Merry Christmas

Christmas Fun

Mr. Cutie!  Today was pajama day at daycare.  They were also having a book exchange.  Parker loves books so I am sure he was excited. 

I am so blessed with such wonderful friends.  I love these girls and they are always there when you need them. 

Christmas 20 Questions

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? He wraps them.

3. Colored lights or white? Only white.

4.Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I have always wanted to buy some!

5. When do you decorate for Christmas? The day after Thanksgiving

6. What is your favorite holiday dish, excluding dessert? Sweet Potato casserole

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Probably my dad climbing on the roof and ringing bells. 
8. When and how, did you learn the truth about Santa? I was 8 years old when I discovered there was no Santa.  I thought I heard someone shooting fire works so I got up and ran in the living room to tell my parents. I will never forget turning that corner and my parents putting the toys together. 

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I decorate with the traditional maroon and gold colored balls and top the tree with a bow.
11. Snow. Love it or hate it? Love it when we get it.  That's part of living in the South, we may see a snow storm once every 5 years. 
12. Can you ice skate? Does holding onto the wall count?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Probably my engagement ring!

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Family and to make sure we remember the real reason for the season!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? My granny makes the best fudge and divinity. 
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? We go over to my sister-in-law's house to bake and decorate sugar cookies.  Parker should really enjoy it this year. 

17. What tops your tree? Big bow.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Tis better to give than to receive!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

20. Candy canes. Yuck or yum? I don't have them, but I don't love them. 

Sickness

Sweet baby has an upper respiratory infection. He stayed home from school today and spent the day being lazy and going to the doctor. Bless his heart, this weather is NOT for him. 

Friday Favorites

My hair is natural curly and this product does the trick.  It leaves my hair smooth and it smells like I just left the salon.

This Micro-Dermabrasion Paste is awesome.  I finally broke down and made the purchase and it was a great decision.  It's not cheep, but worth every penny.  The jar is actually bigger than what it seems in the picture, so it will last a long time. 

Starbucks Peppermint mocha.  This drink screams Christmas to me.

Nike running capris.  A friend recommend them because they have a zipper on the back to put my car key in while running.  I instantly fell in love with them. 

I'm sick for the third time this year with bronchitis.  Hopefully I will feel better soon so I can keep up with our jam packed weekend.  I'm really excited that we are buying a real Christmas tree this year.  Lee grew up having a real tree, but we always had a fake tree.  Parker is really excited about Christmas.  We ask him what he wants Santa to bring him, and all he ever tells us is "a book."  Silly boy loves a book.

Happy Friday!

Family

Parker and I made a trip to Chatom after church yesterday to visit MawMaw Turner and some of my aunt and cousins.  My grandmother is 93 and just loves Parker.  I was acutally able to get a quick picture of me and little man.  It's hard to get a 2 year old to sit still for a picture now days.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

2 Ingredient Brownies

Brownies:


Ingredients:

1 “Family Size” box (19.5 oz) brownie mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

Directions:

■Preheat oven to 350°
■Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray foil lightly with cooking spray.
■In a bowl mix together brownie mix and pumpkin until smooth.
■Spread batter into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.
■Let cool completely. Frost if desired.

Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2.5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Directions:

■Cream butter and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
■Turn mixer to low and add in powdered sugar.
■Turn mixer up to medium and beat until fluffy.
■Spread on brownies, if desired.

Fall

I love this time of the year.  My favorite thing to do is let my windows up and light a couple of fall like candels.  We have been busy the past couple of weeks.  We were able to spend the weekend at Pat Dye's farm, in Auburn, the weekend of the Auburn/Arkansas game.  The outcome was not what I expected, but oh well. 

 My happy place!  We had season tickets for a couple of years prior to having Parker.  I really miss our weekend trips to Auburn but hopefully we can start attending more games now that Parker is older. 

We went to Wales West Pumkin Patch Express with the McDonald's.  Parker and Avery had the best time. 

I'm running the Turkey Trot on Saturday morning.  I love running when it's cool outside.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

LOVE

I ran across this Top 20 list of things I would tell a engaged, newlywed, or older married couple. I found this list so true and wanted to share it.    

1. Marriage is made up of two good forgivers. Because every marriage is made up of two sinners. (Romans 3:23)

2. At some point, you will have to learn that life isn’t all about you. (Philippians 2:3)

3. Don’t listen to women that tell you that passion fades…it doesn’t have to! (um…all of Song of Solomon)

4. Don’t give up. Love never fails. (1 Cor. 13)

5. He wants a kind wife, not a maid or another mother. Be nice. (Galatians 5:22-23)

6. Give your husband the gift of your respect. He needs it more than you know. (Ephesians 5:33)

7. Be mindful of your expectations.

8. Honor the Lord above all things. Colossians 3: 17

9. Find your worth and security in the Lord, and don’t look to your husband to meet all of your needs.

10. Be very careful about reading romance novels, they set you up for an unrealistic view of romance.

11. Real romance is finding that one spot in the crook of his arm to snuggle into, that shared look over the dinner table when the kids are acting crazy, and the way he fixes the leaky sink when he is dog-tired after work. (So true!!)

12. Love is about relationship. The more I love my husband, and seek a relationship with him, the less critical and duty-bound I become. It is similar to my relationship with God.

13. Be thankful for the husband you have. Accept him as he is, not for what you want him to be.

14. Don’t compare!! Don’t buy into the game of comparing him with anyone else’s husband.

15.The Biblically “normal” marriage is filled with joy, connection, laughter, and peace. It’s not free of hurt feelings and conflict, but they know how to process their pain with one another so that they live more often in a meadow than at the scene of a train wreck. This is not the average marriage, but it normal – -because it is a visible display of Jesus’ relationship with His bride (Ephesians 5:22-33).

16. Your marriage is a testimony! “The #1 evangelistic tool in America (the world) today is a successful marriage, because it’s a living miracle!” – Dr. Joe Aldrich, former president of Multnomah Bible College.

17. Pray for your marriage. Pray hard.

18.I’ve heard that is gets better with age. I have to say in my short {9 year} experience, that is so true.

19. Where there is God, there is always hope. Even for the most broken marriages. “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

20.Marriage is commitment and sacrifice. But it’s also the best, most wild ride you will ever have with your best friend.

I found the list on this blog and Sarah added # 21.  This one is so very true for Lee and I. 

21. Take the time to invest in your marriage. Spend time together. Carve out time, even in the busyness of life, to spend with your love. How can you grow and mature in something you don't invest time in. Life is busy, and I know it can be hard with children, but make the commitment to make your spouse the most important relationship, aside from your relationship with Christ. Your children should never come before your husband. That's not how God Designed marriage.

I'm so glad I ran across this list on her blog.  Sometimes I feel like God leads me to certain post so that he can get my attention.  I atteneded the Unique Night of Worship last week at our church.  It was so nice to be there and worship with other women who have the same daily battles as I do. 

Day of Silence

I'm observing a day of silence on the blog and social media for Julee Turner and family. I can not imagine the pain. Please join me in prayer for this family.



A little of this, a little of that

Today is the first day in a week that I have actually been able to breath out of my nose.  I have had a horrible sinus infection and it's been awful.  Parker is feeling a lot better after a round of antibiotics.  All we want is to be a normal functioning family again. 

It looks like our area may be in the direct path of tropical storm Issac.  They do expect it to be a hurricane by the time it makes land fall next week.  Part of me wishes that Issac would come this way so it will blow all of this pollen and gnats away. 

I can't believe my baby will be 2 in 10 days.  Wow, time really does fly when you're having fun.  Today is day 5 without a paci.  It has'nt been easy, but it's getting better.  He asked for it only once yesterday.  The pedi was telling me that it takes 4 days to form a habit.  Now, the big news.  On Wednesday night, we were sitting on the couch and Parker tells us he needs to go potty.  I take him and sit him down and guess what?!  HE WENT PEE PEE!  He was so proud of himself. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

Busy Month

August has been and will continue to be a busy month for us.  I'm the judge chairman for the Baldwin County Distinguished Young Women program, formerly Junior Miss.  It's so dear to my heart.  I participated back in 1998 and won the Spirit of Junior Miss award.  After college, I contacted the chairman for Baldwin County and got involved in their local program.  I love it and I hope I can inspire young ladies to participate when they are a senior in high school.  I made so many wonderful friends with girls that went to different schools in Washington County.  With that being said, our program is August 25th and I have been busy making sure we are all prepared for the big night. 

I had to take Parker to the doctor yesterday and he has another ear infection in his right ear.  Hopefully he will feel better soon.  We have been enjoying our weekends playing with friends.  My favorite part of the weekend is Sunday.  I absolutely love going to church and then grabbing lunch with our friends.  When I was in high school, I was in a singing group called IMPACT.  It was a christian group and we would travel and sing at church, school programs and things like that.  I guess that's why I enjoy singing my heart out at church. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Terrible Two's

Parker is about a month away from turning 2 and the terrible two's have hit.  I went to drop him off at daycare last week and he threw such a fit to take his toy truck with him.  His daycare does'nt allow them to bring outside toys in so I had to be the mean mommy.  I was "that" mommy that everyone looked at.  Fun times.

 This is the truck that my child is obsessed with.

 He loves to line all of his cars and trucks up on the couch or table.  He is 100% boy!

I celebrated my 32nd Birthday on July 25.  We celebrated after church on Sunday with lunch at Bluegill, my favorite restaurant.

I hope everyone has a great week.

Our Weekend

Parker has not been feeling well for a couple of days and complaining about his tongue.  He is trying to cut two teeth right now so I just chalked it up as teething.  Finally, Sunday morning, I took him to Urgent Care.  My throat had been hurting since Saturday so I figured we should find out what's going on.  My poor baby has strep throat and decided to share the love with his mommy!  This also explains why his breath has been kickin lately.  Hopefully we will both start to feel better soon.

 Our medicine. 

 Yummy Shrimp Lingunini!

 My new running shoes!  Brooks Ravenna 3

 My sweet little man!  You can tell he doesn't feel well at all.

 BUSTED!!!  Parker loves to play with my pots and pans!

Choo Choo!  We have been watching a lot of Thomas the Train.

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Water Fun

I don't know about you, but boy has it been HOT!  I decided to take Parker to the fountain at the Eastern Shore Centre to have some fun.  Let me be honest, I acutally took him to run off some energy.  He played for about an hour and was in bed at 7:30 that night.  He is so funny to watch.  I had to remind him several times that we don't take buckets from other kids. 



Gosh, I love this silly little boy so much.  I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July! 

Jabber Box

*Jabberbox*
That would be our child.

In the last few weeks Parker's just been talking up a storm. It seems like his vocabulary has doubled since January. Even his teachers at school commented on how much he's been talking.

Crazy. Seriously, crazy. Here are a few of Parker's "favorite" words to say lately:

•Momma and Dada
•Monkey (sounds like mukney)
•Jo Jo (his best friend at school)
•Elmo (obsessed!)
•Choo Choo (obsessed with this too)
•Tractor
•Popa, LaLa, Ree Ree, MeMe, Jenn Jenn (sounds like Den Den)
•Help (sounds like Elp)
•Juice (sounds like Duce)
•Lets Go
•Night Night
•Cheese
•Apple
•Water (sounds like WaWa)

These are just a *few* of his favorites.  It's truly amazing to see and witness how their minds REALLY are like a sponge. And I am loving it. I love hearing him try to repeat back things that we say. It's insanely cute.

Have a great weekend!

Father's Day Weekend

We had a busy weekend.  We started off with a birthday party in Orange Beach for Avery's 2nd birthday. 

 On the way to Orange Beach!

 Enjoying Ms. Shannon's banana pudding, yumm!

Such a cutie pie!

My Husband does not buy much for himself and even if he does think of something he wants, he almost never buys it.

So this year I got him the Weber charcoal grill that he's wanted for quite some time because let's be honest, BBQ from a charcoal grill is just way better than a gas grill.

This is not a good picture of Lee and Parker but when you're dealing with a 21 month old, you will take what you can get.

I hope you guys had a great Father's Day weekend!

Ice Cream and Bass Pro Shop

I took Parker to Chick-fil-a for ice cream for the first time.  He is so much fun at this age.  I must admit, I'm a little sad that my baby will turn two in three short months.

 Mom, this stuff is good!

Parker loves to watch the fish at Bass Pro Shop.

I enjoy spending so much time with my sweet man.  June is going to be a busy month, so I should have plenty of pictures to share.  Have a great week.

Yummy Yogurt Drops!

Yogurt Drops Recipe:

1. Spoon flavored yogurt into a plastic bag.

2. Squeeze dots onto cookie sheet and place in freezer.

That's it! They'll be ready in about an hour.

Such a great healthy summertime snack.

LEMON BUTTER SHRIMP WITH ITALIAN SEASONING

1 lb. shrimp {fresh or frozen…just make sure to thaw first!}

1 stick butter, melted
1-2 lemons, sliced thin
1 pkg. dry Italian seasoning {I used Zesty Italian, Good Seasoning}

• First off, line a baking sheet {with edges!!!} with foil. Slice the lemons and randomly place them on the baking sheet.
• Melt your butter and pour it on top of the lemons making sure that it’s spread evenly over the baking sheet.
• I place shrimp {peeled & deveined} in a large ziplock and then tossed in the packet of Italian seasoning, shake it up real good until the shrimp is evenly coated, and then pour the shrimp on top of the butter & lemon on the baking sheet.
• Now bake at 350 for about 12{ish} minutes and then remove from the oven. We served ours over brown rice.…AMAZING!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Happenings

•I'm reading Fifty Shades of Grey.  I can't help but feel like I'm not old enough to be reading it.

•Our weekends have been so busy lately.  I love spending time at home with Parker so I am looking forward to a low-key weekend.

•My sweet grandma made one of my favorite meals for me over the weekend. She also made me a coconut pie...my favorite. Granny Margie for the win!

•Parker is showing signs that he is ready to potty train.  He tells us he needs to tee tee, runs to the bathroom and will try to take his diaper off.  We put him on the toilet but nothing happens.  Where did my baby go?

•I have major baby fever!  It will be at least two more years before we start trying again. 

•I love that our friends own a condo at the beach.  I am looking forward to lots of fun this summer.

•Lee turns 33 on Monday.  Parker and I plan to spoil him this weekend. 

•Lee has started running with me.  We are going to get fitted for new running shoes on Saturday.  I have been running for 6 years and have never been properly fitted for shoes.  This should be interesting.

20 Months Old

Parker is such a sweet child and has forever changed our lives. It’s hard to remember life without the little guy.  I can't believe he will turn two in four short months.


He talks more than any other child I know. He has energy that can last for hours on end from the minute he wakes up until he crashes at night. Parker is tender hearted and genuinely cares about other people’s feelings. He cries if someone else is crying and will worry about them until they act happy again. Parker loves to give other kids a hug.  He is obsessed with balls and Elmo.  He loves banana's, his paci and bath time.  He can throw a fit at the drop of the hat or sit so sweetly in my lap.  He is a big momma’s boy and loves to cuddle. He also loves to help Daddy fix things.  Parker loves his daycare and the people that care for him while mommy and daddy work.  It's such a great feeling to know that he is well taken care of.  He doesn’t miss an opportunity to have a good time and has a contagious smile that draws other people to him.

I am excited to see him continue to grow into a little boy and one day into a man. We are proud of our baby and look forward to many more milestones with Parky!

• 22.6 pounds
• 32.5 inches long

What Would Your House Say?

If this house could speak, it would fill volumes. Unspeakable volumes.

The poor carpet. It would tell how it cradled a little baby as he slept and played on its surface. It captured the moments Parker's first crawl, first step, first bumps and bruises. It would complain of all the days and nights spent having trenches walked in it as we shushed a baby with a tummy ache.

The bathtub would rave of all the bubbles it held, the songs it contained, and the memories that were made almost nightly at 7:30pm.

My poor, poor couch would tell a painful tale: of drink spills, diaper leaks, sleepless nights, a bouncing child and food stains. That couch has seen the worst of us.

But if my house could speak of all these things, it might then tell the truth. The whole truth. It might tell what goes beyond surface level stains and wear and tear. It would be real in its tale. That we fuss and fight like everyone does. It would tell of a mother who loves-loves the blessing of her family. It would rumble on about discipline. That sometimes mommy snaps and yells, and hugs her baby and apologizes.

If this house could speak, it would not say we are perfect. That we don't struggle. But it would definitely say that we are joyful. That we've made unforgettable memories. That my son is surrounded with unconditional love. And it would say that this house and the hearts within it, belong to the Lord, every nook and cranny.

Like Mother,Like Son

As a child, we discovered that I was allergic to penicillin. I had broken out with a horrible rash after taking the medicine for strep throat. I remember my mom packing all three of us children up and going to spend the night with my grandparents because they lived close to the hospital. She wanted to be close incase something would have happened. Well, we now know Parker is allergic to penicillin. On Wednesday, February 1, Parker took his first trip to the ER. He was inconsolable all afternoon and could not get comfortable at bedtime. Around 10 that night, we decided it may be a good idea to just take him to get checked out. First of all, we were in and out in 45 minutes. Okay, that is unheard of at the ER. Poor baby was diagnoised with his very first left ear infection. They gave him some numbing drops for his ears and an antibiotic (Amoxicillin) and sent us on our way. He was feeling better the next morning. Fast forward to Monday night.....I was giving Parker a bath and noticed he has a small rash on his back. I gave him some benadryl and we went to bed. I woke him up Tuesday morning and his entire little body was covered in a BAD rash. The pediatrician could not see us until that afternoon so I stayed home from work and gave him some TLC. We arrived at the doctors office and he had 103 fever. Well, I lost it and started crying. I was so upset that his fever was that high and that his rash was so bad. She said his ear infection was really bad and had a lot of pressure on his ear, puss pockets on his throat and one of the worst medicine reactions that she had ever seen. They gave him some Tylenol and benadryl and we had to wait in the room until she could get his fever down. She gave him a new antibiotic and a steroid to help him. He woke up this morning and his rash already looks better. We had to go to the pediatrician first thing this morning to get checked out. She said his ear still looked really bad but his rash and throat looked better. I am so ready for my sweet, happy boy to feel better!

Fear and Worry

I don't think I ever really understood fear and worry until I found out I was pregnant. I worried about things I never thought I would even think about before. Every new pain, everything I ate and breathed, everyone who was around me...I constantly worried! I wanted to do everything I could to protect my unborn child. And everything I did affected that baby.Now that Parker is here I understand even more about uncontrollable fear! I never thought I could have such a concern about another human being. I feel so incredibly responsible for this child. It's my job as his mother to protect him and to take care of him...but I can only do so much!Each day I am reminded how fragile life really is. There is absolutely nothing I can do to completely protect myself or Parker. I can do everything in my power to make the best decisions to make sure he is healthy and taken care of, but truth is I am not in control. God is! I must trust that God loves Parker more than I ever could. What a profound statement! God, the creator of the universe AND my child, loves him more than I ever will. How can that be? I love Parker with every ounce of my being and would do everything possible to take care of him. But God still loves him more? Yes! So in trusting that (and that's a daily struggle) I must believe that HE will protect him. I must trust that HE has a perfect plan for his life and it doesn't necessarily involve my plans. I absolutely hate that I don't have full control. It's my weakness. But I want the best for Parker. And the best for him is God's plan...not mine!Every single night before I go to sleep I check on Parker and kiss him goodnight. I always say a prayer that God would watch over him and protect him during the night. I can't even fathom the thought of something happening to him. My stomach turns even speaking about it. I don't want to ever have to go through something tragic with him. I pray that HE will protect him and watch over him. I still worry all the time. I must trust that God is watching over him and protecting him.

Life is short! Shorter than most of us probably plan. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. We think that we are and we think that we are invincible, but sooner or later we will all pass away. And the only thing that will truly matter is if we have a relationship with God or not. I am confident that when I die I will be in heaven. I have trusted in God to forgive me of my sins and to give me His mercy and grace. I know that I have a place in heaven and I am thankful for that. Praise God that we can have a hope of something better after death. It doesn't make death any easier but it does give us hope.

I have a completely different perspective on life now. I worry not only about myself but also my son..and my husband too. Loving someone this much can be painful at times and cause lots of fear. But I trust that God is a big God and can take care of him when I can't.

Things I'm Loving

My best friends little boy, Briley, had Open Heart surgery on January 6 and he is doing great! GOD IS GOOD!
Great friends!

ORGINS moisturizer! I have some sun spots from staying out in the sun with no sunscreen and this moisturizer works wonders. I can already tell a difference.

Random Pictures

Silly boy playing with his favorite toy, a ball!
Chritmas picture with Santa at Bass Pro Shop!


Parker loves to wear a hat!

Eating dinner at Bluegill!

I was running his bath water and found him in the hall naked loving on his Giraffe. It was priceless!

I can't believe my sweet little boy is 16 months old. He will be 2 soon and I am looking forward to watching this sweet boy grow.