This and That

I found the cords to the camera!

2011-10-01T19:37:00.000-05:00

Raegan and her new friend Elizabeth. Raegan was fascinated with her.

Playing with Daddy.

A nice view of the Quarter.

Pop and Peyton on the Steamboat Natchez.

Pop and Raegan on the Natchez.

A nice ride on the streetcar.

Pop and Raegan on a carriage touring the Quarter.

And after having so much fun, the huge piles of laundry are laughing at me.

A Week of Fun and Weird

2011-09-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

We found our camera. Yea! Or maybe not. The memory card went corrupt, the dial to switch settings no longer works, and the battery is giving out. You will just have to use your imagination for this blog post, and possibly for many other blog posts to come. :)

This past week has been full of fun, busy days, and weird things.

The fun things and busy days- We got to go to the Children's Museum for free this past Saturday, courtesy of the Smithsonian's "Free Museum Day." I bought a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. It was pretty good...but I'll stick with my white chocolate mochas or peppermint mochas (my favorite!!). We bought a Whole Foods' cake for my birthday, which was pretty tasty, and then we celebrated at TGIFridays on Saturday. Did I mention that Saturday was my birthday? Turning 31 isn't that great, but at least I still had some fun things to do.
My dad came to town on Sunday afternoon. We ate at a lot of great restaurants, went on the steamboat, road a carriage, and walked, walked, walked. The girls did great even though the days were busy and full of activities. We had a great time though. It's always nice when family comes to visit.

The weird-Several people, while walking in the Quarter, thought that my dad and I were married. Yuck! (Arnold was at work.) Maybe my dad doesn't look that old, or maybe I'm looking old, but COME ON people!! Next time, I'm going to get a shirt for him that says, "I love my grandkids" or something like that. Weird. I guess since anything goes these days, people didn't think twice about it.

Wednesday's Word

2011-09-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my might rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

Psalm 62:5-8

Isn't it comforting to know that despite our circumstances, we can lean on the Lord, crying out to Him for comfort and strength? I know during the course of this past year, I felt like letting go, but the Lord will never let His children go. Nothing can separate us from His love. How incredible!

Tuesday Randoms

2011-09-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Randoms.......

1. I am really bummed that we can't find our camera. We've managed to keep up with that ~~piece of junk~~ awesome camera now for the last four years. Seriously though, even though it's just a a point and shoot, it's been a great one. For now, I guess we will just have to take pictures in our minds, and I will keep dreaming for a big huge photographer's camera that I probably won't know how to operate. *Sigh*

2. We had a fabulous weekend! I got to watch a Clemson game on tv, and they beat Auburn! I haven't seen a Clemson game in forever. Louisiana doesn't really feel the need to broadcast Clemson games. I also drank a Cheerwine while watching the game, just to experience South Carolina at its fullest. The Saints also played and won, which was an added bonus. We had some friends over for this game, ate way too much, and probably hurt our ear drums from yelling so loud. It was a great time though!

3. I am proud of myself for hauling our beast of a vacuum cleaner up to the second floor and actually vacumming yesterday. I had to wear my ear plugs to vaccumm, that thing is so loud! It felt good to get that terrible chore checked off the list. Vaccumming is SO overrated. (I hope my Mother is not reading this.)

4. My husband is loving his new job, and I think he's doing great! I've been fixing his lunch every day so that we can save money (eating out adds up, you know!). And he has been carrying it in his Superman lunchbox. I wish I could post a picture of this.

5. I am super psyched that I got a coupon in the mail from Dunkin Donuts for a FREE pumpkin latte. I always see everyone on facebook and blogs raving about pumpkin drinks from Starbucks, etc. I can't wait to try one. I hope I'm not dissappointed. Of course I always have my handy dandy espresso machine to fall back on, which by the way, I use frequently. See Mom, this was not a wasted Christmas present!!

Hope you're enjoying your Tuesday

Worship Song

2011-09-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

If you need a great song to worship to, this one will work...

So Big!

2011-09-16T13:38:00.002-05:00

My girls are getting so BIG!

Picture

2011-09-15T13:17:00.001-05:00

A Picture of Raegan at her 2nd Birthday party back in August.

Your Comments Needed

2011-09-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

Since I've been home with the kids, which has been two weeks now, I have started doing two new things. One thing I've been doing is tracking our expenses, i.e., how much we spend on food every month, gas, miscellaneous items. I'm amazed at how much we've already spent on food, even though we're only halfway through the month. We hardly ever eat out, and I'm not buying steaks at the grocery store! I'm trying to get an idea of how much we spend so that we can set up a realistic budget. We may be eating saltines and potted meat for the rest of the month at the rate we're going! I would be interested to know if you guys have a food budget and if so, how do you save money every month on food. I know the coupon games are all the rage these days, but some of these people I see spend 20 hours a week searching for these deals. I don't have that kind of time! But if you know of a simple way to "coupon", please share your ideas with me!

The second new thing I've started doing is making Peyton help out more around the house. We, of course, want to teach our kids to be responsible, hard working individuals who take pride in keeping the household clean and running efficiently. She puts liners in the trash cans, takes the clothes out of the dryer and folds the washcloths, empties the silverware(except for the knives) from the dishwasher, cleans up her toys several times a day, puts condiments in the fridge after we've had a meal, and cleans up the table after we eat. Again, I would love to hear your ideas of age appropriate chores your kids do at home. And do you implement any type of reward system? I'm just curious.

Thanks for sharing with me! The internet is such a great tool for new ideas...

Sugar

2011-09-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

One thing that I am is a sugar addict. I love sweet things....cakes, cookies, candy, drinks. I don't feel like a meal is complete without something sweet at the end. In fact, when I was pregnant with Raegan and Janna (my sister) came and stayed with us that summer, I wrote a post about all the sweet things I baked that summer because of my cravings. And since Janna is a fellow sweet addict, I had someone to indulge with.
Anyway, back to the present, I've been convicted the last week or so about all the sugar I put into my body (and my family's bodies). I've tried to limit the sugar to one sugary treat a day, but that's kind of hard. Even when I go grab a snack, everything seems to have a ton of sugar in it....yogurt, raisins, granola bars. The other alternative seems to be a bunch of salt....Chex Mix, chips, nuts. I'm kind of stuck here. Does anyone have any ideas for healthy snacking besides peanut butter or a great website you could send me the link to? Fruit is a great snack but it lasts about 30 minutes and then I'm hungry again. The same goes with fresh vegetables dipped in ranch dressing. I'm in a rut here and would like some new ideas!

My "Where Were You..." Story

2011-09-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

Everyone is doing the "Where were you on September 11th" stories on facebook and blogs, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon.

I remember that on August 11, 2001, I had just flown back from Taiwan. I remember that my parents followed me all the way back to the gate to send me off, and they did the same when they picked me up. Little did we, or anyone else, know that this would be the last time they would ever see me off at the gate. How our lives have changed, even our travel has changed! Exactly one month later, I went to the cafeteria to grab breakfast before my class and saw the first plane plow into the North Tower. Initially, I thought it was a small private plane, and hoped that it was an accident. I then went to class where the professor let us out early. I headed right back to the cafeteria. I didn't want to be holed up in my dorm room watching these events unfold by myself. There was comfort in numbers and being around people to discuss the events and share the deep feelings of sadness. It was during my second trip to the cafeteria that I discovered that it was no accident. Honestly, I don't remember much else about the day. When you are a young, single college student so far removed from the "real world", you don't tend to dwell on these things.
Fast forward ten years later, and things are a bit different for me. Now that I have two kids, and now that I am not quite as naive, I understand the gravity of this situation, and feel the deep sense of loss the whole country felt ten years ago(though I will never totally understand). I have devoured every TV show and magazine article about 9/11 that I have come across, and have a true sense of sadness. But Arnold posted on his facebook page a quote from a message he heard that day, and I think it's worth repeating here. "God was not surprised by the events that took place that day, and He is still in control." Those words still ring today! Thank you God.

Whew!

2011-09-07T13:15:00.000-05:00

I finally feel like I can breath! Last week was it for me at work. I did have to end it a few days early when Peyton decided to plug the sink, turn on the water, and close the door at the babysitter's house. Yep, she flooded her bathroom and we had to pay for a new straightener and blow dryer. At that point, we collectively decided that enough was enough.
So how has our week at home been? Busy! I never thought I would be this busy, but the day goes by at warp speed. Of course, I'm having to catch up on years of de-cluttering and cleaning, but that's coming along nicely. I'm enjoying every single second with the girls. We're having a blast together.
For four years now, I've been wanting to stay home with my children, so the fact that the day has finally arrived continues to blow my mind. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm not on a vacation from work and that I won't have to return at 8am Monday morning. But to my working mom friends who may read this blog, hang in there if it is your desire to be at home.
This last year especially was the hardest of my life, and I think probably the hardest of my husband's too. One reason for the absence of any blog entries was the difficulty of this journey we've been on. While I'm being honest, I'll go ahead and say that I had to stop reading other people's/friends blogs as well. I just couldn't take it anymore. But I am so thankful that the Lord never lets go of us because there were many times when I wanted to let go. Hanging in there is not easy, and there are many days of up and downs. But I can attest to the fact that the Lord is merciful and patient with us. He sees our pain and struggles and continues to love us...nothing can separate us from that...Romans 8.
So here I am now trying to figure out what to do with the time that I have with my girls before the school grind starts in a few years. We're making friends at the park, visiting the library, making memories at home, and getting more involved with our new church.
Thank you Lord for being faithful to my family.

What could be more fun than an old diaper box?

I Am Still Alive

2011-08-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

My blog is pitiful and sad. It's been almost two months since I've updated or even posted a picture. I think this absence is due to the discouragement I felt after spending a LONG time uploading vacation pictures, only to have blogger do something weird and delete those pictures. So, I guess in some weird twisted way, I'm punishing blogger.com? Either way, it's been a long time. I've been going over in my head at night, a few times, if blogs are on their way out and if I even should continue. There are so many things I would like my blog to be, but that would require more time than I have on my hands. So for the here and now, this is all I've got. I hope to have more news in September. :)

A New Do

2011-06-17T11:02:00.000-05:00

Peyton had her second hair cut yesterday, and she loved it. Of course I did bribe her with a praline, so that helped. But she gladly climbed up in the chair and sat very still while the hairdresser brushed and then straightened her hair. It was cool that I got to see her hair straight, since it has a little curl and wave to it. I had never actually seen it straight before. Below are a few pics. The hairdresser also straightened Raegan's hair because she wanted to do everything big sister was doing.

Raegan's hair from the back.

And this is just a funny pic of Raegan with her daddy's socks and shoes on and her hat. She LOVES hats by the way.

Fun Days of Summer

2011-06-10T15:42:00.001-05:00

Love Those Toes

2011-05-23T10:13:00.002-05:00

May 21, 2005

2011-05-20T14:29:00.000-05:00

I am finally going to be able to post pictures from our wedding day. Our photographer was old school and all our pictures are on negatives, but I was finally able to get to a scanner.
First though, I would like to commemorate our special day with a timeline of the last six years.

May 21, 2005-Arnold and I got married on the most perfect, gorgeous, beautiful day in history, May 21, 2005, at my home church in Gaffney, SC, Corinth Baptist. After the reception, we drove to Atlanta, spent the night in a honeymoon suite, and left for New Orleans the next day. After arriving in New Orleans, we boarded a Carnival cruise bound for the Caribbean.

After returning from the cruise, we settled into our nice, freshly painted apartment on the seminary campus, where we would only spend the next three months because of a little hurricane called Katrina. After the storm, we moved to SC and spent the next five months wandering around my Dad's lake house, wondering what we were going to do with our lives.

In February of 06, we came back to New Orleans and started new jobs, Arnold at the Leavell Center, and myself at William Carey U. In September of 06, we started trying to have a baby.

By February of 07, I found out I was pregnant with a little monkey named Peyton. We both continued working at our jobs and doing stuff married (without kids) people get to do, like go on dates, go to the movies all the time, and frequent coffee shops.

In December of 08, I found out I was pregnant with another little monkey named Raegan and Arnold was getting really serious with finishing the dissertation by the time 2009 rolled around.

Right after Raegan was born, Arnold and I spent many an hour proofing his dissertation and he successfully defended it in October. Then we moved off campus, and Raegan was hospitalized with RSV the night before his graduation ceremony in December. And the icing on the cake was that neither of us had had any sleep since August of 2009. Thank you Raegan. Except for a few joyful occassion thrown in there, i.e., Raegan's birth, Arnold graduation, I never ever, nope, not in a million years, never want to relive those six months.

2010 proceeded a little smoother, just enjoying life and our little family and now here we are in 2011.

God has been so good to us, providing for us, blessing us, and helping us to grow stronger in our marriage. We anxiously await to see what He has for us in the future.

Here's to 6 great years!!!

A Few More Pictures

2011-05-13T16:19:00.001-05:00

You gotta love blogger. It just deleted my post with all new pictures on it. So, here's new pictures from Easter weekend.

Peyton and her cousin Katelyn dying eggs.

We finally had to change their clothes. I think each of them knocked over a cup of dye.

Raegan hunting for eggs. She doesn't know what in the heck she's doing or what's going on. She's just happy to be outside running around.

All the cousins. The two on the ends are sisters, Katelyn and Rayleigh. The two in the middle are sisters. I can't even describe how hard it is to get all these kids to try to take a picture, and still not one of them is looking at the camera. But I'm sure most of you know this already.

Peyton in her dress.

Peyton and Raegan Easter morning.

Hunting for eggs.

Sisters.

Easter Pics, Part I

2011-05-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

I am incredibly late with these pictures. This is part one. Part two will be posted whenever I can spare ten minutes.

Uncle Joe, Raegan, and Rayleigh(Raegan and Rayleigh are 2nd cousins)

PaPaw and Raegan

Dying Eggs with cousin Katelyn

Katelyn is proud of her pretty egg

Peyton and her pretty egg

Raegan is contemplating what mess she can make next

Katelyn and Peyton Even though Katelyn is three years older than Peyton, they still have a great time together.

Katelyn and Peyton

We had to put t-shirts on them because I think they each knocked over a cup of egg dye on their clothes.

Peyton hunting for Easter Eggs

Katelyn found her a few eggs

Raegan doesn't know what in the heck she's doing or what this all means. She's just happy to be outside running around.

What Will I Choose?

2011-05-06T13:38:00.000-05:00

A while back I wrote a post called, The Feast or Famine Law It wasn't that great of a post, so there's no need for you to go back and read it unless you're really bored, but I basically summed it up by saying that when it rains it pours.(There's always an expression in the English language to describe how you're feeling!) I am currently feeling that it's pouring rain, even though the blue sky and sun tells me otherwise. But that explains my asbsence on the blog for the last few weeks.

It is hard to trust the Lord when everything seems to be going wrong, when you're standing in the downpour. I read a magazine article today and this question from the article jumped out at me, "Will we choose faith in God over faith in an outcome?" If you would like to read this excellent article, click on this.

I can't control my circumstances. I can't control the fact that "Joy's wish list" is currently in the trash. I cannot change the fact that this is not where I expected to be at 30 years old.

The Lord gave me a verse this week though, "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" Jeremiah 12:5

I like what the notes in my Bible have to say about this verse. So I will let the notes sum this up:
"Life was extremely difficult for Jeremiah despite his love for and obedience to God. When he called to God for relief, God's reply in effect was, 'If you think this is bad, how are you going to cope when it gets really tough?' Not all of God's answers to prayer are nice or easy to handle...But we are to be committed to God even when the going gets tough and when his answers to our prayers don't bring immediate relief." (From the Life Application Study Bible). If anyone out there in blog land is going through something difficult too, I hope this post will speak to you.

The Mind of a Three Year Old

2011-04-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

Three year olds are so full of funny conversations, funny pronunciations, and funny sayings. I should always carry around a pen and paper to jot these things down. Here is a bit of the conversation from last night I had with Peyton.

Peyton: Mommy, Do cows love Jesus? Do rabbits love Jesus?

Me: (thinking to myself) How in the heck do you answer this question?

A few minutes later, as we're praying:

Peyton: Jesus, Please be with Keri (my sister) and... and...
(Looks up at me, quizzically) Does Keri have a husband?

Me: No she has a boyfriend.

Peyton: What's his name?

Me: Adam.

Peyton: Please be with Adam, Jesus. And Belle, and Cinderella, and Sleeping Booty(that's no typo). (And she frequently prays for the Disney princesses that she sees on her wall.)

After the prayer, a few minutes later.

Me: Peyton, what did you do today?

Peyton: Well, well, Daddy gave us a snack and I had juice and Newtons (Fig Newtons).

At the park last week, we met a little four year old girl who, throughout the course of our time with her, explained to us that her Mom had had surgery on her belly for her sister (C-section). Kids volunteer the most interesting information, by the way. I'm sure this Mom would have loved the fact that her daughter was telling strangers about her surgeries.

So every night, Peyton prays for "Daphnee's mom who had surgery on her belly".

Everything is just so cute and precious from their little perspective. I love it!

I Should Have Known

2011-04-19T16:32:00.000-05:00

So Saturday morning, Arnold went to a prayer breakfast at church and I was left alone with the girls. I hopped into the shower about 10am and left the door wide open so that I could keep an ear out for the girls. They were downstairs playing. I would call out to Peyton every few minutes to make sure she was still downstairs. She answered me every time, but they were unusually quite. I thought it was a little unlike them to be so quite (usually there would be some screaming, crying, and unkind behavior going on between the two of them). Well, lo and behold, I should have known. They were crouched down under the table and had gotten into the little chocolate bunnies, eggs, and coins. From counting the wrappers, I came up with the number 13. They had eaten 13 pieces all together. I'm suprised they weren't sick! Below are some pictures.

Warp Speed

2011-04-14T11:26:00.000-05:00

Man, I am such a bad blogger, and I hate that! I would like to post something every day, but that is not going to happen, so my goal is to at least post something every other day. That clearly has not happened either, as it's been 8 days since my last post! Where in the heck does the time go to? I feel like my life is whizzing by at 100 mph. I'm zooming down the interstate, not on some pokey country road.
Do you remember when you were young and time seemed to go in slow motion? I remember that feeling if there was a vacation to the beach or a trip to Carowinds (for those not in SC or NC, it's an amusement park like Six Flags) planned. It would seem like an eternity before the day would finally arrive. Now if there's a trip planned, I'm always needing more time to pack or to rest or to get this or that done before the big trip. I guess more responsiblity is a time sucker. I feel like I wake up in the morning and the next thing I know, I'm back home getting ready to go to bed and do the same thing all over again. Mr. Time, Could you please slow down so that I can catch my breath? I prefer to walk not run.

"Yes, There is a Reason to Trust"

2011-04-06T15:00:00.001-05:00

I ran across this article in the InTouch magazine and thought that I would post it on the blog today. This article is so timely for me, and I thought maybe it would be timely for some of you blog readers as well.

"There is plenty of reason for confidence these days. That's not the message we hear on the news every morning, but it's true. Yes, the economy is in a slump, unemployment is up, and unrest in the Middle East continues. But these things are nothing new. The world has always experienced some kind of turmoil, and that hasn't stopped God from blessing His people and giving us reason to trust Him.

Many Christians profess belief in God and in His promises yet focus more on the continuous barrage of negative information that confronts them each day through televeision and the Internet. Their lives are overshadowed by feelings of doubt, worry and, most of all, fear over what the future may hold.

If ever there was a time for believers to worry, it would have been when Christ was crucified. On several occasions, Jesus reassured His disciples that He was doing God's perfect will--even when things seemed unbearably bleak. He promised them their grief would turn to joy (John 16:20). But their faith faltered.
After Jesus' death, the terrified disciples, certain they would meet the same fate as their Lord (John 20:19), went into hiding. Fear gripped their hearts, and their minds raced to make sense of all that had happened. They fogot Christ's words: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful" (John 14:27-28).

Some events in life seem to cause more pain than we can bear. For the disciples, the crucifixion was such an occasion. Instead of believing that Jesus would never leave them, the disciples were convinced He was gone forever. And with Him went their hopes for the future. But they were wrong: three days later the risen Savior stepped into their presence and proclaimed, "Peace be with you!" (John 20:19).

He is always at work--engineering the circumstances of your life to bring good from even the deepest loss. Whatever your situation, God is aware of it. And He has a plan in mind especially for you, just as He had a plan for the resurrection. Yes, there is good reason to trust Him!"

--by Dr. Charles Stanley

Patrick

2011-04-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

This is Patrick. Apparently he is a friend of Sponge Bob's. Patrick came from Burger King in a kid's meal. And we don't know why Raegan is terrified of him. It all started the other night when I tried to give Peyton and Raegan a bath. Normally Raegan loves a bath and will quickly throw off her clothes in a mad dash to get in the tub as soon as possible. But on this particular night, she started pitching a fit and having a meltdown. I knew something was wrong with her and that it just wasn't bathtime rebellion. I scanned her body to see if she was hurt in any way but couldn't find anything wrong. I finally gave up. She went to bed dirty that night. It wasn't until the next day that Arnold somehow figured out that she was terrified of Patrick. And the reason she didn't want to take a bath that particular night was because he was standing on the side of the tub. It's so strange, funny, and fascinating what kids are afraid of. Peyton is scared of bugs now and any type of cartoon that she deems scary. Raegan is afraid of Patrick and the little train at the mall. I am afraid of/loathe/abhor roaches. What are you afraid of?

The Kids

2011-04-01T10:47:00.000-05:00

You would think I didn't feed this poor little child. Look at her little bony arm. We went to the doctor the other day, we had not been in six months. I have to say that I was getting a little concerned about her weight. Yep, she's only 20 pounds. She's 19 months old, and in the 3% for weight. 10-25% for height. The doctor didn't seem very concerned though, saying, "Well, I'm not concerned because she's not off of the chart yet." That makes me feel better. There's not much we can do though, this child eats like a horse. She would drink a gallon of whole milk if I let her. She eats everything on her plate and is not picky. She's healthy though, and for that we're grateful.

This child pitched such a fit at the doctor's office because she was dying to have the doctor "look at her throat" that I finally begged the nurse to "just pretend look" at her throat. Peyton used to be a holy terror to take to the doctor. Now she's excited to go and begging to be looked at. What a change!

Did I mention that Peyton has been praying that "God would heal her broken heart"? We think she may have heard this from the 700 club that Arnold watched a few times. It's so hilarious because what in the world would Peyton have a broken heart for? The fact that she gets to play all day and has her parents' love and affection maybe? That little girl doesn't even know how good she has it! It's cute though.

Reading Books

2011-03-29T15:57:00.002-05:00

"Just hanging out, catching up on our reading, Mom"

Cute Things Kids Say

2011-03-28T15:57:00.000-05:00

Peyton: "Mommy, I was in your belly and Raegan was in your belly?"
Me: "Yes, you were in my belly and Raegan was in my belly when you were little babies."
Peyton: Contemplates that for a second, then says, "Mommy, are we still in your belly?"

Ha! Not quite kiddo!

Raegan Sings

2011-03-22T15:11:00.001-05:00

"Friday" Thoughts

2011-03-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know it's not Friday, but to me it is. In less than an hour, I begin my Spring Break. It's really nice to work at a university! Below are some random thoughts for this beautiful "Friday" afternoon.

1. Love, love, loving this weather! Come on Spring, bring it on! I have enjoyed going outside at lunch the last few days and reading my book. Which leads me to #2....
2. If you have a baby girl, toddler girl, bigger girl, or adolescent girl in your household, you need to pick up a copy of James Dobson's new book Bringing Up Girls. I'm only on chapter 7, but this book offers some great tips to raising up godly young women, including teaching them manners and how to be a true lady. Now I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not exactly a graceful delicate lady. In fact, I've been described before as being "rough, fast, and not gentle or delicate." This book, however, has opened my mind to feminity, and the importance of teaching your girls to be a lady. Of course there's a lot more to being a lady than manners, but it's a start. Well, I digress. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say once I finish the other chapters. It's a great book though! Get it and read it!
3. Are you having a hard time adjusting to the time change? I am. When you have to get up at 6am, it really feels like 5am to your body. That's rough. 5am was not meant to be experienced by human beings.
4. Why can't baby teeth just all come out at once? I mean, COME ON TEETH! Let's just get it all over with at once and be done with this. This is for you, Raegan.
5. I'm loving American Idol this year. Granted, I think Jennifer and Steven as judges are useless, but I like several of the performers this season. My faves? Casey, Paul, Scotty, and James, in that order. Sorry girls, I'm just not feeling any of you this season. I liked Kendra, but the judges cut her out. Boo.
And now on a more serious note...
5. I am saddened by the recent events in Japan, as I'm sure you are too, and how it seems that a lot of people are really experiencing some rough things right now. I've started devoting my commutes home to praying for people I know personally and the people of Japan. I can tell you that we have a lot to be thankful for, don't we?

Cute Things Kids Say

2011-03-10T15:59:00.000-06:00

Last night, we went and saw the African Children's Choir at our church. The African Children's Choir is one of several groups of kids from Africa who come and put on a "mini concert." They sing, dance, and play the drums. Halfway through the concert, one of the directors went up on stage urging us to sponsor a child from Africa, to help pay for their education, food, etc. There was silence as she talked. She then said in conclusion, "You can help Africa one child at a time." We were sitting on the second pew from the front. Peyton looks at me and says, "Mommy, ONE.CHILD.AT.A.TIME. Not all of the child's. ONE.CHILD.AT.A.TIME." It was hilarious. I don't think anyone heard, suprisingly, but if they had, the whole place would have been rolling in the floor. She was dead serious.

Two Kids in a Box

2011-03-04T13:40:00.000-06:00

Kids, like cats, love getting into tight little spaces.

Five Years Ago

2011-03-03T13:39:00.000-06:00

I realized yesterday morning when I woke up that it was March 2nd. This day is significant to me because it's when I started at my job, five years ago, back in 2006. I can't believe how time goes by so quickly.
Five years ago, Arnold and I came back to New Orleans relunctantly. We had adamently decided after Hurricane Katrina that we were NOT going back there. God had other plans. He flung open the doors for us to come back while every other door was slammed shut. So we loaded up the U-Haul and came on back. Arnold had a job lined up. I was searching. But then one day Arnold went over to the student center to grab him a drink and ran into a girl named Christine that we both knew. After catching up for a few minutes, Arnold told her that I was looking for a job. She said, "Well, we're really looking to hire someone, so tell her to come over and talk to my boss." I didn't really want the job because I thought I was going to get hired on at Enterprise, which paid a lot more. Fortunantly God knows a lot better than we do. So after praying and agonizing, and no offer from Enterprise, I decided to go for the William Carey job.

I came to my new job and sat at this desk.

We had no internet and no phones. My phone was a cell phone that I answered. If someone wanted to talk to one of our employees, I had to physically get up and take the cell phone to them. As the city s-l-o-w-l-y started to get on its feet, we eventually got internet and phone service. I tried to get to know each of our students personally, as we only had 100. And so that is how it all started.
Now here I am five years later. I have two nice windows to look out now and I know the job a little better now than I did then. Things aren't quite as "rustic" now. We have over 300 students and everything works properly. I like to think that I've seen everything here and know everything about this place, but when you work with people, there are always still surprises.
I never in my wildest dreams imagined that one day I could say, "Yeah, I've worked there five years."
But then again, like I said earlier, God knows better than we do.

Parade Pics

2011-02-25T15:15:00.000-06:00

Raegan loved the loot.

Peyton being goofy.

Raegan's first pair of beeds, and all she had to do was stand there and look cute.

I wish this was my ride.

They had the best time sitting in the wagon with all their goodies.

Daddy and his girl.

Untitled

2011-02-18T14:53:00.000-06:00

All I have to say on this lovely Friday (hope it's lovely wherever you're at) is that I'm thankful God IS concerned about us and our needs, always reminding us in small little ways, taking care with loving concern even if he does seem far off at times.

The Little Bed

2011-02-15T10:12:00.000-06:00

When I was six years old, my grandfather made this little doll bed for me for Christmas. It's extra special to me because it was my first year in a "new" family. My mom had just gotten remarried, and suddenly I had a new set of grandparents. But for Christmas, my new grandparents treated me really special with a lot of nice presents. And one of those presents was this homemade doll bed.
This past Christmas, I decided it was time to bring this new little bed to New Orleans so that my kids could play with it. Unfortunately, Raegan has decided that it's a perfect place for her to sit and read books. This would be fine except for the fact that I'm not sure this little bed is meant to hold 20 pounds of real baby. Peyton knows not to sit on this bed, and tattles when Raegan sits on it, but to no avail. Raegan still plops herself down on this bed anyway and reads.

Go Figure!

2011-02-14T10:11:00.000-06:00

(This is a picture of Peyton swatting us away in anger.)

Peyton is my rough and tumble girl. My difficult, demanding, controlling, wants her own way, ROUGH, tomboy of a child. Oh she can be dainty at times. She loves dress up, pretty little shoes, having her toenails painted, and wearing dresses. But she's like a bull, with a "princess dress" on, in a china shop sometimes.

Raegan, on the other hand, is unassuming, gentle, loving, and cuddly.

So for the life of me I don't understand why Raegan is always the one getting hurt, ending up at the hospital, etc. Maybe it started early on. Her first three weeks of life, she had a little cold. Another two months after that, she was in the hospital with RSV. Another three months after that, I rushed her to the hospital because she had an allergic reaction to who knows what. Another six months after that, we were in the hospital again for tubes. Two months after that, she quietly grabbed shreds of lettuce off my plate at the restaurant and about choked to death. I've never been so thankful for vomit. Last night, she pinched her finger in this door.

When her finger was turned upwards, I seriously thought she had broken it. But a few hours later, it was back to normal. Thank you Lord.

You would think Peyton would be the one with all the mishaps, hospital visits, and trauma. That girl is seriously rough! But our little delicate flower is always the one in trouble. Go figure!

American Idol

2011-02-10T11:58:00.000-06:00

Have you been watching American Idol this year? I don't think I watched it last year, except maybe one time. I got kind of bored of it, and wasn't really interested in the new judges. Also, last year's winner, *yawn*. I've yet to hear one thing he's done. This is not to say he's not a good singer, I just don't think the last few year's contestants have had that "it" factor. But I have tuned in this year, just to see what JLo and Steven Tyler were going to be like on the show. Here are a few thoughts from this the 2011 version of AI.

1. Steven Tyler is funny.
2. Steven Tyler is also a dirty old man. Yuck.
3. Randy has really stepped up his game. He's getting to be the brutal one on the show. It's nice to have some real honesty. Sometimes these contestants need a reality check!
4. I think it must take JLo hours and hours to plan out her wardrobe and hair style. Every week she looks like she must have stepped off the runway.
5. I think they are letting through some people that should not have been let through, but then again, I guess that happens every season.
6. I miss Paula and her loopiness.

Got any thoughts about American Idol you would like to share? Or have you given up on it?

A Look Back

2011-02-07T16:51:00.000-06:00

I decided to look back at my blog from February of 2010 to see what I was writing about this time last year. Boy am I glad that what I'm writing about this year, is what I'm not having to write about from last year! This time last year, I was blogging about Raegan waking up 5 or more times a night for no apparent reason. I NEVER take for granted that my "baby" sleeps through the night now. Sleep is bliss indeed. Arnold calls me the "sleep nazi". He is probably right, but I just don't function well without it.

Then I looked back at my blog from February of 2009. I was pregnant then, and eating the house down. Peyton was almost the same age then as Raegan is now. And I was still watching American Idol.

In February of 2008, my sister had just come to New Orleans for her first Mardi Gras, and there were several blog posts about that. I remember that we had fun going to a few parades and eating at Cheesecake Bistro.

It's interesting to look back at your life. I'm glad I have the blog to do that with. And sometimes it's even fun to look forward. Do you ever wonder, "What is my life going to look like a year from now?"

Dick and Jane

2011-01-31T16:42:00.000-06:00

Does anyone who reads this blog remember Dick and Jane? I didn't grow up with Dick and Jane, but my mom did have an Alice and Jerry book that I liked to look at. The main reason being that it had a story in it about them going to a candy store, and I loved candy! Still do, in fact. That candy used to look so delicious to me. But I digress.

For Christmas, Peyton received a Dick and Jane volume that she absolutely adores. We have read a few stories a day in this book for over a month now(it's 350+ pages long), because it's about the only thing she wants to read most days. I love it too because it's simple, and the stories are short. So I can read her one or two of the short stories before bedtime, and she's perfectly happy. Then I turn out the lights and she likes flipping through the book and looking at the pictures for a while. In fact, she insists on doing this, she loves that book so much. If you're in the market for a fun, simple book for your child, you should check Dick and Jane out.

The Psalms

2011-01-26T15:38:00.000-06:00

Reading through the Psalms, I have come across some great verses that I thought I would share on the blog. They have spoken to me, and maybe they will speak to you too, regardless of where you're at in your life right now. The Psalms are such a great source of encouragement and comfort.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:1-3

Joel Osteen - homosexuality is a sin

2011-01-25T20:24:00.000-06:00

A Little Lady

2011-01-25T11:28:00.000-06:00

The Feast or Famine Law

2011-01-24T11:19:00.000-06:00

Have you ever noticed in life how things happen all at once? I'm sure there's a name for it, like Murphy's Law or something along those lines. We'll just call it the Feast or Famine Law. For instance, one day I'm sitting at work, and it's a slow day. The phones aren't ringing much, students aren't coming in to talk about classes, the schedule doesn't need changing. Heck, there may even be a week of this. Then the next week comes along and it's like you can't catch your breath! Everything falls apart at once. The phones are ringing off the hook, professor's cancel their classes, every student in the world needs to change their schedule, the heat doesn't work, the lights are burnt out, we have orientation scheduled, and the power point projectors are broken. This hasn't actually happened to me all at once, but there have been similar weeks to the one I just named. You catch my drift though, right? Everything happens at once, or nothing at all happens. I guess the Lord has to make life interesting for us and drastically change things up every now and again.

Friday Thanks

2011-01-14T16:52:00.000-06:00

The top 5 things I am thankful for on this Friday afternoon....

1. Weekend!

2. Heat in my office. It has been 65 (or maybe even colder?) in my office this week. Finally the heat is working and it is warm enough to take my gloves off.

3. MLK Jr. Day, Holiday!

4. A warmer weekend, supposedly. Park time!

5. The Office starts back up next week. Can't wait to laugh!

A Great Mocha

2011-01-12T16:07:00.000-06:00

If you like coffee or coffee drinks, you are probably amazed at the price of these drinks at several coffee shops. For instance, a tall(the smallest size) white chocolate mocha, one of my favorite drinks at Starbucks, will cost you almost $4. Even a mocha from McDonalds will run you $3. So in order to keep feeding my addiction (not really an addiction, I just enjoy these drinks), I decided to ask for an espresso machine for Christmas. And here is what I got....

An espresso machine

and then I decorated my own coffee mug.

One of my college roommates, who was the cafe manager at a local Barnes and Noble at the time, had one of these machines and taught me how to make a mocha. After she graduated, I decided to buy my own machine. When I came to seminary though, lack of space dictated the machine move to Goodwill. Now here I am 6 or so years later with my own espresso machine again, and I love it. I can whip up a drink in a few minutes for pennies and enjoy it on my ride to work. I love making drinks for other people too. So if you are driving down Veterans one day and start craving a mocha, stop by my house, and I'll make you one. For free!

Christmas Pictures

2011-01-10T16:57:00.001-06:00

I have taken such a long blogging break, that I'm not even sure where to begin. Actually, this post will probably be filled with a bunch of pictures.
We had a great time in SC but were extremely busy visiting relatives and my sick grandmother, who was in the hospital. It was a great time though, getting to rest, seeing family, and enjoying the holidays and snow, however brief it was. But you know that time just flies by, and so here I am again, like the last few weeks of 2010 never happened. But I thank God for that extended time off! I sure needed it.

Peyton's first haircut

A cheerleader in the making

This was her favorite "toy"....crawling on the stepladder relentlessly.

Me, Peyton, my sister Keri, Raegan, and some random serial killer.

Blogger doesn't like adding 23 pictures to one post. Some of these pictures may be duplicated.

The Swing

2010-12-17T15:35:00.000-06:00

One of Raegan's favorite things to do these days is to sit in the baby swing and let Peyton push her. Now Raegan is way too big for the swing and looks huge sitting in it, I mean her feet almost touch the ground. But she doesn't care. And Peyton pushes her just as hard as she can. I have to keep an eye on this activity though, because I'm afraid she's going to flip over. Here's pictures of them in action....

Be On Guard

2010-12-16T15:34:00.000-06:00

I saw this article today and I thought I would re-post some of it. This is pretty disturbing, to say the least, though not surprising. The world is out to get our little ones. We as parents really need to be on guard. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..." 1 Peter 5:8-9
And you thought Glee was just an innocent little show about some high school kids.
Here's parts of the article if you don't want to access the link...

"Long gone are the days when Marcia Brady’s sweet smile and Winnie Cooper’s brains and beauty were how television represented teen-age girls.
According to a new study conducted by the Parents Television Council (PTC), Hollywood is shockingly obsessed with sexualizing teen girls, to the point where underage female characters are shown participating in an even higher percentage of sexual situations than their adult counterparts: 47 percent to 29 percent respectively.
PTC’s report, entitled “New Target: A Study of Teen Female Sexualization on Primetime TV” is based on a content analysis drawn from the 25 most popular shows in the 12-17 demographic throughout the 2009-2010 television season.
"The results from this report show Tinseltown’s eagerness to not only objectify and fetishize young girls, but to sexualize them in such a way that real teens are led to believe their sole value comes from their sexuality," said PTC President Tim Winter. "This report is less about the shocking numbers that detail the sickness of early sexualization in our entertainment culture and more about the generation of young girls who are being told how society expects them to behave."
“Storylines on the most popular shows among teens are sending the message to our daughters that being sexualized isn’t just acceptable, it should be sought after,” Winter said. “It is outrageous that TV executives have made it their business to profit off of programs that depict teen girls blissfully being sexualized by casual partners.”
Examples used by the PTC to illustrate their findings, all taken from prime time broadcast television, included Taylor Momsen’s character in bed with Ed Westwick on “Gossip Girl,” Annalynne McCord taking a swig of alcohol while donning a bra and panties on “90210,” and a lesbian kiss between cheerleaders on “Glee.”
“Certain shows, advertisers, etc. sexualize underage people, which does double damage: it sends a message to youth that their self-worth depends on their sexuality, and provokes inappropriate sexual responses from adults. This is irresponsible programming and is disrespectful to youth,” Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr. Nancy Irwin said."

By Hollie McKay
FoxNews.com

Watch Whay You Say

2010-12-15T10:59:00.000-06:00

The other night on the way to a Christmas party at church, a guy did something kind of crazy on the road and then honked at me for it. But while he was driving crazy I said, "Go dude! Make up your mind!"
What do I hear from the backseat not five minutes later from Peyton while stopped at a red light?
"Go dude! Make up your mind!" I guess I better start minding my manners!

It's Friday Ya'll!

2010-12-10T16:54:00.001-06:00

Everyone seems to do a Friday Facts post, so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon again....

1. If I don't stop drinking SO much hot chocolate, I'm going to turn into a puddle of hot chocolate.

2. My sister is moving out tonight! WHOO HOO!! HAHA! I am happy for her because I know she's happy.

3. I have not done any Christmas shopping. As you can tell, I'm not an early bird with this.

4. If my Christmas tree manages to stay upright for another week, I will be absolutely amazed. Kids.

5. Why does the traffic get bad when it gets colder outside? Yes, this seems to be a fact in New Orleans. ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

Why Do I Bother Part II

2010-12-09T16:50:00.000-06:00

In this post, I talked about mopping my floors. So Tuesday night when this happened on the dining room floor...

and then when Peyton spilled her milk all over the floor, only 2 days after the mopping happened........I decided to mop AGAIN!

Snuggle Bunnies

2010-12-07T13:20:00.000-06:00

Snuggle Bunnies

Why Do I Bother?

2010-12-06T09:36:00.000-06:00

I've never been that great of a cleaner...mopping, dusting, etc. So when I couldn't find a mop head replacement three months ago, my cleaning really went south. Now, I do want to say that I don't live in a pig sty. I can't stand clutter and messiness. It's just the cleaning that I don't get around to that often. It's hard though when you work full time and have little kids, not that this is an excuse, but there are other things in my life that take priority these days.
Last week when I finally just broke down and bought a new mop, I was proud of myself. I was even prouder when Saturday, I swept and mopped really good. My kitchen, dining room, and bathroom really needed it. Then Saturday night, I dropped a plate of meat in the kitchen. Then Raegan, sitting in her high chair like a little "angel", threw her plate of apricots down in the dining room. Then Peyton, waiting until the last possible second to go to the bathroom, peed in her pants, dripping down her legs all over the bathroom floor. This all happened that night, not two hours after I finished my mopping. So I ask, Why bother?! :)

Sleep

2010-12-02T16:45:00.000-06:00

Tuesday night as I laid in bed trying to go to sleep, I thought of about 4 blog topics. Wednesday at work, I could remember one of those! Why does that always happen? I remember good ones in the shower or at night laying in bed. I guess it's the only chance my brain has to focus for two seconds put together.

But speaking of sleep, I really got to thinking about this topic last week during Thanksgiving break. My husband doesn't understand why I need so much sleep, and I don't understand it either. He says I'm a sleep nazi. I've had blood work done and everything is normal. I get eight hours of sleep a night, and at least most nights are without interruption. So why do I feel every other hour like I want to crawl under my desk and take a nap? Why do I drag around and feel so tired? I think I figured out why. I don't need eight hours of sleep a night.....I need at least 9! So my new goal is to get to bed by 9pm every night so that I can get 9 hours. In fact, Monday night I felt so good after getting nine hours of sleep that me and the girls went to the grocery store by ourselves. I would normally never ever ever ever try to do this. It's not usually very productive or enjoyable. But I just felt so darn great, and we needed food. So if you try to call me after 9 and I don't answer, it's properly because I'm already counting sheep.

What about you? Do you need a lot of sleep at night to function properly during the day? And why do I hear most husbands say that they can do on 5 or 6 hours a night?

Pictures

2010-11-29T16:09:00.000-06:00

Last week when my mom was here, we went to the zoo. I love this picture because Peyton looks like she's up to no good. The picture below is a good action shot.

For Thanksgiving, we went to Monroe to be with Arnold's family. Peyton and Raegan had a good time playing with cousins in the yard. But the reason I posted this pic is because I think it's hilarious....I have no earthly idea where Raegan got that cup from that she's drinking out of. I'm sure it was just a random cup in the yard.

It's so much fun to be a kid!

Saturday night was cookie making/tree decorating time!

I had lots of little "helpers" this year. Peyton actually did a very good job of helping me hang the string and the ornaments. Raegan, well, she just puts the laid the ornaments on the branches. But I guess that's pretty good for a 15 month old. Now keeping her hands OFF the tree is a different story.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T11:21:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hope you enjoy lots of turkey with your family!

Learning to Play

2010-11-22T10:07:00.000-06:00

Peyton's teaching Raegan how to play the piano these days.

Church Directory

2010-11-18T11:17:00.000-06:00

In September, our church had everyone come and take pictures for a new directory. Let me just say that coordinating everyone for family pictures is a miserable experience. It didn't help that I procrastinated picking everyone's clothes out, then realized at the last minute that we really didn't have any colors that coordinated. Well, we ended up finding something that worked, but I have learned my lesson for next time...prepare early. Even then, it's so hard to make sure everyone stays clean, pretty, and out of trouble. And I'm usually a ball of stress. It's not easy, but it's always worth it to have picture memories of the children. Maybe your picture experience goes a lot smoother than mine? You would never tell by the pictures below that 45 minutes prior, we were all running over the apartment like chickens with our heads cut off. I'm sure no one else with young kids has picture experiences like ours, right?

Not in the Genes

2010-11-17T09:21:00.000-06:00

The night before, I usually try to lay out clothes for Peyton and Raegan so that it is easy the next morning for whomever gets them ready. Sometimes I forget though, and it seems like the times I do forget is always the times Arnold gets them ready that next morning. It's hilarious to see the clothes combinations he puts on the kids. Sometimes I wonder where he finds this stuff.
Yesterday morning on Raegan....little khackies and a sleeveless lime green summer shirt, on backwards no less. Never mind that it's fall outside. This is one of my other favorites...a pink outfit, matching pink shirt and pants, with pastel yellow socks. Sometimes I find Raegan in nothing but a Halloween onesie and no pants. Frequently I find them with their shirts on backwards and not buttoned. Why don't I ever remember to take pictures??!!
Men just weren't designed to choose clothes for their little girls. It's just not in the genes.

A Recap

2010-11-12T10:39:00.000-06:00

I have been a bad blogger lately. My goal is to post something every day, but that never happens. So my next goal is to post something at least 2 or 3 times a week. And that has not happened lately either. I'm not sure why, but I've been in a bad blogging mood lately. I guess you could say I've been rebelling against the blog. Maybe it's the fact that work has been insane or the fact that I'm so busy or just tired or that I haven't had time to think of anything worthwhile or that there's really been nothing worthwhile to talk about. Who knows! But I am back today, and I've decided to recap some things going on in our lives.....

1. As you may remember, my sister has been staying with us since August, and has been the temp secretary at my work for the past 12 weeks. Well, today is her last day, and I'm really going to miss getting to boss her around at work! HA! No seriously, I've really enjoyed having her around. And I'm going to miss her buying me little treats from the cafe. But she will still be living with us for about another month, so I won't be missing her too much cause she'll still be around.

2. We have seen God's provision this week in a cool way during a tough time.

3. Yesterday at work, I looked down and noticed that my fly was down on my dress pants. How long it had been down, I have no idea. Man, I hate that! I felt embarrased even though no one was around.

4. The other day, Peyton noticed that Janna had not made her bed, and so she said, "Mommy, Janna didn't make her bed. I'm going to tell her she needs to make her bed!" (Janna, you better hope Mama doesn't read this blog) I'm so glad Peyton is learning to be tidy(better than I can say about myself). Her Grammy would be so proud!

5. Every Sunday on the way home from church, I always ask Peyton what she learned. Two Sundays ago, she said, "Jesus and Crayons!" This past Sunday she said, "Jesus and Crackers!"

6. Tonight and tomorrow morning, we are having a ladies retreat at my church. It's going to be a lot of fun. I've been on the planning committee for this, and have enjoyed getting to know some of the ladies at our new church through this. Which leads me to my next point....

7. This event has been in the planning stages for several months now. I've been to all the meetings, helped decorate, helped with promotion, etc. The ONE weekend of the whole year this event is to take place, is the ONE weekend I have to be at work to take care of some business Friday night and Saturday morning, right smack dab in the middle of the ladies' retreat. I have to wonder why things like this happen. I NEVER have to go to work on a Friday night or a Saturday morning. Never in my five years of working here. And I never usually have plans for the weekend. Why does it have to be the same weekend? Sometimes I just don't get life.

8. I am looking forward to great things the Lord has in store for us(for you). "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 This is one of my absolute favorite verses.

9. I was at the mall browsing around in Bath and Body Works this past week and I noticed Christmas music playing as well as wreaths everywhere. To be honest, I wish they would at least wait until after Thanksgiving to start promoting Christmas. But at the same time, I start getting excited too. What do you think about this? Are you sick of Christmas music and Christmas by the time December 25th rolls around?

10. I want to come up with a #10, but I'm all out of ideas. Hope you have a great weekend!

Fall Fest Fun!

2010-11-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

Just to show you how big this dog is...when it jumps, it's as tall as a man!

I won't do a slide like this with Peyton anytime again soon. The kids on this slide were crazy! I would have been the same way though, if we would have had these when I was a kid. We're at the top of the slide, if you have a hard time seeing us.

Uh oh daddy. She's shooting a gun.

Raegan had fun too.

Everyone has to have their face painted at a fall fest!

I have to say that this was one of the best fall festivals I have been to. It started at 4:30, so it was still daylight, which is great for little ones. It helped that the weather was warm too. It wasn't too incredibly crowded, there were lots of great little games, the music was not BLARING loud so that you had to yell, and they gave you plenty of tickets to get lots of food.

The Pumpkin Patch Gravel Lot

2010-11-01T16:54:00.001-05:00

This pumpkin patch was more like a gravel lot with a few pumpkins on pallets. It was an interesting "pumpkin patch". I guess this is how you do a pumpkin patch in the city.

The Cheeser.

They look like they're having a blast, right? HA!

And the Halloween Fun Continues...

2010-10-29T14:52:00.000-05:00

Of course the daycare had dress up day....

Raegan loves to ham it up in front of the cameras these days.

And now a visit to the past.....

This was Halloween 2008. Peyton wore the same little outfit to go trick-or-treating.

Early Halloween Pictures

2010-10-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

Peyton playing with the new Barbie her great-grandmother sent her.

Raegan was not a happy camper. This picture is so funny to me.

Peyton ~~dragging~~ leading Peyton.

Big Red

2010-10-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

My new favorite drink. Have you ever had this stuff?

Can You Tell Me How to Get...

2010-10-26T16:24:00.000-05:00

Want to know what we spent our Saturday morning doing? Sesame Street and Friends at the New Orleans Arena! Someone gave me four free tickets, and while I wasn't exactly in awe of this performance, there was a little three year old girl who had the time of her life. Peyton loved it. And I loved watching the joy on her face!

She was on the edge of her seat the whole time.

Raegan had a blast. This was two minutes into the show.

A Daddy and his little girls after the show.

Fall Fest

2010-10-21T09:53:00.000-05:00

Want to know what we've been doing at work?

Painting our faces

Eating Movie-style popcorn!

Doing a "Cake Walk" to win some yummy goodies

Fishing for candy

This past Tuesday at work, we had a Fall Fest for the students. We had lots of fun, ate WAY too much junk food, and jammed out to some music. Not a bad way to spend a day at work!

The Crockpot

2010-10-15T13:37:00.001-05:00

One might ask, "Does it take a Ph.D. to operate a crockpot?" Apparently, the crockpot not only requires a Ph.D., but a Ph.D. in rocket science. My brilliant husband, whom I asked to start the crockpot the other morning, cooked meat on the "warm" setting for over 8 hours. My crockpot is not complicated. It's not digital. It's bright red and has three settings...warm, low, and high. But apparently for Arnold, cooking meat is just a little too much to ask. He chose the "warm" setting, thinking that a big huge chunk of meat "warming" all day would do the job. Do you know how disappointing it is to come home thinking that a nice dinner is ready for you only to discover a bloody slab of meat that's been soaking all day in brown gravy mix? Well, eight hours after five pm, the meat was ready. But I was in bed, hungry by that point. The meat was good the next day, and no one got sick from it, so I guess you could still say it was a success. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad though if this wasn't the second time he had done this with the crockpot. But I've learned my lesson. Crockpots are too complex for the male species. :)

Birthday Party Part 2

2010-10-13T16:24:00.000-05:00

And last, present pictures from Peyton's party. That's a lot of "P's"! There's nothing like Barbies and Dora toys, at least to a three year old.

And the picture below has nothing to do with a party, but I thought Peyton drew a pretty good duck below. Last time I noticed she was scribbling all over the paper, walls, floors, and anything else. Now my big girl is drawing ducks on paper that actually look better than something I would draw. (I am, by the way, NOT an artist or in any way artistic). Sure her duck looks like a jelly bean with legs, but it's so cute and she was so proud!

Birthday Party Fun Part I

2010-10-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

My "baby" turned three yesterday, and it is still blowing my mind. Three years old??!! Where did the time go? How is it possible that three years ago, I gave birth to that little ball of energy, intensity, meltdowns, laughter, and sweetness? All those adjectives I just listed can describe Peyton at any point in a day. Peyton has rocked our world, that's for sure! But in a good way.
We celebrated with a small little party at the house...cupcakes, and presents....She was delighted beyond belief at the thought of cupcakes, and would not have thought that anything else was necessary in order to throw a great party. So much so that she decided that she would sample a whole batch of them, 12 to be exact, while I went upstairs to change Raegan's diaper.

even Raegan loves cupcakes

Amazed Again

2010-10-07T15:49:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get amazed at some of the things God does? This has been one of those weeks for me. And while I can't say that life is very easy right now, I'm still amazed at God and what He's been doing. In spite of ourselves, all I can say is, WOW.

"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseaeses, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:1-5

Letter to My Shoplifter

2010-10-04T09:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Raegan,

Next time you decide to grab a pair of underwear and sit on it in your stroller, please let Mommy know so that I can pay for it. It's really embarrasing to have the buzzer go off as you leave the store, only to have to explain to the saleslady that you did in fact pay for all your stuff. And then even more embarrasing to have to go back and sheepishly explain what happened after discovering later that one of us *cough Raegan* in our party did in fact swipe something from the store. And then to have her give you a dirty look like you're not telling the truth and say, "Well, I guess, at least you brought them back" is just wrong. This is not cool Raegan! Haven't I taught you better!??

Love,
Mommy

These "Boots" Aren't Made for Walking

2010-09-30T15:11:00.000-05:00

You see these shoes? They're the rage right now, at least from what I see celebrities wearing in magazines and on TV. Well thinking that I could try to be stylish too, I saw a pair at the mall and decided to buy them. I should have known that my feet and legs aren't made for high heels. The heel doesn't actually look that tall in the picture, but trust me, it is. I simply cannot walk in them. I look like a clown and the shoes slip off my feet every time I try to take a step. I guess I'm just not meant to dress like a celeb. Why would I think that I could actually wear these with two small children to chase around the house? These "boots" weren't made for walking, that's for sure.

A Change and a Mess

2010-09-28T15:49:00.000-05:00

So you may have noticed that I changed the name of the blog. I thought I would change the name to reflect what this blog is...a little bit of everything every now and then....

And for the post of the day......a picture of the inside of my van. Does your vehicle look like this? I blame it on the kids and the daycare. We come home with about 5 different sheets of paper per child every day. I don't want it to end up here, but it usually does because I don't have enough hands when we get home to carry the kids and all the artwork inside. If you lost something recently, it may be on the bottom of my van.

Birthday Fun

2010-09-27T17:03:00.002-05:00

So for the big 3-0 birthday, Arnold and I decided to travel a long way, a whole 2 miles, all the way to downtown New Orleans. We just wanted to be tourists in our own city. We booked a cool hotel that I found at the last minute on hotwire (thanks Atlanta Falcons fans for taking all of the hotel rooms in the city and for beating the Saints)....

I love the brick wall! So cool!

We were only two blocks from the Quarter, so after relaxing for a bit, we went for a nice walk and ended up eating at a wonderful, hole in the wall steak house....Star!!

We were serenaded.

I will tell you that I like meat. And that me and Arnold both ended up ordering a 16 oz. New York Strip. We both ate every single bit of that pricey steak. I had a pound of steak in my belly. Yes a pound. So we walked around some more and visited some shops.

But before all of this, the most amazing incredible thing happened.......this famous guy got out of his SUV and started walking really fast down the street in his blue velour track suit. We followed him for a block then asked him to take a picture with me. He was very obliging, very nice, and very....uh....flamboyant. But super nice..... RICHARD SIMMONS!

And he's SUPER skinny. And he wears make-up and lip gloss. I found out that he is actually from New Orleans, and he grew up in the Quarter. That explains quite a lot. But he really is super nice and personable. He had a crowd around him about 30 seconds after he walked off from us.

Saturday morning, Arnold had a board of directors meeting. Nah, just kidding. We were exploring the huge, skyscraper hotel Sheraton, and found this sign outside one of their conference rooms. We found it funny and ironic that a certain religious organization had booked a conference room for the board of directors on "Fiscal Responsibility" in one of the priciest hotels in the city.

A work of art. Not me silly, the painting of the streetcar. I'm totally j/k.

It was a FABULOUS birthday! Thanks Arnold!

happy birthday

2010-09-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

Want to know how I started off my birthday this morning? By backing in to our other car parked in the driveway. Nice. You know, it's such a terrible feeling when you hear a loud boom and know you've just hit something. I think I was still a little loopy from taking Benadryl the night before. Luckily, there wasn't any damage to either of our vehicles! But my day has gotten better because Arnold brought a yummy Whole Foods cake and a nice spa gift card to my work and I got a cool cd from a co-worker. Tonight and tomorrow we are celebrating some more. I will give details on Monday. Maybe 30 isn't so bad after all!

The Big Sign

2010-09-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

Do you see the huge purple sign on the floor? This huge purple sign was hanging from the ceiling at JC Penney's the other day. Let's just say I knocked it down accidentally and Peyton had a little something to do with it. It was pretty embarrasing actually, as it made a loud thud and everyone turned and stared at me. I thought the ceiling was falling in.

Can You Guess?

2010-09-20T16:55:00.000-05:00

Want to see what Raegan did for half the day this past Friday...See if you can guess...

It started off all fun and games...(well, not really. There is nothing fun at 5:30am)

Things were still alright at this point...

It's starting to get worse...

Okay, now it's really not fun...

Raegan had tubes put in her ears and her adnoids removed. I can think of a few better ways to spend my Friday, and Raegan can too. She made it through alright, with the exception of a small allergic reaction to something, but that mainly resolved itself with a little Benadryl shooting through the veins. We thank the Lord though that she made it through just fine, and hopefully that this little procedure will keep us away from the pharmacy at Walgreens.

Bye Summer!

2010-09-16T16:25:00.000-05:00

It is now September 16, and we are almost to fall. I can’t believe it. I am shocked that the summer is gone, and sad too. Summer is my favorite time of the year, probably because I always associate fun family vacations and lazy days during childhood with the summer. Maybe the other reason I am sad is because I'm not a fan of cold weather. But here we are, knocking on fall's door, and so I thought I would do a recap in pictures of the summer.

Bye Summer!!!

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes

2010-09-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

I tried a great, easy, yummy recipe that you may want to try too this weekend. I found it on Paula Deen's website, and I could link it, but it's so easy that I'll just post it. We had it last night at our little Saints party. You can't go wrong with this one! NOTE: I would defintely go with the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups instead of the chips. Who doesn't love a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?

Ingredients:

1 18 1/2 ounce package Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie mix
1 12-ounce package peanut butter chips or 24 miniature peanut butter cups

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 regular muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions for cakelike brownies. Fill the cups half full with brownie batter. Place about 1 tablespoon peanut butter chips in the center of the batter, or press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the cupcakes are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen
Servings: 2 dozen

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Difficulty: Easy

The Big Box

2010-09-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

Remember the bed that I bragged about in my last post? The delivery guy brought it by yesterday....the two side rails, then the headboard, then the other headboard. Oh wait, why would a bed need TWO headboards? Yeah, the distrubtion center messed up. And this is why I don't like big box stores, of any kind. I know they're cheaper, but the quality and service usually suffers. We bit the bullet this time though and went with the big box furniture store because they were cheaper. Our footboard should be delivered next Wednesday. And the poor delivery guy, who was extremely polite and nice, was hauling everything up our flight of stairs by himself while the other guy sat in the truck and did nothing. This bothered me, especially when I found out that guy was only getting paid $60 for hard, manual labor, and the other guy was sitting pretty in the truck. I wanted to tell him that the Baskin Robbins down the street was hiring and paying $10 an hour. You just gotta love the big box.

A Laborious Day

2010-09-07T09:31:00.000-05:00

Today is "Back to Work Holiday". Did you know that? I know, a lame little joke, but why do they call it Labor Day when you get to sit at home? Shouldn't it be "Rest and Relaxation Day"? Well, there wasn't much resting going on at our place this weekend. Arnold and I finally got a bed for our mattress! I know it sounds redneck, but our mattress and box springs have been on the floor for about six months now. We did things a little backwards and got the mattress before the bed. We upgraded to a queen when Arnold found a great deal on a mattress but couldn't fine a bed for a good price. Arnold did a little maneuvaring, and well, we ended up getting a bed for $200, and it's brand new, and I love it! For once, I was not impulsive, and it really paid off!
Saturday, I ended up throwing my cell phone in the washing maching with the sheets. It ended up in the dryer too, but only for a few minutes. When I heard the clunking sound, I just knew I had thrown a shoe in there. I wish. My heart sunk when I pulled out my cell phone. I had that phone for over two years and was hoping to go a lot longer with it. So if you have tried calling me in the last three days and I have not answered, that is the reason why. I hope to have a new phone today.
And last, I have a question for all you moms out there. I am having a difficult time weaning Raegan. She will go the whole day without drinking a drop of milk from the cup. Does anyone have any suggestions? Peyton was easy to wean and quickly gobbled up the milk from the cup and demanded more. Raegan could care less about that stupid old cup, and I really don't know what to do. I've tried several different cups to no avail. I would appreciate any tips, suggestions, etc.
Have a great day! :)

Random Going-Ons

2010-09-03T09:58:00.000-05:00

Here are some great things that have happened to us recently and some things going on this month:

1. My sister Janna coming to stay with us. She's still got another 7 weeks. Yea!

2. A month ago, we had some new neighbors move in across the walkway from our apt. Peyton now has two new girl friends to play with. She already loves them!

3. The Saints have their first game next week, and we're so excited! PARTY! Geaux Saints!

4. In 21 days, I will be a larger number. I'm getting a little anxious about this one. I will be advancing to another decade, and this is really bumming me out.

5. We are seriously potty training Peyton. Well, really the daycare is having to do most of the work. She is pitching a fit every time she has to sit on the potty, but they are making her anyway. At home, I'm offering a few little pieces of candy as rewards for pottying. It's working wonders at home.

6. I am really thankful for our new church. We are enjoying getting to know everyone and love worshiping the Lord there. It's an exciting place to be right now!

7. Speaking of church, we have to have pictures made for the directory tomorrow. I never look forward to picture taking with kids. It's extremely stressful. Hopefully the results will be worth all the work and stress.

8. Please continue to pray for my co-workers little baby boy. As I type, he is undergoing surgery to remove the right middle lobe of his lung because of congenital lobar emphysema. He is 10 days old.

9. We had a back to school cookout for the students at my work this week. We had a lot of students and a great time! Nevermind that the humidity was 95%! HA!

10. I am so thankful for the wonderful invention of the space heater. What would office workers all over the United States do without these nice little heat-producing contraptions?

Birthday Party!

2010-08-30T16:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to Monroe to (finally) have Raegan's party. It was a 24 hour trip, and 8 of those hours were spent in the car with two screaming kids. Seriously, it was not a fun road trip. I read a few blogs of people who travel a lot with kids. How do they do it? Anyway, we had a great time in Monroe visiting with family, eating hamburgers, hotdogs, and lots of cake. Raegan had a pinanta with loads of candy. And she got some cool presents. She LOVED her cake, and ate half of it. We finally had to take it away from her because we were scared she would have a tummy ache. Here are some pictures......

Prayer for a Baby

2010-08-27T14:22:00.000-05:00

Friends,

One of my co-workers just had a baby this past week who had to be transferred to the Children's Hospital in New Orleans due to a malformed lung. Please say a prayer for this precious little baby boy. I know that when Raegan had to be put in Children's Hospital for RSV when she was three months old, a lot of people were praying for her, and God heard the prayers and healed her. I also know this can be incredibly stressful and heart wrenching to see your little baby hooked up to i.v.'s, oxygen, machines, etc. I know this family would appreciate your prayers.
"Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found" Psalm 32:6

The Well Visit

2010-08-26T16:56:00.000-05:00

We went to the doctor today for well check ups, and it was as I suspected. Raegan's a little shrimp. She's in the 5% for weight and height(17lbs), down from the 25%. For those of you who aren't up on children's statistics, 50% would be the average weight and height for the age group . Peyton is 50% weight and 50-75% height. No surprise there. Peyton can eat! But she's perfectly average, so it's okay.
Poor Raegan now "performs" at the doctor exactly as Peyton did.....SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM! Peyton and Raegan both have been so traumatized by doctors' prodding in their infected ears, that they despise anything the doctor does. Peyton, to everyone's relief, can now be bribed with stickers and suckers, and willingly cooperates without any ear piercing screams. Raegan is just not there yet. She could care less about a stupid sugar free sucker. But she will be there soon. The nurse told me that she doesn't mind the screams and cries, she hears it all day long, and it doesn't bother her at all. I'm grateful for a nice pediatrician's office and two healthy children.

The Best Laid Plans

2010-08-25T11:44:00.000-05:00

Wow. That is the word I would use to describe my last week. It started with grand plans to go to Monroe to celebrate Raegan's first birthday with Arnold's parents and friends. Then it digressed into a horrible virus I caught that ended in a trip to the urgent care clinic, an IV, several days in bed, and no trip to Monroe. Disappointment! Then when I thought things were getting better, Monday at work dealt me a blow, something totally out of my control It was one of the most stressful days of my short career. The Lord is still good though, and He worked everything out. So this weekend, the Lord willing, we are going to Monroe to have that party. Raegan still got a cake from Whole Foods, and we still sang her happy birthday and blew out the candles this past Saturday. I couldn't let her birthday go by without some sort of celebration. It's such an important and special milestone.
I'm trying not to cling to tightly these days to MY plans, because they often change, it seems, without my consent and apart from my will. Oh well. The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.

Ignored

2010-08-17T14:53:00.000-05:00

I hate being so busy that the blog gets ignored, but sometimes that's how life is. You get so busy, and then a few things fall by the wayside. My sister Janna came to New Orleans about a week ago and she's going to be staying with us until October. We are around each other 24/7 (at work all day and then at home all night) and while I'm not sick of her yet (ha!), she is probably already sick of me! Arnold says I'm too bossy sometimes, and I have to keep myself in check. Janna is just so darn easy going and go-with-the-flow that it's easy to get bossy. Why can't I be more like that??!
My little bitty baby will be 1 on Saturday, the 21st, and I just can't believe it. She has finally cut two teeth and has started walking. She is already a pro and gets faster and faster everyday, but she's still so short and little. We are going to start weaning this week, and while I'm super excited about not having to pump, I'm sad because it just means she's growing up. Oh well, time to have another one! Just kidding!!!
We will be heading up to Monroe to have her party with Arnold's family. And I am sure there will be plenty of pictures to post.
Arnold and I got to go on a little date to the movies last night, thanks to Janna. I forgot what it felt like to go see a movie at night with the hubs. Even though the movie was just alright, I had a lot of fun. Before we had kids, we used to go to the movie theater ALL the time. It's one of Arnold's favorite things to do, "just the experience" of watching the movie on the big screen with a big bucket of popcorn. Thanks for the date night Janna.

A Busy Time

2010-08-10T09:28:00.000-05:00

We've had a busy week, and therefore, no blog posts. Sorry. Last Friday morning, I took Peyton to the doctor for some stomach issues and we found out Raegan has another ear infection. The tubes are coming very soon. Friday afternoon, I found out that my brother has an enlarged left heart and almost died the other week. He's probably going to need a heart transplant. He's 17. Friday night was graduation. Friday night my sister Janna came rolling in from South Carolina. Saturday morning Peyton comes and lays in our bed that morning then throws up, yes, in the bed. Yuck. So Saturday she threw up until she was dry heaving and then by Saturday afternoon was running around the house like a cooped up two year old would do.
Janna started being the secretary at my work (for only 8 weeks), so we've been training her. Ahh, what I wouldn't give for a float, a pool, and a glass of lemonade on a deserted island. :)

Here are some pictures I took of Peyton reading Raegan a book last week.

Banged Up

2010-08-04T16:17:00.001-05:00

I know people have probably been thinking that we're abusing our kids, but you know sometimes kids just look like they've been beat up. Especially since Raegan has started exploring, she's getting hurt more and more. For the record, we ARE NOT abusing our kids, they just look like it this week! Raegan has a cut on her little foot from where she hit the handle on the fence at our apt. She scratched her chin with her nails that needed to be cut...my bad....it's so hard to keep up with little nails that grow fast! She has two little cuts on her fingers where I accidentally caught her fingers in between the table and her high chair. Monday we discovered that right under one of the cuts on her finger, there was a huge blister that popped. Not sure what happened....my guess is an ant bite from her sticking her little fingers in the cracks at the swimming pool. Then today she fell and hit her face. Her poor little nose that was already raw from her cold started bleeding. Peyton has a mark on her stomach that looks like something pinched her skin...possibly the seat belt that she INSISTS on doing herself. AHHH! What is going on this week? And you know, I always feel the need to explain things to people because I feel like people are looking at me like, "What has she been doing to her kids?" I guess I feel guilty because maybe people think I'm not taking care of them. But if you are a parent, you will understand how easily kids get hurt and how often clumsy little toddlers and two-year olds bang their heads, legs, and arms. Do you ever get that feeling--the need to explain feeling--when your kids get banged up?

Can You Tell the Difference?

2010-08-02T16:42:00.000-05:00

Below are pictures of the girls in my Easter dress that is almost, gasp, 30 years old. Can you tell the girls apart?

Raegan is the picture on top. Peyton is on bottom. And below are some more pictures of Raegan for the grandparents.

How Does She Do It?

2010-08-01T13:00:00.001-05:00

How Does She Sleep Like This?

Simplicity

2010-07-30T15:32:00.000-05:00

It seems like the last month or so, God has really been speaking to me about simplicity. Why wouldn't the Christian life reflect simplicity? Why do we(I) have to have the best, the newest, the latest, and the most expensive? Why do Christians (I) feel the need to own the biggest, loveliest house on the block complete with granite countertops, a master bathroom "spa", and shiny hardwood floors? Why do Christians (I) feel the need to have a new outfit every week from the trendiest store at the mall? Why do Christians (I) need to be entertained by the most expensive vacations, fanciest restaurants, and whatever else I find to spend my money on in order to meet this goal? I know that our flesh falls into the same temptations of the culture, and before long we start looking like the culture around us. But what about simplicity? And not because "things" and "stuff" are ultimately bad and evil, but because we should look different, and we should be using our abundant resources for a greater, eternal good.
God has been sending me great literature the past month that focuses on this principle/discipline. If you haven't read Radical by David Platt, you should pick up a copy. Here's a link to a great article about the early church's views on simplicity, caring for the poor, and not turning simplicity into legalism. And last, I was given a book by Richard Foster, The Freedom of Simplicity, by my good friend at the beginning of summer that I am going to start reading this weekend. I'll let you know about it when I get finished.
I don't exactly know how simplicity is going to look in my life, but I know the Lord will show me! I will end with a great quote by Clement (this is taken from the article I linked):

"The handmaids of Christ should love simplicity. Simplicity is the forerunner of holiness. It smoothes out the inequalities of property. A holy ornament should surround your wrists, the joy of giving and the diligence of the housewife. On your feet should glitter untiring zeal in well-doing, and walking in the ways of righteousness. Your necklaces and chains are modesty and simplicity. Such jewelry comes from God's workshop."

Sucré

2010-07-28T16:30:00.000-05:00

I love sweets. You may have already discovered that, if you've read my blog for any length of time, especially see this one. Of course, I not only love sweets when I'm pregnant...I love them ALL of the time! That's why I'm having to question why I never stopped in Sucré. It's an incredible "sweets" shop on Magazine St. in New Orleans. They have gelato, chocolates, and a lot of yummy deserts. It's the coolest place you've ever been to, too. If you EVER come to New Orleans to visit me, I promise that we will go to this place(unless you're a diabetic, and then I wouldn't torture you like that!).

Here's me about to dig in!

This desert was called the "Tiffany". Grandma, I ate this in honor of you. Dark chocolate and raspberries.

It was SO good! But not cheap.

Random Facts for Friday

2010-07-23T10:05:00.002-05:00

1. Arnold and I get to go on a date tonight! We are going to a restaurant called "Impastatos". This restaurant is run by an older Italian man from Sicily, Joe Impastato. They have a commercial on tv "Fuhget about it!"

2. I have been addicted to mochas, frappes, frappuccinos, iced mochas, and anything with espresso in it lately. I think this stems from the fact that I have had virtually no caffeine in the last 3 1/2 years. I didn't drink any while I was pregnant, either time(accept for maybe a sip of a Coke Arnold had once or twice), and I haven't had any while breastfeeding either time.......accept for this time. Ever since Raegan hit about 8 months, I've given up. I need caffeine to function these days....at least a few times a week. :)

3. I really do love New Orleans weather. Give me hot and humid any day over cold and freezing. But I have to say that the rainy New Orleans summers can be a bummer sometimes.

4. I am learning....and now time for a bit of honesty....to be content even when I read other people's blogs or facebook statuses. Sometimes I feel a twinge of jealousy and start getting discontent. You know the feeling..."wow their kids are really smart, godly, etc.," "wow look at all the nice stuff that person has, their house is gorgeous," "wow, that person gets to do that?" Does this happen to you too? Why is it so hard to be content when we look at other people? The grass always seems greener on the other side, I guess.

5. Peyton has started saying anytime she smells anything, whether it is a pleasant scent when you walk into a store or a dirty diaper in the trash, "Mommy, it smells like skunk". She said this the other week when we walked into Michael's Crafts. As we were driving through the country to get to Monroe, I smelled a skunk and said, "Yuck, I smell a skunk". Now everything smells like a skunk to her

11 Months...Yesterday

2010-07-22T08:52:00.007-05:00

Yesterday Raegan turned 11 months old. I find it hard to believe that she is that old, and that's it almost been a year since we were blessed with a little 6lb. 3oz. bundle of joy. Raegan has really blossomed these last few weeks. She's started cruising a lot. Peyton was walking by this age, and I really thought Raegan would walk even earlier because she wanted to keep up, but she's taking her time. She's in no rush to walk because she can crawl at warp speed and get carried around the rest of the time.
Raegan has started having cute little "conversations" with us. "Blah blah wah wah nah nah nah" and then a perplexed look that says, "What do you think about what I just said Mommy?"
These days you cannot put any outfit on Raegan that may even be a little loose. She is Houdini and will work her way out of the outfit in record time. You will look over at her sitting half-naked if you blink.
Peyton has really been cracking Raegan up lately. It is hilarious to listen to her cackle at something that is totally not funny(at least to us big humans)--and usually annoying, simply because it generally involves some high pitched loud noise from her older sister.
Raegan still does not have a tooth or even a hint of one. But she loves waking up during the middle of the night to remind us that the teeth are trying really hard.
As I've said before, she is the sweetest little thing in the whole world. Thank you Lord for our little Raegan.

Bills, Bills, Bills

2010-07-21T08:52:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it seems like you just get swamped all at once, you know? Last week we got a call from our credit card company. Apparently someone had stolen our numbers from our card and tried to buy almost $300 worth of pest control products off of the internet. Who steals someone's credit card and tries to buy roach bait? If I'm going to steal a credit card, I'm going shopping for some designer clothes, shoes, and going to the spa. Or if you're a guy, at least go to Best Buy!
Monday we get a past due statement from the electric company. Apparently the check I sent off in June never made it(thanks USPS...and we want the government to handle healthcare?), so now we not only owe two months worth of bills, but also a nice late fee. I'm disputing this one.
Monday after I came home from work, I opened the credit card bill (a different one....don't worry, we're not credit card freaks....we don't have 18 of them, and we hardly ever use them) and discovered that I had not paid the bill from the previous time. Now, in my defense, there was no record that I ever even received the bill. In the credit card company's defense, I may have possibly, accidentally thrown away the bill when I came back from vacation and had a huge stack of mail. Not sure, but it could have happened. I'm very meticulous in my record keeping, so it had to be an accident of some sort. Oh well, what do you do?
Pay the man and keep going.

Washcloths

2010-07-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you come to my house and ever need to take a shower, you will have a hard time. Peyton takes every one of my washcloths from downstairs everyday and puts her baby dolls and stuffed animals asleep on the floor. The washcloths are blankets for the babies. For her birthday, she's getting a pack of washcloths. What kid wouldn't want a pack for her birthday?

Cheerwine Doughnuts

2010-07-16T11:06:00.001-05:00

Our AWESOME friends Michael and Joy saw my post about Cheerwine, a cherry flavored soft drink only found in the Carolinas, and sent me a link to an article about Krispy Kreme's Cheerwine doughnuts. Apparently, Cheerwine and Krispy Kreme have teamed up and created a Cheerwine filled doughnut that is only available during the month of July in the Carolinas. Then our awesome friends sent up some. They are so delicious. If you live in the Carolinas, I highly recommend you picking up a dozen.

If you're not a fan of Cheerwine, you may not want to bother. These doughnuts taste like the real stuff!

A Verse from the Word

2010-07-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." Hebrews 13:1-3