from one tiny acorn...

worth a thousand words...

2012-01-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed since Emery's birth to know a wonderful local photographer, Davina Fear. We hooked up with her through the birth center, and her desire to branch into birth photography. We were initially a little unsure when Lisa (our midwife) approached us about this opportunity. Bobby and I view birth as a very intimate moment, and want it to be as private and as focused on us and our baby as possible. We just didn't know how to feel about inviting someone we didn't know to come in and not just be there, but photograph the event. After some prayer and talking, we decided to do it! It was honestly the best decision ever. Prior to meeting Davina, I had no experience with professional photographers.....she is just wonderful, and I've got the bug for sure! I just can't look at photos the same way after I've seen just what they can be!

Davina blended perfectly into our birth experience, and captured little tiny moments that would have been forgotten and lost forever. She allowed Bobby and I to be totally focused on us, and not have to worry about whether or not we were getting enough pictures. She was such an important part of my birth experience, yet I hardly remember her being there at all!

After Emery was born, Davina came to our home to do a little family session with all of us together, since Macie wasn't at Emery's birth. Those images are so special to me. I look at them, and not only see how my tiny baby has changed, but just how grown up my big girl became in just the changing of one day. Macie settled right into her new role as big sister. After spending just one night (a big one!) with us, I felt like Davina was just another member of the family!

This past fall we had another opportunity to work with Davina, for a road trip shoot. She and I put our heads together and worked on that shoot for weeks! Circumstances kept delaying it, but oh, was it worth the wait! Finding the perfect car and weather were challenges, but the day that we ended up doing the shoot couldn't have been better. All of the little elements that we worked on came together perfectly and couldn't have been more "us"!

She recently added more of the pictures from that shoot to her facebook page, and I just can't stop looking at them! She has an amazing talent for freezing real life in one photo. There is just something so different about them......not a posed photo that doesn't show anyone's personalities, but a split second glimpse of what her subject is really like. The smiles, laughs, and affection are all real, not coached or forced.

If you've never had the opportunity to have someone like Davina spend time with your family and take pictures, I'd encourage you to do so. There is just nothing like looking at your family through the eyes (and lense!) of a talented photographer! Thank you Davina, for being a friend, surrogate family member, and for providing us the opportunity to work with you!

You can see some of our sessions on her blog here, here, and here.

we love yarn around here

2012-01-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

I am a yarn lover......I wish that I had more time (and speedier hands) to accomplish more knitting than I do, but when I get to sit and work a few stitches, I just love it. Macie has wanted to knit for as long as she's been able to realize what I was doing. This past Christmas, when I was handing out gift suggestions for the girls, I suggested a corker for Macie. My sister ran with that idea, and put together a little knitting basket for her. She got the corker, a book of patterns, and some pretty rainbow yarn all in a pretty basket. You can see it here behind her and her new holiday Barbie.

Today, we finally got it out, and I read the instructions and set it up for her. I knit a few rounds on it so that I was comfortable showing her how to do it. I showed her twice, and she was off! She was so excited to be making her own knitted stuff!!

Her concentration was so intense! Except for a couple of dropped stitches (that I got back on her loops easily with the little needle that came with it) she was perfect!

She completed her first little knitted tube, and is trying to decide what we should turn it in to.....bracelet? necklace for a doll? wooly worm? snake? We'll see!!

I'm super excited to have another little knitter in the family! I foresee lots of cozy knitting and hot chocolate dates in our future!

5?? Where does the time go?

2012-01-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

There's this crazy thing that happens when you become a parent. You blink, and this...

turns into this...

What an amazing blessing the last five years have been! Being Macie's mama has been everything (and more) that I imagined it to be! She is a joy and a challenge every day......but what is life without a few challenges? She pushes me to be better each and every day. I am forever thankful that I am her mother, and I look forward to watching her grow.

Yesterday was her big day, and she was so excited all day long! We woke up at Mamaw and Papaw's house to a birthday pancake, then headed home. We stopped for lunch where she was treated with an ice cream sundae, and then to the dollar store to buy a special balloon (with some dollars from Mamaw)....then, the big surprise. We took her to Pet Smart to pick our her very own fish! She's standing with the newest member of the Jones family~Flynn Rider Eugene Jones....she loves him! We came home to finish out the night with a supper of her choosing (hotdogs, mac and cheese and broccoli with an orange crush for a treat). What a big day for a big girl!! Happy birthday, my sweet girl!

on saying "no"

2011-12-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

As we approach the holidays, it seems that we're all in a constant state of "busy". I strive to not be "busy". Like that, anyway. I stay super busy here at home....keeping the girls occupied, keeping the house up, and keeping us all fed......all while trying to stay sane! I do my best, though, to stay home.....

Who would have ever thought that I would turn out to be a homebody.....I guess Bobby has rubbed off on me. I still need my occasional outing, but for the most part, there's just not much to be done that is worth the effort of getting both girls and myself out the door, and going. We can have all the fun in the world here in our own 4 walls! I guess, more than anything, I embrace my role as a stay at home mama, as just that.....a mama that stays home with my girlies. Especially now that we've started school with Macie, I've found that my priorities have shifted yet again as to what I want to accomplish here in my home. I'm not afraid to say no....or maybe, and seriously weigh whether or not committing to something will be helpful to my sanity, the girls, or to our day in general.

I try not to get caught up in all the "activities" that are out there for kids to get into. Don't get me wrong.....we have the occasional playdate with friends, and Macie has church and dance class, but I have exactly zero desire to be out of my house every day of the week!!

I think that time spent with my girls instead of time trying to get them involved is time better spent for our family. Not to mention the fact that I struggle with my day to day tasks and time management anyway! I'd hate to think what it would look like around here if I wasn't here half the time!

frumpy? me?

2011-10-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

ha! I think I totally take advantage of being a stay at home mom. I never get dressed unless I have to. Now, normally, I'm not hanging around in actual pajamas (though, that has been known to happen) but in sweats and a t shirt. presentable enough to open the door if need be, but for sure not appropriate for leaving my house! Sometimes, if I'm feeling froggy, I'll get dressed (as in jeans and a bra!) before bobby gets home. That totally needs to end. My family deserves a mama who cares enough about herself to not look like some disheveled slob. Plus, how embarrassed would I be if someone other than the mailman came to the door?!?This is where Sarah Mae comes in (again.....i'll hop back on the 31 days to clean wagon again if I can ever get the iBook up and running again). She's hosting a Get Dressed! Challenge. Who says that all of my cute clothes are useless to me now that I stay at home? I should get some use out of them right? So as of Monday, my shoes and clothes (and perhaps even my hairbrush) will get some much needed exposure to light! Join in the fun over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee!!

Ergo giveaway!!

2011-05-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Make-Baby-Stuff

is hosting a giveaway for the best baby carrier ever!!! hop on over there and enter!! you won't regret it!!

also, be sure to look around...she's got some super tutorials for all kinds of stuff!

catching up!

2011-05-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

My good intentions were sort of derailed this week! We had an impromptu visit from my mother in law this week, so instead of cleaning, I spent time shopping and enjoying her company! Oh well. Today gets to be a cleaning day anyway, since we have small group here on sunday, so I'll tackle my Martha challenges today! I need to get my Mission Statement on paper, and focus on my Mary challenges, too. I really want to keep up with this challenge, as I can really see myself in this book, and can see the challenges being super helpful to me! I think I'll spend part of my quiet time/girls' naptime catching up on my reading, and really focus on the Mary challenges!!

Day 1!

2011-05-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

So, I'm jumping in with both feet to this 31 Days to Clean challenge hosted by Joyful Mothering. Sarah Mae's book takes small bites into learning new habits while focusing on the joy of being a homemaker, too. That's just what I need......tiny housecleaning nibbles. Ha! I love the Mary Challenge for today. To write a mission statement for what you want your home to be. That's huge for me, and I'm hoping it will be a big motivator for me to keep going. I plan to post it somewhere prominent, so that it doesn't slip from my focus!

31 Days to Clean!

2011-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sara Mae over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee has this new eBook out! I'm not wired to be a natural "cleaner"...it takes real effort for me to keep my house up. I'm looking forward to this challenge as a way to not only feed my spirit, but to clean my house! Bobby will be pleased, too!

I love reading her blog, so I'm sure that I'll love the book, too! Here's to a clean house, and a richer spirit!

hop on over here to get the book!!

Rescuing Baby Robins

2011-04-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Bobby found a robin's nest that had fallen from it's branch while he was mowing this evening. Only one of the three eggs survived the fall. The ants had already gotten to the other two. Poor baby birdies. We put the nest and eggs into a shoebox until I would wield my mighty Google powers to see what we could do to save the one remaining egg.

Google (in all of it's incredible wisdom) told me to put the nest back in the tree and hope that the mama would come back. I stuck it back in a crook of branches as securely as I could without breaking the nest, and now we're just praying that the mama comes back to take care of her last baby.

Macie and I will be checking on the baby tomorrow to see if the nest survives tonight's storms. Hopefully we'll be seeing a baby robin soon!!

We've got another nest in the backyard that I haven't identified yet, but we'll be watching that one for hatchlings, too!!

2011-04-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ha! Macie looks so sweet, while Emery looks oh so miserable!

i keep saying i'm going to keep up with this silly blog, but i am so uninspired.....it should be easy, though. i have a camera, i have beautiful babies, i have pretty weather. i am blog lazy, ha! maybe i should just challenge myself to one or two posts a week for a bit. in all seriousness, I do want this to be a place for my friends and family to keep up with us. so, i guess it's just a matter of me making a real commitment to it. so here it is, folks. i'm going to do it! someone out there badger me if there isn't a new post in a few days!!

where does the time go?

2010-12-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we've come to another Christmas season! This is an exciting one for us.....a new baby girl to share it with, a soon to be 4 year old that makes everything seem new again, and our first "official" Christmas at home with our little family. We always travel for the holidays, and since Macie is getting older and Emery is here now, we've decided to start some of our own family Christmas traditions. It's exciting for me to know that we'll get to see Christmas morning through Macie's eyes in her own house, under our own tree. Bobby and I are just as excited as she is! We'll start our advent calendars tonight when he's home from work, and now that she really is old enough, really enforce what Christmas is all about.

This is our busiest time of year...between Thanksgiving and Macie's birthday on January 2, we hardly stop running! I've got an enormous list of things to do.......get pictures of the girlies for Christmas cards, finish up our gifts, finalize our travel plans for after Christmas, plan Macie's birthday party, etc, etc. I'm tired just typing it all out!

Miss Emery Pearl will be 6 months old in just a couple of weeks......hard to believe! I promise (to the 2 of you that read, ha!) that I'll come back with a good update on our sweet girl!

Free Herbs and Breastfeeding eBook!

2010-09-28T13:56:00.001-07:00

We love EarthMamaAngelBaby here in our house! Their Angel Baby Bottom Balm is the best.thing.ever! We use it as a general first aid ointment. I've also used their breastfeeding teas, the postpartum recovery tea, herbs for healing sore bottoms after birth, and their nipple creams. I have loved every single product that I've used. Definitely a thumbs up from me!

Our newest tiny acorn!

2010-07-28T07:44:00.001-07:00

I know I'm a little late (almost 8 weeks!) but my life is very full right now! We are so blessed, and are happily settling into life as a family of four! This includes, but is not limited to, selling a car and getting a van, being nervous to leave my house with the 2 of them by myself, and a whole slew of other adventures!

My birth was such an amazing and beautiful experience. I was blessed to be able to labor and deliver at our new, local birth center, The Carolina Community Maternity Center with an amazing team of midwives! After several weeks of on again, off again "labor" I was beginning to think that I really was going to be pregnant forever!! It was hard, but I just tried to remember that God knew Emery's perfect birth date and time, and I just needed to rest in that fact! That day ended up being 5 days after my due date!

At about 4:30am on June 17, I woke up for my normal middle of the night bathroom trip. When I went back to bed, I had no problem going back to sleep, but kept waking up every few minutes. It took me several times to realize that I was having contractions! I finally got out of bed between 5:30 and 6 to try and see if this was the real thing or if I was having another false alarm! From the very beginning, these were different than the other contractions I'd been having. Not necessarily more painful, just different. The only way I could deal with them, even this early was to be on my hands and knees, kneeling in the floor, or squatting. They were concentrated below my belly button and between my hip bones, but were very intense! Bobby was hesitant to stay home from work since we'd done this all once before, just for labor to peter out and waste a day off. He decided to call in "late" and reevaluate once we got a little farther into the morning.

At around 11, I decided that it was time for Macie to go to Cookie's house so that the house would be quieter. I had an appointment scheduled with my midwife, Lisa, at 2 that day anyway, so our plan was to just keep the appointment and hopefully be staying at the birth center to have a baby! I labored at home until it was time to go, and we packed up and headed to the birth center. Lisa checked me, and I was a stretchy 2-3cm (hooray!! I'd had NO progress up until then!) so we decided to stay! We hung out and walked around the parking lot, and I did a lot of squatting and rocking back and forth to try and handle the contractions. They were still about 5-10 minutes apart at this time. We decided to eat some dinner at around 5 so that I could have some good energy for the labor, and I got some delicious plantains (I'd been craving them my entire pregnancy!), and had a good dinner while Lisa and Pam were running home to get their things for the night.

At about 7:30 Davina came out to start taking pictures! It started to get a little harder then, but my contractions were still not getting into a predictable pattern. At one point, Lisa gave me a dose of Blue and Black cohosh to see if that would get them going a little better. We walked laps around the building, and did some lunges and squats. At this point, we were all hoping that she would be born by about 10.

By about 9, Lisa started talking about getting the pool set up. I still wasn't sure about using the pool at this point, because with Macie, the water slowed my labor down almost to the point of stopping, so I was hesitant to have that happen again. Eventually, Lisa convinced me that my labor wasn't going to stop, and I got in the water. It was wonderful!! At this point, I really started vocalizing through my contractions, which I didn't do with Macie. Its amazing how freeing it was to labor with no one else around. I labored in the pool for a while, and at some point, Pam (the apprentice!) got me out of the water to eat some cantaloupe. I ate, and then I really started to struggle, and felt like I was nearing transition. I stripped down and got back into the water. My contractions were closer and harder to handle, but I still never felt like I got into a predictable pattern, and I wasn't feeling the urge to push. At around 11 or so, Lisa urged me to get out of the pool and try to have a contraction or 2 on the toilet.

I sat down, and, oh man, that was hard! I managed to pee, and then almost instantly felt her head moving down! I was crying at this point, saying that there was no way I could get back up and into the pool. Lisa and Bobby helped me up, though, and I did manage to get back in the water. After 1, maybe 2 contractions, I felt my bag of waters bulge...it felt like a water balloon filling up then bursting, then promptly followed by Emery crowning. All at once. It was crazy! Pam was behind me (I was kneeling in the water at this point), and said that she felt a cord, so she and Lisa started to get the cord from around her neck (it was wrapped twice). We learned afterward that there was a little urgency there, as she was losing color. After they freed the cord, then her shoulder got a little stuck, but with Lisa's help, and some good pushing, we got her out. Lisa pushed her forward in the water and between my legs....she floated right up to me where I lifted her out of the water and onto my chest! It was the most amazing and beautiful experience!

Afterward we rested in the pool to allow her cord to stop pulsing before we cut the cord. In about 20 minutes, the water was cooling off, so we decided that even though the cord was still pulsing a little, that Bobby should cut it, so that we could get out and stay warm. As Bobby was cutting the cord, I noticed a true knot about 15 inches down from her belly. We are so blessed that with all of the potential issues, she arrived safely and quickly! From the time that my water broke to her birth was only about 3 and a half minutes!

We moved to the bed for nursing, cleaning up, and delivering the placenta! Everything was so wonderful, and exactly what I wanted!

Davina was there with us through all of it, documenting everything! The sneak peeks are here!

Part 1 (labor)

Part 2 (delivery)

Part 3 (bonding)

Welcome to the world!

2010-07-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

On June 17, 2010 our family was blessed with it's newest member! Emery Pearl was born into the water at 11:36pm.

treasure!

2010-04-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

Macie and I spent some fun time outside yesterday, enjoying the weather! We hung our laundry on the line and blew bubbles, but we also found some really super treasures all over our yard!

As I was setting up Macie's bubbles, I glanced over to my left and I saw this!

Upon further inspection, we found the nest that this little eggy had been nesting in!

Macie was so excited!! She LOVES birds! Poppy lent us a bird ID book, and she loves to stand at our front window with the book open, just watching the birds eating and flying all over. Except now, they're eating Daddy's grass seed, so she fusses at them a little, too! We're loving learning the names of all of our birdies here at the house......she gets especially excited about the Cardinals....because she knows their name, we have a ton of them, and she's got a stuffed one that she plays with.

After our bird's nest discovery we went walking around the backyard to check on our strawberry plants and play with Emo for a little bit. We were happy to see that all of our plants have strawberries on them, growing and waiting to get ripe!

After we checked on the strawberries, I looked through our garden plot (that I'm not gardening in this year) to see if we had any volunteers coming up. We have a couple of green bean plants so far. As I was about to start walking back toward the house, something caught my eye, and I went to investigate. We ended up coming into the house (after a little digging) with these!!

They'll be washed up and eaten for snack today! I love that my garden keeps working even when I'm not!!

We followed up our treasure hunt with swimming lessons, where Macie found a pendant from a necklace in the parking lot and declared that it was GOLD! We went for supper at my sister in law's house to eat hot dogs and brats with Bobby's family! It was a huge day in the Jones house, for sure!!

Giveaway!

2010-03-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Heidi over at Bootcamp for Lousy Housekeepers is giving away a copy of her fantastic book!! Hop on over and check it out!

If anyone out there is a lousy housekeeper (like me) I highly suggest you get this book and read it!!

My first daffodil of the year!!

2010-03-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

I look forward to these flowers all year long! They are my all time favorites. I even had them shipped in from Holland out of season so that I could have a bouquet of them at my wedding. I love them. This is the first bloom to pop open in my yard, and I couldn't resist bringing it in to enjoy it a little more closely! It's just what I need on a dreary day like today to bring some sunshine into my house!!

Spring.....

2010-03-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

only 18 more days until my most favorite season officially starts. I'm counting down. These little guys popped up weekend before last when we has some 60ish degree days. I have no idea what they are, and they've never bloomed here before, but I'm very thankful for the birdie that planted them for me. They make me feel so happy when I walk out of my front door. A tiny peek of spring. My daffodils are still green shoots, but I'm waiting patiently for them to bloom. And! My peonies are beautiful right now! I love them.

Spring feels so different for me this year. The baby is the big reason of course, but how appropriate that I end my favorite season with the best example of new growth? I'm starting to have bits of being frantic about her upcoming arrival. I think mostly because I have more to plan around this time. Macie has never spent a night away from me, and while I know that she'll do fine, the thought of being away from her over night makes me a little panicy. Also, this time, knowing that we're having a girl is putting more pressure on me for a name for some reason. She'll have a name eventually.

I'm going to try and keep up better with my blog.....I know I've said that a million times, but the season is changing, and my mood is picking up, so maybe I'll have some better inspiration. Those (2) of you who read here, try and hold me accountable!!

oh, life.....

2009-10-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

this year has been such a whirlwind.......but, i suppose we all have those seasons of life. The past few months have been difficult for us. On October 11, we lost Bobby's Mamaw Shirley to ovarian cancer. She is sorely missed, but we are comforted by the fact that she knew the Lord, and is now fully healed! She was diagnosed with Scleroderma in her twenties and only given 3 years to live, then. She was a fighter, and you would have never known by her attitude and spirit that she was in pain for most of her life....even at the end. She was a beautiful woman, and I feel blessed to have known her for the 9 years that I did. I hope that Macie will be able to hold on to a few memories of her.

You must not know 'bout me...

2009-09-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

So, I guess I have to start being more careful about what radio station I have it on. Macie NEVER pays attention to the radio, or rather, to what song is playing. She's normally in her own little world, so if I have the radio on, it usually just on one of the generic "listen at work" stations, because I figure they'll have less risk of cursing and questionable songs. Yesterday, while I was putting away laundry, I turned the radio on for background noise, and that Beyonce' song came on. I don't even know the name, but the lyrics say "you must not know 'bout me." Macie immediately started singing it......I guess it made an impression on her, lol! She's been a singing fool lately......now I just have to make sure she's hearing good music! Beyonce' is not really the type of music that normally gets played in our house, and while it's funny, I'm not sure I want my 2 year old singing her songs!

socks, sunshine, and sweet tea

2009-08-20T09:47:00.001-07:00

Naptime is a wonderful thing at the Jones house. I know that a lot of moms take that time to catch up from the day, but more often than not, I try to take that time to refresh and relax. Tuesday, I did just that. Macie was sleeping, and I turned my bluegrass way up, gathered my supplies and headed outside.

I worked on the mate to my long finished first sock, and got some sun on my ghostly white legs. It was a beautiful thing! It's so much easier for me to make it through my afternoons when I've had that little bit of time to wind down and not have to tend to the needs of anyone other than myself for an hour or so. I think Macie and mommy are both happier for me not wearing myself out cleaning during naptime. I'm refreshed and ready for an afternoon of play when she wakes up, and I have more patience for teaching her how to unload the dishwasher or sweep the floor when she wants to help me with a "job"!

Yes, naptime, it's a wonderful thing!

sunday afternoons

2009-08-02T19:59:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful, relaxing Sunday afternoon at home today.....which never happens! Macie and Bobby laid down for a nap, and I took that opportunity to spend some time outside and relax. I gathered my supplies, coffee, knitting, Bible, and antique rocking chair. Could life get any better?
I sat on my porch, and enjoyed a beautiful, grey afternoon. God's creation is so amazing.......as I sat, coffee in hand, I had a wonderful time listening to my yard. The soft whisper of the leaves in the breeze, cicadas in the trees, birds singing, and squirrels fussing......I am so blessed!
We love our little house.....once you step into our yard, it's easy to forget that we're right on main street in our busy little town. Hidden back from the road and surrounded by trees, we get a taste of our mountain home, that makes this feel even more like our home here in the city.
I had a great time of reflection and special prayer time for dear friends, and just totally enjoyed some quiet time, and got lots of inspiration from sitting on my little porch. It's days like this that totally renew me.......the Lord knew I needed this day. Once Macie and Bobby woke up, we all went for a bike ride, and had a great time........God is so good to me!

outside voice

2009-07-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

Any mom of toddlers has surely had the "inside voice/outside voice" discussion many, many times. At least, I sure do! Macie is very talkative, and just generally likes to exercise her vocal cords. The only time she's completely quiet is when she's asleep. But anyway, she decided the other day to give her outside voice a good wearing out. She really just yelled like this for a long time......just running around the yard......yelling......to no one.....except, maybe, Dan....the cat.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

2009-06-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

it's been a long time! 3 months!!!! we've been busy these past 3 months. nothing in particular, really, just lots and lots of stuff........visiting family, saying goodbye to loved ones, saying hello to new ones, gardening, living, and loving life!

we took a trip to mississippi in may to see my aunt ruth before she passed away. it was a sad trip, but i'm so thankful that i got to see her one last time, even if she didn't get to "see" me. i know she knew that we were there. we did get to spend some good time with my dad, even though it was a short and busy trip. he and macie had a big time playing in the garden, and just having fun!

macie is now almost 30 months old. i can hardly believe that i have a 2 and half year old! where has the time gone? it's amazing how quickly she's changed in the past few months. she is no longer a baby.........but a little girl. it's amazing to watch her grow up and learn! she's started to really use her imagination, and is getting into pretend play, which i just love!! i love listening to her talk to herself and her toys, and find out just how she sees the world around her. her dolls mostly recreate our days........i'm not sure that's always that's great.......hahaha! today she told me that her dolls were fussing.......then she told them "that's enough!" I guess i say that more than i realize!

2009-03-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

it's been a soup kind of day. yesterday was, too.....that's when i made the soup, but i made enough to enjoy for a couple of days!

we've had a pretty laid back march so far, and i'm hopeful that this attitude will carry on through the rest of the year.

Macie has been such a blessing.....she is just growing and learning so much! every day she amazes us with something new. She's started saying her own bedtime prayers, and in addition to praying for our friends and family, she's been thanking God for things like marshmallows, turtles, Yo Gabba Gabba, etc...........you know? the important things in life! She loves church, and is always excited to go to her sunday school classes, and takes charge when she's there! we've got a little bossy britches with her. she's definetly a leader!

sorry for my absence......

2009-02-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

sorry i've been away so long! christmas took a lot out of us, and then with macie's birthday right on top of it, it makes the recovery take a lot longer! we also had a bit of a roller coaster january......on the 10th, I found out that I was pregnant. we were all so excited! I sent out an email with a picture of macie holding a sign that said "i'm going to be a big sister!" I was sicker with this one than i was with macie and super tired, but all was going well. On the 26th, though, all was not well.......I ended up miscarrying. It was a shock, and it was hard for us all, but overall, we're doing well. It's all in God's hands, so I'm trying not to stress!

I promise that i'll be catching up, and being more dedicated here! Thanks for sticking with me!

tut, tut, it looks like rain!

2009-01-06T11:11:00.001-08:00

it's so nasty outside today.......i don't even want to go outside to do laundry....bleh. I've been totally slack here, but the holidays had us so busy that i couldn't even think straight! Bobby had almost 2 weeks off for christmas and new years/macie's birthday, so this week has been an adjustment for all of us!

there's not much to update on...macie turned 2, which is HUGE, but we didn't do much due to weather and sicknesses. She got to pick out what kind of cake she wanted, and all we heard about for days was her birthday cake! or her "beetday cake" She of course wanted a confetti cake with sprinkles! Christmas was fantastic this year, and santa was too good to all of us! Macie got a kitchen built by her Poppy, and she's been cooking up a storm ever since! I'll be sure to come back and do a post about it to show pictures!

Bobby got me a Wii Fit, and I've been using it like crazy! It's super fun, and really does give you a great workout! it's pretty entertaining to watch, too! Macie wants me to do "woga" all day, and if not that, then she wants "mama hoo hoop!"

We've been blessed with another new year, and I hope to make this one as good as possible, with the Lord's help, of course! I'm not making any resolutions, but i'm going to try setting some goals for myself. My main one is to spend more time with God. It's the most important relationship I have, yet it always seems to be the one i devote the least time to. I pray that this will change!!

it's raining, it's pouring...

2008-11-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

i'm actually really enjoying the rain today. I have a fire in the fireplace, a cup of coffee in my hand, and Macie is napping! it's nice to have a slow day now and again......and I'm so excited that our naps are fixed. Macie went nearly 2 weeks without a real nap......that was an adventure to say the least! I think that I fixed it though....(thanks, Cookie!) i'm pretty sure that due to our nightweaning and trying to cut back/limit daytime nursings she went on a nap strike. she would go to sleep fine, but as soon as we layed down if i moved at all, she was awake and not happy for the rest of the day. so since tuesday I haven't been limiting her nursing as much, and she's back to her normal 2 hour naps!! yay! she just wasn't ready to wean, and that was her way of letting me know it. and thankfully i had a friend who nurses her babies for a long time too, to help clue me in!

Macie's vocabulary is really taking off.......yesterday she told me very clearly "it's cold in here!" and after dinner last night, she told bobby "i need to go to the bathroom." (potty training time, here we come!). she didn't go to the bathroom, but that's beside the point! I can't wait for the holidays this year with her......she's going to enjoy everything so much now that she's big enough to know what's going on! I've got to get on planning her birthday party, too. it's only 7 weeks away.......it's unbelievable! this time 2 years ago, i was huge, and finding it hard to believe that it was possible that i would be pregnant for 2 more months!

2008-10-29T05:56:00.000-07:00

we were visited by a fairy last week! we got macie some wings when we went to the renaissance festival a couple of weekend ago, and i thought i'd take advantage of the few remaining flowers i have around the yard and get some fun pictures!

macie has really begun to bloom lately. she's not quite as bashful, or as nervous about being without me anymore. for the past month, she's been staying (and enjoying) in the church nursery! that hasn't happened......ever, and i really needed it! i was totally feeling the effects of not getting to hear or participate at church! we either didn't go, or i ended up staying in the nursery with her for the entire time. I did commit to serve in the toddler room permanently at the 11 o'clock service, so we've been getting up and going to the 9:30 service, and that's been wonderful! not only do i get to enjoy a church service, but macie gets a few hours of play time with some other kids! she's becoming much more social with our friends, too. she's gotten comfortable enough with them, i guess! it's refreshing to see her opening up!

new!

2008-09-24T10:06:00.001-07:00

so, it looks a little different here now! I wanted to have a little bit of a focus and a theme here! Our ginormous oak tree is loaded down with acorns this year, and Macie and I have become mildly obsessed! We go acorn collecting whenever we go outside. I've never really thought about them before, but it is truly a miracle that something so small can grow to be such an enormous tree. Which got me thinking even further about trees and God and us. God starts us as a tiny seed and grows us into people....it's amazing. Of course, nothing can grow without nourishment, so that is now my main goal, to nurture and nourish Macie in to the "tree" that she will someday become. The verse that is now posted at the top of my page says it all about why we should be so focused on God. Imagine these huge trees that are rooted so deep where they stand that they never thirst for anything, and never worry about the storms or droughts that will come.

God has been really working in me lately to prioritize His way, and to be the woman that He has called me to be......to live biblically......I am to fear God, be a helpmate to Bobby, and to nurture my children. The more I try to learn about how I should be living, the more excited I get about how it will affect our lives, and glorify God.

school school school

2008-09-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

so, i've been on the hunt to find the best fit for us and learning. I think that Macie's ready to start having a little structured "school" time each day, and I've tried hard to think of what i want to incorporate. Thank goodness for blogs, though........so far it seems to be the best way to find "real life" information and experiences. I've read several sites on several different methods (montessori, waldorf, charlotte mason, etc.) while I like some of the ideas that montessori and waldorf have, I'm not so crazy about the forced independence that comes with it. I happen to like that Macie wants me to be involved with her........and I want to have a Christian/God base to what we do, so I think that Charlotte Mason may be our way! It's got the nature focus that I love about montessori and waldorf, but It's founded in Christianity, which is crucial in my opinion.

I've also done some good toy purging lately. I've donated a lot of "junk" toys, put away our loud toys for rainy/bad days, and really set everything up to focus on our classic, quality toys. I want Macie to learn how to imagine and play, not for her toys to play for her. It's hard now, when your only options in toy stores are plastic, battery operated headaches in boxed that require absolutely no imagination on the child's part. She's just now starting to show more of an interest in books, so I'm really trying to encourage this........it may be a little selfish, but I want her to love reading as much as I always have!

We went to the zoo last week, and Macie had a great time. I didn't take any pictures of her, though.....i'm so terrible. I got a few pictures of some of the animals, and bobby took some pretty good video, so as soon as he gets that all loaded I'll get the video posted up here. She loved the monkeys and the birds......there was an area that you could walk through and feed Lorry's (sp?), she thought it was great. The birds land on you and eat out of your hand. She's been talking about the birds and mommy since we went!

bringin' it back on the road

2008-08-25T05:37:00.001-07:00

I know i've said this in every post, but from here on out, I'm commited! I'm going to make sure I update at least twice a week! That's big talk, I know, but I really want a place where everyone can keep up to date on macie's comings and goings!

She's getting so hilarious now, and it blows my mind how smart she is. I've recently decided to start setting up our home preschool......she's too eager to try new things to not get going with it! I've been super inspired by several Montessori mama blogs, so I'm really thinking we'll lean that way. I think it will fit us really well.....she's really independent already, so if I can further cultivate that and let her learn, then fantastic!

19 months is a fun but difficult age..........her personality is really blossoming now......i get glimpses of what kind of girl she'll be every day. She's got such a mix of me and bobby.......she's wild and loud and outgoing, but such a homebody too. and too many kids totally overwhelm her. she gets that from bobby.......

2008-02-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

an entire year (plus a month!) has passed since i became a mommy, and as i write that, it's still unbelievable! i love every minute of it......even the difficult ones, and there's are many! right now, at this very moment, she's trying to eat a crayon......yeesh! I'm going to try to start keeping this up for my family and friends, as a way for everyone to keep up with macie as she grows. we have lots of videos but no time to make them into movies that we can send out, so the least i can do is try and upload some pictures at least once a week with a little update!!

she's a walking fool now, and loves to climb the stairs, so our baby gates are being put to good use! she's also picking up some sign language, which is great! bobby and i are really trying to at least get her the basics so that she can tell us what she wants before the has the words for it. She loves the baby signing time videos, so that makes it easy for her, and us to learn together.

i'm going to send this address out to everyone, so keep on me to update!! I'll do my best!!!!

2007-12-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

boy oh boy, has it been a long time! down below is what i looked like about 15 months ago, and to my left is what I'm dealing with now! she's a mess! Macie's first birthday is less than a week away, and I can hardly believe it! Motherhood has been a constant adventure, and I'm loving every minute of it! I don't really guess there's an effective way to catch up with the last year of my life, so there's really not much use in trying. It's been so amazing being her mother....there aren't enough words to say how blessed I am to have her! She gets better every day....and funnier, too!

2006-09-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

bobby and i had a fantastic weekend......we went camping waaaayyyyy back in ashe county with bobby's family. the weather held out for the most part, which was great! there wasn't any rain until our last night. it was nice to have a break from everything, but it made it that much harder to come back to daily life......especially since we came home to a leaky roof (again!), a leaky window, and the cat locked in our bedroom. of course, the cat in the bedroom meant that she hadn't eaten, drank, or had access to her litter box in oh......3 days. She did good, though.....i feel bad for having left her, though. she only peed one time all weekend. we got everything cleaned up and settled down eventually.

i'm getting bigger, and that made camping an adventure......my sleeping bag was definetley not made for people of the pregnant persuasion......all in all, i had a great time, and i'm glad we squeezed it in before the baby. hopefully, though, our kids will love sleeping outside as much as i do so it can be a regular thing for us.

2006-08-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

ok, so this is a little late....bobby's way more on top of this than me.....he even has video up of the ultrasound. oh well. every day this whole pregnancy thing gets more and more amazing. the baby is super active now, which is fun, but crazy at the same time. today, it felt like it (he or she? i don't know!!! someone guessed girl today, though!) was doing somersaults.......actually that's still what it feels like right now! in the past couple of weeks bobby's been able to feel the movement from the outside when he's patient enough to wait for it. i'm growing quickly now, so i'm obviously pregnant.............which is far better than just looking like i have a beer gut!

2006-07-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

it's sooooooo strange to look at myslef lately.........just in the past week or so i've started to look really pregnant, and it's very bizarre and surreal. I caught myself just staring in the mirror this morning while i was brushing my teeth, thinking that doesn't look like me at all........I love the way i look right now, though. i don't have to look at my stomach and be worried about it being flat enough anymore. i just look at it and marvel at what God is allowing to happen inside of me, and i'm just overwhelmed.......i'm so blessed, and it hasn't even really sunk in yet! i still have a tendency to kind of forget that i'm really pregnant.....i mean i look at other pregnant women, and i don't really associate myself with them yet. that'll come i guess.

working!!

2006-07-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

so here i am, working on a saturday. it's been so dead this morning it's not even funny. oh well, i get off in 30 minutes, so i can make it! My mom's coming this afternoon, which is great. She and my sister are the reason that i get homesick......our family is so close knit, that it's like a part of me is missing since i don't get to see them every day. I grew up in a family where we saw at the bare minimum, one extended family member every day of our lives.........I can't imagine what it was like for my mom when she was married to my dad and living in texas, louisiana, and mississippi.......missing all of her holidays, and never getting to see her mom or sisters. it's bad enough for me living less than 2 hours from them. That is the only thing that saddens me about having a baby right now.....i had cousins that were close in age to me, and they were the best friends i had growing up.......none of them are even close to ready to have kids.......not, that i want them all to settle down immediately and start popping out babies, but i guess i'm just selfish in not wanting my kids to miss out on the relationships that i had with my family growing up. Hopefully by the time I'm ready for my second, my sister will be getting close to wanting her first one......surely she'll be married by then!

hmm........blogging, huh?

2006-07-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

so, here i am..........i have succumbed to bobby's urging to join in his blog crusade! it's crazy that as addicted to blogs as i am, that i have a super hard time keeping up with one, and i do not have even the slightest idea how to work this place, but we'll see how i do!