Getting to Know You Sunday

I so should NOT be sitting at my computer right now blogging but alas I am. I SHOULD be working out but I can hear my daughter talking up in her crib, refusing to take a nap (just talking and playing, not crying or anything) so I am hoping that by the time I finish this, she will have fallen asleep.

A girl can dream, right? :) If she hasn't fallen asleep, I will proceed to work out anyways. NO excuses! :)

Okay, here are the "Getting to Know You" questions, courtesy of Keely at MannLand5!

1. Do you iron your sheets? Umm....do I iron anything??? The answer is NO! Although, I would like to surprise my husband once and iron all of his work shirts. Right now, he tosses them into the dryer for 10 minutes each morning and fluffs them. They are wrinkle free so this works well but a crisply ironed shirt is so sharp lookin'.

2. Your dream car is....? Hmm....I used to be into cars. Like I loved going to the Auto Show and drooling over the decked out SUV's. But then I realized that cars are depreciating assets. And they are SO expensive new. However, it is my DREAM car you are asking about. So now, I think my dream car is a brand new Toyota Sienna, fully loaded with leather and wood grain. Yup, you read that right! A minivan is my dream car! Someday when I am not hauling kids everywhere, I would love some sort of affordable convertible. I think going on a drive on a summer evening in a convertible sounds heavenly. :)

3. Do you have an innie or an outie belly button? Innie. So random.

4. What meal do you look forward to the most..breakfast, lunch, or dinner? I used to LOVE breakfast on my days off with Brett because we would often go out but now that we are eating healthier, I would say dinner.

5. Favorite mascara? Maybeline brand, comes in bright orange tube and you can get it at Coscto. Score.

6. What would you say your decorating style is..traditional, modern, eclectic, country, french country, shabby chic, etc..? Hmm....I would traditional. My home has a lot of rich browns, rust oranges, greens, etc.

7. Have you ever been skinny dipping? None of your beeswax.

8. I hate the smell of...? Cabbage, brussel sprouts cooking, dirty diapers in the trash, cat litter, the Yankee Candle store (it gives me a headache!!!!!!), stinky dog breath, and olives.

Emersyn is STILL awake. Grrrrr. Looks like naptime might not happen today. Wish me luck.

Off I go to Shred, day 24! :)

Sunday Scripture Memory

I have successfully memorized my first verse for the year...."Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you, He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for Him! Isaiah 30:18" Typed from memory!

My next verse relates back to a post I did earlier this week.

Zephaniah 3:17- "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing!"

This verse is so personal to me now as a mother. I could say these exact same things to my daughter. I could tell Emersyn that I will take great delight in her, quiet her sadness and tears with my love and rejoice over her with singing. How neat for the Lord to paint such a vivid picture of a loving parent for us to relate to as He longs to be our heavenly father.

In order for me to receive this love though, I need to be willing. If Emersyn refuses to sit in my lap, it is much harder for me to comfort her when she is troubled. I will still love her if she runs away from me but my heart will ache to know that if she would just trust me, I could make it better for her. I need to climb up into my Saviors lap more often and LET Him rejoice over me with singing, let Him delight in me and do more things worthy of His delight, and be quieted by His love. These are the thoughts I will ponder as I memorize this verse this week.

TGI Friday

I snagged this idea from Tea (who snagged it from someone else, can't remember who) and I think it is such a great way to go into your weekend! :)

Trusting-that God knows the desires of my heart and has placed those desires in my heart with the intent of fulfilling them someday!

Grateful- that a week of hard work paid off! I lost 4 lbs! :)

Inspired- to FINALLY get pictures up in our dining room. Just bought two pictures shelves/ledges and we have been collecting frames from Goodwill that we are going to spray paint and then fill with pics of our sweet little monkey.

Favorite- new place! THE PITA PIT!!!!!!! We went there for lunch today and I had a super filling and delicious pita that was a little over 400 calories. AMAZING. (I totally want to convince Brett to take me there for dinner tonight, ha! I can't stop thinking about it!!! I know, I know....moderation is key!!)

Random- I refuse to eat at Taco Del Mar now. We went there about a year ago and immediately noticed that they don't use gloves when they handle the food. I watched the lady like a hawk and she went and rang someone up, handled money and then went and got out the tortilla to make my burrito. I nearly gagged. Brett asked if another lady could make the burrito which was a little awkward but still. Then the new lady that was making my burrito had to go in the back for something and came out of the backroom and went right to touching my food without watching her hands. How do I know that she didn't pick her nose or worse in the back room??? We walked out and took a business card. I immediately called the owner and told him that I felt that his employees should be wearing gloves. He said that they wash their hands. I said that I watched two women NOT wash their hands. He said he would send me a certificate for a free dinner. Never got it. Ugh. So last week I found a vegan jr. burrito online that is relatively low calorie so I thought that we would give it another try. We go into the restaurant. Still no gloves. Ick. I watch the lady handle money, then reach into the chips container to get someone chips using ONLY her hands, no scoop or anything. Then she came over to the line, turned on the water, put her hands in the water stream for about 5 seconds, wiped them on her apron and started making food. FAIL. No soap, no nothing. We walked out. I want to call the department of health. Isn't that sick?!?!?!? Ha ha, sorry for rambling, I am so glad to have had an outlet to get this frustration out.

Interested- in learning more and more healthy whole food based recipes!

Dreaming- of what this time next year is going to be life after a whole year of lifestyle changes ad getting healthier. It's exciting!

Admiring- my BFF for starting her new eating plan this week. You can do it friend!!!!!

Yay!- for the many blessings in my life, including a HEALTHY daughter finally!! I haven't wiped her nose once today. I think her cold/ear infection is finally going away!!!

Happy 17 Months Emersyn Grace!

Dear Emersyn,


It's been awhile since I wrote you a letter on my blog so I thought that in honor of your 17 month birthday, I would let you know what you are up to.

Sometimes these letters to you are so hard to write out because it is truly impossible to put into words how special you are and how much I love you. Time is going by so fast and I need to be better about documenting all your new talents and traits. This could be a long one. :)

*Words you say: "Ma" (Grandma/Grammy), "Pah/Bah" for (Grandpa), "Papaaa" (Papa), "Nuh" (Nana), up, ball, kee (monkey), keekee (kitty), stap (stop for when we are tickling you), DAH! (dad), mum, tucka tucka (not sure what this is yet), geh (again), hot (usually accompanied by trying to take off a jacket or sweatshirt!).

*You are obsessed with your baby Gloworm. You sleep with it, you play with it first thing when you wake up from your night or a nap, and before I get you out of the crib you have to go press the button again so that you can enjoy the music while I change you. :) It is really cute. You have had the Gloworm for awhile but just recently realized that you could make it make music.

*You love your new kitchen. Your favorite thing to do is not pretend that you are cooking, it is to open and shut all the doors, except for the oven which you still refuse to acknowledge. You figured out that there is a manual turn table in the microwave so you will stick something in there, usually something too big that barely fits, shut the microwave with such a force that it scares me sometimes, and then turn the wheel under the microwave until you think it is done. So cute. One of my favorite things to do is watch you play with your kitchen when you aren't looking at me. I love seeing your little mind process things and wonder what you are thinking.

*Whenever you find a cell phone, you put it up to your ear and yell "YEAH?". SO cute.

*You have decided that you do NOT like cheese. I wish you would have decided this BEFORE I bought the 6000 count string cheese pack at Costco. :) It's okay sweet girl, your daddy and I will eat it. But I wish you would eat it too, as string cheese used to be your favorite food!

*My favorite thing to do with you in the mornings is make you oatmeal, toss blueberries in it and then we go sit on the couch and watch Sesame Street while I feel you breakfast. I know it isn't good to eat in front of the TV so we don't do it every morning. But when we do, it is so fun.

*You love your babies. You like to take your baby dolls and go sit in your rocking chair and rock them and pat their backs. You also LOVE the baby doll "backpack" that our neighbors have. Might have to get you one of those soon.....you are so cute with a little baby on your back.

*You are obsessed with your cowboy boots. I think it's because they have a little heel on them so you think your sassy. Today we took you to Starbucks, your favorite place. We put you in the high chair and you ate your yogurt just fine but then you refused to eat your banana because you wanted what we had. After Daddy and I finished eating our breakfast, you wanted to get down and show off your boots, which totally did NOT match your outfit. You then decided you would eat your banana but only while walking around in your boots. After you finished your banana, you decided to roll your high chair clear across the room to the little cubby where it goes. You are so smart.

*You love knocking on doors, particularly bathroom doors when people are in them. :)

*You love the pink hippo/cow (we aren't sure what it is) that Uncle Brock got you for your birthday. You like to slide it around all over the downstairs and then climb up on it and bounce.

*We have started giving you time outs. Not too many yet though. Your frequent offenses are climbing onto furniture and then standing up and trying to stand on the dishwasher, both very unsafe things to do. Mommy and Daddy love you so much but you know better and you get a little gleam in your eye when you are so obviously testing us. For the record, you get ALL your stubborn-ness from your Daddy!! ;) But you do get some of your fiesty-ness from your Mama, that I will admit....

*You seemed to be amused by the fact that Mommy is working out these days. Today you sat in your pink chair in the living room and laughed at me while I was doing "high knees". I realize that it is probably pretty funny looking so I don't mind. You also laid down on the floor with me when I was doing my crunches and gave me kisses. You are such a sweet girl!

*You love baths! When I ask if you want a bath, you run to the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs and start shaking it aggressively in hopes of knocking it down so you can get upstairs to the bathtub!

*You have started to understand the concept of cleaning up. The other day you took all your play food out of the crate. I asked you to pick it all up and put it back and kind of didn't think you would but sure enough, I looked over a couple minutes later and all the food was picked up! Also, today we were on our way out the door to go to Starbucks and you saw a coaster lying on the floor in the living room. You ran over to it, picked it up, and then ran into the kitchen, opened the bottom drawer and put the coaster right back where it came from! (Where YOU got it out I might add, you love the bottom drawer that has my placemats and dishtowels and coasters. You also love taking out ALL of my tupperware and stashing it throughout the house!)

*Yesterday while Miss Roxanne and I were chatting, I looked over at you and you looked like you just wanted to be one of the girls, lounging back your chair with your feet up on your pink stool!! It was SO cute! I wish I got a picture but sure enough, you bolted before I could snap one.

*You get sooooo excited when Daddy gets home from work. About 30 minutes before he actually gets home you start walking over to the window by the side of the door and yelling, "DAH!". Usually when he gets home though, you run to me and get needy for mama. I love this. :)

*You love watching DVD's in the car. I try not to let you watch the DVD player all the time, but when you do watch it, you only watch something educational. Right now your favorite DVD is "Blues Clues ABC's". You laugh when all the kids laugh on the show and really get into it. When I tell you that we aren't going to watch a DVD in the car, you get frustrated but then we talk about all the trees that we see and the cars and you have a good time pointing to them all and start jabbering to me. You have so much personality.

*You love your Nana and Papa's dogs. You know each of them by name, Sadie and Gracie and give them lots of loves. You also love our kitty and have learned to pet her very gently.

*You like bling. When you see my watch or wedding ring, you try to pull them off. This is probably because Daddy lets you play with his wedding ring by giving it to you and then you put it on his finger and laugh hysterically.

*You love to dance. Whenever you hear a musical ringtone, whether it's mine or someone in public you start to move and groove.

*You weight 24.5 lbs as of last Friday, which puts you in the 47th percentile. You have such a petite little figure, I love putting you in leggings and dresses. You are such a beautiful child and I spend a lot of our time together just staring at you and thanking God for you.

This doesn't even begin to sum up of the amazing traits and abilities that you have sweet girl. I am so happy to be your mama.. I pray that God would keep you healthy and strong and grow you in the sweet little girl that He has called you to be with a little assistance from your Daddy and I.

With all my love,

Your Mama

Wordless Wednesday- One Year Ago Today

So not impressed with her first taste of rice cereal, LOL!

Mighty to Save

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

I saw this verse on a friends' blog today and was moved by it. Hillsongs, "Mighty to Save" is one of my absolute favorite worship song and moves me to tears every time I sing it. I have been saved, not just in the "I asked Jesus to come into my heart when I was kid" saved, but truly saved....from myself! The path I started down as an adult was not a righteous one but my God was mighty to save. I love how encouraging this verse is. I suspect it will become my next memory verse. How can anyone be discouraged after reading that verse???

This verse is timely for me today however. Emersyn is home with me; I called in sick. She seems to have a sinus infection, or at least that is what I think it is after talking it over with some other moms. It is draining as a mama to see your baby so unhappy and uncomfortable. I am taking her into the Dr. this evening and hoping they can give her something to make her better.

I also got a call today from my mom saying that my grandma's cat scan results did not come back positive. My sweet Grandma Gigi has lung cancer and apparently it is an aggressive form. It is spreading and the Dr's gave her less then a year to live. They even mentioned the word *hospice* which makes me shudder just typing it out. Growing old and dying is a very real part of life and the practical side of me says that everyone will die someday and you just have to hope that you lived your life well and hope that you had the opportunity to grow old. The emotional side of me remembers all the fun memories with my Gigi and my heart aches because my daughter won't know her as she grows up, nor will any of her siblings meet her. I have never had anyone close to me die before. My grandpa died 4 years ago but I wasn't close to him at all. My husband's uncle died a couple years ago and that was tragic and sad since he wasn't even that old but I don't think it impacted me near as much as losing my Gigi will.

My God IS mighty to save though. He can do miracles and before I start mourning, I need to give Him a chance to do a miracle and savor each and every day.

Emersyn is napping and I am tempted to chill on the computer. But instead, I will work out, using the temple God has given me and continue to do everything I can to make it a healthy being. Life is short and though we can't prevent every kind of disease, we can do our best to make our bodies honoring to the Lord.

Please join me in praying for my family during this time. Thank you.

Not Me Monday

It's Not Me Monday time again...therapy for the soul I tell ya..... :)

*Last Wednesday, it WASN'T me who changed my shift at work to 12-5 (from my normal 1-6) so that my babysitter could get to a meeting only for me to COMPLETELY forget to leave at 5 and happily continue working until I FREAKED out at 5:45 and realized that I was supposed to have left 45 minutes earlier!!!! Nope, I would never be that absent minded!!! (And it certainly wasn't the birth of my daughter that left me with fewer brain cells then before I had her!!)





*I am pretty excited and proud of our healthy living campaign. In an effort to find more nutritious meals, I have tried to have some vegetarian dinners planned. It wasn't me who posted on Facebook that I was sooooo excited for our vegetarian dinner that night featuring a baked potato and turkey chili!!! And then upon realizing that I had posted such a silly thing, er..I mean, NOT posted, I then did NOT call my husband frantically to have him log into my Facebook account and delete my status as to avoid public ridicule!!!

*On Sunday I totally did NOT root for the Vikings to win over the Saints. I don't even like football!!! I also was NOT extremely disappointed when the Vikings lost and say things like, "what was Farve thinking??". Not me, I DESPISE football!!!!

*While having dinner with friends on Saturday night, us girls totally didn't act like giddy kids while the boys played video games and we downloaded fun apps on my new iPhone. What sort of mature adults interact like that on a Saturday night?? And speaking of iPhones, since I got mine on Friday, I certainly have NOT pretended like I need to go the bathroom while my husband is home so that I can sneak in some fun games while he watched our daughter. Not me!!

*I never think unChristian thoughts towards Jillian Michaels during the 30 Day Shred video. And I certainly NEVER yell at the TV when she says things that irritate me as sweat cascades down my face. In fact, I NEVER sweat...I only glow. ;)

*I have NOT been putting off organizing my closet for weeks now. In fact, it wasn't MY brilliant idea that we take start folding all our clean clothes on the guest room bed so that we have more room to clean out the closet and dresser drawers. As a result of me NOT procrastinating, my guest bed is NOT covered in a sea of clean clothes, some folded, most not.

*I did NOT lay in bed this morning while my husband was in the shower, thinking to myself what a good wife I would be if I went downstairs and made him a lunch while he got ready, only to fall back asleep again.


Okay, I think you have heard enough about what I have NOT been up to lately! Happy Monday!!

Sunday Scriptures/Ramblings

So after some pondering, I have decided to memorize two verses a month. I think that one a week might be a little daunting so I want to give myself a goal that is acheivable. So for this week, I will continue to meditate and memorize Isaiah 30:18, "For the Lord longs to be gracious to you, He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice, blessed are all who wait for Him". What a great verse, huh? Thank you Lord for your Word!

So what have I been up to lately you ask?

Well.....our healthy living campaign is going well! We are having so much fun learning about healthier foods and recipes. It is fun to buy produce at Costco and actually go through it all, not let it rot in the crisper of the fridge while we consume processed foods. I feel like our meals have become simpler and we view food as fuel for the most part, not an emotional event. :)

On Friday we had to take our MacBook Pro in to be fixed. I was pretty disappointed to need a repair on a 4 month old computer, however, it was fixed in house and in 4 hours! I know with most PC's, in order to get a repair you have to send your computer away for 4-6 weeks. Anyways, I am still pro-Mac.

Friday we took Emersyn to the Dr. to make sure that all she had was a cold. Sure enough, she is fit as a fiddle minus her icky cold of course. Our pediatrician said that her lungs sounded good, no fever and that she has a little fluid behind one of her ears which is common with a head cold. She said that it is NOT an ear infection but has the potential to turn into one so we should keep an eye on her. We left with no medicines or anything. Emersyn weighs 23 1/2 pounds which really surprised me. I thought she weighed more then that, or at least that is what my aching arms and back thought. :) She has become quite the clingy little monkey so mama's arms are getting strong! :) I LOVE our pediatrician and we always have such nice time chatting with her. She is expecting her first baby this Spring and I am so excited for her.

Friday night we decided to drop E off at her Nana and Papa's and go see "Avatar" with my brother and his girlfriend, a double date! It was a really great movie!! Pretty weird story but VERY entertaining. We saw it in 3D which made it pretty incredible to see.

Yesterday I was feeling pretty run down, I think I am battling a cold. My friend Julia came over to sit and chat with me while I cleaned my kitchen. That is a good friend, who will just keep you company when you have to do a dreaded task like tons of dishes!!! We also started a blog for her. I can't wait for you all to see it. She is such a neat person and has some great insights. Once she is up and running I will give you the link so you can say hello and welcome to the blog world! :) Then last night we had some friends over for dinner and it was nice to just relax and chat. We need to have people over more often, I love having my home full of people.

I feel like I have neglected this blog a little bit lately. It is hard because we haven't done a whole lot with Emersyn being sick for the last two weeks. I have also been challenged to really weigh the content of what I post. I don't want my blog to turn into a constant "Blog Hop". I think those can be really fun and I know you can attract more followers by participating but I feel compelled to let my words be few sometimes. That doesn't mean that I won't ever participate in Blog Hops, like I said, they are fun. I just realized that the blogs I admire the most don't necessarily post the most frequently but when they do, I sure stop to read what they have to say.

How's that for some random ramblings on a Sunday? :)

I know I am a couple days late but I wanted to wish my sweet blogger friend, LeAnna, a very special congrats on surviving the first year of motherhood!! And to Mr. Quade, happy belated birthday cute boy!!

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tid-Bits

*Emersyn is still sick. :( She has been sick now for one week. She doesn't have a fever though, just a runny nose and bad cough. I know the cough is bothering her though because last night I would hear her coughing and then she would cry for a couple seconds and fall back asleep. It kept me awake for most the night. That and the fact I drank a gallon of my new beloved green tea before bed and let me tell you, caffeine DOES in fact affect me. Ugh. If Ems is still coughing tomorrow, I am going to make an appointment for Thursday morning.

*Last night I made some wickedly good panini sandwiches. A friend of mine asked me to post my recipe awhile ago so here it is:

Amazing Panini's ala Brett

(he thought up the recipe)

*Rustic Sourdough Bread

*Mayo (We use the olive oil kind, better for you)

*Sun Dried tomato pesto (can get it at Winco in the produce section near the minced garlic)

*Thinly sliced turkey

*Provolone

*Thinly sliced tomatos

1) Mix 2/3 part mayo to 1/3 part tomato pesto, making an aioli sauce. You kind of can't go wrong with mixing these two ingredients. I like it MORE tomato tasting, Brett likes it less. It can definitely be customized.

2) Spread the aioli on two slices of bread. Layer turkey, tomato and provolone. (Just need one slice of cheese, too much will be overwhelming)

3) Brush olive oil or butter on outside of bread and place on panini grill, griddle or fry pan.

4) Brown/grill and serve. AMAZING. Simple and delicious and filling!

Well, that's it for now! Happy Tuesday everyone!

Sunday Scriptures: An Anchor

After finishing "Anonymous" by Alicia Britt Chole, I have been challenged to memorize more of the Word of God. After all, Psalms 199:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

When examining Jesus' life and the 40 days of temptation that He faced in the desert, one has to wonder how a human being could endure FORTY days of being tempted for even the simplest of things like food.

Whenever Jesus was tempted by the devil, He quoted scripture as a means of rebuking the temptation. Chole says, "If anyone ever had the ability to completely live a self-reliant life, it was Jesus. But he passed on self reliance. He knew it was highly overrated. As Jesus meditated on God's Word, that Word anchored and strengthened Him to choose a better way in the desert." I want to equip myself to choose a better way when I am in a desert. I know first hand that being self-reliant IS highly overrated....

The first temptation that Jesus was faced with was in regards to his appetite. Jesus has fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He may have been God in the flesh but he was also human, and after this long fast he was most definitely a HUNGRY human! Would have it been bad for him to eat? No, except that it was Satan that said, "If you are the Son of Man, turn these stones into bread..." (Matthew 4:3) Jesus replies, "It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God". Bam! Take that devil!

Chole writes, "In the Judean wilderness, that anchor proved faithful and enabled Jesus to resist Satan's lure through a world changing choice. Though painfully conscious of his appetite, Jesus was even more purposefully committed to God's Word's have preeminence in his life. When tempted in the layer of appetite, Jesus chose to reposition his cravings, desires, longings and physical needs behind God's unchanging truth."

Appetite is an ironic temptation for me in this stage of life, with the desire to get healthy something on my mind constantly. But more then physical appetite, I believe that in this day and age we struggle with an appetite for immediate gratification. Doing what we want when we want to because it's what we want. Make sense? I want to be someone that uses God's Word to anchor me, not be guided by my own desires or wants. I have proven to be unreliable in making important decisions or resisting temptations.

And so, I join a friend of mine on the 2010 Scripture Memorization mission! I have chosen this as my first verse and perhaps as my 2010 "anchor verse".

"For the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him." Isaiah 30:18.

I will be choosing a new verse each Sunday to memorize for the week. I know that there have been times in my life when I have been deep in the Word and you just can't help but have it overflow out of you at times. I find that when I am praying for others, I feel inadequate if I don't know what God's word says. God's word is truth and will never come back void; I need to cling to that and start arming myself with the Word as I grow as a woman, wife and mother.

I would challenge you all as my blog friends to make the Word of God your anchor too! Have a blessed Sunday everyone!!

An Important Reminder for Me....

Some houses try to hide the fact

That children shelter there,

Ours boasts it quite openly,

The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,

Little smudges are on the doors.

I should apologize, I guess,

For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with my children

And we played and laughed and read.

And if the doorbell doesn't shine,

Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to choose

The one job or the other,

I'd like to cook and clean and scrub,

But first I'll be a mother.

Author Unknown

5 Question Friday

Mama M is sooooo close to her goal of 100 participants in Five Question Friday...even though I have already posted for the day, I gotta help a bloggy friend out! :) Here we go!

1. Worst trouble you ever got into as a teenager?

Hmm...depends on who you ask! I was in a special Health Careers program when I was in high school and it was located at another campus. Let's just say I took my time getting to and from there and occasionally missed a class or two here or there. Or way more then two. Like at least one per week. I wasn't too into high school towards the end. Or the beginning. :) I got into trouble in my later teens too but it isn't worth bloggin' about. I am thankful to be a new creation in Christ!! :)

2. Are you a morning person or a night person?

NIGHT person all the way. I thought having a baby would change this but it turns out she is a night person too. :) Brett and I love our evenings after Emersyn has gone to bed and have trouble putting an end to them to go to bed. I always regret staying up late the morning after though.....

3. Are you a one-handed or a two-handed Texter?

One!

4. Democrat, Republican, or Independent..or maybe even Green Party (whatever that is).

I am a Republican and am conservative but don't always agree 100% with the Republican stance on everything.

5. Are you a pet person?

Yes, I am. Even though pets are smelly and messy, I do love them. We just have one low maintenance cat right now but Brett is really wanting to get a puppy. I want to wait until Emersyn is a little older when she might appreciate a puppy a little more. And I am using the excuse of working and not being home to house train a puppy. :) I think we will get one before our next baby though; Brett has always grown up with a dog and I know he misses our sweet Molly Brown a lot. :(

See ya tomorrow! :)

TGI Friday

Trusting- in this verse: "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18

Grateful- for the simplest things in life like having clean water. Thinking of all that the people of Haiti are going through right now makes me not want to take anything for granted and intercede for such a devastated nation.

Inspired- by my friend Wendy who never ceases to amaze me with her sensitive heart towards those who need Jesus in their lives!

Favorite- fruit right now- pomegranate!!! DELISH. A resident at Brett's work gave him two and when I came home, Brett had gotten all the seeds out of it which is the hard part. Emersyn loved it too!

Random- I am watching Julie & Julia right now and it's making me SO hungry. All of the food looks SO delicious but it is all bathed in butter. If I could choose anything to eat right now, it would be the bruschetta that Julie just made on the buttered toast.....my stomach is growling. :)

Interested- in finding more low calorie delicious dinners. I am particularly interested in meals that I could make a freeze, like a lasagna!

Dreaming- of babies. Refer to my earlier post this week, hee hee. :)

Admiring- my friend Vanessa for taking on the Project 365 challenge!!! I think I would be more apt to doing this if I had a camera phone but alas, I do not (yet). I think I am getting an iPhone but I am procrastinating because I don't want to pay for the data plan. Ugh. But back to Vanessa, I really do admire her for taking on the challenge AND for being such a great woman, mother and friend!!

Yay- for an extra day off with Brett on Monday!!! Thinking we might need to go on a date....what do you think?? :)

My new kitchen!

Hi everyone, it's me, Emersyn! It's been awhile I know but I wanted to show you all my cool new kitchen that Santa got me!!!

Isn't it cool??? My mom said she got a super good deal on it through Costco. I just love Costco. I especially like Coscto when the samples are out. But that's another story.

My mom and dad picked out this kitchen because it is made of wood and the color is gender neutral in case I have a little brother someday and he wants to play with it. We'll see if I LET him play with it!! I bet I will, I am a pretty sweet girl.

I guess Santa commissioned my dad to help him put this kitchen together during my naptime. I woke up from my nap and could hear my dad loudly complaning about the 50,000 nuts and bolts that my kitchen was assembled with. I had barely woken up when my mom came in, changed my diaper and then proceeded to BLINDFOLD me! I had never been blindfolded before so this was a new experience that I was open to.

The suspense was driving me crazy!!!! I was so excited!!!

Okay, that blind fold took longer then I thought it would to take off. Note my look of annoyance.

Cue the lights and heavenly music as I lay eyes on my new, shiny red kitchen!!!!

Hmmm...what should I cook first?

Sweet, it came with a phone! I like to put the phone to my ear and yell, "YEAH?" My mom says this isn't the proper way to answer the phone so we are working on that.

Cookin' is hard work. Maybe we should just call in some take out? Oh wait, most take out isn't low calorie so scratch that idea.

Even though I look kind of dazed in these pictures, I just love my kitchen! I can't wait to have my friend's over so we can cook together. My mom wants to make a sign to hang above my kitchen too, wouldn't that be cute? She is debating between "Emersyn's Cafe" or "Em's Place". We'll see. She often has crafty intentions that she isn't able to follow through on. That is because she has a lot on her plate, or at least that is what she is always telling my daddy.

Have a great day everyone!!

Love, Emersyn

Wordless Wednesday- Deliciously chubby legs & painted toes

Baby Bug :)

I seem to know quite a few pregnant women. I was recently put in charge of the expecting mother's ministry at church so that is making me even more aware of pregnant women. Additionally, three bloggers that I follow are pregnant and my BFF is trying to GET pregnant.

It gets a girl thinkin'...... (Haha, I can actually hear my husband's blood pressure rising!!)

There are SO many pros and cons to having your kids close together, far apart, etc. One thing I have been considering is how LONG my house is going to look like a toy store threw up in it! If we don't have another baby for a couple years and then another one a couple years after that (the third child is still in the negotiation process with the hubs...I plan on conquering him in this subject but we'll see!!), then it is going to be 10 years (literally) before my home isn't a baby-proofed, toy infested haven that it is right at this very moment! However....there are cons to having them close together in my opinion too. Let's examine this subject, shall we? *Disclaimer...these are just MY opinions for MY personal life, I could care less how far apart other people's children are. These opinions apply to ME in MY life!*

Why it's tempting to have another baby SOONER vs. LATER

1) The "Get 'Er Done" factor. Pregnancy takes a toll on your body that is for sure and the sooner you are done with babies, the sooner you can start the lifetime repair process!

2) Sweet siblings that are close enough in age to play together, and more importantly, dress up like twins!!!

3) I miss those sweet newborn cuddles.

4) It sounds strange but I even miss nursing and the amazing bonding time that entails.

5) I am SO excited to see Emersyn interact with a little brother or sister.

6) I LOVED being pregnant and can't wait for that experience again.

7) I am not getting any younger. :)

Why it's more realistic for me to wait at least a year or two (can you hear my husband's sigh of relief??)

1) My heart desires to not work outside the home when we have another baby so there is a logistics issue that needs to be adressed and we are trusting the Lord for that to happen in 2010!

2) I want to get healthy before getting pregnant again.

3) I LOVE my special times with Emersyn and know how precious they are. Another child will be a tremendous blessing but I think I want to soak up a little more of my sweet monkey girl before adding to our clan.

4) Emersyn will need to be transitioned to a big girl bed so our next baby can use her crib.

How random was this post?? I just have babies on the brain and needed to write out my thoughts. :) This is such a fun season of life to be in, thank you Lord! Happy Tuesday!

Not Me Monday!

It's been awhile since I have participated in a Not Me Monday! I am sure there are countless moments that I am forgetting about but this is what I remember off the top of my head.....

*I am so NOT obsessed with my daughter's hair to the point of using a roundbrush to style it while blowdrying it....before bedtime!! I NEVER have to pray for forgiveness for the pride I am overwhelmed with when I see Emersyn's shiny perfectly blown dry hair. While in Minnesota at the Mall of America, it wasn't me who got super irritated when Emersyn pulled our her carefully combed piggy tails while at "Bubba Gumps" and in retaliation, used a fork to comb her hair back into piggy tails, though they weren't nearly as perfect as I would have liked.

*Emersyn seems to get the bathtub confused with a toilet. Upon checking in on her in the bathtub, I saw her standing up the other day. I went to see what she was up to and discovered THE largest piece of poop that I have ever seen come out of a child. I then did NOT proceed to call my brother and his girlfriend up to verify how huge it was so I could report later to Brett how appalling this was, and when I fished the disgusting piece of poop out of the tub (with toilet paper!!), it then did NOT totally plug the toilet when I flushed it. Oh wait, it DID totally plug the toilet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the heck???

*Just yesterday, it wasn't MY husband who had me call his cell phone 25 times so that he could find it before we left for church. He had it on the "meeting" setting which means it beeps once very quietly...and that's it. He looked all through the house in frustration saying, "I feel like I am getting closer to the beep." He didn't find it. Then while singing along to some songs at church, I felt someone nudge my arm and it was my husband, sheepishly holding his phone....which had been in HIS POCKET the whole time!!!

*Yesterday I could hardly walk due to the aftermath of two day's worth of "shredding". I was certainly NOT tempted to take the elevator down one flight of stairs at church. And the only reason that I didn't take the elevator and decided to suffer down the long flight of stairs WASN'T because I saw two of my friends by the elevator and I would have been embarassed to get in the elevator along with the elderly in their wheelchairs.

*Before I had children, I always slightly judged the moms that let their kids play at the mall "playgrounds". So when I take Emersyn to the mall, I certainly NEVER let her play there!! Well, last Friday when I was NOT letting her play, I certainly didn't catch her with someone elses binky in her mouth!!!!!!!!!!!! That isn't even the worst part, we couldn't figure out who the binky belonged to because no one claimed it. I nearly passed out, I am not kidding you. Brett sprinted over to her and yanked the binky out when we saw her happily chewing on it, which resulted in her throwing a fit. We immediately left, used about 50 antibacterial wipes to clean her up, and walked in a daze through the mall to our car, totally scarred. Ugh, that is why I NEVER let Emerysn play at those playgrounds and NEVER will again!!!!

Oh man, I know there are SO many more moments that I am forgetting!! Oh well....'til next time!

Sunday Funday

My house is a mess and I really should be cleaning it but frankly folks, i.can.hardly.move. I am SO sore from the 30 Day Shred, which I am only TWO days into mind you. Brett told me to wait to do the Shred until tonight so he can do it with me. I am happily obliging. He called me today and encouraged me to be active. If by being active he meant taking a nap, then I am in total agreement! My back is bugging me too which I don't know is from working out or the fact that I have back problems due to my accident. I took some IBProfuen because I imagine my muscles are a little inflamed and am drinking lots of water. I figure that and a 30 minute snooze should do the trick. That is what Sunday afternoons were made for right?? The Lord rested on the 7th day; it is only respectful that I do the same! :) I am looking forward to getting in better shape so that working out isn't quite so painful, hee hee. In the meantime, no discipline seems pleasant at the time but reaps a harvest of righteousness (and a healthier body)...this is a paraphrased verse in Hebrews.

Anywho.....

Keely over at MannLand5 is hosting a "Getting to Know You" blog hop today! I enjoy these sorts of things; a great distraction from my messy house and achin' bod. :)

The questions:

1. If you were stranded on a desert island and could pick one person to be stranded with you..Who would you pick? Family members not included. Oh geez....that is a hard one. Umm.....umm......I honestly don't know. I would say some amazing outdoors man like Bear Grylls from "Man vs. Wild" but I don't think my husband would be a huge fan of that answer, ha!

2. Do you read celebrity gossip? I used to read pinkisthenewblog.com and Perez Hilton very regularly but now I just don't have the time. I also got really tired of how negative Perez Hilton is. I do like visiting Celebrity-Babies.com just to see the cute babies. :) I look at that website maybe once or twice a week. That is it for me though.

3. Favorite show you're waching this season? BIGGEST LOSER!!!

4. How tall are you? Just a little shy of 5'8.

5. What was the last book you read? Anonymous by Alicia Britt Chole

6. Flats or heels? FLATS all the way. Heels are a thing of the past for me. For now anyways. :)

7. If you had to choose one natural disaser to go through, what would you choose..Earthquake, Tornado, or Hurricane? Umm...how about none of the above?? I don't even want to speculate on which of these would be better to go through, they all freak me out!!

8. Thong, panties, or (gasp) granny panties? Whatever the occasion calls for! ;)

Happy Sunday everyone! This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

5 Question Saturday! :)

I didn't have time to blog yesterday so I am taking part of the 5QF fun a day late! Don't judge me!

Thanks Mama M. for the fun questions!

1. What's your "comfort food"? Hmm.....I love soup. I think corn chowder with a slice of cornbread sounds pretty comforting to me. It also sounds like a bazillion calories and carbs which means it is out for me!! Healthy comfort food? Probably what I had for breakfast this morning....steel cut oats, bananas and blueberries!

2. Do you send Thank You's (handwritten or email)? Absolutely handwritten and I usually include pictures! Since most of my thank you notes revolve around Emersyn these days, I try to take a picture of her using whatever the thank you note is for. I need to get on top of thank you notes for this past Christmas season though, we have a lot to be thankful for!!

3. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose? Interesting question....hmm.....a month is a long time. I guess I would copy my BFF's answer and say "Friends". I think that laughter would pretty much be guaranteed!

4. What is your favorite online recipe site? I like FoodNetwork.com. I trust the professionals! :)

5. If you had to choose: "Friends" or "Seinfeld"? Refer to questions number 3. :) Although I do think Seinfeld is hilarious too!

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I started the 30 Day Shred last night. Read about my 20 minutes in hell HERE!

Happy Saturday everyone! Time to get off the computer and get movin'! :)

TGI Friday

What a great idea for a Friday post! Thanks Tea!

Trusting - in God's faithful provision and timing, as always. :)

Grateful - for Emersyn and us staying healthy during the flu & cold season after being on three different airplanes over Christmas break.

Inspired - to transform my kitchen into a healthier eating place!

Favorite - picture right now....

Random - I desperately need to purge and organize my master bedroom closet. It is haunting me.

Interested - in learning more about the Old Testament when Bible Study starts up next week!

Dreaming - about how cute Emersyn is going to be as a flower girl this summer. I saw her dress tonight....ADORABLE!

Admiring - all that Tricia has accomplished!

Yay! - for a day off tomorrow with my best buds.