Bumble Bees, Bone Tired and Bible Study

OK, here is the scary part first ... Last night the girls had their bath and all was going oh so well. Sophie finished up and I took her out to dry off. I laid her on the pad on the counter and noticed that she had a little boogie action in her nose so I turned to get a tissue. HUbby turned to look at her just as I turned back and we both saw it ... a yellowjacket on the baby's chest!!! FREAK OUT! He swats it away, being the hero that he is, but it lands IN her towel. Before we can get the towel opened up and the bee out of there it STINGS MY BABY! She is screaming, I am freaking, Hubby is killing a bee and Hattie is watching it all quietly (Bless her heart!!). We have NO idea how it got in the house or if it has friends elsewhere. BUT, at least we now know that Sophie is NOT allergic to bees - THANK GOD!!!
Now, the frustrating part. We had a very - and I do mean VERY - rough night last night. Hattie did NOT want to go to bed. And that is, thankfully, very rare! But she threw a WHOPPER of a fit that lasted for quite a while and included her coming out of her bed and room TWICE! She is usually very easy to put to bed, so this was a puzzle. Her fit woke up Sophie and it took FOREVER to get her back to sleep. She finally went down around 11:00!!! Then she woke up around 12:30, we got her back to sleep pretty quickly but not for very long - she was awake again a couple of hours later. This time we had to changer her diaper and give her a bottle to get her back to sleep. About the time she finally fell asleep Hattie woke up. Usually when Hattie has a "crib party" (which is why she is still in a crib - we are afraid she will roam the house and fall down the stairs!) we let her hang and do her thing 'cause if we go up there it just lasts longer. However, given that she had already gotten out of her crib TWICE last night I felt the need to stay awake and listen to her party to be sure that she stayed in bed. After a couple of hours she finally fell asleep ... just as Sophie was waking up AGAIN!!!! Then by the time she fell back to sleep it was time to get Hattie up for school. Needless to say I am TIRED, almost called Hattie in for school and let her sleep while Sophie and I napped ... but I didn't!
Which leads to the Blessing part. I started a new Bible study at church this morning, one which I have been VERY excited about for quite a while. For Christmas Hubby got me some Beth More 90 day devotionals - one on Daniel and one on Jesus, The One And Only and that is the study that we are doing this semester!!!! YAY! So, I had to be there - for everyone's survival of the day I need me some Jesus! I absolutly ADORE Beth Moore, no one can make the Bible come alive for me the way that she does. I tell people that she is one of my very best friends, I just haven't met her yet! Anyway, this morning did not dissapoint! I am so refreshed by the Word and am so Blessed by the message! Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to dive in!!! And for the energy to get my tired hiney in gear to get there for the study!!!!
So, there ya go ... a day in the life of the B Bunch. Sorry it drug out so long, but hey, you KNEW it would ... didn't ya?!?!?! And thank you Lord, we are all still here to tell the story!
Blog at ya later!

Brilliant All The Same...

So, I would like to tell you that my brilliant daughter took to potty training like a duck to water ... that we put on the panties and never looked back! I would like to, but I can't. What I can tell you is that my brilliant daughter has taken to playing the system like a fiddle!!! She can go just enough to get the praise and the treat and then 5 minutes later finish ... in the panties!!!! She was doing swell until she decided that she wasn't so much liking the Dora/Princess/Curious George ('cause we went through em all folks) panties if it meant that she had to stop what she was doing every 30 minutes for a bathroom trip!!!!
Now, I must say that she not only went number one on the potty but number two as well (or for all of you Elmo Potty Time viewers out there we can call it poo-poo or woo-woo or .... must I go on?!?!?!), so I am thinking that she must have an inkling as to what she is doing right? Add to that the fact that she goes a little, stops, little more, stops, little more .... C'mon now, that takes skill!!!! THEN after wetting the pants she goes to the diaper cabinet and says "want a diaper?" Like she wants me to ask her if she would prefer that big soggy, droopy, wet thing in her drawers! I am at a loss!!
I am now opening the floor up for suggestions ... anyone? Can ya help me? She is back in the diaper 'cause I refuse to put her on the bus in single digit temps with what could be wet panties by the time she gets to school! HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPP MMMMMMEEEEEEE!!!!!!
On the other hand, she has mastered that fine art known as "playing the parents". Yep, that's my girl ... BRILLIANT!!!!
Gotta love her!

Hattie's Big Adventure ...

So, earlier in the week I told ya about Sophie's adventures for the week, now I will tell you about Miss Hattie's!
She went to the movies - We saw the new Veggie Tales movie. Now, Mommy & Daddy LOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEE the veggies and, usually, so does the girl. She was really enjoying it until the cheese curls came to life. Her eyes were pretty much hidden behind her hands for the rest of the flick. Still, an adventure none the less. She did enjoy the nachos!
She ate dinner at the mall - which means PIZZA, her favorite!! She also got to walk through the mall - usually she rides, but she is really getting the "response to request" thing down and stops or comes back when she is asked so we gave it a try. She did GREAT!!!
And the big adventure .... I mean the REALLY big adventure ... (insert drum roll here) ... she started POTTY TRAINING!!!!!! Can I get an amen and a big yeehaw?!?! Now, she turns four next month (pause while I cry for a sec.... ok, better now) but because of her communication delays we are a bit behind. However, she has started showing an interest both at home and at school so we figured we would give it a try. We had a 4 day weekend from school and thought that it would be as good a time as any. So, we busted out the big girl panties that Santa brought, put some "keep-her-on-the-potty-as-long-as-possible" entertainment in the bathroom and prayed for the best.
On Friday she kept her diaper dry all morning and decided that she wanted to wear the panties in the afternoon. Her diaper was wet after lunch so rather than a new one we put on the big girls. She kept em dry all evening (although there was no pee-peeing on the potty as of yet)!
This morning she wanted the panties on again and kept em dry all morning. She finally "went" on the potty this afternoon - yay! And the had an accident a while later ... then another one shortly after that. Hubby caught her at the beginning of the second accident and got her to the potty on time and she finished there and I think it clicked cause she has been going on the potty ever since.... (she says with hope in her voice and a prayer in her heart!!!).
So, everything I have read says that once they are in the undies not to go back, which means church tomorrow... PRAY FOR US!!!!! That will be the real test.
All in all, it has been an exciting adventure for us all!!!! Hattie is a big girl, Mommy is so very proud and Daddy doesn't have to pay for diapers anymore!!!!! And again I say AMEN!!!!

The Excellent Adventures of Sophie Lee

So, Sophie got a new toy ... OK, actually it is an old toy (Hattie and SEVERAL foster children through the years have used it!!), but to HER it is new! She has had several new adventures this week ... baby food (applsauce bad, banana GOOD!!!), moved to the porta-crib (outgrew the cradle - when I was there to CATCH her as she FLIPPED out of it, we decided it was time!), new carseat (yep, outgrew that too!), and now, a new fun toy!

Here is how it went down ......



What's this? For MOI?!?!?!?



WOW!!! Are you sure this is all for me?!?!



OK, this is a LOT to take in, I am just a baby ya know.



Sophie LIKE!!!!

New adventures are sweet! Witnessing your child taking new adventures ... even sweeter!!!
I LOVE being a mom (even if I am a bit disfunctional!).

Quality Parenting At It's Best

So, Hubby says that I am a bad influence on Hattie. He says that I teach her things that I (meaning HE) would be embarrassed for her to do at school or, Heaven FORBID, church. Simply because we are inclined to break into "slap fights" with no warning. or stick our tongues out at each other and laugh. His favorite is when we threaten to "beat you up and slap you around" and then mock punch and slap each other. He inexplicably cringes every time! I don't get it...
And now that she is really starting to talk he is REALLY worried. I am obsessed with the show "Reba" and absolutely ROLL with laughter when she gets flustered and growls the word "craaaaaap!!" ... so I have started to say it at times (not my proudest moment) and thus Hattie has said it twice now. OK, I understand his frustration over that one and have made a very concerted effort to stop saying it. YESTERDAY, however, she had me crying with laughter at something that would have made Hubby just ... well, cry! She has taken to putting the box for Sophie's high chair box over her head and walking around the house. It is hilarious 'cause she runs into EVERYTHING and just bounces off like a pinball. So yesterday she was running into the couch over and over and saying "I'm ok" which made me giggle. And THEN she missed the couch and fell flat on the ground... silence for a few seconds and then "ah GEEZ". I CRIED!!!!
Now, for some reason Hubby HATES the word Geez. I think he thinks that it is a shortened version of "oh Jesus". but that is simply not the case. To me it is a shortened version of "geez louise" which I have said FOREVER....
What is you opinion on this delicate subject my bloggy friends? Am I a bad influence on my child?!?!? I need to know ... is geez bad? Be honest, I can take it.

One other thing, is it bad that I have not started either of the girls baby books yet? Can this blog count as a memory book? I need help.
Did I mention that I am a quality parent? I can soooo see my girls on the Oprah show someday. Or at the very least, a therapists couch..... Did I mention that at this moment Hattie is sitting in her lunch chair not allowed to get down because she refuses to eat her BOLOGNA (sigh and ashamedly looking aside) or that Sophie is in her swing waking up and as I look over at her I realize that she has not only spit up but her bib is so turned around that she looks like a mini supergirl. Mother of the Year, that's me!!

One More Change....

Last night the girls took a bath, Sophie has real dry skin and so we have been using a more conditioning shampoo hoping to create less flakes. What we got was a rash and breakout of the face. The Doc gave us some new stuff to try. So we washed them both up and got em all ready for bed. For Sophie that included her bed-time-rice-cereal-laced-sleepy-time bottle. You will notice in this pic her post bottle lack of an upperlip face, but do you notice anything else (something that comes from NOT having a lot of conditioner in the hair?)




Can't see it, look closer.....






Still nothing, get closer ....






Yep, it's a curl!! My baby has curly hair! YAY!!!!

Oh yeah ... she rolled over today!!!!! WooHoo!!! Can a mama be prouder?!

No Dry Eyes Here ...

I remember hearing, on multiple occasions and from more than one person, that my Grandpa Straight used to say that nobody should ever leave a church service with a dry eye ... Well, I must say that yesterday's service brought more than a tear, it brought a RIVER!!!! Man oh man, it was sweet - the sermon was on leadership and it was so well spoken - kudos to Pastor Andy!!! The music, led by our brand-spankin' new worship leader (approved by the congregation just yesterday) Aron, was powerful, moving and, may I say, ROCKING!!!!! And then, the new Elders and Deacons were inducted into service. Now, I have to tell ya, the sight (yes, I opened my eyes!!!) of big grown men on their knees in humility while other big strong men laid hands on them and prayed over them was soooooo moving to me. Would it not have been wholly inappropriate, I woulda taken my little phone out and taken a picture - Dern that Emily Post and her stinkin' manners and rules!!!! THEN, the band started in with "Glorious One" .... I was gone! Simply DONE!!! Gotta tell ya, as my sweet Beth Moore would say, "I love me some Jesus!!!" The Good Lord was movin big in that place yesterday, in my heart as well!!!!! Sweet, sweet, SWEET!!!! I could go on and on.....

In other news, Miss Sophie is now 4 months old!!!! And somewhere in the middle of the holiday season she has undergone a serious transformation. I was holding her at church yesterday (and this has happened more than once) when someone came up and asked where MY little one was. This is her, I say and the jaws drop to the floor. She is holding herself up in my arms now - doesn't like to lay down anymore, she wants to sit up so badly and is almost there!!!! She is social - talking to anyone who will listen and flirting with anyone who will look her way ... so cute!!! Then in the last few days she has been waking up in the middle of the night again and wants to eat. So, after being advised by many - including the doctor today - we have begun the BABY FOOD!!!!! At first she was NOT impressed! But, today .... applesauce - a HUGE success!!!!!! She is in her high chair now and loves that too! She is - are you sitting down? .... Seriously, are ya? - 17lbs and 7oz.!!!! Too big, they say for her baby car seat. On one hand I say "thank You Jesus, I don't have to carry that thing around anymore!!!" but on the other hand ... where is my baby?!?!?! Ahhhhhh .... the ups and downs of motherhood!!!!
These pictures are pre high chair, but the first meal.....



Yep, thats's my baby... now there really is no dry eye!!!!!

Glorious One, Glorious One
Light of the world, You outshine the sun
King of all Kings, Eternity sings,
GLORIOUS ONE!!!!!!

May He Bless you all, my bloggy friends!

BRRRRRRRR!!!!!

OK, two posts in one day - crazy I know, especially since I don't really have too much to say except - IT IS COLD!!!! Hattie went back to school today and I had to put my poor Sweet girl on the bus in the 6 DEGREES, snot freezing, barely light out, COLD morning weather!!! Last year they called "cold days" because there wasn't enough snow to use up all of the snow days, I think this morning was cause for a cold day!!!
So, here is the new layout and I think I will keep this one for a while, at first I thought it was a bit too brown, but it is growing on me and fits with my New Year post. PLUS, my Bloggy friend Kate likes it and helped me to tweak it up a bit (except I still can not make the switch putting the posts on the other side of the pictures, about me and counter stuff!!) so I am really liking it now. Let me know what ya think!!!
One more thing - I am still looking for pictures to show ya, but the other day I put my sweet baby Sophie in an outfit that was one of my faves on Hattie. Sophie is 3 months old, Hattie came to us at 9 months.... hmmm, guess that means that she was at LEAST 9 months old - and I ma thinking that she got the outfit for Christmas which would make her 10 months old - when she wore it. Meaning that Sophie is BIG!!! Now, I know that she will thin out when she starts crawling and stuff, but she won't get shorter!!!! I am so sad to be putting the tiny clothes away - but am so loving the stages she is in. She laughs, coos, responds to our voices and touch and is getting so much fun to interact with. She tries to have conversations with us and it is so fun to see her grow! Just can't believe she is growing so FAST!!!
And, one more thing - ow much does it stink that the most popular name for girls in '07 is Sophia?!?!? I did the research, it was pretty far down on EVERY list! Apparently it jumped quite a few spots this year to take over the number one spot. Now, I named Hattie with a name I had picked in high school and was so happy because it doesn't even appear on any list, meaning there won't be 20 girls in her class with the same name!!! Of course this also means that nobody says it right. But c'mon, Hattie isn't that hard is it?! We get Haley, Hadley, Mattie, Happy, Hate-y (sounding like the other name for Hell!!!) and my personal favorite ha-tie (emphasis on the tie!!!)! But poor Sophie will always and forever be Sophie B., or some other variation that distinguishes her from the other million and 1 Sophies in her class. i am so sorry Sophie lee - Mommy tried!!! Stupid research that apparently is NOT kept up to date after all!!!
OK, tirade over, I feel better now. I guess they can call her Pretty Stinking Amazing Sophie - cause you KNOW that she will be the prettiest, smartest and most wonderful of all of the other Sophies out there!!!!!

New Year ... New Beginnings!

The new year always brings thoughts about what we can change or make new .... as if WE could make anything new!!! At church on Sunday both pastor Mike and Mr. Brolan (who was leading worship) talked about New Years Resolutions. Pastor Mike went through a list of resolutions from the past few years - each year trying to lose a few more pounds ('cause instead of losing pounds they were actually GAINED!!!) etc... Mr. Brolan went online to look at the most popular resolutions and noted that they are mostly about losing weight (duh!!), getting a new job, in shape or a new "thing" - house, car etc... - but that knowing JESUS better was nowhere on the list!
Resolution - by definition - is to dedicate oneself to something. RESOLVE to be a better person, get in shape, make more money, and so on. What better to resolve yourself to that knowing God?! He created you, knows you better than anyone else and LOVES you more than anyone else! Can't the one who created your body help you to know it and care for it? Can't the giver of all gifts show you how to better use yours? Can't the Creator of the earth and life show you how to enjoy it more? Can't the giver of life make yours better? YES!!! Yes to all of these questions! Now, I am the first to say that I need to lose a few pounds and a few bad habits, but I think the very first thing that I will resolve myself to this new year is to know Jesus better and to devote more of me to God! If I can do that the rest will happen, I just know it will!!! So, here is to quiet times with God - I WILL find time to make time for HIM. Here is to looking for strength from HIM when I want to do something unhealthy. Here is to giving my temple back to HIM and letting HIM show me how to care for it. Here is to giving my FAMILY back to HIM and letting Him show me how to best take care of THEM! Here is to FILLING my prayer journal and not leaving it to gather dust by mid January and feeling guilty for the rest of the year because I am "too busy" to write things down. Here is to letting the creator of the universe get a little creative in my life - I give it all back to Him!!
SO, if you are reading this, I hereby charge you to hold me accountable and help me stay on track. I also CHALLENGE you to go deep and look inside yourself. We all can do better - after all if we were perfect we would already be in Heaven!!!
Happy New Year my sweet fRamily - let's make it a good one!!!!!

Site Open During Construction

Please pardon the dust, this site is under renovations! I am trying to find a layout - now that the Holidays are about over - that I like well enough to keep a while. I think I like one, do all the work to apply it and then ... well, it's just not RIGHT!!! So, let me know what you think. I am interested to know who visits this site and reads about us as well as being curious to see what ya think about the look. So, hit reply - you don't have to be a blogger, just do it as anonymous (but tell me who ya are please!!) and there ya go! I am SOOOO looking forward to the replies ... don't let me down!
Blog at ya soon!
B.J.

PS - 3Weeks and counting of all night sleep for Sophie!!!! YAY! Hattie is so much fun now that she is really starting to communicate (God Bless the teachers and therapists!!). Hubby - what can I say, I am B-L-E-S-S-E-D!!!! I LOVE that man!

Christmas & More ...

Oh boy, it has been a while and I have a lot to share, but I will try to keep it short ...

Here is the last 10 days in 10 short (hah! Have you met me?!?!) points:
1.I told ya about Steven's broken leg - it's still broken! I showed you a picture of him asleep with Hattie lying next to him, but I didn't show ya this ... yet


2.The snow I showed ya just kept on coming, Hattie had her first snow day and got to stay home from school. She was NOT excited (although she did love the snow!!) It was WICKED cold and we couldn't go out in it for a few days though.

3.Right after Steven left, my Mommy & Daddy came for a visit. My Mom flew, my Dad came by train then by bus (yes, usually they travel together but my dad was visiting my other sisters and had more time so he took the scenic route!!).

4.The local bus terminal is hard to find. The local Amtrak station (where for some reason the bus dropped him off) even harder and in a VERY interesting part of town!!!

5.The sun finally came out and Hattie got to don her snow suit and have some fun!!!



6.Hattie LOVES to make snow angels, in fact when our yard was full, she started on the neighbors yard!!!



7.My husband is amazing and we actually got to have a date on Saturday - we went Christmas shopping - may not sound that exciting but we were alone and had a lot of time to chat!!! This was after he put up the stable and lights for our yard Nativity.


8.My Daddy loves his grandbabies!!



9.When the sun came out it REALLY come out!! Our poor snowman who looked like this in the morning ...

(no laughing - it was the first snowman I had ever made!!!)
...looked like a shrunken head by evening and was gone by morning, but that's ok, it snowed again on Monday and I got my White Christmas!!!

10.Christmas was WONDERFUL!!! I was Blessed to have my family around - that includes Hubby's family! - and that is more than enough. Santa was very good to us - and that is only because God has been VERY good to us! We have all we could ever ask for and more! Sophie and Hattie looked like angels on Christmas Eve - and Sophie for one KNEW IT!!!

(Hattie wouldn't let me take her pic, you will just have to trust me that she looked GOOD!) And the Grandma's got their quality time in with the girl on Christmas morning



But of course the biggest Blessing of all is the Reason for the Season - the One who came to go the distance. The reason we HAVE, the One who GAVE it all.... Jesus.
The sweet baby in the manger - he left a throne for a stable, left the side of his Father for the arms of a teenage girl, left the clouds to walk on soil. It was a choice He made knowingly and willingly - and He made it with me in mind ... He made it with YOU in mind too. I hope that you know that and accept that and BELIEVE that!! So, now that the rush and excitement is over, sit back relax and take time to hear the Angles sing ... they ARE still singing ya know. That song - it's for you!!!!!

Sleep, Snow & Sore Knees

So this was the weekend that the B Boys get together and head to the North for a little deer hunting (I truly believe that it is for fellowship and poker more than sport 'cause they have yet to bring anything home!!). Steven came up for the fun - Mindy came too but she couldn't stay more than a couple of days :(
So, bright and early Thursday morning they headed out. This left the girls and I to fend for ourselves, but since Miss Sophie has been sleeping through the night for a WHOLE WEEK now, it wasn't too bad!!!! Yay Sophie!



The plan was to stay until tonight, but they came home early... Now, nobody called to tell me they were coming home and NOBODY wanted to tell me WHY. Steven, it seems, had a slight mishap with the fourwheeler and spent the better part of Friday night in the ER. He has a broken leg and is in mucho pain! Poor boy, I feel so bad for him. He is being very brave though...
He offered to slide upstairs to the guest room last night, but instead we set up a mattress for him in the living room. Now he is a night owl and so sleeps quite late into the A.M. - this is NOT the case with our Hattie Girl. So I figured this morning we would have a movie day while we were trying to decide if we wanted to venture out into this for church...



So, we put in Hattie's favorite Tigger movie and I set her up on the couch ... didn't take long for her to find her way to her "Butter" though. She loves him and I think it is mutual as you can see here...



Awww, I love my family!!!

Random Observances From the (tired) Mind of a Mom

So, here are a few things that I have been observing lately ...
*I was recently grocery shopping and picked up some apples. They were of the Honey Crisp variety and grown right here, and they looked and felt the freshest of any other bags available. Let me tell you about these apples. Holy Canoli, they were GOOOOOOOOD!!! If these were the fruit on the tree in the Garden of Eden, let me just say that I can understand why Eve was so tempted! YUM-O!!
*I believe it is in Australia (forgive me if I am wrong) that store Santa's are being asked to change their "Ho Ho Ho's" to "Ha Ha Ha's" so as not to offend women. I am sorry, but if "ho ho ho" offends you, take a good long look at your lifestyle and ask yourself why!!
*In this big old bustling world that is trying so stinking hard to take God out of everything - schools, courts, even stores where clerks can only say "happy Holidays" even if I am buying an angel and a cross (c'mon now!) - how cool is it that I live in a town where the lawn of the city municipal building is adorned with a full on Manger scene!!! Praise the Lord for small favors - and when that clerk wishes you a happy holiday, wish that clerk a Merry Christmas right back and - if the mood so fits - throw in a God Bless You for good measure!!!
*I have always been big on taking the commercialism out of Christmas and putting CHRIST back in. This year has been such a HUGE reminder of that. I wanted Sophie's first Christmas and probably the first one that Hattie will really remember, to be the best ever. Every light twinkling, every nook and cranny filled with decorations. Instead, I have a tree up - three weeks now - and still all that is on it is the lights it came with and the angel on top. There are stockings hanging on the mantle, but not enough hooks for all of them, so Steve's and mine are sharing a hook (these stockings are handmade by my mom and are awesome, each deserving of their own hook!!). The nativity is on the lawn and looks great - in the daytime - but the lights have not been set out yet, so it is unseen at night and we look like the scrooges of the street in the dark! So, I have been forced to look a little deeper for Christmas this year... Hattie's favorite book is her children's Bible, just this week she has taken new interest in the page about the first Christmas - she recognizes Baby Jesus and has been known to kiss the picture on the page. So this year when we participate in my favorite family tradition, I have a feeling that Christmas will be even better than I imagined!! On Christmas Eve we have a birthday party. The children help to bake and decorate a cake and after church we turn out the lights and sing Happy Birthday Baby Jesus. Hattie is old enough this year to help with the cake and she LOVES to sing Happy Birthday, so I am really looking forward to sharing that with her. Christmas at the B Manor won't be fancy, we won't win any decorating contests and our energy bill is probably safe - no Clark Griswold light displays to send our meter spinning - but Christmas, the REAL and TRUE Christmas WILL be celebrated!!!
PRAISE GOD for all we have and all we know through HIM! And as my Great Grandma used to say, Take Time To Hear the ANGELS sing!!!! Sing along with them if you know the words!!!

No, really ... She's Sleeping!!!

OK, the following pictures are not for the faint of heart. They are quite graphic and, before you call the authorities on us to report any sort of abuse let me assure you that this is what the doctors instructed us to do ....

It seems as if our sweet Miss Sophie has very tiny nasal cavities. She has such a sweet button nose, so small and cute.... fun to look at but, as it seems, not so fun to breathe through!!! This is why she has been stuffy since birth!!! Now, to be fair, she has had a couple of colds but for the most part she is just plain stuffy. The weather changes and the rest of us may get a tiny bit nasal-ey, but for the S girl a tiny bit is all it takes!
So, the doctor told us to have her sleep in a car seat ... better than a swing because the seat is in the bed and it is only one step away from eventually sleeping in the bed. It will just take a few months they said ... they were probably not expecting our tiny 6lb, 11 oz darling to be a whopping 15lbs by 3 months!!!! So, we had been noticing that she was getting a bit big for the seat and were thinking that by Christmas we would have to come up with something new ... Christmas may be coming early!!!! This is what we found this morning ...




Now, I promise you that she was indeed sleeping... I took these pics - flash and all - and moved her to a better position and she didn't wake up. Ahhh, it must be nice!!!!!

Saying Goodbye & Other Updates

So, this past weekend I went to Denver for my grandma's funeral. I have been writing and rewriting this update in my head all week. What do I say about a saying goodbye to a woman who was so very many things to me. The only word I can come up with is bitter sweet...
This woman was an inspiration to me and so many others as witnessed by the crowd at her funeral. She lived life to the fullest, loved with all of her heart, gave in every sense of the word, cared for people in need and brought a smile to everyone in her presence. She was one of my best friends. I loved chatting with her, laughing with her, sharing my life with her and being able to share in hers. She listened to my problems and advised me with wisdom and love. She was wise and loving and good and kind and I will miss her for the rest of my life. My only solace in her loss is in knowing that if there was anyone that she loved more than her family it was her God. Because of that love and her faith that she shared with me and taught me to know, I WILL see her again... That will get me through.
As close as I was with my grandma, I hardly know the rest of that family. My biological father - her son - was not a part of my life until I was an adult and even then, not a big - or good - part. So, there were no summer get aways to visit the aunts, uncles and cousins. I had met a few of them once or twice and that was years ago, this weekend I got to know them a little bit better and I have to say it was great!! I hope that this can be a new beginning, we are all adults now and seemed to get along pretty well so I hope that this can be the start of a few beautiful friendships.
Everything else is good - Hubby stayed at home with the girls and did great with them - as I fully expected. I cannot begin to tell you what a HUGE blessing it is to know that I am married to a man who is not only fully capable of being there for me in any way, but is also willing to support me in anything and everything that I need. I love him with all of my heart and KNOW that I am the luckiest - most blessed - woman in the world!!!
Sophie is getting bigger all of the time - up to about 15lbs now (gasp!!) and is such a sweet happy baby!! Hattie is so beautiful, sweet and smart.. I am amazed, humbled and blessed on a daily basis that I get to be their mommy. They enrich my life in a million different ways and I LOVE them completely!
Can you believe that it is almost Christmas? Where does the time go - no, really where?!?!?! I have wiplash from trying to watch it fly by! I have to say that I have ALWAYS loved Christmas, but as a mom it is sooooooo different. I am not under the tree shaking my presents, I am shaking theirs - when Hubby allows them to be placed there at any time before Christmas Eve (he knows me way to well!!). I am so excited to see their faces Christmas morning. But even more, I am so excited to see them come to know the REASON for Christmas. I want them to know Jesus, His healing love and His redeeming power. I want them to be saved and to go to Heaven. I want to spend eternity with them and I want them to spend eternity with God... I pray that I can be the parent that they need me to be and that includes being a witness to their Father in Heaven!
So, that brings this post full circle - Grandma (and my mom and so many others) shared her faith with me and brought me to where I am today and, so, I hope and pray that I can do the same for my daughters and stepsons. It is the most important job I have in this life

Says it all ...

The real meaning of Christmas

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One More ... sideways!

OK, here is the best one ... I just can't figure out how to turn it right side up... anyone? Anyone? Beuller?!? (OK, all you 80's kids are smiling ... admit it!!)

******* UPDATE***********I AM SMART - sorta - ********* UPDATE ********

OOOH - Check it out ... I figured it out! Props to me! YAY!

Family Fun ... sorta!

What a sweet family!
Isn't this a sweet picture, I love my family. It was a perfect day and we just got the sweetest pics.... NOT!!! It took a lot of work to get here...

First, we had a very tired baby - who is also sick with a cold...

Then there was the ever present "nobody really paying attention" pose with just a touch of a lovely crotch shot thrown in for good measure!

Then we wanted some of just the girls.... an adventure in and of itself!

Rule number 1 ... FOCUS!!!
Rule number 2 ... keep all children happy at the same time (poor Sophie)
OK, now we are getting close ... one more oughta do it!
About 10 poses later.... FINALLY!!!

Don't ya just love family photo day?

Memories ...

OK, this post is more for my own personal therapy than for you, the reader ... but, if you want to read some stories about a completely amazing woman, feel free to read on:

When we were little my brother Jim and I were spending some time with my grandparents and we were at a cemetery ... my grandpa helped with ground maintenance. When it came time to leave, it became apparent that nobody had the car keys. Jim had shut the trunk with Grandma's purse - containing the keys - inside! So, as a small child I spent the better part of an afternoon in a graveyard with my grandma, while grandpa walked into town, and completely enjoyed myself. The best part was that nobody got angry or raised their voice, grandma & grandpa made the whole ordeal an adventure!

I remember that my grandma was an impeccable dresser - she never left her bedroom without her "face" or anything less than a complete ensemble on. If she found a pair of shoes that she liked she bought em in every color - because black, brown & white were not enough, the shoes had to match the outfit! I think I got my shoe fetish from her!!!

Grandma took me on a trip to Hawaii. We went on an inter island cruise. The ship we were on was old and grandma - a seasoned traveler - was less than impressed with our accommodations. I, however, was in Heaven. We had a cabin with a sea facing window - we actually watched whales outside our window!!!! Every night we dressed for dinner and made our way to the dining room where grandma would eat every bite on her plate and then order dessert. The funny thing was that she never liked the sweet taste to be the last thing in her mouth, so the first night she asked the waiter for one green olive - to "cut the sweet". The waiter obliged and after she told WHY she needed it, everyone at our table took great pleasure in staying at the table every night til grandma had had her olive. There was one evening when the waiter could not find an olive, so he brought her a pickle instead. I will never forget the look on her face, but she ate it, smiled and complimented him on his choice. The next two nights of the voyage he brought her both and let her choose. She ate both of them!!! The ship , it turned out, was the same ship that Lucy & Ricky traveled on in their European trip with the Mertzes!! Pretty cool huh?!
I was allowed to go snorkeling, horseback riding, para sailing, riding and whale watching. Grandma threw a fit when they would not let her go horseback riding because of her knees she was close to 90 at the time!!!!

I spent a week with grandma a few years ago and participated in her daily routine - she went shopping, picked tomatoes, got her nails done - where I convinced her for the first time EVER to put an actual color on her nails... she chose fire engine red! - and went to aerobics!!! I will never forget how angry she got when the doctor told her that she had to stop aerobics ... seems they can only replace your knees so many times and then not at all after a certain age. She had hit both limits!

One time on a visit Grandma took us to dinner at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant she had heard great things about. The atmosphere was lacking, but the food was great!! They also served Coca-Cola products ... in retro red plastic cups that were the biggest I had ever seen. I told grandma that I liked the cup - I collect Coke stuff - and that she should put one in her very large purse. everyone laughed. Then when we were finished and went to the car she reached into her bag and pulled out one of those cups and said "here ya go sweetie" with a completely straight face! We were all shocked that she would steal a cup, but she said that they robbed us with those prices, so she was just returning the favor!

The last time I saw her was a couple of years ago and we were in Denver - Hubby, Hattie, Jim and I - to see her. Her computer had just died and she was severely distressed that she had no access to her email, her memoirs and her Internet! So she asked Steve to look at it for her. Turned out that she had a fried hard drive, so needed a new computer. We were off to Best Buy!! The salesman helped us pick a new one out and proceeded to ring us up. Then he tried to talk grandma into a lifetime warranty on the computer. She declined. He explained that if anything ever happened to it while she owned it Best Buy would happily replace it. She declined. He started to tell her how much money it would cost to completely replace her computer if anything like this happened again when she put her hand on his arm and in the sweetest voice you could imagine she said "sweetie, I'm 93 years old... I don't need a lifetime warranty, cause my lifetime won't be that long." He didn't ask again!

I had a million conversations with her about a million things and learned something new from every on of them - even if it was just that my grandma was one of the best women who ever lived. And live, she did! She was always running off somewhere and traveling - her last trip was in July to a wedding in California! She had a million friends and was loved by everyone who knew her.... me especially! She will be missed by all - me especially!

One Of The Good Ones Is Gone

So, this has been a bit of a rough week... Thanksgiving always gives me reason to stop and count my blessings. I have SO VERY MANY blessings to be thankful for:
** I am married to the most amazing man in the world. He treats me like a princess and has made every fairy tale that I ever read come true in so many ways!!! I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am a very "lucky" woman - the world may call it luck, I call it Grace! He is a TRUE blessing from God!
** I am a mommy to the two most wonderful little girls EVER!!! They are beautiful, strong, healthy and perfect!! Again, I am sooooo blessed - the world may have another word for it, but again ... grace!
** I have two strong, handsome stepsons that are blessings as well. I am so very proud of the men that they are - and I cannot claim any responsibility whatsoever... They were men when I got here!!! But, again ... grace placed us here together!
** I have an amazing fRamily who are there for me and whom I can be there for too. The list of loved ones is ever growing and yet, the love does not end.... GRACE!!
**I have THE awesome God - ever loving, ever knowing, ever lasting!! EVERYTHING!!! He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the creator of this earth and the creator of everything and every ONE that I love and I am so very thankful for His provisions, His supply and His unending GRACE!!!!
So why, you may ask, has the week been rough? Well, I said that the list of loved ones is ever growing, but occasionally one of those loved ones must got away...

On Tuesday one of the most amazing, beautiful, wise, loving, fun, feisty and WONDERFUL women that I have ever been blessed to know went home to Jesus. My Grandma, Norma Dumm, passed away at the sweet age of 95. She lived an incredible life and was everything that a woman could and should be. She was everything that a grandmother should be as well. She was a knee to hear stories on, a hand to hold on a walk to the park, an encourager when I felt lost, helpless or alone, a friend when I needed one and an authority when I needed that, a Hawaiian cruise companion, an ear to listen, wisdom to advise and a heart to love me no matter what. She saw me through every part of my life and loved me without fail every day of my life. She made me laugh, made me cry and most importantly, made me think. She was one of the people who taught me how to love and made me into all that I am. She is PART of who I am. I have her eyes and I pray that I have her strength, courage and character. I love her immensely and my life will never be the same without her. I can still hear her sweet voice encouraging, admonishing and loving me with the words she would always say - "sweetie, now this is your grandmother talking..." I cannot wait to see her again in Heaven and hear those words again.... Makes me just that much more Homesick for Heaven ... One more treasure awaits me there!
I love you Grandma, see you soon!