not sure how often we'll be able to chat.

One final note before the Avery show must go on: Despite having a calendar day all to themselves, bosses are seldom given the credit they are due, particularly in this day and age of economic woe and uncertainty. It is the men and women Amber and I work for, and serve with, that I want to thank right now. Despite the difficulty of this short-notice deployment for Amber, the leaders we work for have made an awful situation, as bearable as it can possibly be. It's because of my boss' understanding and compassion that I was allowed time off to help Amber prepare for this ordeal, an invaluable gift that had immeasurable meaning. And it is because of Amber's boss, who took time out of his schedule to call her from 3/4 of the way around the world, that she will likely be able to come home for Christmas before she departs in earnest on deployment. For our part, Amber and I are very blessed to continue to be able to work hard and honorably, and we pray for all souls out there less fortunate than us. And it is in no small measure that we are grateful to the people we call "Sir" for the small gestures they have made.

And now...on with the show!

Hi Mama, we love you!

Avery loves watching his Mama. We recorded Amber reading his favorite stories ("Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" is up in the picture I believe), and he giggles when he hears Mama's voice...and it's wonderful to see him interact with her as if she's right there with him. Amber...if you have any doubt that he might forget you while you're away...I can tell you in no uncertain terms: Avery loves you too much! :-)

I set a trap to catch that stack of money with the googly-eyes and all I caught was this monkey!

Avery loves playing in the ball pit at Little Gym. I love that Avery loves playing in the ball pit too...it means at least three hours of nap time at home later!

A-man loves his football. I've already taught him how to play full-back out of the I formation!

Amber, Avery and I hope the fires we have burning for you at home in our hearts keep you warm in the cold of Jersey, and comforted when you most need it.

I love you...

-T.P.

I'm Alive

2009-12-04T07:03:00.002-05:00

Hello! Just wanted to stop by and say hello and let you know I'm alive. The internet access here is challenging to say the least.

We're moving along in our training, so that's good. This week we had to practice getting out of a rolled over HUMV...NOT FUN! But necessary.

I'm reading over everyone's blogs and am jealous of all the Christmas festivities going on. It's hard to feel that here. But I bought a Christmas CD yesterday so hopefully that will get me going.

Thanks for checking on me and praying for us.

I love cell phones!

2009-11-23T07:21:00.003-05:00

Tony has been sending my pictures via cell phone and I'm so grateful! Here's my cutie from yesterday...ready for a walk. He loves the scarf LaLa made him. He's so funny putting it on and taking it off. :)

I'm off to a great start

2009-11-20T18:43:00.004-05:00

So, yesterday was our first day of training. It went pretty well, but was a lot of "hurry up and wait." (which is pretty standard if you're familiar with the military at all)

It was a long day but not a bad one. We had a bag check scheduled for 8pm. (they want to make sure we brought everything we were supposed to.) So, I went to dinner, laid out all my items for the bag check and then laid down on my bunk to read for a little bit. Apparently, I slipped into a coma. (well, not really a coma) I fell asleep and did not hear them knocking on my door. They were looking everywhere for me and almost reported me AWOL. (absent without leave) Seriously! They must not have knocked very hard on my door or something. They finally banged on the door and I woke up. So yeah, I'm off to a great start! :)

Today was a pretty good too, but I'm really tired. I guess I'm making up for not being able to sleep before I got here. I'm doing good; it's really not that bad here. I just really miss my boys.

Checking In

2009-11-19T00:11:00.002-05:00

Hello friends. I made it to New Jersey. Today was I think the hardest day I've ever had. I had to say goodbye to my little man and it just about tore my heart out. I've heard it said that when you have a child, your heart now beats outside your body. That is so true. It was no picnic saying goodbye to Tony either.

But I'm here at my temporary home for the next 30+ days. It's like dorm life, but worse. :)

Today is move in/out day and it is a 24-hour mass of movement. It's kind of cool. I got a little bit of sleep and am now up again because my roomies are done with training and headed to the desert. It was a good reminder for me that the sun never sets on those who defend our freedom. When we sleep at night, there are men and woman all over the world working hard for us.

Thank you for all your support and prayers. It means more to our family than you know.

La Familia

2009-11-17T06:32:00.002-05:00

Hello! Here are some of the photos from our session last week. I'm so glad I already had it scheduled before deployment hell broke loose. Avery is almost 18 months in these pictures. I just love them. They are so "him."

Our annual family photo for the Christmas cards...

Sorry the quality isn't so great here.

Also, I did qualify on the weapon yesterday. It took me longer than I would have liked, but thanks to your prayers I know, I managed to qualify. So THANK YOU!

I've enjoyed reading all your book suggestions and I'm sure I'll have time to read them all! :) Keep leaving them if you think of anymore.

I don't know when I'll post again, but I'll do it when I get the chance and keep you posted on how things are going. Tony's going to try and update it for me too.

I know you all know that I don't want to leave my family. But do know that I love our country and I love you all. That's why we all go.

I'll be seeing you.

Book Recommendations Please

2009-11-16T06:10:00.003-05:00

If you follow me on Facebook, you know I just got a Kindle for my deployment. For those of you who don't know, it's an electronic device that you dowload books to by Amazon. I just love it! I want to load it up with books before I go, so I wanted to get your recommendations. I probably will not download Harry Potter or Twilight, so any other suggestions??

We had our family photo down last week for our Christmas cards...I'll try to post it tonight!

Oh, and if you could pray for me around 11am...I have to qualify on the M16 (it's one of the guns I'll be taking with me) I've never fired one before and I don't really have time to re-shoot. Thank you!!!

The Unexpected

2009-11-10T07:46:00.003-05:00

Well, let me just cut to the chase. Yesterday started out like a normal Monday. I was still feeling a little blah, but doing good. A little after lunch I got a phone call that changed all that. I was notified that I have been tasked to deploy for 6 months. I have a month of training prior to that, that starts NEXT FRIDAY! So, I have 10 days notice to be gone for a total of 7 months. I knew it could happen, but the short notice of it, has me rattled and I'm distraught about leaving Avery. We have a lot to figure out in a short amount of time. Please, please pray for us.

We're Alive

2009-11-09T07:42:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to let you know that we are all alive! All 3 of us came down with a stomache virus, but we don't think it was the swine flu like we originally thought. Thankfully, this is a short work week for me, since I still feel a little "off." Thank you so much for all your prayers!

Avery is in love with this little snoopy guy we got from hallmark. He turns it on and just dances away!

Happy Monday!

The Pig has landed

2009-11-03T21:09:00.002-05:00

Avery got sick today at school (massive throw-up). When he got home, Tony gave him a small snack/water which he promptly threw up again. So, I called the doctor and they gave us a referral to the urgent care center...he threw up again on the way there!

Diagnosis: Swine Flu! (i know! can you believe it!?)

So, please pray for him. Pray for me that I can stay healthy and care for him. He's not allowed back in daycare until Monday. Mostly, just pray for my little man...that this won't hit him too hard.

Thank you so much!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T07:53:00.005-05:00

Avery had a Halloween party at his little gym on Friday night and on the way there, this is what we saw!
We were so afraid it was going to try and cross the road...

Our little monkey dressed up as a monkey this year! His costumes had little paws on them and he loved clapping his hands with them on!

I love the tail and the banana hanging out of his pocket!

Just hanging around...

His favorite thing...the stairs!

We found a lion at the party...

All done at the party. We had an unseasonably warm halloween...it was 74 degrees, so Avery was a little toasty after wearing his monkey suit!

Getting ready to watch the Gator game...

Talking on Momma's phone

My little pumpkin

Hope you all had a happy halloween with your little "treats!"

Well Baby Visit-almost 17 months

2009-10-29T07:53:00.005-04:00

I know this picture is blurry, but I love the joy on his face!

Happy Boy

Yesterday we had a well-baby visit and a visit to the allergist for little man. He's doing great! He only had to get one vaccine and he doesn't get any more shots until age 4! :) And we don't have to go back for a check-up until age 2! He did get the flu shot as well yesterday. They were out of the H1N1 vaccine, which I'm kinda glad about because it gives me more time to think and pray about it. What do you all think about the H1N1 vaccine?

Avery's stats:

He weighed in at 23.9 lbs (27th %)

@ 12 months he weighed 21.5 lbs/22nd %

He is 32.2 inches long (68th %)

@ 12 months he was 29.7 inches long/50th %

His head is 19.3 inches (90th %)

@ 12 months it was 19.2 inches/90th %

His growth has slowed a little (which is a good thing where is head is concerned! ha!!) but the doctor said he's doing great and that it is normal for growth to slow down quite a bit.

Avery is a wonderful child and I feel incredibly blessed. He is happy and healthy and I couldn't ask for me.

Let me know your thoughts about H1N1 or if you've found sites with good info...

A visit to the Swamp!

2009-10-26T13:06:00.009-04:00

I was so excited that my parents, Avery, Tony and myself could go to a Gator game! We were able to go to Homecoming to see the Gators play Arkansas. (we had fun, although the Gators didn't play great and it was definitely a nail-biter!) I attended UF and had a great experience there and I enjoyed getting to see Gainesville through Avery's eyes.

Avery and I copping a squat right outside the stadium for a snack

Gator crocs!

Dad and Avery with Albert and Alberta

Albert and Alberta at a pre-game pep rally at the Alumni Hall

Avery was very excited to see them!

Watching the cheerleaders

Climbing up to the stadium

Right after this picture, Avery took a nap...

Leaving the stadium...it was getting chilly!

"Yay, the Gators won!"

Watching "Praise Baby" while the big people got ready

All of us with the gator statue...I have many pictures of me by this alligator from my time at UF

Avery thought it was fun to pet the alligator! :)

Just the girls

Cruising

There was a couple taking their engagement photos at the stadium (on Sunday) and they had their doggie with them. Avery loves dogs and this dog was so sweet. She let Avery love on him for about 5 minutes. She just stood there patiently.

Avery commandeered a golf cart...

If you ask Avery what an alligator says he does the gator chomp! :)

I had a great time taking Avery on his first trip to the Swamp! Go Gators!!!!!!!!

Weekend Fun

2009-10-26T08:05:00.005-04:00

Warning, this post is picture overload! (just b/c you asked so nicely Renee!)

I just got around to downloading my camera and found this cute picture of Tony and Avery at a rest stop on our way back from Florida. I'm not sure what they were checking out...probably cars!
Avery in one of his favorite places...his litte wagon.

Another favorite place...

Rollin' with my homie...

Avery is so funny...he leans to the side and kicks one leg over the side...

Sticking his tongue out...

We enrolled Avery in a a place called "My Gym" over the weekend. He'll go to classes on Saturday morning. He loves it because it is full of balls! He's not so fond of circle time and waiting for directions, but he'll learn. They have a halloween party this Friday, so that should be fun.

They even have a trampoline! I think that was mommy's favorite part! :)

The infamous "circle time"

Playing at the "tot lot" behind our house

Avery loves to be outside...he just glows with happiness

Assuming the position for the slide

We even tried it head-first...

Not sure what was up with my camera...but here's my punkin' from this morning...

Happy Monday! I only have one more catch-up post (the UF game) and then I'll be back to my regularly scheduled programming! :)

Some more catchup...

2009-10-24T20:39:00.002-04:00

Avery loves to climb on whoever happens to be laying in the floor. Poppa was the victim of the moment...

Lovin' on puppy
Whatchu lookin' at?
Blowing kisses (in the wind, if you like Paula Abdul)
Cheering on the Gators
We're a bunch of Gator Lovin' fools!

"Gators are #1!"
"Touchdown Gators!"
Avery actually got to go to a Gator game last weekend...I'll post on that soon! :) Right now, I have to get back to watching the FL/Miss State game! Happy Football watching Saturday!

We're Home...and trying to get caught up!

2009-10-21T20:01:00.002-04:00

We're finally all back in one place! We got back on Monday afternoon. As I try to dig my way out of laundry and "stuff" and try to get caught up at work, I'll be posting some pictures of Avery from his time with LaLa and Poppa. He grew up so much in 5 weeks!

He was saying bye to Poppa here...

He loved having his hat on backwards!
This was Avery's outfit for watching the UF/LSU game...
There he goes...
Here he comes!
Momma and Avery after church...someone didn't want to pose. He'd rather play with the cars!
Isn't he just the cutest!?
"I'm outta here!"
"Cah, Cah!"
I'm so glad tomorrow is already Thursday! Hope you are all good! :)

Fun with a Box

2009-10-15T13:48:00.002-04:00

My little boy is all boy and it is SO much fun to watch. We were playing with a box last weekend and he had the best time. The joy on his face was contagious!

I LOVE this picture!
Momma was working hard!
Isn't he getting so tall?!
Today is Miscarriage and Infant Loss Remembrance Day so I wanted to take a minute and remember our first baby. He/She would have been born in January '08. I was so heartbroken when I miscarried...It was such a low time and I felt like I would never be happy again. God was and is so faithful to me and when I look at the pictures above, I feel so blessed and eternally grateful for the gift that is Avery Mark. I am praying for all of you out there today who have experienced a miscarriage or infant loss. If you'd like, leave me a comment letting me know about your baby.(s)

Water Baby

2009-10-05T22:02:00.005-04:00

Avery is having such a good time with Lollie and Poppa that it makes me feel a little better being away from him. I am so thankful that I can go home and visit him on weekends. I only have 2 weeks left and I get my boy back full time! That's if Lollie and Poppa will give him back!

Poppa and Avery have become quite the buddies.

Avery on the big boy slide!
Where did my baby go? He's getting so big. I am so thankful that he is growing big and strong.
Happy Boy!
We took Avery to a shopping center this weekend that has a great kids play area with water fountains. Avery LOVED it!

Avery found his first little girl friend! :) He liked her because she had "flas" on her dress. (flowers!)

Avery picked out a puppy at Build-a-bear. He loves him and gives him kisses and hugs! It is so sweet to watch him!
Happy Monday!

Random cuteness

2009-09-30T19:38:00.002-04:00

Avery LOVES to push the button to open the garage door and then he makes the cutest "woooo" sound when he hears it go up! It is priceless.

Falling asleep at dinner...a hard day of playing!
Avery and Lollie (or LaLa, as Avery says)
Taking a rest...

Almost asleep...
Waiting for his meal to arrive :)

A visit to the children's park

2009-09-28T18:33:00.005-04:00

I tried to take Avery to the children's park last weekend, but we got rained out. My dad was able to take Avery one day last week and Avery LOVED it. He is all boy and I love watching him learn and explore. He's fearless which is neat and scary for me all at the same time!

My parents' fridge has the freezer on the bottom, so Avery was helping Lollie get some ice here.

"You lookin' at me?"
At the park...is that my Vera Bradley diaper bag sitting in the dirt?! :)

This boy loves anything with a steering wheel!

Poppa and his little buddy

Avery absolutely loved the water!

I love this picture. It melts my heart. I sure do love this little boy!

Avery now knows how to climb up into the chair/onto the couch all by himself. But we have to be careful, he tries to jump off and it scares me!
Isn't he too cute? (I know, I'm biased!) I can't believe I get to be his momma! God has been so good to me.

Big Boy Haircut

2009-09-27T18:05:00.004-04:00

We're alive, in case you were wondering! I'm 2 weeks into my 5 week class and READY to be done. I was finally able to download my mom's camera so I have a few updates planned this week. Avery has been having lots of fun!

This picture was taken when I got home on Friday night...I was so excited to see my boy!

I have given Avery 6 or 7 trims already, but decided it was time for a big-boy haircut that would be easy for me to keep trimmed up. The only way he would sit still is when we put his Praisebaby DVD in! Chris, the gal below, has cut my hair for probably 20 years!

Avery approves! It's still long enough to curl, but has shape in the back. Chris put some hair stuff in his hair so it looks a little weird here.
Watching a movie while momma got her hair trimmed...
Showing Poppa his new haircut
Kissing puppy before naptime
Hope you are all well. I'll update more later!

We made it!

2009-09-12T20:45:00.003-04:00

We made it to Lollie and Poppa's House! It was a long drive, and Avery did so good, but he was VERY happy to get out of his carseat! Daddy flies back home tomorrow and I head to Alabama for my 5-wk work class. I'm so sad about being away from Avery, but I'll get to see him on weekends and he will have so much fun at Lollie and Poppa's house.

Tony and I had a date night las night with our friends Blair & Sara and Lindsay and Jonathan. It was a lot of fun to be out with our friends. Thanks for a GREAT night everyone!

The Ladies
Da Boys
A is for Avery and for Alligators!!!!
Touchdown Gators!!!
It's going to be nice to be near family again, at least for a little while. I probably won't post as often while I'm in class. Unless I'm trying to avoid studying...

A drive by post

2009-09-10T07:46:00.002-04:00

So much to do today to get ready to go on my work trip...just a few pics to tide you over!

Weekend Recap

2009-09-08T07:47:00.002-04:00

We had a very busy weekend! Avery and I are getting ready to go away for 6 weeks, so we had lots to do. (I have a work class in Alabama and Avery is going to my parents house 2 1/2 hrs away from where I'll be so I can see him on weekends. I couldn't go 6 weeks w/out seeing him!) Tony and I cleaned and organized the main floor of the house and we also went "back to school" shopping...well, I guess you could call it back to fall shopping. Our household was in major need of some new denim!

We also got Avery a new toy. We've been looking at it forever and I was going to order it for him for Christmas. We were in Target over the weekend, and we saw it there. We decided to get it because 1. it saved me shipping costs and 2. Avery is at the perfect age for it and we wanted him to enjoy it now. It was a great decision...He LOVES it!

Daddy had fun too...

We also went to IKea and got the shelves that match our entertainment center. We purchased the entertainment center right before Avery was born (so 15-ish months ago) and I was getting worried if we didn't get our act together they would be discontinued. When we got there, they didn't have the center pieces anymore, but they had the shelves. We were so excited and love the new look. We're still trying to figure out how to fill the shelves, but we're working on it. You can see how it looked before here. (kind of...it's not a great picture)

So, how was your weekend? Did you play or work?

Psalm 37 Prayer

2009-09-03T08:39:00.001-04:00

At the end of the Beth Moore conference last weekend, she prayed a prayer with all of us. I needed to be reminded of it today:

"My Dear Sister,
God has not overlooked you
He has not ignored you
He hears every petition
And intimately knows
The Heart beneath it.
Give Him full access
to all of your longings
Pray every single day
To become a person who delights in Him.
When it seems to disapper
Remember to check your JAW.
Are you jealous?
Are you angry?
Are you worried?
Roll it all onto Jesus
He's strong enough to carry it
Big enough to handle it.
Trust God will all your heart
Now leave this place
and go into the world
and do some GOOD!"

Pool fun

2009-09-01T08:05:00.001-04:00

We decided to take Avery to the pool on Sunday evening. The weather was nice and we only have a few more weekends to go before it closes for the season. He was a little tired since he refused to nap that day, but he liked it. He loves to splash!

Psalm 37

2009-08-30T13:14:00.005-04:00

So, I had the opportunity to attend a Beth Moore conference this weekend. It was at my local church and it was a simulcast. Beth was in Green Bay, Wisconsin and it was simulcast to 516 locations! I didn't really know anyone there, but that was okay by me, I was just so excited to hear from Beth. She is an amazing teacher. If you ever have the chance to hear her speak, you really should! I want to summarize what I learned so I can have a record of it, but I hope you can learn a little bit from what she taught us.

There were 3 sessions between Friday/Saturday and she taught on Psalm 37:1-9, but mainly verse 4:

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

She taught 7 points from this verse. (I am so amazed at the truths she learns and teaches to us!)

1. Nothing Dictates our lives like our desires

At the end of the day, we all do exactly what we want to do and nothing moves us like something we want. We have to lay all of our desires out before God. Beth also talked about the difference between cravings and desires. Cravings result from untended desires...what is it you want out of life? Another point that really spoke to me was that a heart's desire necessitates a wait and sometimes we are so fixated on what we want that we don't do what we're supposed to do to get it.

2. Beneath the Desires of Our Hearts is the Heart of Our Desire

God looks to the heart of our desires...He never tells us no without thought or reason. If you don't have the desires of your heart, then something is up...seek God to see what it is.

3. Delighting in God Adapts Our Desires into Inevitables

There is reciprocal delight between us and God. If Joy is like a smile , then Delight is like a laugh. We were created to delight in a God who delights in us.

4. Nothing External Can Steal Our Delight

We have given people rights that they do not have...no one has the right to steal your joy! If you find yourself w/out delight it is an internal problem. There are 3 things that can deform our desires (and thus our delight)

1. J-Jealousy (vs 1)

2. A- Anger (vs 8)

3. W-Worry (vs 1 & 8)

So, if something has taken a bite out of your delight, check your jaw! :)

5. To make room for delight, you've got to commit

Doubt will sap us of our desires and our delight.

6. Nothing is passive about patiently waiting for desire to turn into delight

God hears us, but sometimes we have to wait for his answer.There is a time to pray w/out ceasing and a time to cease and be still before God, but neither is passive.

7. Till Faith becomes sight, Trust God and do Good

Sometimes people dislike Christians because we care more about being right than doing good. Don't worry about being right...go out there and do some good! Until He gives you the desires of your heart, serve in the place he has you right now.

Those were her main points...There is so much of what she said that I am pondering in my heart right now. It was a great weekend of learning and reflection for me.

If you got to attend one of the simulcasts, what was your favorite part?

They had a book store set up at the church...I bought a new bible! Tony says I have a problem buying new bibles...there could be worse things I liked to buy, right? :)

This was Psalm 37...I took a lot of good notes!
Avery in the big boy chair with the big boy remote!
Hope you all had a good weekend!

Be there or Be Square

2009-08-28T11:48:00.001-04:00

I am attending the Beth Moore simulcast event at my church tonight and am so excited about it! Hopefully I can stay awake past 9 pm! :)

Just wanted to know who else is going in your respective city???

Wordless Wednesday...almost

2009-08-26T07:45:00.005-04:00

Avery looks innocent, but look closely. You may even need to click on the picture to enlarge. Yes, that is a whole bowl of peas on my kitchen floor. Good times. Tony and were busting at the seems trying not to laugh out loud.
Working on saying "touchdown"...football season is only a few weeks away! YAY!

By the way, if you haven't heard Selah's new CD "You Deliver Me" yet, you need to! The whole CD is really good, but "Audrey's Song" makes me cry and gives me chills every time I hear it. Another song I love is "Unredeemed." This is one verse from the song:

Life breaks and falls apart

But we know these are Places

where grace is soon to be so amazing

It may be unfulfilled

It may be unrestored

But when anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord

Just watch and see It will not be unredeemed

I just love it. If you've heard the CD, what song speaks to you??

Okay, I totally lied. This is not wordless at all! :)

Just Hangin' + Southern Living Magazine

2009-08-25T07:47:00.004-04:00

Avery was sitting in the big chair while mommy got dressed this morning. What else was he doing but watching Praise Baby! He has been getting up really early (4:45) so he was trying to stay awake in this pic.

I just found out from BooMama's blog that you can get a 12-month subscription to Southern Living Magazine for $5 at amazon.com. That is not a typo. I just bought it and it was a flat $5!!! I was going to subscribe anyway, so this made me very happy! It was too good of a deal to keep to myself!

Personality Profile & a GIVEAWAY

2009-08-21T08:32:00.004-04:00

I found this personality test on Monogram Chick's blog and decided to take it myself. Here's what it says:

You are an Encouraging Architect.

About you:
You are an Architect
Your preference for concrete, visually pleasing things, combined with your confidence and your respect for order make you an ARCHITECT.
You are logical and detail-oriented, which allows you to get things done efficiently.
You are quite sure of yourself, so that you tend to know the best ways of doing things.
Your eye for aesthetic beauty and style indicates that you know a lot about design.
Having a routine and sticking to it is important to you; you find comfort in tradition and familiarity.
Self-reliance is something in which you take great pride—you are confident and down to earth.
You have a basic faith in yourself in many areas of your life, allowing you to be self-assured when facing challenges.
You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.
You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.
You are a fashion maven, up on trends, but distinct in your own style. You don't follow trends, you set them.
Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you. (not true...I'm a big believe in God!)

How you relate to others:
You are Encouraging
Your outgoing nature, understanding of others, and directness make you ENCOURAGING.
You want others to do well for themselves, and you generally believe in their abilities.
You often know what's good for people because of your caring nature and your worldview.
When you care about someone, you don't keep it to yourself: you are good at letting people know that you're thinking of them.
Because you trust people, you take violations of that trust very seriously.
You thrive in social situations, and even though you know who you like and who you don't like, you can interact well with many different types of people.
You have a healthy respect for people who have earned what they have, and you strive to be similar to successful others.
You are a loyal friend and a good listener.

So, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree. Let me know what you think!

Don't forget to let me know if you want to win a copy of Crazy Love, the book Angie Smith is facilitating!

Baby In A Box

2009-08-21T07:53:00.003-04:00

We have plenty of toys for young Master Avery, but he LOVES it when empty boxes make their way into our house. We just ordered diapers/wipes from diapers.com and they came in a huge box. We've had lots of "baby in a box" time at our house this week...

Checking it out...

"Hmmm...if my chick is okay in there, it's okay for me to go in..."

"I'm going in!"

Sitting in his "car" playing with a car. Daddy pushes him all around the house in his car...I love hearing Avery squeal and giggle. It's music to my soul.

"I'm getting out now"

This was yesterday morning...he was watching Praise Baby, playing with his box and looking at pictures all at the same time. Sweet boy.

Happy Friday, Blog friends. I'm so excited...I was just able to get Avery a Baby Be Blessed doll for Christmas. Shush...don't tell him! :)

Angie's Book Club

2009-08-20T11:56:00.003-04:00

I know, 2 posts in one day! Crazy!

But I'm really excited about the book that Angie will be facilitating at her blog starting August 30th.

We will be reading the book Crazy Love and it sounds like such an awesome book, I decided to order an extra copy and give it away on my blog. So, to enter, leave me a comment letting me know why you'd be excited to read it!

Don't forget to check out my boys in my post below.

p.s. here's a snippet about the book:

From Publishers WeeklyChan, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, Calif., offers a radical call for evangelicals to consider and emulate in this debut guide to living crazy for God. Chan's own life compels him to live with urgency, and with good reason. His mother died giving birth to him, his stepmother died when he was nine, and his dad when he was 12. As a pastor, Chan says that conducting weekly funerals for people younger than himself has likewise sobered him to life's unexpectedness and frailty. Chan writes with infectious exuberance, challenging Christians to take the Bible seriously. He describes at length the sorry state of lukewarm Christians who strive for a life characterized by control, safety and an absence of suffering. In stark contrast, the book offers real-life accounts of believers who have given all—time, money, health, even their lives—in obedience to Christ's call.Chan also recounts his own attempts to live crazy by significantly downsizing his home and giving away his resources to the poor.Earnest Christians will find valuable take-home lessons from Chan's excellent book. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product Description
"Sometimes I feel like when I make decisions that are remotely biblical, people who call themselves Christians are the first to criticize and say I'm crazy, that I'm taking the Bible too literally, or that I'm not thinking about my family's well-being. . . When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home, it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who has actually done what Jesus commands resonates deeply with us, but we then assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is? The way it should be?"--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Well-Watered

2009-08-19T07:52:00.003-04:00

"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" Isaiah 58:11

Beach Trip Pictures

2009-08-18T08:28:00.013-04:00

I got the CD in the mail a few days ago from my dad with all our beach pictures on them. When I'm with them, I find I take less pictures, because they take a lot. I had 176 pictures to pick from! :)

This was one of our first mornings there...sitting on the dock feeling the morning breeze.

Avery's hair was so curly and so red that week! I think the humidity does good things for his hair. (unlike mine!)

I think we were doing "patty cake"

Lollie reading with Isaac and Avery

Avery likes puppies...If you look close you can see Lily in the bottom of the picture

Monkey butt

My blue-eyed boy

Sitting on the porch swing (one of my favorite things about the beach house!)

Watching "Praise Baby"...if you don't have these videos for your child, you should get them. They are Avery's favorite videos! He sits still and watches the whole thing. (and gets MAD if you walk in front of the TV while they are on!)

More Praise Baby viewing

Watching with PoppaPoppa and his "helpers" putting together Avery's push toy

Taking it out for a spin

Crusin'

Stepping out on his own!

Sharing Fritos with Poppa

First time at the beach!!!

Swimming with Poppa

Scoping things out

More Praise Baby viewing...

"Mr. Cool"

Eating at PegLeg Pete's. Avery had Grouper Nuggets and LOVED them! This boy loves seafood!

The End!

Sand Cake Recipe

2009-08-14T15:25:00.002-04:00

I've had a few requests, so here is the "Sand Cake' recipe. I got it from one of People Magazine's Country specials.

Ingredients:

Sand pail-Make sure it's a good sized one...mine almost wasn't big enough

1 package sugar cookies (I used Pecan Sandies...I thought it looked more like sand and was so yummy!)

1 (10.75 oz) frozen butter pound cake (thawed)

2 (3.9 oz) packages chocolate instant pudding mix

3 cups milk

1 (16 oz) container cool whip (thawed)

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 heath bars finely crushed (they sell it already crushed in the baking aisle...i learned after the fact)

Garnish with chocolate shells (I found them at Walmart)

Directions:

1. Crumble cookies until finely crushed. Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes. Crush Heath bars (or buy them crushed if you're smart!) Set aside

2. Whisk together pudding mix and milk. Add whipped topping and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

3. Place half of cookie crumbs into a sand pail; top with 1/3 of the pudding mixture, half the cake and half the Heath bars. Continue layering pudding, cake and heath ending with a layer of pudding. Top with the other half of the cookie crumbs. Cover and chill at least 30 mins. Garnish w/chocolate shells.

**The only thing I would do differently, is to put a small layer of pudding down first so the crumbs have something to stick to in the bottom of the pail.

ENJOY!

We're Back!

2009-08-11T07:40:00.004-04:00

Hello! We're back in the real world! It was a great week and it went by way to quick. The only way it could have been better is if Tony could have been with us. I don't have a ton of pictures yet. I mostly used my parents' camera, so I have to wait for my dad to download them and send them to me. Here's some of what I had on my camera...

Avery and Poppa swimming in the bay...Avery loved the water!
This was a "sand cake" I made for dessert one night...YUM!

Avery and me on the boat...Avery loved being on the boat...he took it all in and loved the feel of the breeze in his hair and on his face.

After a week, Avery was good enough to drive the boat!

Avery helping Lollie with the records at church on Sunday

Breakfast!

That's all I've got folks! I"ll post more when I get them!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2009-07-31T07:58:00.002-04:00

My little man and I leave today for this lovely place:

Well, I don't know where this is exactly (it is at least a beach in FL), but we are leaving for a week at the beach with family and good friends. I may blog while I'm gone, but only if the beach house has wireless...So if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm not dead, just sunburned! (hopefully not!)

Yay for Friday and Yay for Vacation! T-9 hours...

Thirty-One Thursday

2009-07-30T08:27:00.004-04:00

Hey there,

I received my fall thirty-one caltalogs and some new pieces from the fall catalog yesterday. I really like them. There are some great new products and some favorite products are back in new colors. If you're interested in checking them out, here is my website: http://mythirtyone.com/6605

Thirty-one has 3 catalogs; the main catalog, 31 Kid, and Direction (the teen line)

The main catalog linked on the website is only good until 31 July, so here is a link to the new catalog: http://thirtyone.dirxion.com/fallwinter09/WebProject.asp?CodeId=7.0.9.1# or I can mail you one if you are interested. I always like looking at something in my hands versus the internet.

In all 3 catalogs, there are some great products for yourself, your little ladies going back to school or your big ladies going off to college.

If you would like me to help you pick out a gift for that special girl in your life (or yourself) please let me know!

Here's a peak of a few of the new items in the fall catalog...

This is the new thermal lunch tote they are debuting this fall:

This is the organizing shoulder bag. It has a big pocket across the back and several pockets inside. It is back this fall with new colors:

This is also new this fall and I love it! There is a smaller version as well. I imagine putting it in the back of my car to keep it organized. It's a nylor fabric and is very durable. And cute too!

Okay, enough of that! Have a great day!

Book Club, anyone?

2009-07-29T08:46:00.005-04:00

Good morning! :)

I've been thinking...

There are lots of yummy books out there right now and there's a million I'm dying to read. I thought it might be fun if we read some together and blogged about them...anyone else interested in joining me?

I know we're all busy, so it won't be like a book a week or anything! Leave me a comment if you're interested and what book you'd like to read. Here's a few I'm interested in:

And for the grandparents:

Happy Wednesday! (2 more days until my happy toes are in the Florida sand!!!)

Weekend Fun

2009-07-27T07:48:00.005-04:00

We had a GREAT weekend! We didn't do a lot of chores, we just hung out and enjoyed being together. It was so nice.

This was Avery playing with my purse while we were at Sprint getting mommy a new phone.

We have a new tradition (if you count 2 weeks a tradition) of getting up and going for a walk on Saturday morning while it is still cool-ish out. This week we walked up to Ihop for breakfast. Avery and I were waiting for Daddy to bring the jogging stroller around.

Strapped in and ready to go! Tony and I fight over who gets to push A-Man...I lost this week! :)

Avery says "what are we waiting for, let's get a move on!"

Avery loves playing with the half-n-half creamers on the table...

"I wonder if I can put this whole thing in my mouth?"

While Avery played with creamers, mommy enjoyed a vanilla latte...YUM!

Avery had finally managed to bite into one after much effort...

Daddy helping him drink...

This was Daddy not moving fast enough!

On the way home, we took Avery out of the stroller so he wouldn't fall asleep right before we got home (which he inevitably does!) so he could go down for a nap in his bed when we got home.

Watching Ratatouille with Daddy...he loved it!

Jelly Face

My happy boy...at least as long as the food kept coming he was happy! :)

I have a very dear friend who is going to deploy to Iraq for 6 months in a few weeks, so her family had a cook out for her. Avery was the hit of the party. Karoline has a few nephews so they had plenty of toys hanging around. Avery loved this little tykes truck...it even has a bed that folds down! I think we definitely have to get him this! He loved it and as soon as he got in, he instinctively started to turn the wheel...how did he know to do that?

Karoline's Aunt brought 2 dogs...They came right up to Avery and licked his face. He just giggled and loved it! Sweet boy.

Tony and I rented the movie "Bolt" to see if we wanted to buy it for Avery's collection...It was so cute!! We will definitely get it. I also watched the Sex in the City movie...I actually thought it was a good movie...just a little too much gratuitous nudity. We also began the search for a Honda Odessey mini van. I really want one. We want to keep this car for 10 years, so I really want it to be as comfy as possible. It may not happen though, b/c the car we have isn't paid off and I don't want to get a car with a loan that is more than we currently owe. So we'll see what kind of certified used is out there. If it's meant to be it will work out. If not, I have a perfectly good car to drive.

Hope you all had a good weekend. Please remember to pray for Stellan. He's a pretty sick little boy.

Show us your life:Wedding Dress edition

2009-07-21T20:40:00.005-04:00

I originally posted these pictures (minus the first one) as my anniversary post on Wednesday, but figured I'd join Kelly's show and tell this week.
July 22. 2006...
I really loved my dress. I got a great deal on it at David's Bridal. We were on a tight budget for our wedding and I wanted to spend more money on pictures than my dress, so I was pleased with the find. (although, someone should tell you how much it costs to alter a wedding dress...it seemed like less of a deal after that!) My dress was satin w/lace overlay. I loved it...it had a lace train and I wore a cathedral length veil. I truly felt gorgeous that dat. It's too bad you only wear them 1 day.
This was us celebrating our 3rd anniversary, a little early, a few weeks ago.Celebrating our 2nd Anniversary...I had just had Avery
Celebrating our 1st Anniversary...This was a tough one for us, because we had just miscarried our first baby. We were happy and sad all at the same time.
Tony, you are a great husband who is always trying to be the best for me and Avery. We're not perfect, Lord knows, but thank you for loving me and being commited to "us". I love you.

Facing Forward

2009-07-20T07:54:00.005-04:00

Little man all dressed up for church. He was in desperate need of a nap here, but we needed him to wait unitl we were in the car. He's also sporting a new summer "do"...I trimmed his hair on Saturday. It was getting long and losing some of it's curl, so I trimmed it up. I think he's just losing some curl though. (I'm sad about this...I wish he could stay my curly headed little boy forever!)
After church, Daddy turned Avery's seat around to face forward! I could have turned it at 12 months/20 lbs, but it's safest facing rear as long as possible. We made it to 13 1/2 months and about 23-24 lbs. His legs are just long and he couldn't safely extend them any more.

This was the first picture of him in his seat...watching daddy strap him in.

I think he likes it!

I think he REALLY likes it!

Cute boy. We took an inaugural drive to walgreens...

I love this picture...I took in when I got back to the car from walgreens. He was happily playing away. I like how you can see my reflection too...fun picture.

We had a great weekend. It was just a great weekend of being together. On Saturday, we started the day by walking to our local Starbucks for breakfast. Funny how it tastes better when you walk to get it instead of drive! When we got back we cleaned and organized our storage/laundry room. It's so pretty in there now I don't mind doing laundry! :) We had a great Sunday at church...The sermon was on fear. I could relate to a lot of the points b/c fear is something I sometimes struggle with. (I'll summarize the points for you if I can find my notes!) When we came home, Avery actually took all of his 3 hour nap, so Mommy got to rest too! It was a really nice weekend!

Hope you had a good weekend too!

Thankful it's Thursday!

2009-07-16T07:49:00.003-04:00

Morning routine...puppy included!
My give-away prize came yesterday and I just love it! It's bigger than I imagined but that's okay! I think we'll put it on Avery's bedroom door for now and see how we like that.

In this blog world, we "meet" all kinds of people. It's one of the things I like most about blogging...getting to find all kinds of new people/friends. While blog hopping one day, I stumbled across this blog and it's heartbreaking. Mike and Heather lost their little girl Maddie unexpectedly in April. She was born 11 weeks early and as a result her lungs were scarred. She got a bad respiratory infection and her little lungs could just not fight it. She was 16 months and 27 days old when she left this earth. If you have time, please jump over and meet Maddie and maybe say a prayer for her mommy and daddy. They are having an understandably hard time with Maddie's passing. I'm not sure if they have the hope of Christ or not, but I feel they could use some extra loving and prayers these days.

Blessings to you and yours today.

Leap Frog Lovin'

2009-07-14T10:26:00.002-04:00

Young master Avery has 3 Leap Frog toys on the fridge that he loves. His favorite thing to do is to get them all talking/singing at the same time and then dance! It is too cute. (also very loud..."fire engine in the bubble wash..." and "old susannah" and "the alphabet song" going at the same time!)
Mr "I don't do mornings"

Is it Friday yet?

Big things are happening

2009-07-12T19:45:00.005-04:00

Avery enjoying Nemo and Dori at the National Aquarium...

Playing with Daddy at the neighborhood park

First time down a slide
Cute boy...he was listening to birds
He was telling me a tall tale!
Cutie!
And when I say big things are happening, I mean someone is walking!!! Not on his own yet, but he'll be there in no time. Just since this video was shot on Saturday, he's already moving faster and more confidently! My baby is being replaced by a little man!

Catching Up

2009-07-09T08:24:00.016-04:00

This picture is out of order, but I couldn't leave it out. :)
Hello Friends! It has been a while since I've blogged! This post will be all about catching up.

Here was little man on the 3rd of July enjoying a wagon ride. His poor eyes are so puffy from all the allergies. Will they never end?!
Avery is wearing one of Tony's outfits from when he was little...too cute!

Playing peek-a-boo with daddy so mommy could try to get a smile on camera!

Cutie patootie

Are we done yet? I'm outta here!

As previously mentioned, Tony and I were able to get away for a few days while Nana held down the fort with Avery. We had a really nice and relaxing time with perfect weather. Here is our lovely bed...

My favorite part of our room; a reading nook

Our CLOSET! It was huge and we had 2 of them!

The sitting room off our bedroom

The view from our bedroom window:

2 things to note about this picture: my happily pedicured feet and I'm at the pool! (that would be a perfect day for me!)

Tony at his birthday dinner

Me at Tony's birthday dinner (we also celebrated our 3rd anniversary a little early)

Sad our vacation was over...

But oh, so happy to return to my littlest man!

Hope you are all doing well and had a nice 4th of July!

26 Hours and counting...

2009-07-03T12:21:00.002-04:00

We got this adorable frame from Uncle Dennis and Aunt Leah for Avery's birthday. I finally got a picture in it of him eating his cake. The picture is not that great b/c of the glare on the glass, but it's pretty cute.

Nana comes in tomorrow afternoon and we are so excited. Can't wait to see you, Nana!

I won!

2009-07-02T08:01:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited! After all the many blog give-aways I've entered, I finally won! And I'm so excited about what I won. I started following Sarah&Abraham around the time I found out about Cora. (click the link if you don't know her story) Sarah made the Cora Paige button that took you to the etsy shop. Anyway, she is amazing! Her art is contemporary but touching. I've drooled over her things for a while. I won a personalized canvas art print!!! We picked the version "C" below. The little boy has curly hair just like Avery! And the dog could be Jolly, my childhood Chocolate Lab. (aka: the BEST dog ever) Aren't these prints so cute!?
Yesterday turned into a pretty good day after all! :)

Today is my Friday! I am off Friday-Tuesday!! I'm so excited. Tony and I are going away for the weekend. BY OURSELVES!! Nana is coming in to watch Avery for the week, because daycare is closed next week. We are so excited. We haven't been away since our honeymoon! (3 years ago!)

Do you guys have fun plans this weekend?

Praise the Lord!

2009-07-01T09:42:00.001-04:00

I passed my physical fitness test!! (please see below post if you're confused!)

Not only did I pass, but I ran the mile and half the fastest I've ever run it!!!

Thank you so much for all your prayers. I felt them and I felt Him very near to me this morning.

Love to you all. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to pray for me.

Love,

UpdatedPrayer Request

2009-06-30T07:57:00.005-04:00

*updated* P.S. Do you guys have any song suggestions for my playlist for my Physical fitness test tomorrow? It has to be fun and peppy! Let me know!! (Original post below)

I have a prayer request if my faithful blog readers will indulge me. I have to take my physical fitness test for work tomorrow. I've taken 5 of these now (every year I've been in the Air Force) and I get so worked up every year. I pass every year, but it's something I have to work hard at. Things in the physcial fitness realm have never come easy for me. I also have a fear of failure. I think Satan exploits this in me. I just keep thinking about my test and then I get sick to my stomache. I'm working on it, but I figured there was power in numbers. So can you pray the following for me?

1. That God turn my fear into confidence. I have been working out with a trainer and been preparing. It's not like i've been sitting on my butt. I need to have confidence in my preparation.

2. That I will not only pass my test tomorrow, but do better than I expected

3. That I remember that I can do all things through my Christ who gives me strength.

I really appreciate it! My test is at 7:30 EST Wednesday morning

This was me trying to get a picture of Avery and me. The key word is trying!

Thank you my friends!

Mr. Cutie

2009-06-29T07:41:00.002-04:00

Tony, Avery and I went out to dinner at the Outback on Saturday night. I was nice to get out as a family and have a nice dinner. Avery is so good in restaurants...we are lucky! He ate some bread, some salmon and some brocolli. It's nice he can eat so many things now.

Avery waiting patiently for dinner to come.
Having some whipped cream off the dessert.

It was a great weekend. Avery had wagon rides, a trip to the pool and lots of time playing at his water table. He even skyped with Lollie and Poppa!

Hope you all had a good weekend!

On a side note; have any of you ever tried to do the diet from P90X?? Seriously, it's INSANE!

One more day...

2009-06-24T07:57:00.003-04:00

Until Daddy comes home and we can't wait!!!!!

Avery was watching his Praise Baby dvd in this shot. He loves those things! He likes to swing too, so it's nice if I need to do something real quick, I can put him in his swing with his dvd on and he's happy as a clam.

"See, I can drink out of my sippy cup when I want too"

On the way to school

12 month portraits and some water table fun

2009-06-21T19:48:00.007-04:00

These are Avery's 12 month shots. I "cheated" and just took a picture of them instead of scanning them. I'm here solo this week, so I don't have tons of extra time. So the quality isn't great, but I wanted the grandparents at least to see them.

More water table fun

I think he likes it!
He loves the starfish toy. I think he's trying to drink out of it, but it looks like he's kissing it.
I hope you all had a great weekend with all the special men in your life. Have a great week!

For Tony

2009-06-21T13:34:00.002-04:00

I have so many favorite pictures of Tony and Avery it was hard to pick, but I didn't want to put them all on here! :)

Tony, Happy Father's Day! You are a great Daddy and Avery and I love you so very much!

Daddy's first kiss

For Daddy

2009-06-21T13:12:00.005-04:00

My dad is the best dad in the world. Seriously. I know some of you may think you have the best dad in the world, but you're wrong. I do!

Here is "Poppa" with Avery. His firstborn grandchild. Could he be any prouder?

Avery is 6 weeks old here and he is snuggled safe in the arms of Poppa.
Poppa sharing some great thoughts with Avery
You'll have to excuse the quality of these photos. I had to take pictures of some pictures from my photo album. This was me and my daddy. I'm guessing I was between 18 months and 2 yrs old.
High school graduation....
Poor daddy...couldn't even change clothes from work and I was already filling him in on my brownie meeting.
Here my dad was encouraging me to do something I didn't really want to do. He stood there until I made it up, over and down the other side. My dad has always been by my side...especially when I had to do something I didn't want to do, but needed to do.
Community college graduation
Enjoying Gainesville together

College graduation
My wedding day

The one thing that's common in all of these pictures is that my dad is looking so proud of me in all of them. He has always made me feel like I was the most important thing and that there was nowhere he'd rather be than with me. My dad is kind, understanding, funny, compassionate, smart, loving, selfless, loves the Lord, loves my mom and showed me how to love. He's not perfect, but he's the perfect daddy for me. I love him so much and thank God for him today on Father's Day and always.

I love you Daddy, Love Bean

A Few Videos

2009-06-16T11:14:00.003-04:00

Make sure to turn your volume up! :)

Play time

2009-06-15T10:21:00.003-04:00

Lots of new posts! Check 'em out!

Avery is such a ~~spoiled~~, I mean lucky boy. He got not 1 but 2 wagons for his birthday!! He got the one pictured below from Lollie and Poppa and he got a traditional radio flyer wagon from Nana and PaPa. We're saving that one for when he gets a little older. This wagon has seat belts, which busy boy needs. He loves being outside and enjoys his rides in the wagons now. Thank you so much Nana and PaPa & Lollie and Poppa!
Ready to roll!

Picking up his Peep, Karston, for a ride

Wait, look! It has cup holders!

Looking cool. Doesn't everyone ride around with one sock on and your leg up?

More water table fun

Playing with a new toy from Auntie Monica and Uncle Kyle

Worn out from a weekend of fun!

Birthday Party-Part Deaux

2009-06-15T08:28:00.007-04:00

We had another party for Avery at home this past weekend for all his little friends and so Daddy could be at this one. It was a lot of fun and a perfect day for a party.

Avery helped us decorate...

It was a cowboy themed party and these were the goody bags for the kids. They had bubbles, a rubber ducky, a sticker book, magnetic letters and some cheese-its.

Balloons out front...after this picture, I added some balloons to the other side as well

The buffet with Avery's birthday plate...

Avery watching his baby signs video while we got ready

A close-up of those cute cowboy decorations

The cute cowboy himself!

The hat didn't last long!

Getting ready for his cupcake...it was yellow cake with orange frosting/filling!

He was a pro this time around!

Checking out his water table for the first time (gift from momma and daddy)

Noah likes it too!

Avery LOVED it!

Check out those wet pant legs!

The aftermath:

We had a great time with a lot of great friends. Thank you all for coming and helping to celebrate the first birthday of a very special little cowboy!

Mini-Me

2009-06-14T17:13:00.007-04:00

Okay, on the top is Avery at 1 years old, and on the bottom is yours truly...do you think he looks like me?? :)

12-month Well Baby Visit

2009-06-12T07:57:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was our 12 month doctor's visit. It was a great appointment, except for the shots! :)

Avery weighed in at 21 lbs 5 oz (22nd percentile)
@ 10 months Avery weighed 19 lbs 15 oz; 50th %

Avery was 29.7 inches long (44th percentile)
@10 months he was 29 inches long, 75th %

Avery's head was 19.2 cm (97th percentile)
@ 10 months it was 18.5; 97th %

So, he's kinda hit a plateau in the growth area, but the doctor wasn't concerned. He's not losing ground in any area, Avery's just not a big baby.

Avery amazed his doctor with all his babbling and clapping; she said I have a genius on my hands! :) She did discover Avery is cutting 4 teeth, which I thought, but I didn't know 2 of them were molars!! That explains the grouchiness and lack of sleep. Poor baby!

If you read my previous post, you know I was concerned about the amount of milk Avery should be getting. I told the doctor Avery gets about 30 oz of milk a day and she said that was good. She says 24 oz a day is the MINIMUM. I must have been reading something outdated or something. So we'll keep with our current meal schedule, which is working out pretty well. Our challenge now is to get him to drink out of a sippy cup. He'll drink water out of a sippy, but refuses to drink milk out of a sippy. (my dr says this is normal too) I gave him his morning milk in a sippy and he sobbed. He drank a little out of it and then threw it down, still sobbing. I transfered the rest of the milk to a bottle. I guess I'll just have to keep trying it. I've heard that one day they just get it and there's no turning back.

Avery was supposed to have 4 shots yesterday, but since it made me nervous, the doctor said I could just give him 2 and come back in 6 weeks for the others. I didn't want to give him the MMR shot with all the others since it's basically 3 shots in one. I feel so relieved about waiting to give him that one! The picture below is after the crying had stopped. The nurses gave him a Dora sticker and he was so happy. He didn't let it go until we got home.

My cutie this morning. He got a little trim (his 6th) last night.

How can you not smile at that face!?

He was over taking pictures at this point

Thank you for all your help and advice on my last post. It really helped!

Happy Friday!

p.s. If you're in town and want to come to a cool, cowboy party on Saturday, let me know! :)

Feeding my 1 year old-I need help!

2009-06-11T12:12:00.002-04:00

For you mommas out there, I need help!

Avery is still getting a 60z bottle of whole milk several times a day in addition to 3 meals a day. (his meals are on the smallish side)

From what I've been reading, I should cut his milk down to 4 oz only 3 times a day in conjunction with meals and add two snacks including 4 oz of juice a day.

I'm torn on several areas...
1. That cuts his milk consumption WAY down

2. I'm not a huge juice fan (I usually give him some watered-down juice on the weekends, but didn't want to do it everyday)

What did you guys do? Avery is still guzzling his milk down which makes me think he needs it. He's really good about not eating if he's not hungry, so do I need to cut him back? Everything I've read is so vague about what to feed at this age!

Does anyone have a menu that works? Please help!

Momma's Big Boy

2009-06-09T14:00:00.004-04:00

Poppa and Avery
Telling Lollie a secret...

I love this picture and how he purses his little lips!

Sitting with Lollie on the front porch, in true Southern style

Avery LOVES to be outside

Playing at the fridge this morning

"Hmmm...How can I get all the letters onto the floor the fastest?"

Looking up at Momma

We're slowly getting back into the swing of things after a blissful week of vacation. I sure do miss being with my boy all day!

The give-away has ended and the winner is...

2009-06-08T10:33:00.002-04:00

My friend Lucia! Lucia is a super creative gal! We met in Ms. Anderson's high school biology class when I was in 9th grade and Lucia was in 10th. Later, we worked on the yearbook together where our catch phrase was "I care or I quit"...Lucia, I still think of that phrase all the time!

Anywho, check out Lucia's sites here, here and here. Lucia has her own business making the cutest baby books ever!

Today's my first day back at work after a week off...I miss vacation! I'll try to post some new pictures of the little man tomorrow!

new posts and the give-away

2009-06-03T16:02:00.002-04:00

New posts updated for your viewing pleasure.

Also, if you haven't entered for the give-away, you still have time. I'll leave the give-away open until I get back from Vacation. Go here to enter!

Happy Birthday Avery!

2009-06-03T09:41:00.011-04:00

**Warning: You may experience photo overload from this post**

Yesterday, June 2, 2009, was my little man's first birthday! I can't believe it. Since we were already down south for my cousin's wedding, we decided to turn it into a mini-vacation and spend some time with my parents, which just happened to encompass Avery's first birthday. We had a party last night for him and it was a blast.

This was the banner I had made for Avery. I can add a candle each year. I had it made here.

Here are some shots of our monkey themed decorations

The birthday boy and one of his party shirts
Playing while the grownups talked
Someone was excited to par-tay!

Avery's cake decorated to match his invitation
Getting ready for cake
He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with it at first...
I gave him a taste off of my finger and he suddenly was very interested in it.
He bent down and took a bite out of it!!
Yum!
Here comes the face-plant
I was tickled watching him enjoy/destroy his cake

He was so excited!

The finished product!
What Avery looked like before getting hosed off
Avery did not like the water hose...He was very happy when Poppa rescued him
Avery found his presents and started opening them all on his own!

Checking out his new toys.

Reading a book with Isaac
Me with Isaac
Rocking the Birthday Boy to sleep.
A great day was had by all! Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy. I love you so much. Being your momma is the best thing ever. I'm so glad God sent you to me.

Jennifer and Chad's Wedding

2009-06-03T09:06:00.004-04:00

These pictures are loaded out of order, but you'll get the idea. We traveled with my parents to Atlanta for my cousin Jennifer's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and I'm so glad we could make it!

This was Avery after the wedding...

Hanging out with Lollie at the reception. He was about worn out here.
Me with the happy bride and groom
Avery + a mirror= entertainment
Dancing with her dad
The bride and groom's first dance
Cute daisies at the reception
This was right after they had been pronounced Mr and Mrs
My cousin Angela's little girl Sarah with her dad

Sarah
Glimpsing his bride
Avery getting out a giggle before the wedding started
The setting

A few pics and the give-away!

2009-05-31T07:34:00.003-04:00

This was Avery last night after the rehearsal dinner. He was pooped out! He hadn't slept much yesterday...too many fun things going on and didn't want to miss any of it! He was a great baby on the plane as usual. I'm lucky he's so easy going.

Poppa took a nap...
Avery took a nap....
Avery grabbed our sandwich wrap and in the flick of his wrist, this is what we were left with...
He was so quick, it was on the floor before I could even blink.
Daddy and AVery playing before we left for the airport.
And the give-away!! It is a beach towel, a cosmetic bag, a luggage tag, a vera bradley hand mirror and a viva bead bracelet. I know it's not a manly prize, but you could win it for the ladies in your life.
How to enter: Just leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win. For an extra chance to win, become a follower of my blog. Leave me a comment letting me know that you became a follower. Those who already follow, I'll give you an extra entry as well.

Thanks for reading our blog for a year now! It's a lot of fun and I've enjoyed meeting so many new blog friends.

Leavin' on a jet plane

2009-05-29T08:01:00.004-04:00

I know this is post #200, but I didn't take pictures of the giveaway "stuff" yet...hopefully, I can get that post up later this afternoon.

We are so excited; Avery and I are leaving this afternoon to go to Florida for a week! :) We'll be going to my cousin Jennifer's wedding:

And celebrating Avery's first birthday on the 2nd...I can't believe he's already 1!

Avery is a very enthusiastic clapper!

I'm sure I'll blog while we're gone...have to keep Daddy updated on pictures!

There sure is nothing like going home...what is your favorite thing about going home?