The holidays are gone...a new year is upon us.

I know I'm a little late in posting but the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 has been one hectic time of the year. My wonderful husband surprised me with a trip home to see my family for Christmas. It was my first Christmas home in 7 years! It was wonderful. It was a LONG and QUICK trip but it was worth it. My kids had a blast as well. We've started trying to teach Olivia the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I'm not sure what to tell her about santa. She asks questions about why we can't fly with his reign deer. I won't lie to her. For now, I've been able to skirt around that topic and direct her to why we really celebrate Christmas. On another note, I don't want MY kid to be the one that tells her entire class that santa doesn't exist which is one reason I've avoided the topic all together. I remember my brother telling me and how heart broken I was but thinking back, I don't "think" my parents ever told me he was real but I still thought he was. My brother was the one that ruined alot of things for me but I love him anyway! It was great to get to see my grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles and cousins.

As for the new year, I proclaim this as a year of change. I know it is a year of change for our country but I want it to be a year of change for me personally and for my family. I'm on a quest to have our family eat more healthy, spend more time together, and have family quiet time and devotions together. I'm on a quest to learn to be more patient and more dedicated to my home and Church activities. This is a year to be better at what you do. I wish all of you a very happy, prosperous new year!

Miss Heart of Houston County Pageant

Well, the pageant is over. It was quite an exhausting day. Madi did not place but was, of course, the most beautiful baby there! Olivia was second runner up. I was very proud of her as this was her first pageant. I may be in trouble though. She keeps asking when she can be in another one. This isn't something I was looking to getting my girls into as I think there is to much emphasis placed on external beauty and I don't want that instilled in her at such a young age. Ever for that matter. I know she's beautiful and alot of others do to but I'd much rather encourage God given abilities. Be it sports, music, art, whatever she decides to pursue. BUT I have always said if it is something SHE wants to do, I would allow it. I will never become one of those pageant moms that live vicariously through their daughter and force them to do pageants and grow up far before there time. If Olivia can't win a pageant in her natural beauty, then that a flaw of any judge that would choose a winner based on fake beauty (makeup and fake hair.) I'm so glad she had a great time and I will allow her to participate again. Because I had 2 girls in it in back to back age divisions, I think I got more stage time than anyone else. LOL It was quite exhausting. I had to have Jeremy at the bottom of the steps to the stage so I could hand one off as I walked the other one up. HAHAHA. We all came home and napped. I don't have any good pics of Madi. Jeremy was the photographer so blame him. lol But I will include a picture of Olivia. My beautiful daughter. She did have on lip gloss and mascara so you could see her eyelashes. Other than that, she was all natur-el.

What a day in history!

The kids and I just got through watching the inauguration of the 44th president of the united states. What a day in history. I never thought I'd live to see such a day. I'm proud of how far our country has come that a day like to day is possible. Yet I still feel such a heaviness. I'm sure if I could remember much about when Bush was sworn in, I had the same mixed feelings. Not quite on such a high level as today though as this is truely historical. It's like we know we need change but sometimes change is hard to accept. I pray that God give the new president to run our country as it needs to be ran and that positive things take place. I know he wasn't all our choice for president but we must pray for the leader of our country. I pray our country pulls together and not apart. I pray positive changes will take place for the future of my children and America's children. What a day! One that will forever change history. God Bless America!

My baby is growing up!

she rolled from her back to her tummy, crossed one leg under the other, pushed up with both hands and SAT!!! she didn't even keep herself propped up like in the video I posted last night. I WISH I had my camera on hand. After she did it a couple more times, I ran and got my camera, turned it to video, and she layed there and fussed because she was tired. :-/She also fell asleep in her crib, in her room, by herself for the first time tonight. She's been in the pack n play since birth and typically starts off in our bed until she falls asleep, then we move her, she sleeps the night through (until about 5:00 AM when she wakes up starving). We'll see if she does the same in her own bed. YAY It's all so exciting but sad at the same time. My baby, my last baby is growing up before my eyes!

Christmas time is coming!

Are you ready for it? We have a layaway yet to get out but for the most part, have the kids stuff taken care of. My mom and Jeremy's mom and some family will be getting a 6 mth picture of Madison for Christmas. We can't afford to buy for all the adults. We had our pictures made at our photographers and are ordering Christmas cards from her. That will have to be most everyone elses Christmas this year. The kids are our main focus. Thankfully Madison is young enough, she doesn't really need anything. We have her 2 toys in layaway and that will be it for her. I may put some socks and such in her stocking as she could REALLY use some. The newborn socks just aren't quite cutting it anymore.

Caleb is getting a tool bench. He will absolutely love it! He's getting a tricylce also. He won't be able to use it for a few months but at least we'll have it ready when Spring arrives. It was just such a great deal, I couldn't pass it up. It's Diego and he absolutely LOVES Dora and Diego. Olivia is getting a guitar (she's been asking for one for a LONG time). It's not a full size guitar but it's not the little ones either. I forgot what it's called but it's the next size up from a jr. and one size down from a full size. It's pretty big. I got it $30.00 and it was regular $100.00.I found a great deal on it on clearance at Target. I just love me some Targe clearance! She's getting a digital camera as well. Nothing fancy. Just one of those $40.00 ones you can pick up off the shelf. It's fancy enough for her. It has an LCD screen and all it's just a teeny bopper looking camera. I think it may be Hannah Montanna or Cheetah girls or something like that. Then they are each getting a couple clothes items and small toys. Caleb is getting some hot wheels in his stocking and Livy is getting some lip gloss. I still need to find her a couple things both for the stocking and under the tree. Thankfully we started early and have most of it done. Then, as soon as Christmas is over, we have to start buying for birthdays. All 3 of their birthdays are within 3 weeks of each other. The girls actually share a birthday and then 3 weeks later Caleb has his. It's like Christmas all over again.

I wish I could go home and see my family for Christmas. I can't remember the last time I got to be home for Christmas. Probably Christmas of 2000. Christmas 2001, (the year we got married) Jeremy worked that night. The next Christmas, we were living in Alabama and have been ever since. Next year, we will probably be home for Thanksgiving. Maybe we can do some sort of Christmas then. At least with my mom, brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews.

The most important thing is family and mine are clothed, fed, have a roof over their head and we are all healthy. Not much more I could ask for. We are quite blessed!

my weight loss journey

Well, I've decided it's time to buckle down and get serious about losing weight. I'm tired of not feeling good about myself. I do have PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) which makes my journey a bit tough but what my PCOS does not know is it can't defeat me when I have my mind made up to do something! I've been reading "You on a diet" by Dr. Oz and some other dr. and it's very insightful, even if you don't need to lose weight at this point in life, it has alot of great information. I've also implimented a new life style change. Jeremy isn't thrilled about the extra money spent on groceries but I think, when it's all said and done, he'd much rather spend a litte extra on groceries than alot on medical bills. I've lost about 10 lbs so far and I've only been doing this a week - a week an 1/2. It's not near as hard as I thought. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner. Well, Iguess I do. I've been pregnant or breast feeding for the last 5 years. hahaha. ANYWAY, I never really fry food at home. I don't like the splattering popping grease so I didn't have to worry about cutting those things out. (and anyone who knows me from my childhood will tell you what a change that is for me. I used to LOVE me some fried potato's!) I've never really been a big sweets eater anyway unless it was my grandma's cobbler but for the rare occasion I may have a sweet tooth, we keep either carmel or chocolate mini rice cakes to munch on. I keep weight watchers ice cream bars instead of regular ice cream. I'm not a big chips eater either but sometimes crave something crunchy and salty so I keep ranch mini rice cakes to snack on and mixed nuts. I eat 3 meals a day starting off with oatmeal and a glass of 1% milk in the morning. I have a mid morning snack which usually consists of an apple. My lunch is usually some sort of turkey, tuna, or chicken wrap or sandwich. I'm using the Ezekiel bread for my bread and the Ezekiel tortilla's for my wraps. If you haven't heard of it, google it. It's some awesome all natural bread. The recipe was created from Ezekiel 4:9. Then I'll have a mid afternoon snack. Usually another apple. Sometimes it may be mixed nuts or dried fruit. For dinner, we typically have baked chicken or baked salmon or tilapia. Sometimes chicken salad or sometimes baked cornish game hens. With that, we will have some sort of fresh or frozen veggie that I will either steam or boil. Mayeb even 2 veggies. I make sure I drink at least 8 8oz. glasses of water a day. I've cut out all soda. If it's not water, juice, unsweetened tea, or unsweatened coffee, I don't drink it. I may on occasion (once a month) stop and get a cola icee. Starbucks will be my weekly cheat once I drop another 10 lbs. We are starting to substitut whole wheat pasta for regular pasta. I don't use salad dressing. I use olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Sounds like alot of changes but it really wasn't a huge change for us. We are big veggie and fruit eaters anyway. It's just a matter of cutting out the soda's, sugars, and all the proccessed garbage. We also bought a cheap old treadmill off of craigslist that I'm using now as well. I'm already feeling my energy come back which is a good thing. With 3 little ones, I need all the energy I can get. hahaha. I make sure to take a multi vitamin everyday as well.
For anyone needing to go down the same road, I highly reccomend getting Dr. Oz's book. I found the cheapest place to find it was Ebay. Amazon had some cheap ones but I got mine for like $7.00 and they are usually somewhere between $24.00-$32.00. I also reccomend looking up recipes on weight watchers.com and keeping a daily log of what you consume. It helps out so much!
Good luck and happy losing to all you losers! :)

Halloween....is it FINALLY over?

WOW!!!! What a CRAZY week! I'm so glad halloween is finally over. We had a Dr.'s apt this week, pictures, Madi got her ears pierced, 2 carnival/fall festivals and tonight, we went to the national peanut festival. (our annual fair). It was darn chilly for us Southerners. It was probably upper 40's lower 50's but I was freezing my batooty off! The kids did great but Caleb did have one melt down on one of the rides in kiddie land. I guess maybe he's not a roller coaster boy. He MUST get that from his father because growing up, it was the roller coasters I ran to first. Maybe not when I was 2 though.

Funds were tight this year so the kids didn't have a matching theme like they usually do. Olivia was an Alabama cheerlearder and what a cute one she was. Caleb was Raggedy Andy for the second year in a row, and Madi just wore a pumpkin sleeper with matching hat. They were still really cute. At our Church's fall festival, I saw the CUTEST baby costume EVER! The baby was in a baby chick costume and the mom was wearing him/her in a sling and around the sling, they attatched a large KFC bucket. It was SOOOOO stinking adorable. I don't know why I never think of these things!

Then, one of the families from our church went as characters from the wizard of Oz. They have 3 boys and a girl. The parents don't typically dress up but I think since they FINALLY got their little girl, that the mom is just REALLY into stuff like that now. The dad was the wizard, the mom was Dorothy, the baby was the good witch, and the brothers were the scarecrow, tin man and the lion. I absolutely LOVED it. We actually considered having the kids be characters from the wizard of oz. (what cute lollipop kids they would make!) I also thought about 3 scarecrows. 3 pumpkins. Maybe next year we can do the wizard of oz. Who knows what next year holds and my brain hurts trying to think that far ahead. LOL