Undeserving and Blessed

Super Trooper

2012-01-23T14:55:00.006-06:00

Last Thursday morning, I had the priviledge of watching my brother, Matt, graduate from The Department of Public Safety Academy. The ceremony began with the graduates chanting for almost 5 minutes. It brought tears to my eyes as I listened to my "little" brother proudly chant his devotion to protecting the citizens of Texas. After 20 weeks, he proudly walked across the stage and received his badge. Words cannot express how proud I am of him. I am also very proud of his wife, Danielle, as she made the sacrifice to be at home alone while he was away at the academy. I will continue to lift him up in prayer daily as he strives to protect those he serves.

Trooper Matt Walts

My Sister-in-law, Danielle and Matt

My brothers, Joe & Matt (I am so proud of them both!!!)

Matt & Me

My Parents & Matt

Giveaway

2012-01-16T19:15:00.003-06:00

I'm giving away over at http://thekindlecrew.com/2012/01/reusable-lunch-bags/. Go and check out her blog while you're there. Jennifer is a godly woman who homeschools her four precious children, but above all strives to be like Christ. I realized that I don't have any reusable lunch bags posted on my blog for others to see if anyone is interested in purchasing a set. Here are some that I have made. You can purchase them individually or as a set of three. A set of three measuring approximately 6 3/4×6 3/4 , 5 1/4×8 and 5×4 3/4 for $14 plus $3 if I need to ship them to you. These are custom order so they can be made in your choice of fabric (as long as I can find it for reasonably priced). They are all made with quality cotton, ripstop nylon and sturdy velcro. The seams have been finished off so there is minimal fraying. They can be monogrammed with names or initials for an additional charge. Just contact me if you're interested.

Sew Passionate

2012-01-12T20:01:00.001-06:00

Hello...I'm helping out with a giveaway for Jennifer at http://thekindlecrew.com/ so it's time to update my blog. I really enjoy blogging, but it just hasn't been a priority for me for quite a while.

One of my passions is sewing. I love to sew for my girls, others and sometimes I make time for myself. I've had several people ask me how I got started sewing. It's just in my blood. I remember when I was little sitting beside my grandmother and my mom watching them sew. It never really interested me, though, until about four years ago. I decided to make something for Natalie, my oldest, and it took off from there. I've participated in a couple of festivals, but it just hasn't seemed like God has opened the door to sell my creations consistently. If He decides to open that door, I'll gladly walk through. Until then, I'm enjoying making things for my girls and making custom orders and gifts.

I love giving gifts to people, but I can't give just any general gift. I have to personalize it to fit that persons personality and likes. Christmas is a time when I am able to personalize gifts for most of my family. Here are some of the gifts I made this past Christmas. As I said earlier, most of my items are custom work. So, if you see something you like or are interested in, just let me know and I'll do my best to help you customize something just for you or as a gift.

All of these were stiched using my embroidery machine (patterns were purchased from various websites)

Aprons for Adults and Children (patterns are my own)

Personalized Reusable Snack Sacks (you can find lots of free patterns for them online) and Personalized Pillowcases from http://amazingmae.blogspot.com/2011/04/personalized-pillowcase-tutorial.html

Tinkerbell Costume (Simplicity #2872) and Ruffle Scarf from http://hopestudios.blogspot.com/2009/11/weekend-project-scrunchy-gathered-scarf.html

Clutch (both are the same pattern, but I found a few problems with the first one I made on the top and tried to fix them when I made the second one on the bottom) and Purse (Simplicity #2617)

Owl Purse from The Lola Pattern (you can purchase it at http://gingercake.typepad.com/gingercake/2011/05/stylin.html

Stuffed Owl from The Lola Pattern, Scrap Picture (sorry I took it from my phone so it's not good quality), Flat Iron Holder from http://rubies-pearls.blogspot.com/2010/08/flat-or-curling-iron-cozy.html

Camera Strap from http://priddycreations.com/blog/2010/01/27/camera-strap-slipcover-tutorial-of-the-padded-lined-variety/ and Personalized Notepad Holders (I used adhesive vinyl and cut names out using a Cricut)

I also made dresses and nightgowns for my girls. I don't have pictures of those so I'll have to post pictures of those later. I listed lots of tutorials so you can make your own creations if you enjoy crafting.

Unforgettable Experience

2010-09-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here in our condo on vacation enjoying the silence and decided to update my blog a little. I really enjoy blogging, but I have other priorities that come first right now, so I'll just blog when I can. We are on our first "real" vacation in South Padre with our best friends. It's a blast! We went to the beach Sunday and the kiddos loved it! Of course we did, too! Yesterday, a tropical storm blew in so we did a little shopping and hung out at the condo. Last night was an experience to remember. The kids were all asleep by 9, so we started watching a movie and enjoyed some snacks. The tropical storm came in and the electricity went out. So, we watched it for a while from the balcony and windows. My friend, Tricia, and I looked like little kids with our noses pressed to the glass watching the storm. It wasn't so bad until we discovered water all over the floor. Still not exactly sure where it came from, but it took every clean towel we had to clean it all up. We all attempted to go to bed a little bit after that. The kiddos became restless about that time, so we didn't get much sleep. This morning we decided to go to McDonald's for breakfast since our power was still out. Right before we left, it came back on. Yeah! We still went ahead and enjoyed breakfast and drove around the island. There were a few signs that blew over from the storm, but it didn't look that bad at all. I'm not sure our pictures or video we took did justice to how it looked in person. When I put Natalie to bed, I started to get a little nervouse because the wind was whistling past one of our windows. It sounded pretty scary. Then, God reminded me of what it must have been like when the disciples were on the lake and Jesus was sleeping through the storm. He said, "Be still," and the wind and waves calmed immediately. He reminded me that He was in control and in that moment He calmed me eventhough the storm outside was raging. It's pretty nice outside now. A little cloudy, but it seems to be breaking up. Laney and DJ are napping so I'm sure we'll head down to the beach a little later. Natalie is having fun fishing with her daddy and Johnny. It's been so nice to get away and enjoy time with our family and friends. I'm excited to see what the rest of the week has in store.

Fresh Start

2010-07-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

I know it's been quite a while since my last blog. I've really been convicted about my priorities over the past few weeks. I love to blog and surf other blogs for cute crafts and ideas, but I felt as if it was taking up time that could be better spent in other areas of my life. I also love to spend time with my girls and sew. So, I've really been working on spending more quality time with my girls during the day and sewing after they go to bed at night. So, that doesn't leave a lot of time to keep up with my blog. God's really teaching me how to balance everything better so hopefully I can find how to work keeping up with my blog in there.

I was blessed to be able to go to youth camp with our teenagers this year. I haven't been able to go since we've been at MSBC because I have one toddler and preschooler who need me. Well, God laid it on my heart to go this year. It was so hard leaving the girls for 8 days! Those moms who have been there totally understand. The longest Laney had been gone was for a weekend and that was just a few weeks ago. God gave me the strength and peace throughout the week at camp. I knew I was where I needed to be without a doubt, even if it was difficult leaving the girls. God worked in AWESOME ways!!!! I can't even begin to describe how our youth group came together and comforted and encouraged each other. I've never experienced the closeness of a youth group like I did this past week. I was blessed to spend the week with two amazing ladies and get to know them better. I was also blessed to spend a whole week with my other girls...the girls in my youth group that I call mine. I was able to set aside being mom for the week and just focus on my teenagers. Something that is very difficult to do when you have little ones. Needless to say, my week was amazing!

Now, we are closing out day 1 of readjusting to life after camp. Natalie has done much better than I could ever have imagined. She's a little whiney and clingy, but not too bad considering she's still exhausted. Laney, on the other hand, is a different story. She seems like a different little girl. I left a happy, bubbly little girl and return to a tantrum throwing mess. I'm not sure if it's because we were apart for a week or if she's going through a phase. God has definitely given me more patience and understanding with them. I know it's going to be a tough week and I'm prepared as much as I can be.

God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Idol vs. God

2010-05-30T14:40:00.001-05:00

I'm leading a Bible study with my youth girls in June over Hayley DiMarco's book Idol Girls. I'm really enjoying it so far. I've discovered that I have some idols of my own that I'm dealing with. Things that I didn't see as idols. Since God has reavealed this to me, I've been in the process of dealing with these idols and making sure God is first in everything I do. Of course, Satan knows this and has tried to use it to his advantage. He has really been hitting me hard trying to get me down and use my idols to pull me away from God. One idol I'm dealing with is my appearance. I always thought that by the time I was 30 (which I'll be next year) that I wouldn't be dealing with the same stuff my junior high and high school girls deal with. I mean, you think you would outgrow it at some point. Well, reality has hit that it probably isn't going away any time soon. I need to remember that God created me beautiful in His image. Yes, I do need to exercise daily and watch what I eat (which I'm trying really hard to do better at), but I don't need to obsess over how I look. I don't need to compare myself to anyone else. Our society doesn't help in this matter at all! You can turn on the t.v. at anytime and be smacked in the face with what they say women are supposed to look like. It's also in the stores. So many of the styles of clothes are for one body type...those with no hips, big backends and legs. All of which I may add, that I have. So where shopping once used to be enjoyable, now I dread it. Not to mention all of the 80s and 90s styles that are back in. Yuck! That's a different discussion all together, though. In addition, it seems like so many of the tops that are in style are so low-cut or tight that no one can really be comfortable in them.

In addition, I've felt so distant from God lately. I've been spending time with Him during the day, but not near as much or as meaningful as I need to be. This morning in church, He really spoke to me through the song service and through the message. He used these two songs to remind me of a few things...

Friend of God

Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me it's amazing

I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

God Almighty, Lord of Glory
You have called me friend

He calls me friend
He calls me friend

Draw Me Close

Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I'm your friend
You are my desire
No one else will do
Cause nothing else can take Your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace
Help me find my way
Bring me back to you

Your all I want
Your all I've ever needed
Your all I want
Help me know you are near

Wow! I can't remember how many times I've sang these two songs, yet they spoke to me so deeply this morning. Our pastor preached how God is not silent. Here are a few things he said, that God used to really speak to me...

God is not withdrawn from us, but we withdraw from Him.

If I compared myself to the cosmos, I would be smaller than a grain of sand. Yet, God knows me by name!

If I'm not walking with Jesus, then I will never hear the voice of God.

Needless to say, God has not moved at all. I have moved away from Him. Not consciously, but I have still moved. So many times, I get caught up in the business of doing things...ministry, spending time with Michael and the girls, sewing, cleaning, the list could go on and on. These things are not bad, but when I don't stop to be still, spend time with God, and listen to Him, then it seems as if God isn't listening. I heard someone say a long time ago, "I want to be walking so closely to God that when He stops I bump into Him." That is my desire! Words cannot begin to describe what it was like this morning to worship my Jesus and hear from Him!!! I want more of Him!

Do I want to hear God?

You bet I do! Am I listening to Jesus? Then, I need to put Him first, spend time with Him, and rest and trust in Him. Seems like such a simple revelation. When God speaks, sooner or later you have to listen. Which will it be for me? What about you? Are you listening to God?

Where to Start?

2010-05-16T20:42:00.001-05:00

So much has been going on in our lives lately. I'm not really sure where to start. I'll begin with the most important part. God has placed me in a position of leadership in our MOPS group. To make a long story short, I have accepted the position as coordinator of our group. I am totally inadequate and unworthy for this position, but I am following a calling God has placed on my life. I have a passion and desire to reach out to women with young children. I pray that God will work through me and use me to reach out to others and show them His love.

My sweet little Laney turned one a few weeks ago. I'm still wondering where the past year has gone to. It's been filled with wonderful memories that I will cherish forever.

This past week has been crazy to say the least. Michael has been busy with meetings, preparing for Senior Recognition, and preparing to preach on top of everything he normally does. Laney has been sick with tonsilitis, poor baby. And my sweet Natalie has hit the terrible three's. She hasn't actually been terrible, but she has been ignoring me and disobeying quite a bit lately. I'm sure it didn't help with Laney being sick and getting lots of attention this past week. Natalie was much better today after she got some much needed attention from Grammie and Grandpa.

We watched Natalie sing at her Parent's Day Out program tonight. I can't belive her first year of "school" is almost over. Her teachers, Susan and Teresa, have been wonderful! Along with our director, DeAnne. I can't begin to thank them enough for all they do for my little girls. They love on both of them. Natalie has learned so much this past year. I'm sad that her first year is coming to an end, but excited that we'll be able to spend more time together.

Lastly, I've still been working on some crafts as usual. The latest projects are mother's day bags, another clipboard, bags for MOPS, bows for the girls, and a flowergirl's dress for Natalie for my little bro's wedding.

Whew! I'm ready for a vacation! Just two and a half more weeks! We are taking the girls camping at Tyler State Park. I'm so excited! Just us and the outdoors with no distractions and business.

My prayer is that among all the business I don't lose sight of my Creator, Father and Friend. He has given me so many desires and passions. I don't ever want to get so involved with activities that I lose sight of my first passion-JESUS!

Been a While...

2010-04-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's been 2 months since I've posted. It's been crazy around here! We've been sick for the past few weeks, but now we're finally all well. I'll catch up on some things soon. For now, here are two projects I did this weekend.

I almost finished a huge stack of mending the Friday and needed to sew something for some inspiration. I just couldn't resist the zebra and pink. I think it will make a nice gift for my soon-to-be sis-in-law.

I saw some of these that someone else created and just couldn't resist. I made this one for my friend's little girl. I'm still working out the kinks, but I'll definitely be making more for gifts.

Unique Essentials

2010-03-02T21:25:00.000-06:00

I love making things for my girls. Anything from clothes to bows and lots of other girly stuff. I also love making baby things and other cute stuff, too. I've had several orders and have decided to branch out a little bit. Here are a few things that I can make for you or your little cutie. All orders are custom made so they will take a little time to create for you. If you're interested, leave a comment, or you can email me at karebear101701@yahoo.com.

Taggie Football $8

Nursing Cover $15 (personalized add $4)

Pinwheel Bow $3.50

Korker Bow $4

Bow Board $25

Overalls $30

Jeans $20

Big Sis/Bro or Little Sis Bro Outfit $25/Shirt Only $15

Purse Pouch $7

Crayon Roll $5 (crayons not included)

Tote with Name $15

Coffee Kozie $5

Bookmarks $3 each

Baby Set: bib $5, burp rags $5 each, diaper and wipes cases $7 (set of 4 $20)

Infant Carseat Tent $25 (with flower accents on tabs add $7)

Boppy Covers $20 (personalized add $4)

Prices are subject to change. If I have to ship any items to you, shipping charges will apply.

Valentine's

2010-02-11T18:14:00.000-06:00

I wanted to try something creative this year for valentines for Natalie's friends at PDO. So I made these cake pops from http://www.bakerella.com/.

I also wanted to make these valentines from http://www.skiptomylou.org/.

So, this is what I did...

I made the cake pops and used them instead of tootsie roll pops in the middle of the flowers. I love the way they turned out! It took me a few trys to get the hang of dipping the cake pops. I ended up making the balls and then putting them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This really helped!

Here are the cake pops waiting to be wrapped. The ones in the background are my first attempts.

Waiting to be put into flower valentines.

Finished!

Now, if I could just figure out how to take really good pictures of my projects. I don't have good lighting in my house so it's kinda difficult. If anyone has any suggestions, please send them my way!

Big Mamaw

2010-02-03T16:04:00.001-06:00

Last week we said goodbye to Michael's great grandmother, aka Big Mamaw. She was a wonderful, godly woman. I've only known her for 7 years. My first memories of her were eating lunch at her duplex on Sunday afternoons. She always made enough food to feed a small army and boy was it good! Michael's uncle and I always fought over who got the last piece of her cornbread. When she got to where she couldn't get around really well, we would tell her we were bringing food over to spend time and eat with her. It didn't matter, she still made food. She was always worried we wouldn't bring enough. She was a very independent woman. I loved to listen to her stories about growing up. After she went to live in the nursing home, we visited her whenever we came into town. She loved both of my girls dearly. We loved to listen to her stories about her latest boyfriends. She said they would chase her down the hals. One time, we asked her about them and this was her response, "Another one died. They just keep dropping like flies." She was always making us laugh. I will miss her. I'm glad she was able to see so many of her great great grandkids. She has 12. Big Mamaw was a wonderful woman who will be greatly missed! I know that we will see her again someday. Until then, we will pass down her stories and legacy to our kids.

We took these when Natalie was about 6 weeks old. This was the first time Mamaw met her.

This was the first time she met Laney back in October. Laney loved her!

This was the last time we went to visit Mamaw. We were all in for Thanksgiving. (We weren't able to visit her at Christmas because Laney was sick.)

First Date

2010-01-16T17:24:00.000-06:00

Well, Natalie and Michael are off on their first date. Some of our friends graciously gave us two tickets to see "The Wizard of Oz" at the theater in Tyler. We decided it would be fun for the two of them to go since Laney is still a BIG momma's girl. They're on their way to eat at McDonald's and then off to see the play. I hope Natalie has a wonderful time and doesn't come home terrified! I think she'll really enjoy it. Michael will too as long as she doesn't ask why every 5 seconds.

Laney is content playing on the floor beside me. I think she's enjoying the quiet. Natalie has been crazy today! We've wrestled several times just playing around. I'm not sure where she learned how, though. One time, she was sitting on my head. Michael said, "Toot on mommy's head." The next thing I know, she's really still and quiet and she does it!!!!!!!!! Maybe she'll chase the boys away on her own when she gets older. On the other hand, I really hope we can phase that out soon. I would much rather her act like a lady and have better manners. As long as she just does it around the house with us.

That's about it...Not too much else is going on around here. I'm hoping to get some mending and a few other things finished later when Laney goes to bed. Right now, I'm gonna go round us up some dinner and snuggle with her.

Church or Worship

2010-01-10T16:31:00.000-06:00

As I was getting ready for church yesterday morning, I was talking to my mom on the phone. She said they were visiting a new church...again. She and my dad have lived in a small country town (much like GS) for 9 years next month and they still haven't found a church where they can get plugged in. Some of my earliest memories are from being in church with my family. My mom taught preschool choir and my dad helped with the bus ministry. Over the years, we moved churches several times, but we always got plugged in quickly and loved serving. So, it breaks my heart that they still haven't found a church.

During our service at MSBC, I worshiped God with all that I was. We have a wonderful music minister who loves the Lord. Then, I drank in every word from our pastor. We are truly blessed to be at a church that loves God and reaches out to our community. Our pastor isn't afraid to preach the Bible. He doesn't just preach all the stuff that makes you feel good. God uses him to bring us His Word that convicts and changes hearts.

I'm saddened that churches like ours are few and far between in our world today. This is evident in my parents' lives. They are seeking a church that reaches out to the community and isn't content with just playing church on Sundays and Wednesdays. I pray that God will lead them to a church where they can worship Him, be taught from His Word, and find a place to get plugged in and serve.

Sometimes being a minister's wife is tough. Most people don't understand unless you've been there or you are directly related to someone who is in ministry. Even through the tough times, I never regret the profession that God has placed us in. We have always served at churches that love God and reach out to people. We have been truly blessed to serve with wonderful people along the way. It is hard when God says it's time to move, but He has always provided us with everything we've ever needed and so much more. Hopefully, we'll be at MSBC for a long time. I've really grown to enjoy small town life. I've also never had so many wonderful and godly friends.

I mentioned in a previous post that our church is participating in GPS 2020. The first phase is to reach everyone in Texas with Christ by Easter 2010. It can seem overwhelming at times. But as our pastor said yesterday. You just have to obey God. He will work in hearts. Only He can call someone to Him and save them. It's not our job to save people. We just need to obey God. The next four months are going to be very busy preparing for a harvest. When I start to wish that things weren't so busy, I try to remember that this is what God has called us to do. This is what our lives should be about. So many times I seem to get caught up in my everyday tasks of cleaning, cooking, clothes and my girls that I forget God wants me to go outside my comfort zone. So many times I feel like I'm just going through the motions. I want God to work in my heart and life. I pray that GPS 2010 will move so many of us outside of our comfort zones to reach out to our community. Watch out GS, God has amazing things in store for us!

New Year

2010-01-09T12:36:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I've been really bad about posting to my blog over the past few months. So, as Natalie watches Cars and Laney plays beside me I'm gonna do a quick recap of the last few months. Our holidays were wonderful! We spent lots of time with family and friends, ate way too much and made lots of wonderful memories! The girls are getting so big and changing more and more each day.

Natalie will be three in less than two months! I'm still trying to figure out where the time has gone. She's way too smart for her own britches! She loves going to PDO, puggles, playing with Laney, playing with her doll house, and playing games with Michael and me. She comes up with the funniest stuff and never ceases to amaze me.

Laney just turned 8 months. On Christmas day she got her first bottom tooth and the second followed close behind. She's learned to crawl and is finally okay with playing on the floor by herself. She is almost fully weaned now, which sometimes makes me a little sad. She's done amazingly well with it. Since she got her teeth, she has started "talking" so much! She is finally starting to become more of a daddy's girl. She is still a big mommy's girl, though. She loves to play with Natalie. I pray that they will continue to have a close relationship as they grow up.

Michael is working hard at the church. We've started a GPS (God's Plan for Sharing) program which keeps him even busier. He loves working at the church and spending time with us.

I think I'm finally caught up on sleep for a little bit from the holidays and the girls waking up at night. I'm still trying to get back into the swing of sewing. I sewed so much before Christmas that it's okay if I don't see my machine for a while. I guess that's about it. I'm just trying to enjoy each day and take things as God brings them our way. God has blessed us so much this past year! I'm excited to see what He brings our way in 2010.

Hair Cut

2009-11-19T21:01:00.000-06:00

It seems like since the day Laney was born, she has had a tail at the base of her hairline. For some reason, this hair has continued to grow really fast. Well, I got tired of it and finally remembered to cut it at a convenient time. After a quick discussion with Natalie about only mommy can cut hair, I snipped it off. Of course I had to save it for her scrapbook. I'm sure no one but me will ever notice it, but it looks so much better! (By the way, the strange lighting on her head is the sun coming in through the blinds.)

Before

After

Fall

2009-10-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm finally getting around to updating my blog. We've been busy around here! I thought I would have lots of free time once Natalie started PDO, but, boy, was I wrong! Natalie is loving school and getting so big! I love to watch her play. She has such a vibrant imagination. Laney is 5 1/2 months old. She's finally learned to eat baby food and she loves to eat! She's discovering new things everyday. I'm staying busy with family, friends, church, Bible study, MOPS and sewing. I'm trying to cherish every moment because it seems like time is flying by so fast! Here are some recent pictures. Enjoy!

Getting ready

2009-08-31T14:35:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures I promised of Natalie's nap mat after it's all finished. My friend, Jennifer, did a wonderful job putting Nat's name on it. Now, it's all ready for school tomorrow.

Of course I can't blog without posting a few new pictures of my girls. I don't have very many of Natalie these days. She has learned how to take pictures and is becoming quite the photographer. We're also in the process of potty training, so most days she isn't dressed appropriately to take a picture of her.

Laney loves to suck on her bottom lip. I'm sure it's part of the teething process, but as far as I can tell, no teeth are in the near future.

Nat loves to eat stff off the blender. By stuff, I mean chocolate chip cookie dough, bread dough, and biscuit dough. I personally think it's gross (except for the cookie dough), but she loves it. She doesn't eat it very often, so for those of you who are concerned about the raw eggs you can rest at ease. I'm not sure if you can tell or not, but she's asleep with her Bible in the middle picture. She loves to "read" her Bible and take it to church. I'm so glad she notices us doing these things.

Natalie is such a great big sister. She's always wanting to help me with Laney. Laney just loves to watch Natalie, too.

Here's Nat's picture skills at work. I think she did a good job.

I tried feeding Laney some cereal a few days ago, but she wasn't really interested after the first bite or so. I'm totally fine with it. We'll just stick to nursing for now.

Natalie starts PDO tomorrow and MOPS starts Wednesday. I'll let you know how the week goes. Hopefully, all will go smoothly, but I never know with Natalie.

Here's picures of Natalie and Laney (they're about two weeks apart here). I think they favor a little bit, but don't look that much alike. So, what do you think????

Housekeeper and Water Babies

2009-08-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to say that I have hired a housekeeper! She's wonderful! She let me take a few pictures while she was cleaning today...

She only charges hugs and kisses! Natalie was so adorable helping me clean this morning. She even told me to move back so she could sweep our bathroom. I'm so proud of my baby girl!

Laney is changing so much. She is learning how to use her hands. She loves to hold toys and pull her paci out. She is talking like crazy! She is even more interested in what is going on around her. She's also smiling even more, which I didn't know was possible.

Here are a few snapshots of Laney and her friend, DJ. They are 9 days apart. It's so fun watching them grow up together!

Natalie is turning out to be quite the daddy's girl. She loves playing in the water with him. I'm so glad that she's wanting to spend more time with him.

Laney got in the pool the other day, too. It took her a while to get used to the water, but I think she's going to be a water bug like her big sister.

While I was checking my email a few days ago, I heard Natalie in the bathroom. Here lately, this is not a good thing. We're working on potty training, which is going great! But, she is obsessed with washing her hands (and anything else she can get in the water). I walked in and saw this...

She told me, "I was just washing my hair."

Grammie and Grandpa came for a visit this past weekend. Here are some pictures with them and the girls.

Here are some adorable shots of the girls together.

And Natalie let me take a picture of her. She doesn't want me taking any pictures of her most of the time.

Projects

2009-08-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

Mom, the girls and I went shopping today in Tyler. I was looking for fabric to make Natalie a nap mat for Parents' Day Out. First, we went to Hancock's, but I didn't find what I wanted. So, we headed to Hobby Lobby. This is my absolute favorite store. My imagination comes alive with all the endless possibilities of things to create. I found the cutest material for Nat's mat. It called for minky material for the blanket, but I just couldn't bring myself to pay $12.99 a yard. Especially when I needed 2 yards. So, I opted for fleece. I didn't need as much since it's double sided. Here's all my materials for my project.

I found a tutorial here http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/nap_mat. I can't wait to see how it turns out! Finished pictures will be coming soon.

I just love this fabric! It's my favorite! Before Laney was born, I found a remnant at HL for cheap. So far, I've made a boppy cover, diaper and wipe case and a flower clip out of it.

What could be better than matching scrapbook paper!!! I want to make Laney a collage like Natalie's and this will be perfect. I also found matching ribbon! I didn't buy any this time, though.

Here are my other finds for the day...

I found a tutorial here http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2009/08/ruffle-t-shirt-tutorial.html for a shirt using jersey knit. I've been wanting to try my hand at sewing knit material. Well, after finding a little under a yard for $0.90, I have another project. I also found this yard remnant for $3.59. It's regularly $5.99/yd. It also coordinates perfectly with the polkadot material for Nat's mat. I bought a little extra of the polkadots to have for other things. I'm so excited and can't wait to get started!!!

Swimming and Watermelon

2009-07-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

Two of my favorite summertime pastimes...swimming and watermelon. When my parents visited yesterday, we made a trip to Graham's in Edgewood. They have the best fruits and veggies! Well, of course they got us a huge watermelon. We cut it tonight and it was delicious! I saw one of Sandra Lee's recipes for watermelon spritzers a while back and thought I would give it a try. It's really easy-watermelon, club soda, lime juice, sugar and ice. So, after the girls went to bed tonight I fixed them for me and Michael. Sadly, I was disappointed. They turned out beautifully, but didn't taste as well as I was hoping. Oh well...we have tons of sweet watermelon to eat so we'll just eat it instead of drinking it!

My brother, Matt, was in town at my parents' this weekend so he made a trip by to see us. I'm so happy and excited that we got to see him! He lives in west Texas and we haven't seen him since March. It's not exactly a short trip to visit either way. He got to see Laney for the first time and Natalie had a blast with him. She played with one of his decoy ducks in her swimming pool and chased bubbles with him. We had a great time eventhough it was a short visit. Hopefully, it won't be that long before we see him again.

After they left, Laney and I got in the pool with Natalie. Michael stuck his feet in because, well, the pool is a kiddie pool. We had a blast! It's amazing how much fun we can have being silly splashing around in a kiddie pool. It's been a great weekend so far!

Oh, and I borrowed a sling from a friend. Laney's getting used to it. I think I really like it, too. It frees up my hands.

It's been a while

2009-07-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last post. It seems like the only time I'm at the computer is when I'm holding Laney and typing one handed is frustrating. It's a little after 9 and the girls are both asleep, so I'm gonna try to catch up. Here's some new pictures of the girls. They are such a joy to watch. Natalie loves to talk to Laney and she "talks" right back to her. Laney loves to watch Natalie. I hope and pray that they remain close as the years go by.

Here's Laney at 2 months.

And a few more recent ones. She'll be 12 weeks tomorrow. She is such a happy baby! She loves to sleep! She goes to bed around 8:30 or 9 and usually sleeps for 12 hours! When Natalie was Laney's age, she was still waking up about every 2 hours at night. Laney is so laid back, but when you make her mad watch out. She and Natalie are so different, yet so much alike. Laney is a big mommy's girl. Sometimes, it drives me crazy and then I stop and remind myself it won't last forever. Right now, I'm gonna enjoy the snuggles and the early morning feedings that sometimes still occur.

Natalie is growing up so fast, too! She is such an awesome big sister! We're making it through the two's. I wouldn't call them the terrible two's for us, but the whiney two's. She's getting better with it, though. A few weeks ago, I was straightening my hair when she asked me to do hers. Of course, I did. I couldn't believe how much older it made her look! She asked me again last week while Michael was at youth camp. I had to take pictures to show him. He didn't recognize her! She stands so still while I fix it and doesn't touch it because she knows it's hot. She's talking even more (which I didn't realize was possible) and so much more clearly. I love to listen to her talk to her dolls and toys when she plays. The innocense I see in her is so precious. She is so independent and so outgoing.

We spent the 4th of July at Grammie and Grandpa's house. Uncle Joe and Aunt Cole came to visit, too. We had a great time! Natalie stayed a few extra days. Uncle Joe and Aunt Cole took Nat to a museum in Waco. She had a wonderful time!

Michael went to kids' camp for a week. Then, he was home a week. Next, it was off to youth camp (last week). Finally, we had a wedding in Frisco last weekend (Michael officiated). He's trying to recouperate from everything, and I'm trying to recouperate from a lack of sleep. I discovered that Natalie is scared when daddy's not home. I have no idea why. Anyway, she woke up at least once almost every night he was gone. Now, we're trying to get back on schedule. She hasn't slept all night yet, but she's getting better. Summers are always crazy around here. We have so many more activities going on at the church. We're looking forward to vacation in September. This year it may only consist of making the rounds to visit grandparents, but it will be a nice getaway.

We had a great time at Chris and Tammy's wedding in Frisco. Natalie loves to dance! She got Michael, Uncle Dave and Aunt Sarah to dance with her. I think she would have danced all night if we would have let her! We stayed that Friday night with Nana and Pops since it was closer than driving home and then back on Saturday. It was also really nice to spend a little time with family.

Here's our latest family picture.

I love this picture!

Grammie and Grandpa came to visit just for the day today. We had a great time going to lunch, the fruit stand and Wal-Mart. Of course, they spoiled the girls rotten. We had a great visit!

Life with 2

2009-06-25T13:47:00.000-05:00

Life with two has definitely been an adjustment. Definitely a good one, though. I have learned that housework can wait. My priority is to spend time with my girls and help raise them in a godly home. So, I'm learning to adjust to a less than spotless house, but in the end is God going to ask me how clean my house was???

Laney will be 8 weeks old on Saturday. She's getting so big! She weighs well over 10 pounds and has the cutest chubby cheeks! She adores Natalie and Natalie adores her. They are so precious to watch.

Natalie seems to have hit a growth spurt. She looks like a little girl and not like a toddler. It's bittersweet! She loves to be the center of attention no matter where she's at. She only stops talking when she's tired (which doesn't seem to be often) and says the funniest things!

Michael is doing well. He's going to be gone to kid's camp next week. Then, he'll be home for a week and it's off to youth camp. So, he's going to be busy. He had a wonderful Father's Day!

A Day in Our Lives...

2009-06-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

I have so many pictures to share, yet we haven't really gone anywhere since Laney was born. So, here's what we have been up to.

We took this on Mother's Day. Natalie refused to smile. I'm just happy we got a picture where she isn't crying. We had a wonderful day!

Here's a few pictures I took of Laney and then edited. She's already changed so much! She's so precious!

Natalie loves playing in the water. She's my little water bug as you can see.

I took Laney to church yesterday for the first time. She did really well. I just had to take some pictures of her in this adorable outfit. She's so cute!

Here's a few more pictures I've taken of her lately. Yes, I know the bow in the first picture is as big as her head. But, I have to agree with my friend Jennifer, if you don't like it, just deal with it. I think she's the cutest!

Here's a few recent shots of Natalie. I can't believe Chloe (our Yorkie) actually came and sat by Natalie so she could pet her. As you can tell, Natalie also loves to hunt for worms. She's my tomboy. In the next picture, you can see she found a new use for her training panties...blankies for her animals. She found a new place to play and even lined up all her toys for a picture. The last picture shows off some of the wildlife around here. We hung up a bird feeder outside Nat's window. So far, we've seen rabbits, squirrels and lots of different kinds of birds. She loves watching them.

A few pictures of my girls!

We spent Memorial Day with some friends. Natalie enjoyed ridding the tractor with David and her daddy. She also ate a ton of watermelon! Our friends Johnny and Tricia just had their first little boy, David. He and Laney are just a little over a week apart. We're so excited to see them grow up together!

The Saturday before Memorial Day, we took our first day trip to Sherman. Some of our cousins were in town so we decided to go visit. The girls did really well. Aunt Sarah also got to meet Laney for the first time. We had a wonderful visit!

She's already a daddy's girl.

Uncle Dave came to visit a few weeks ago. The girls had a great time with him!

Here's Laney's first bath when she was a week and a half old.

Grammie came and stayed with us while Michael went to Houston. The girls and I had a great time with her.

Our precious Laney will be a month old tomorrow. I really can't believe how fast it's gone! I'll try to have some one month pictures up some time later this week.

Update

2009-05-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

It's been a little bit since I blogged so I figured I better let everyone know I'm still alive. Adjusting to life with two kiddos has definitely been an adventure. My mom was here for a few days this past week, which helped tremendously with Natalie. She got lots of attention from Grammie which was wonderful since Laney required almost all of my attention. Michael's youngest brother has been visiting us this weekend, too. It's been nice to see so much family. Tomorrow we're all on our own. Michael's going to Houston tomorrow and will be gone until Tuesday, so keep us in your prayers. I feel like I've regressed the past couple of days because I'm not getting enough sleep. Hopefully, we can get on some sort of schedule soon. At least where both girls nap at the same time. I've also had a few issues nursing. That's another story, though. Until next time...

Double Blessings

2009-05-08T10:40:00.001-05:00

Well, life is definitely an adjustment with two kiddos. Natalie is doing great with her baby sister! Laney is doing great as well! She has her days and nights mixed up right now, so she and I are sleeping on the couch for the time being. I've really enjoyed Michael being home this week. It's been so nice. My mom's coming for a few days next week so I'll have some help during the day. Here's a few pictures of our new bundle of joy!

She's Here!

2009-05-04T16:58:00.000-05:00

Laney Kaylynne Tollison joined our family Saturday, May 2nd at 1:24pm. She weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and measured 20 inches long. She's absolutely beautiful! We got home today and are doing great!

Getting Closer

2009-05-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

Well, no baby yet. Today is my official due date, though. I went back to the doctor yesterday. I'm dialated to a 3. I was so sure I would be further along. Oh, well. If I don't have Laney this weekend, then he's going to induce first thing Monday morning. It still doesn't seem like it's time for her to be here. This pregnancy has gone by way too fast! I can't wait to hold her and see Natalie's reaction to her new sister. Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and healthy delivery.

This week has been kinda slow and since we're just waiting around on Laney it has gone by even slower! So, I picked up some material at WalMart the other day to make a couple of shirts to keep me busy. I'll post a picture after I have Laney so I can actually model the shirt. It turned out pretty cute. I need to alter the pattern just a little, but it's definitely a keeper. It has a gather right above the bustline so I can hide what Laney leaves behind until I can get completely rid of it.

Hopefully, we can rest and relax this weekend until we have two girls!

Getting Creative

2009-04-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to make a small wallet just because. So, I finally got around to it. I'm not sure what I'll use it for or if I'll give it as a gift. I added a cute flower with a button center to add some flair. The inside of the wallet is lined with the striped material like on the flower.

I wanted some frames for the girls' rooms, but I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for them. So, I found some unfinished wood frames at Michael's for $1 each. Then, I painted them to match their rooms. The pink is for Nat's room and the brown for Laney's. I still need to put a clear coat on them to seal them and then add coordinating bows. Total cost will be $2 for both frames plus whatever the sealer costs. Not too bad for some adorable frames for my little darlings. The only way they could be any cuter is when I get pictures in them of the girls together.

New Pet

2009-04-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

Natalie went to visit Michael's parents this weekend, so we decided to go out with some friends last night. Probably the last time we'll get to do that before Laney gets here. We ate at Olive Garden and then had coffee at Barnes and Noble. It was so much fun! That is, until we got home about 11. Let me give you a little background on earlier that day before I begin our story...

We have a mini Yorkie, Chloe, who is spoiled rotten. She loves to sleep on the couch all day long (unless Nat is chasing her trying to pet her). Well, yesterday she stayed in the kitchen staring and sniffing at the same spot by our stove and fridge. She didn't move much from that spot. I thought it was weird, but didn't think too much about it at first. We've had problems with squirrels getting into our attic and another one got stuck up there. (We have checked it out several times and still haven't figured out how they're getting in. Another honey do for my sweet husband.) So, I thought maybe that's what Chloe was smelling. I got a flashlight and checked around, but I didn't see anything. Michael did the same thing when he got home for lunch. And of course, Natalie had to check it out, too. I thought maybe we had a mouse, too. So, I figured we'd set some traps sometime this weekend. Okay, now fast forward a few hours to our arrival home....

We walked in the door and Chloe was so happy to greet us. That's nothing new. I walked into the kitchen and noticed animal pellets all over the floor. Great, it came out while we were gone. Then, I noticed mail had been knocked off the countertop and the fly swatter had been knocked off the top of the fridge. That's strange. Michael starts looking through the house following a trail of pellets. He calls out, "You have to come see this and bring a flashlight." My first thought, "Great, we have a huge rat in our house." So, I go to Natalie's room and look on top of her curtains only to see an animal hunched up there!!! I was almost in tears at the thought of something in my little girl's room. We couldn't tell what it was at first. So, we turned the light on and behold a squirrel! Not, just a little one either. It was almost the size of Chloe. We are pretty sure it fell out of an open vent in the kitchen (we have to have a cover custom made for it, so it's not covered yet) and Chloe chased it through the house and "treed" it in Natalie's room! I'm sure she sat there on the floor guarding it until we got home. The squirrel didn't move for a while. Now I'm thinking, "Great, this thing is going to send me into labor and I'm not going to get the house cleaned up from the mess it's made." So, we took some pictures and video while we figured out what to do. Now, the squirrel is barking at Michael and it's pretty funny. We weren't really sure how to get it out of the house so we called our friend Johnny, whom we had gone out to eat with earlier. He brings a pellet gun and Michael shoots the squirrel in the nose. It just looks at him and barks a few more times. We decided to close all the bedroom doors and open the front and back doors in hopes that it will run outside. Luckily, they got it down and out with no problems. Yeah! I'm so thankful that Natalie wasn't home. She wouldn't have been scared, but it would have been even crazier. I can just hear her now, "Me pet the squirrel. Me hold the squirrel." She would have thought it was her new pet!

What a way to spend a Friday night-good food, great friends, and an interesting squirrel chase to top of the night. Of course, I didn't go into labor so we're still waiting on Miss Laney to come. I hope your Friday night was enjoyable as well!

Easter & Busy Bee

2009-04-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter celebrating our risen Lord and spending time with family. Natalie loved coloring and hunting Easter eggs.

She actually organized all her goodies from her eggs. It's kinda scary how much she's like me! She also had a blast walking around in momma's shoes. She's definitely a shoe girl!

The other day I repotted my plants and planted some new ones mom bought me. Of course, Natalie couldn't resist helping mommy. She had fun playing in the dirt.

I also finished a few other projects. One of my friends really liked the bag I made for Natalie so she ordered one for each of her kiddos and a diaper and wipes case for each of them. Yeah!

Here's the bow board and some bows I made for Laney. The cream colored bow is actually Nat's. It went with her Easter dress.

I also whipped up a little boxy pouch. I found a really easy tutorial at http://threebears.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/little-boxy-pouch-tutorial/. It didn't take long at all!

I had a few orders for shirts for Mother's Day. They turned out really nice, too.

I'm still contemplating opening an account on http://www.blogger.com/www.etsy.com to try and sell a few of my things. It would be great to make a little extra money, but I know my time will be limited once Laney gets here. So, I'm still praying about it.

I want to recommend a wonderful book that I'm currently reading (thanks to my hubby)-The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Michael hasn't read a whole book in the 5+ years we've been married, so for him to read this book and recommend I read it was pretty earthshattering. He wants to go through a total money makeover and wants me to be on board, too. So, I'm almost done reading the book. I have to say, that I'm very excited! It's definitely not a get rich quick book. I know it's going to be difficult at times to stick with it, but in the long run it will definitely be worth it. I highly recommend everyone to check it out. I'm hoping to find and read his book on Financial Peace next.

I'm not sure Laney is going to hold off until her due date. I can tell she's dropped and my contractions are getting more intense and consistent. I could be totally wrong, but we'll see. I'm ready for her to be here, but a little nervous about having two little ones.

Pretty Toes

2009-04-10T15:20:00.000-05:00

My friend, Tricia, and I went and got pedicures today! Yeah for pretty feet! We are due two days apart so we planned a few months back to go before the babies came to get our toes done. Well, since we are only three weeks away and Easter is Sunday we pampered ourself a little bit. We had a great time and even went to one of the consignment stores to look at baby stuff. Natalie went with us, too. I thought she would like to get her toes painted, too, but she wouldn't have any part of it. So, I painted her toenails and fingernails when we got home.

Swing Set Please!

2009-04-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

As I was surfing through blogs, I came across http://www.dad-blogs.com/component/content/article/372.html. They are giving away an amazing play yard from http://www.kidscreations.com/. We've been looking at swing sets and this would be perfect for Natalie and Laney. Of course, the only way we will ever own one like this is if we win this contest. Hey, it's worth at least trying. If you're interested, you should definitely check it out. C'mon what do you have to lose but an empty backyard? Good Luck!

3 Weeks to Go!

2009-04-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

We went to the doctor again today. He said that she's dropped some, but I'm not really dialated any. He thinks she's between 6 1/2 and 7 pounds right now. He doesn't think she'll come just yet, but she could always change her mind and surprise us.

Laney's room is finished with the exception of cleaning out a few more things, painting the trim around her door and replacing her plugs and light switch. Here are the pictures so far.

I also finished Nat's Easter dress. Now, to work on a bow to match it. I got some ribbon today, but I need to get some more at Wal-Mart tomorrow or Saturday.

I still haven't made Nat's pj pants. My sewing machine is on the fritz again. So, mom is trading hers for mine for a few weeks. Hopefully, she can figure out what it's problem is.

We had a friend take some family pictures for us last weekend. They turned out really well. Here's a few of my favorites.

The End is Near

2009-03-29T14:16:00.000-05:00

I was really on a roll last week with sewing. I finished a few more projects! Yeah! I made these bloomers for Laney, but I really think they'll fit Natalie. She won't try them on, though, so I'm not sure.

I also put Nat's name on this bag to fill with a few little things to give to her when I have Laney. She loves bags, so I know she'll like it.

I also whipped up a diaper and wipe case out of the same material I made Laney's boppy cover. I love the material! I really want to make a little wallet out of it, but it's not something I have to do at this moment.

I bought some material to make Natalie some pj pants, so hopefully I can get those done this week. It's so much cheaper to make them than buy them. I really think it's crazy that her clothes and shoes cost as much as mine! I also need to sew a little piece of material behind Nat's Easter dress so she's not showing off so much chest. Those are my sewing projects for this week along with finishing up painting Laney's name for her wall. The weather is supposed to be nice again, so I think I can get it finished. Hopefully, I can get Laney's shelf and curtains hung, then I'll take post some pictures of her room. I only have a little over 4 weeks before Laney's due to arrive. I'm almost at the point where I'm uncomfortable no matter what. I am very thankful, though, because this pregnancy has been great!

Back in the Swing of Sewing

2009-03-26T18:18:00.000-05:00

I've gotta make this quick because I need to go start dinner. I wanted to share my latest projects, though. I started and finished Natalie's Easter dress in only 2 days! I was really surprised at how easy it was. It turned out really cute! Now, I just need to find matching ribbon to make her a bow.

I also made a cover for Laney's boppy. I just can't bring myself to buy one because they're so expensive! I would share the link where I found the pattern, but it's been moved and I can't find it again. Sorry!

I think I'm finally back in the swing of sewing again. I still have a few more things to do in the next few weeks. So, I better get busy!

March

2009-03-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

So far, March has been a crazy month! The first weekend we celebrated my niece's 1st birthday. Natalie had a great time playing with her cousins. They get along so well! Here's a few pictures. The first picture has my sister-in-law, Valeta, then me, and then my future sister-in-law, Sarah.

A couple of weeks ago I made these three projects. The football was a shower gift for my friend, Tricia. Her husband, Johnny, loves the Steelers. I haven't made anymore lately. I've got lots of ideas, but I've kinda been in a slump. Well, actually, I've just been too tired. Hopefully, I can get back in the swing of things this week or next.

We also celebrated Natalie's birthday. We had lots of family and friends join us. I don't think I've ever seen so much Disney princess stuff! She had a great time!

I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I made her cake and I think it turned out pretty cute.

Our wonderful church gave us a baby shower this past Saturday for Laney. It was actually a double baby shower for me and my friend, Tricia. She's having a little boy, DJ, and is due two days before me. Laney got so many cute things and Natalie got a few big sister presents too!

I'm finally able to start working on Laney's room! Yeah! I still have a little over 5 weeks until she's due to arrive, but I'll feel much more relieved when her room is all ready for her. I'll post pictures soon!

Natalie had to help Grammie move the bed out of Laney's room. She's such a great helper!

More Finished Projects

2009-03-06T18:11:00.000-06:00

Here are a few projects I've finished in the past week or so. I've still got a long list to go. I just can't seem to get ahead of the housework so I can "play." These are coordinating outfits I made for the girls.

This is the nursing cover I promised pictures of. I made another one for a friend, but since it's a gift I won't post pics just yet.

This is one of two flowers that I made for the carseat tent. I really like the buttons!

I made the capris for this outfit and Grandpa tiedyed the shirt for Nat.

Two!!!

2009-03-06T14:49:00.001-06:00

I can't believe my baby girl is two years old! She's getting so big and so independent. Yesterday we put together her big girl bed! She did so well sleeping in it last night. She only woke up once and went back to sleep pretty quickly.

Wednesday was her birthday. She opened a few presents from us. She got a Cinderella comforter and sheets for her new bed and princess shoes. We took cupcakes to MOPS to share with her friends. Then, we met daddy at East Texas Burger Company for lunch. She looked so adorable in the outfit her Grammie made. She had a really good day although she looks really unhappy in the picture. Happy 2nd Birthday Nat!

February

2009-02-23T21:11:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last blog! I wish I could say that I've been too busy, but I make time for what I want to so I guess I just haven't made time for it. We have been busy, though. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

We had a wonderful Valentine's day! I made a special biscuit recipe that my mom used for Valentine's day when we were growing up. I cut out heart shapes and put a spoon of jelly in the center. Sorry, I didn't take a picture, but they were yummy! Natalie went to visit Grammie and Grandpa for the weekend. She had a great time. Michael and I had a youth banquet Friday night. Saturday, we painted Laney's room (it's pink!!!) and enjoyed dinner and movies at home. I'll post pics of Laney's room once it's a little cleaner.

Natalie had little blisters on her ankles from a pair of shoes she loves to dress up in. Well, at Grammie's, they bled a little bit and she flipped out! I know the picture is blurry, but I thought it was so funny! She was fine once she had a band aide on her boo boo. Talk about a drama queen!

I finally painted my toenails. I can barely reach them, but it was worth it! They're pretty (at least for a few weeks)!

I've been meaning to post a picture of this shoe since Christmas. It makes me sick just looking at it. We got them for Natalie for Christmas. Somehow, when we were at Nana and Pops' house, the other shoe disappeared. We're not sure if it's still hiding somewhere, if one of the girls threw it away or what. It's a mystery to us. Either way, I have one adorable brand new shoe. It's only been worn once!

Last week I made velveeta mac and cheese for dinner. I think Natalie ate at least half of the box. She really enjoyed it!

These pictures were taken yesterday between church services. In the first one, Nat was playing dress up with her socks and shoes. I think I'm in trouble 'cause the girl loves shoes!

Here, I took my complete attention off of her for 2 minutes. How can a two year old do this in such a short time?!?

I've been continuing to work on my list of projects before Miss Laney arrives. Here are a few more I've finished. I found this pattern for a car seat tent here http://infarrantlycreative.blogspot.com/2009/01/car-seat-tent.html. The pattern was really easy! I went ahead and cut slits in the sides so the fabric can hang better. I did that after I took this picture. I aslo made a matching flower for the other strap. Now, I just need to get buttons to finish them off. I found some really adorable ones at Wal-Mart I just haven't brought myself to pay $2 for each of them. I think they'll be worth it, though, even if I pay almost as much for them as I did for the fabric. Anyway, I think it makes the car seat look much more girly.

I spent most of today making this dress for Laney. I found the pattern here http://madebyrae.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-itty-bitty-baby-dress-pattern.html. I made the bloomers just from looking at a pair from another outfit. I think we'll bring her home in this outfit. I just love it!

I also made a nursing cover for my friend, Tricia, and one for me. I haven't taken any pictures yet. I'll have to post those in my next blog. To end this blog, I'm posting a picture of my growing belly. It was taken a couple of weeks ago (29 weeks), so I'm probaby a little bigger now. At least I feel like it! Our little Laney will be here in about 9 1/2 weeks or so. We're so excited!

Our Week

2009-02-09T21:26:00.000-06:00

First I would like to say that while surfing through blogs for craft ideas, I've found several families who need our prayers due to the loss of a child or a sick child. The http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/ just lost their beautiful daughter. Please pray for them along with http://jennasjourneyblog.blogspot.com/. Their little boy, Brayden, is three weeks old and is still in the hospital due to some complications. You can check out Harper's progress at http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/. I can't help but to thank God for my healthy girls! Sometimes it's hard to understand why God allows things to happen, but I have to remember that He is ultimately in control and has a master plan even when we don't understand.

On a lighter note, I made the first of many outfits for Laney. I have to say that the ruffles looked so much easier in the pictures I found. However, I learned some really good pointers and I'm planning on making another one for her this week.

The weather was cool, but really nice the first of last week. So, we played outside for a little bit. Natalie had a blast chasing bubbles. Here are a few other pictures of some of her favorite things: dressing herself, talking on the phone, coloring, and changing her baby's diaper.

A few months ago, the church gave Michael an extra weekend off and money for expenses. Well, we have been trying for a while to plan a weekend, but we've been really busy with church stuff. We realized if we didn't go this past weekend then we wouldn't be able to go before Laney comes. So, Natalie spent the weekend with Nana and Pops while Michael and I went to Dallas. We found an amazing deal on hotels.com. We stayed at the Prava across from the Galleria. It was awesome! Friday night we ate at Papa's Steakhouse. Oh, wow! I will never be able to cook or eat another steak without thinking of their steaks. They just melted in your mouth! It was such a nice romantic setting. Afterwards, we walked to Starbucks and just relaxed. Saturday, we walked around the Galleria for 6 hours! We had a wonderful time just window shopping without time restraints or chasing a toddler. Back at the hotel, we watched High School Musical 3 ( I know we're dorks). Then, we went to eat at Papadeaux's. It was pretty good. It's kinda hard to eat anywhere after you've had the perfect steak. We went back to the hotel and watched Get Smart. Sunday morning, we planned to go to First Baptist Dallas, but unfortunately, we didn't. We headed back to pick up Natalie and stopped for lunch on the way. Needless to say, it was a wonderful getaway!

Unfortunately, Natalie was sick all weekend. She was in a good mood, but she ran fever and developed a nasty cough. So, off to the doctor we went this morning. The doctor said she has a nasty winter cold. We stopped off at Chick fil A on the way home. Just me and Nat. We had a good time. When we got home, I checked her temp 'cause she felt warm. Grrr...she had at least 102. So I gave her some tylenol and her prescription. She slept pretty much the rest of the afternoon. She's feeling better, but I'm keeping her at home for the next few days unless there's something we just have to get out to do. So, if you don't see me for a while, you'll know why.

Craig's List

2009-01-31T21:38:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I've looked on Craig's list, but I've never bought anything until yesterday. I found someone who was selling a bag full of 2T girl clothes. Well, Miss Natalie needs some, so I thought why not. I met her in Tyler last night to pick them up. I paid a whole $25 for all these clothes! I think I got a steal of a deal! Some of the brands that I got were The Children's Place, Gap, Old Navy, Austin and Ashley and Nike. There were even a few 3T clothes that Nat can wear next summer. I also got three pairs of shoes-Keds, The Chilren's Place and Stride Rite. I can't think of anywhere that I could have gotten this good of a deal.

Here's a few recent pictures of my beautiful Natalie. She's growing up so fast! I can't believe she'll be two in a little over a month!

You can't even tell she was sick in the picture where she's wearing the Dora pj's.

Tag! You're it!

2009-01-29T09:49:00.000-06:00

I have been tagged by my cousin Amy. Here are the rules:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

This picture was taken when Natalie was four months old (obviously my pictures are or

ganized way too well!). We were visiting Michael's parents. Natalie has grown way too fast! Laney will be this size before I know it. I just need to stop blinking and maybe the girls will stop growing so fast. :)

I'm going to tag Jen Kindle, Meg Hilliard, Trishia Griffin and Amanda Kindle. Have fun!

Bloggy Giveaways

2009-01-28T18:52:00.001-06:00

Okay, for the past couple of days I've been spending way too much of my extra time at http://www.donttryit.com/bloggy_giveaways/ entering all the wonderful giveaways. There are so many there's no way I'll get to even half of them! Anyway, I would really like a diaperbag from Kalencom. I can't bring myself to pay for one, but I would LOVE to win one. If you're expecting, needing a new diaperbag, or have a friend who's expecting, then check out http://katydidandkid.blogspot.com/2009/01/reviewgiveaway-babywit.html for your chance to win one. Good luck!

Another giveaway I would love to win is the $50 Target card featured on http://www.aniowamom.com/an_iowa_mom/2009/01/day-1-of-a-week-of-giveaways-an-iowa-mom-tradition.html#comment-6a00d83451f1c369e2010536ff9ec4970c. I love Target's dollar aisle and their kids clothes!

Curtains

2009-01-16T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here are the pictures of Natalie's curtains that I promised. They just seem to finish off her room.

I also made a curtain for our food cart. It's not perfect, but hey, it hides the food since we don't have a pantry. By the way, who builds a house without a pantry?!?

New Year's Projects

2009-01-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

So far this year, I'm doing really good on starting and finishing some new projects. Right after we found out we were having a girl, of course I had to make her first bow. I also finished a headband I had started for Natalie but never finished it because she was too big for a headband.

One of my friends, Fallyn, is having a little boy. So, I made a diaper and wipe case for them. I found the pattern online. It was pretty easy, but it turns out to be way too small. So, I'm going to enlarge it for next time. I think it still turned out cute. I'm amazed that my stripes lined up perfectly! I wasn't even trying!

I've been wanting to make Natalie something to keep her crayons organized, so I made her a crayon roll. It was so easy! I also made one for her friend, Carson, who just turned two. Fill it with crayons and put it with a coloring book and you have a great gift!

I don't remember if I posted this picture or not, but I finished Nat's stocking for Grammie's house before Christmas. She loves Cinderella so it was perfect!

I said I would post pictures of the shirts I made for grandparents for Christmas. Well, here they are. I put on the letters and stiched around them, then one of my friends monogrammed the rest of the names on. I think they turned out great and of course all the grandparents loved them.

I also made all three of us matching pj pants for Christmas morning. I got the idea from my friend's mom. We may look nerdy, but I think we're cute!

I also finally made curtains for Natalie's room on Monday. I plan on hanging them up later today, so I'll have pictures soon. Natalie went to visit Nana and Pops this past weekend, so Michael and I worked on a few projects around the house. I finished painting the entryway and painted some of the trim in the hallway. Michael pulled up the peel and stick stuff on our bathroom floor and laid tile. Yeah! We're one step closer to getting our bathroom done. It looks great! Now, we just need to tile the shower. That'll be another project for another weekend.

I need to post some pictures from Christmas one of these days. I just need to make the time to do it. Hopefully, it won't be too long.

It's a Girl!!!

2009-01-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for our monthly check up and had our second sonogram. We are having another baby girl! I am so excited and scared at the thought of two girls! Poor Michael is way outnumbered now. He's really excited, too! Natalie was so sure we were having a boy, so she's getting used to the idea of a little sister. She hugs and kisses my belly. It's so sweet! I know she'll be a great big sister. I'm sure she'll have a time of adjustment learning to share mommy and daddy, but she'll do great! Here are some pictures of our beautiful girl. Enjoy!

Christmas Festivities

2008-12-11T15:18:00.000-06:00

We had our annual Christmas parade downtown last Saturday. My in-laws were visiting so Nana carried Natalie and chased down some candy for her. Of course Pops got some for Natalie, too. Yeah for Nana and Pops! I feel like my belly's really popped out this past week so I'm learning how to adjust carrying Natalie. Carrying her is one thing, but getting up and down to pick up candy off the street is another. So, thank you again Nana and Pops.

I was wrapping presents with my little helper Saturday night and decided to wrap her up, too. She had a great time unwrapping herself.

I caught Nat reading to her babydoll yesterday. It was so sweet! She loves her babies! As you can see in this picture I think we might have problems with the new baby's paci. She just sticks it in her mouth every now and then when she's playing with her dolls. She thinks it's funny. Somehow I don't.

Santa is bringing her babydoll things for Christmas so I decided to make a quilt to match. I bought some bags of scraps from a baby store going out of business a few months back. So, I spent an hour making the top of the quilt. Now, I've got to decide if I want to use quilt batting or just make a thin blankie. I was going to quilt the back, too, but decided against it. I'm just going to get a solid piece of material for it. Here's what it looks like so far.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T14:05:00.000-06:00

I've been procrastinating about posting pics from Thanksgiving. I took so many that I'm still not sure which ones to post. That and they never seem to get laid out like I want them. (By the way, if anyone knows how to upload and layout pictures on here without all the white gaps PLEASE let me know!) We had a wonderful time visiting Grammie and Gramps (my parents). Uncle Joe, Aunt Cole, Uncle Matt, Papa, and Patrick were also there. Oh, and we can't forget all the dogs (mom and dad's 2, papa's 3 and our 1). Wednesday was pretty relaxing. Joe, Cole and Matt got there that night and we just hung out. Thursday morning, mom, Natalie and I finished preparing lunch.

Natalie helped me make sweet potatoes. Then, she helped Grammie make rolls. She played in the flour and even ate some of the raw dough. Yuck! Uncle Matt carefully snuck in for a picture. I can't imagine why he didn't want flour all over him. She loves to help in the kitchen as you can see.

After lunch, and everyone's naps, we spent some time outside. The weather was beautiful! Nat rode her little four wheeler for a while. She's really getting good at learning how to make it turn. Then, she rode around with Aunt Cole and Uncle Joe on the lawn mower. She waved, blew us kisses and said, "Whee!" while waving her arms in the air. She had so much fun!

Natalie just had to explore what flowers were left in Grammie's flower beds. I think she even picked a few for us. As you can see, she's wearing her favorite outfit-just a diaper. I promise it was warm. I love this picture of her and Cole. She's really warmed up to Cole. She spent pretty much all afternoon with her.

Natalie also had a great time playing in the dirt pile. She even played "swords" with Uncle Joe. I'm not sure which one of them had more fun.

Uncle Matt, Uncle Joe and Aunt Cole had to leave Thursday night 'cause the guys had to work on Friday. Here's a few snapshots we took.

On Friday, Grammie and I spent the day shopping. Yes, we are crazy and love to shop on Black Friday! We only get to go every other year, so we love it even more. Grammie and Gramps live about 45 minutes from Waco, so we didn't want to leave too early. There's nothing that we needed that badly. We made our list and started out about 6:45. We got back that evening right before 6. Natalie stayed with daddy and had a a great time, too. She loves to play in the sink at Grammie's. Her favorite food was the German Chocolate cake. She couldn't shovel it in fast enough!

On Friday, Gramps took us behind the school (where he works) to show Nat some piggies. She wasn't sure about them at first, but then we couldn't get her to leave. I think she would have gotten in the pen to play with them!

When we got home on Saturday, daddy put up our tree. We had a great time decorating it. Natalie even put on a few ornaments for the first time. She loves the tree!

I made Nat a couple of Christmas bows yesterday. They turned out really cute! The one on the right is huge, but I love it!

Picture Frames and cupcakes

2008-11-24T15:25:00.000-06:00

I found a really cute and easy idea for magnetic fridge frames at http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/. I even whipped up a few of my own. I added some ribbon decorations, too. I always seem to have ribbon scraps, so they came in handy! This blog also has a tutorial for covers for crates. You know, the square ones with holes in them? Well, I think it'll be another project I try soon!

While I was finishing up my frames, I whipped up some cupcakes. Of course, as soon as Natalie got up from her nap they were the first thing she noticed. They tasted wonderful and we enjoyed a sweet snack.

A Day In Our Lives

2008-11-22T10:00:00.000-06:00

After talking to my brothers the other day, I realized every time I talked to them I said I was cleaning house. Well, we actually do more than that around here. So, here are some pictures from the past couple of days.

These two are actually from a week or so ago. Natalie said her monkey was shoo-wee. So, she pulled her changing pad down and proceeded to change his diaper. She even used wipes! She was so cute! I think she'll be a great big sister!

Nat loves to play with her daddy. She was snuggling up to daddy the other night. I just love this picture. She was giggling and having fun as usual.

I have a new hairdresser. Unfortunately, she's still working on her skills. She loves to brush and play with my hair. I think she's the cutest one I've ever seen! (I know the pic on the left is blurry, but it was still so cute!)

Yesterday, I made bread for our youth bake sale. Of course, Nat had to be my helper. She loves to cook and clean! She's my littl helper in just about everything I do. She helped me count the scoops and pour the flour. She's learned where she can touch the mixer so she won't get hurt.

I was planning on taking both loaves to the bake sale, but after smelling fresh break bake, I couldn't bear it! I kept one loaf for us. I did, however, end up making another two loaves last night to take as well. Nat loved the bread! She looks mad, but she's just trying to smile with a mouth full of bread. I think it's one of my favorite smells and things to eat.

This morning while I was getting ready for the bake sale, Nat was watching Hermie. She looked so cute! I just had to snap a quick picture to share!

Natalie is learning so many new things. If you ask her what her name is she will tell you Natalie Tollison. I'm so proud of her! One of her newest things is hopping around like a frog saying ribbit, ribbit. I'm not sure where she learned it from, but I'm so proud of her. She's also learning her colors. Her favorites are pink and purple. She's like a little sponge soaking up everything around her.

So, now you know more about what our days are like. I spend some time cleaning house, but most of it is spend with my wonderful family that God has blessed me with!

Bow Boards

2008-11-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

I started and finished my first two bow boards last night. I think it's the easiest project I've done so far. I made one for Nat and one for a Christmas gift. They turned out really cute! If you want to order one for Christmas, just let me know. Also, here's the bow I made to go with Nat's overalls. Enjoy!

Overalls

2008-11-13T21:09:00.001-06:00

I know it's been a while since my last post. Michael went to the SBTC conference in Houston Sunday through Wednesday, so we went to visit grandparents. I forgot the camera so there's no pics. Sorry, I can't remember a whole lot these days. We had a great time, but it's always good to be home.

I finished this pair of overalls for Natalie last week. I think they turned out adorable! I'm starting to get the hang of making them. They were much easier than the first pair. They're a little big for her right now, but she'll grow into them in time. I understand why some people charge so much for them. They were easier, but they are still time consuming. They're worth it, though. I also made a bow to match. I'll have to post that pic later. It's in Nat's room and she's asleep. I bought supplies to start on grandparent gifts for Christmas. I probably won't post pics until after Christmas so they can stay a surprise. I'm also working on bow boards for Nat and my cousin's little girl. They should be finished in the next couple of days, so check back for pics of those. Please excuse the messy hair in the pics. Still working on the french braids. Well, my hubby's back with ice cream so I'm gonna go indulge for a bit.

Halloween and French Braids

2008-11-04T14:45:00.000-06:00

Instead of going door to door to trick-or-treat, here we can go downtown from shop to shop. I like it much better. Natalie wasn't in the best mood when we started out as you can see. When we got downtown, she wasn't too sure about so many people dressed up. After a while she started saying please for candy. She sure did enjoy the candy when we got home!
I tried to french braid Nat's hair for the first time the other day. It stayed for a while, but the hair on top of her head is too short to stay for any length of time. So, today I braided it in two. I had to do it quickly so it doesn't look the greatest. I think she looks adorable, as always! She seemed so big today. Maybe it's cause she's now 20 months old. :)

One Project Down!

2008-10-30T13:56:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I've had an empty baby formula can for the past year. My plan was to turn it into a really cute trick or treat container for Nat. Well, it didn't exactly turn out like I had pictured it in my mind. It's cute, though. At least I think. As I was finishing it up just a little bit ago, I realized it would have looked much cuter with a fabric lining on the inside. Like some with candy corn on it or something. Unfortunately, Halloween is tomorrow and I don't have the time or money to make a trip to Wal-Mart just to get a little bit of fabric. So, I'll know for the next time I do one. I made the handle out of grosgrain ribbon. I also lined the top inside edge with it since it was a little sharp. At least Nat can look back and say that she had something special that her mommy made for her. After all, that's what really counts.

Oh, and I have vacation pictures to post, but when I'll be able to find time to finish that posting is another story!

Vacation

2008-10-27T16:49:00.000-05:00

These first two pictures were taken before vacation. Natalie fell asleep watching a video before naptime. I thought it was too sweet!

Grammie and Grandpa came to visit the weekend of the Highway 80 garage sales. We were doing a garage sale with some friends and Michael had a softball tournament, so Nat spent some time with them on Saturday. That Friday was my birthday, so Grammie brought me a cake. Natalie loved the icing! Yuck! I've made way too many batches of frosting to eat the stuff. It tastes like shortening to me.

We had a wonderful time on our vacation last week! We started out by taking Nat to pick out some pumpkins. She loved it! She was so funny, too! She sat on a lot of the big ones. I guess that's how she decided which one was just right.

Then, we went to visit Michael's parents in Sherman. I made Nat a fort with a card table and blanket. I wasn't allowed in. Only Nana and Pops could go in and play with her. We were also able to spend some time with Uncle Dave and his fiancee, Sarah. She's going to be a great addition to the family. It took Nat three days before she would give Sarah a hug or kiss. She would just give her mean looks. I'm glad she finally warmed up to her.

Om Thursday, we visited the Dallas World Aquarium. We had so much fun! Natalie loved all the animals.

Of course, since Nat loves Finding Nemo, we had to find a clown fish. This was the only one they had! Nat loved getting to see Nemo!

We also got to see Bruce, from Finding Nemo. I've discovered that it's so much more fun for her to relate the animals to movies she loves. I love the second shark picture. It looks like the shark is after Natalie.

On Friday, we took a trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. Unfortunately, it was during Nat's nap time, so she was a little cranky. She really enjoyed getting to see those animals, too. She loves to feed the birds.
On Saturday, Grammie, Nat and I went to Stephenville for a wedding shower for Aunt Cole. She napped on the way there so she was a little cranky at first, but once she woke up she had a great time. She loved the cake. She also helped Aunt Cole open the presents.

We went to church with Grammie and Grandpa on Sunday. Afterwards, we took some pictures out in front of their house. It's hard to believe it's the end of October with all the green in the pictures.
We took this picture after we got back home. Nat loves to dress up in our clothes. Here she was trying to be just like her daddy.
We had a wonderful time on vacation, but it's nice to be back home. Home sweet home!

Blessing Two

2008-10-13T19:23:00.000-05:00

Most of you have already heard, but we are expecting our second little blessing around May 1st!!! We are so excited!!! We went to the doctor today and got to see the little one wiggle around. It's just so amazing! You could see all of his/her fingers just wiggling around!

Natalie and I went to visit grandparents and her Uncle Matt this weekend. We had a great time shopping with Grammie and spending time with everyone. She even tee-teed on the new potty Grammie bought for her!

I decided to take some pics of Nat while she was playing outside last week. The weather has been beautiful here! She loves finding her treasures-leaves and acorns. She's going to be a great big sister!

I'm back!!!

2008-09-27T15:28:00.001-05:00

Well, we finally got our compuer back this past Wednesday, but I'm just now getting around to blogging. We've got a busy day today, but it's quiet right now while Natalie naps. Michael picked up our Angel Food order this morning in Mineola, then it was off to a birthday party in Canton. On the way home, we stopped at The Dairy Palace...YUM!!! Later this evening, we have a fish fry at the church with our Fun After Fifty-five group from church, then it's off to the church's softball games. Not sure if Nat and I will make the games since I still need to make breakfast for the youth in the morning.

Two weeks ago, we went to Sherman for Michael's 10 year high school reunion. Talk about feeling old! Friday night, we went to the football game while my in-laws kept Natalie. We were supposed to spend the afternoon at the park, but Ike decided to change our plans. That night, we had a couples event at Austin College. Luckily, there were a few people there that I have adopted from Michael as my friends over the past 5 years. Here's a few pictures. The couple in the second picture are our friends, Shelley and Craig. We had a good time visiting family and friends.

Here's possibly the most adorable picture of our little "Indian!" My friend, Jennifer, monogrammed the onesie. It looks so cute! You should see her all decked out. She even has orange, black and white socks to match! I'll have to take a picture at the next football game.

It's really crazy when you realize how much your children are like you! Natalie loves to watch t.v. and movies. She loves to chill out on her couch (like Michael) and cover herself with a blanket (like me). Here, she was chilling out with Michael. She's such a mess!!!

I had the energy to paint somemore trim earlier, but I'm sure Natalie will be up soon, so I may not have time. Oh well...it'll happen some day. Probably later than sooner, but at least it will get done.

Sugar Pies

2008-09-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

This week has been a busy week for Natalie and I (considering we don't usually go places during the day). Yesterday we started Mom's In Touch. There are some mom's who get together every Monday morning and walk around the track and thank God for His blessings and pray for the needs of the schools, teachers and students. Natalie plays at the nursery at church while I walk and pray. Today, we had our second ladies' Bible study from 10 to 12 and then we went to lunch with a few friends afterwards. We are studying the book Prodigals by Ruth Bell Graham. I am really enjoying the bible study and meeting with the ladies. Tomorrow we start MOPS since last week was cancelled. We haven't gotten much done at the house, but we have certainly had a wonderful week so far.

Looking back at where God has placed us, I am totally blessed and amazed! I absolutely love being here at MSBC. I have made so many wonderful friends and so many people who love my daughter and treat her as if they are her own. If you don't know my part of the story as to how God called us here, ask me sometime. It's amazing and only God could have done it. Glory be to God for all His blessings!!!

Last night about 7, I got a craving for some sugar pies. My mom makes these wonderful mini pies filled with sugar, butter and vanilla. As you bake them, the sugar carmelizes. They are wonderful! Natalie helped me make them. Unfortunately, nothing is as ever good as when your mom makes it, but they turned out okay.

We are shipping off our computer tomorrow to get it fixed. So, it will probably be a week or so before I post again. Then again, that's nothing new. :)

Totes, Dolls and Labor Day

2008-09-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

I am so proud of myself! I finished my tote bag last night! I was very impressed bcause I didn't really have any problems. I did call mom a few times to ask questions, though. Here's what the finished product looks like. I changed the original pattern just a little bit. I made the straps a little longer, but next time I won't make them so long. I also added a cell phone pocket on the inside and a flap over the top. I make the flap a little too long, so I'll probably cut it off some. I want to put a button closure on it so I can kinda close the top of my bag. It looks more like a tote than a purse, but that's okay.

Grammie and Grandpa came to visit for Labor Day. They brought Nat a new baby doll. She hasn't put the thing down for very long. It came with all sorts of stuff-bottles, bib, extra clothes, spoon, fork, bowl, diaper, washrag, paci, and even a change of clothes! She even talks baby talk! Earlier this morning I noticed Nat made her talk and then started talking baby talk back to her. Here's a picture of one of her other babies. We had to move her carseat to the other car and it ended up inside in the process. At least she knows what it's for. :)

Here are a few pics from our exciting Labor Day. We just hung out with Grammie and Gramps because the weather was starting to get yucky from Gustav. Somehow, Grammie always avoids the pictures. We'll have to work on that. Nat loved swinging with daddy, smelling the roses with mommy and sharing gatorade with Grandpa. She's definitely a Grammie's girl eventhough you can't tell from the pics. Nat won't have much to do with me when Grammie's around, but that's what grandmas are for.

Our Lives

2008-09-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

Well, now that school has started things are beginning to get busy around here. The ladies at our church had our first Bible study this morning. Nat went with me since it was just the intro. The other ladies didn't mind her running around, giggling and getting into everything, but she wore me out! She crashed as soon as we got in the car to come home and slept for 3 hours! Tomorrow we start our MOPS groups. I'm really excited to meet some new moms. You can check out MOPS at http://www.mops.org/.

Have I mentioned that Natalie loves to feed her pig??? Well, it's actually a small pink piggy bank. She's so adorable! Anytime she gets change she loves to go feed her and then she kisses her on the nose.

I tried my first sewing project without a pattern. I thought these two pink bandanas would make an adorable dress for Nat. Well, the picture is deceiving. It looks like a tent on her! And since it practically fits me, I'm afraid she won't be wearing it anytime soon. At least I had fun making it.

I have another project I'm hopefully going to start sewing tonight-a tote/purse. The pattern doesn't look too terribly hard. I've added a few things to it. I have almost all of the prep work done so maybe I can actually start the fun part tonight-sewing! I'll let you know how it turns out and if it doesn't look too bad I may post a pic of it.

It's Been A While

2008-08-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know it's been quite a while since I've blogged. I don't really have any excuse except we've been watching the olympics. Every other time I come to blog, I get distracted or something else comes up. Who knew that I had other stuff to do. :) There's not too much new going on around here except for Natalie growing and changing everyday. She's such a clown and will do just about anything to make you laugh. She's also never met a stranger. She'll wave to anyone. It's so sweet! Here are some newer pics of our little darling.

I let her color a birthday card for her Aunt Cole a couple of weeks ago. She used markers for the first time. I was smart enough to put a play tshirt over her outfit so she didn't color on it. She loved coloring! We haven't colored with markers since, but she also loves coloring with crayons. She's so funny. She would rather have white paper than a color sheet. Maybe that means she's going to be very creative.

Natalie loves to put daddy's boots on. She can barely walk in them, but she is becoming more and more of a daddy's girl and wants to be like him.

Our friends Johnny and Tricia got a new red Dodge Charger not too long ago. Of course they had to come by and show it off! Natalie loved it. When I went to get her out she held onto the consol with her hands and yelled, "NOOO!" We decided it would have made a great commercial.

Bits and Pieces

2008-08-15T20:00:00.001-05:00

My friend, Jennifer, officially has me hooked on http://www.scrapblog.com/. I absolutely love it! Although, like her, I'm not sure how to print the pages since I don't want to print them on my home printer. My first one took me on and off all day, but I really like how it turned out. Click here to check it out. http://www.scrapblog.com/222ABD9B-E0C6/1C57D549-7549 Hopefully you can view it. I'm still working on getting on my blog. :)

I have been surfing blogs the past few days and I've found some great crafty blogs. You should check out http://www.colorfool.net/ and http://craftapple.wordpress.com/. I've been inspired to try making some things for Christmas this year. I'll have to try a prototype out for myself first. I'll let you know how it goes. For now, I've got to get my sewing machine fixed and find some extra cash for material.

My daughter is so much fun to watch. Who needs to pay for entertainment when I've got her?!? At the moment, she's running from one end of the room to the other throwing herself on the couch then against the entertainment center. Maybe it has something to do with the few bites of ice cream I gave her a little bit ago. She's also been playing with her babydolls the last couple of weeks. She loves rocking them saying sh, sh, sh, feeding them, giving them a paci and the latest-taking of their clothes and changing their diapers. It amazes me how she knows to take care of her doll.

Enough for now, I need to wear the little sweetpea down so she'll sleep tonight and then clean up the kitchen.

Bows, Time Outs and Working for Food

2008-08-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

Natalie has been wearing pigtails for sometime now and I've finally made some bows for her to wear. If your interested in any bows for your little princess just let me know.

Well, I have discovered that time outs work much better with Miss Natalie than spankings. On Monday, she was playing with my feet and bit my toe. Yeah, I know it sounds funny, but it made me scream. So, I sat her in time out. She cried like I had just broken her heart. I told her she had to sit there until I said she could get up. Surprisingly she sat there for a few minutes and stopped crying. I loved on her and told her that we don't bit even to play. She was great the rest of the day! Who knew! I am so excited that this method is working.

We had fresh corn for dinner the other night and Natalie decided she wanted to help me clean it. She did a wonderful job!

Finally!

2008-08-04T11:03:00.001-05:00

Well, we finally have our internet reconnected. So, here are the promised pictures of our beautiful home. We still have some projects that need to be finished an I'm working on unpacking the last few boxes and getting all the decor up.

Kitchen

Entryway & Front Door

Hallway

Livingroom

Natalie's Room

Master Bedroom

Our beautiful little girl is 17 months old today. I'm still trying to figure out where all the time has gone. She's changing so much here lately. She's talking like crazy repeating everything you say and do. She's so beautiful!!!

Settling In

2008-07-28T13:21:00.000-05:00

Well, we are finally getting all settled in our new house. We still don't have internet hooked up so I'm playing on Michael's computer at the office. I'll try to remember to bring some pics up to the church to post online for everyone to see. It's so nice finally being able to settle down in a house that is ours. I can't explain the joy of being able to decorate and hang pictures! Natalie is adjusting well to the new place. She loves her new room. She's finally starting to sleep through the night again and sleep later than 5 am. I just have to say that God is good all the time-even through all the crazy plumbing and ant problems we're having. Things are starting to settle down now that youth camp is over. We're taking the youth to Six Flags Thursday. I'm very happy to say that Grammie is coming to stay with Nat so she doesn't have to go. We had a wonderful (but crazy) weekend with family and friends. Natalie loved playing with her cousins, Avery and Lexi. Michael and I also enjoyed getting to play cards with his brother, Justin, and sister-in-law, Valeta. Michael and our friend, David, took out the alternator in my car and hopefully will be able to get the new one in tonight with no problems. I guess that's all for now. I hope things are going well with everyone. Look for pictures soon!

Finally Moved

2008-07-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

It is finished! We are all moved into our new house! It's a total mess, but hey everything is there. We still have little things that need to be done, but we can work on that at night after Nat goes to bed or when she's napping. We moved out just in time for the family who is buying the house we were renting. As most of you know, my friend Jennifer, who is buying the house, had her baby girl Kate Marie last night. Both are doing well and Kate is absolutely beautiful! I'll post pictures of our house as soon as Michael gets back from youth camp and we get our computer all set up. Yes, Michael is at youth camp this week. From our short conversations, it is going great. Please continue to pray for the youth and counselors as they finish up the week and come home. Thanks so much to all of our friends who have helped us remodel the house and move. Just to name a few Brandon and Jennifer, Kerry, David, Johnny and Tricia, Matt, Terry, Brandon's cousins (for helping us move yesterday while Kate was planning her arrival), Brian, Eugene and Vicki, and anyone else I forgot to mention (I'm sorry if I missed anyone I'm running on little sleep).

Roommates

2008-07-09T13:08:00.000-05:00

This week has been crazy and it's only Wednesday!!! Our friends, the Kindles, sold their house on Monday and have to be out by Friday. They are buying the house that we are currently renting. Our house isn't ready yet. So, we are going to have roommates for a while or they are going to have roommates-whichever way you want to look at it. Their three boys are going to sleep over at their Mimi's across the street and Brandon and Jennifer are going to sleep in their new room upstairs. Hopefully, our carpet will be in today or tomorrow. Then, they can set an install date. Please pray that it's sometime next week. Michael is leaving for youth camp on Sunday. So, it'll just be me and Nat. I'm hoping to get all the painting finished this week. I can only do it at night after Natalie goes to sleep if I have someone here with her. The past two nights I've had wonderful girls from our youth group stay with her. I've gotten a lot done, but I still have a lot to go. Michael and Brandon have been working so hard to get the floor tiled. They're not done yet, but it looks great! Last night and today they've been moving our stuff to the new house and moving the Kindles things in to our current house we're renting. Did I mention that Jennifer is due on July 20th?!? Needless to say it is CRAZY around here. Here are some newer pics of our house. I'll take some later today of the tile and the paint. Natalie is asleep so I think I'm gonna rest for a bit. Until later...

Remodelling Update

2008-07-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

Everything is going great with our new house! Michael and Brandon finished replacing insulation and sheetrock. They can finally rest a little bit. The guys finished taping, bedding and texturing this morning. So, we can start painting tomorrow!!! I am so excited! It doesn't even look like the same house on the inside. Michael has the camera at the new house, so I'll have to post pictures later. The only thing we'll be waiting on to move in will be the carpet. They've got it, but it may be a few weeks before they're able to lay it. Michael leaves for camp the 13th, so I'm really hoping that they can get the carpet in before he leaves. It would be even better if we could get moved in before he leaves. We'll have to wait and see.

As I was browsing through my friends' blogs I came upon a newstory where two young men were killed in a drive by shooting. Both were devoted Christians. You can read more about them at http://mrsmommyd.blogspot.com/. Please pray for the Swan and Butler families during this time.

Just like Mom

2008-06-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

As I was attempting to do some laundry and change sheets this morning, Natalie came walking by with one of my bras wrapped around her. It looked as if she had tried to put it on. A little bit later, she started playing with my shoes. The child loves shoes. I have a feeling I'm in big trouble. Anyway, she wanted me to help her put my shoes on her then she walked around in them. It seems like not too long ago I was playing dress up in my mom's shoes and now my daughter is doing the same thing. I had to stop doing my housework to watch her for a while. It was a humbling experince to think that she wants to be like me. I hope and pray that I will be the godly example I need to be for her.

A quick house update, as the guys started taking down paneling, they had to take down lots of sheetrock too because of termite damage. Here are some pictures that Michael took last night. We still have a lot of work to do, but hopefully the demolition part is behind us.

Natalie's friend, Crew, had his second birthday on Monday. He got a really cool kitchen that all the kids loved playing with. She just loves the Kindle boys. She thinks she's as big as they are.

On Tuesday, we ate dinner with the Kindles since Michael and Brandon are working on the house late into the night. Parker pulled Natalie onto his lap on the couch and they watched Elmo. It was so sweet!

Homeowners Again

2008-06-26T21:46:00.001-05:00

Well, we finally closed on our house! So, we are officially homeowners again. This week, Michael and our friend, Brandon, have been scraping popcorn off the ceilings, taking down paneling and tearing out sheetrock from termite damage. I wish I could say it's been an exciting week now that we own a house, but it's been quite busy and progress is going a little slower than planned. Everything will work out fine, we've just had a few bugs (literally!) to deal with along the way. Hopefully, next week, I can start texturing and painting. Some of our wonderful youth have offered to watch Natalie so I can help work on the house. Here are some pictures before most of the demolition work started. As you can see the ceilings have already been scraped. The first two pics are of our kitchen and diningroom. The next two pics are of our livingroom. I don't know why the dark spot showed up by the fireplace, but I'm pretty sure it's not really there. The pic with the shopvac is Natalie's room. The room with the ugly carpet is the guest bedroom. The next two pics are of our bathroom. The room with the lovely mauve chair is ours, and no we are not keeping the chair. The next pic is of our hall bathroom. I don't know why the color came out weird, but it's all white. And lastly, a picture of our beautiful backyard. I promise in a few weeks I'll post some new pictures and you won't even realize it's the same house. All it needs is lots of TLC and a family to make it a home. We definitely have our work cut out for us, but we are so excited because it is OURS!!!

Stickers and Spaghetti

2008-06-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

Natalie loves stickers! She knows that I keep them with my scrapbook stuff. Well, a few weeks ago I started giving them to her every now and then to play with. They're the clear ones that peel off easily. Just a few minutes ago she walked over and pointed to my bag and said, "Peas?" I just couldn't resist giving her one. When she would stick it to something and couldn't get it off she would start screaming. So, the other day I taught her to say please when she got it stuck and I would come get it off for her. When she got it stuck a few minutes ago she so sweetly said please instead of screaming! Way to go, Nat! It never ceases to amaze me at how fast they learn. Here's a few pics of her sticker her treasure on her toys.

Friday afternoon for lunch we ate chicken spaghetti. Luckily, I striped her down to her diaper so she wouldn't get her clothes all dirty. Little did I realize that I would have to give her a bath once she was finished.

Father's Day

2008-06-16T16:01:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Father's day this year. We went to church yesterday morning and then made a last minute decision to drive to Sherman to visit Michael's parents. We had a great time watching movies and hanging out.

Natalie played outside with Nana for a little bit and had a fudgesicle after dinner.

Saturday Grammie, Natalie and I made homemade smoothie pops. I took them out of the molds to put in the freezer today. Natalie just had to have one. She loved it!

Last week after Michael mowed the yard, he sprayed down the back patio to wash off all the cottonwood. Natalie started watching him out the dog door. She had a blast (no pun intended) watching her daddy and him spraying her through the door!

Little Bit of Our Life

2008-06-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

I love the everyday moments in life that so often we take for granted in our busy lives. I often take for granted the time that I'm able to spend at home with Natalie. She's growing up and changing so fast. Here, she decided that she wanted to learn some golf tips from daddy's golf magazine. He's hoping that one day she'll be a golf prodigy and support us! As I sit here listening to Natalie sing along with her toys and watch her sniff my toes (I have no idea what that's about except that it makes me laugh and then she laughs), I stop and thank God for the beautiful daughter that He has blessed us with.

As most of you may already know, we are in the process of closing on a house. While I was out running some errands, I drove by to take a few pictures to share. I am so excited that we will soon be in a house that is ours. It definitely needs some TLC, but God pretty much dropped it in our lap. The price is great and the neighborhood is beautiful!

Here are some more pictures of Natalie swimming. She thinks she's such a big girl now that she can swim with her floaties. She also loves playing with Annie (the dog).

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that Natalie was starting to show some interest in the potty. Well, I figured I better update the topic. Yesterday Natalie was sitting beside me on the couch. Well, she started grunting like she normally does when she's pooping. I told her when she finished we would go change her diaper. She got up off the couch (I followed) and went into her bedroom. She then opened the door on her dresser, pulled out a diaper and handed it to me! I am realizing that I have absolutely no idea how to potty train her so I am going to do a little research to get some ideas. Then, I guess we'll really get started and stick with it regularly. So, wish me luck as we start on a new adventure of potty training!

I've made Natalie a couple of new bows. I thought I would share them with you. Enjoy!!!

Salt Festival

2008-06-09T14:28:00.000-05:00

Since Grand Saline has salt mines, we have a salt festival every year. Saturday we went with our friends, Jennifer, Parker, Brett and Crew downtown to check it out. It was so hot so we didn't stay long. The kiddos had a great time eating snow cones and looking at the animals.

Pictures

2008-06-04T22:20:00.000-05:00

Water Fun

2008-06-04T22:02:00.000-05:00

Lately we've been spending lots of time at the pool or playing in the water with friends. I just thought I would share a few of the pictures. I have to say that the video is just precious! I almost cry everytime I watch it. I treasure my husband and daughter and love them so much!!!

Cruise Anyone???

2008-06-03T11:47:00.000-05:00

As a mom of a toddler a vacation is a nice daydream. I was reading up on my friend Jennifer's blog and found out that this blog http://metropolitanmama.net/ is sponsoring a cruise giveaway! Metropolitan Mama is sponsoring an awesome giveaway -- a three-night, four-day cruise to the Caribbean!!! Get this -- the trip is all-inclusive and includes air fare from your hometown! She is offering this trip in cahoots with Protect-a-Bed, a maker of mattress covers. Want that much needed vacation? Just check her blog out and enter to win! It's so easy and who doesn't want to go on a cruise and relax?!? Good luck!!!

Pans and Toes

2008-06-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

Last night after church I decided to try to carry everything in from the car so I didn't have to make another trip. I had Natalie on one hip, her bag, my purse, and a bag dirty dishes from the youth breakfast. After I got everything out the bag of dishes slipped out of my hands and landed right on my left big toe. Sounds like no biggie right? Well, there were a few heavy pans and as soon as it hit I knew I was in trouble. I hobbled into the house and dropped everything off. I then proceeded to get Natalie ready for bed. I went to change and had to look at the damage done. My toe was already purple. By the end of the evening I was in excruciating pain and my toenail was greenish blue. I didn't sleep at all because of the throbbing pain. This morning, my wonderful friend Jennifer harassed me enough to let her husband, Brandon drill a hole through the nail to release the pressure. I can't tell you how nervous I was! Brandon did a great job and the only pain I felt was the quick moment the tiny drill bit broke through the nail. I felt immediate relief. My whole foot was red and swollen before, but afterwards it looked and felt so much better. This picture was just taken a little bit a go. Thank God for friends who push us to do what's best for us even when we don't want to do it!

Finish the sentence

2008-05-30T23:23:00.000-05:00

Well, it's late and I don't really want to do anything that needs to be done, so here's goes. I got this bulletin off my friend Jennifer's blog and thought it would be fun. So here goes...(you can just copy and past it in your blog if you want and end the sentence).

I just wanna...get everything worked out so we can close on our house and start working on it.

Tomorrow I...am going to my parents' to have a get together for my brothers' birthdays.

I have a...sunburn eventhough I put sunscreen on twice today.

Can't we...just know how God is going to work out all the financial details of our house stuff?

This weekend...is going to be crazy busy as usual.

In my spare time I...chase my 15 month old around the house or make cute things for her (i.e. hairbows, overalls, scrapbook).

I can't believe...we've lived here for a little over six weeks and soon we'll be moving into the 5th place we've lived in since we've been married (in August it will be 5 years) AND this will be Natalie's 4th bedroom and she's only 15 months old!

Who knew...Yorkies had so much hair. I just finished giving Chloe a haircut a little while ago. I think I threw out another dog there was so much hair!

I can't...sleep until Michael gets home from his guys' night.

I love...living here and staying home with Natalie and spending time with wonderful friends. God has blessed me tremendously!

I absolutely can't stand..rude vendors at Trade Days in Canton. That's another story...

Can I have another...baby???? Not sure I want to go through morning sickness and try to chase a toddler around.

Potty Training

2008-05-29T20:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, Natalie has teeteed in the floor twice the last two days before I've put her in the bath. So, I decided to pull out her potty and try potty training. I was going to wait until we moved, but there's no time like the present. So, I showed her twice today how we take her diaper off and sit on the potty. Well, tonight she lifts the lid to her potty and tries to unsnap her onesie to sit on the potty. I get her ready and sit her down and....nothing. BUT, she has learned to sit on the potty and not stand in it which is what she was wanting to do. So, we'll see where this goes. Maybe she's ready, maybe she's not. I'm not pushing her, but we will find out if our little princess is ready to begin her transition out of diapers. By the way, I don't even think they make pull ups small enough for her-so we'll still be in diapers for a little while. I'll keep you posted on how our progress is or is not going.

Overalls and Jeans

2008-05-29T09:59:00.001-05:00

Since I am now a full time stay at home mommy, I decided I would start working on some crafty things that I've been wanting to do for a while. So, in addition to the bows I'm making, I have been embellishing overalls and jeans for my little girl. I can't take credit for the shirts that Natalie is wearing with the jeans. That is the talent of my friend Jennifer. She also has some adorable stuff for kiddos on her blog site. You can check hers out at http://www.veryfullquiver.blogspot.com/ Enjoy!

Bows

2008-05-28T21:24:00.001-05:00

Since I have the most adorable little girl I decided to start dolling her up more with some bows. Unfortunately, they cost way more than I want to pay. So, now I am making them for her. They are turning out really cute! If anyone is interested in adorning their precious one with a few just let me know. I've researched prices on the internet and I think I am very reasonable compared to the ones I've found. Enjoy!!!

Oranges and Snow

2008-05-28T15:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been telling myself for a while now that I'll start a blog, so I finally decided to go through with it. Well, we spend a little bit of the afternoon outside playing. Natalie played in the water and with her toys while I flipped through some magazines. We ate some oranges and watched the snow fall in our backyard. Well, it's not actually snow it's cottonwood from the tree out back. You can see it in some of the pictures. I didn't mind it when we first moved in, but now that it is everywhere I'm tired of it. Hopefully, we'll be in our new house by the end of next month so we won't have to deal with it much longer.