This is for all my blog readers… November 9, 2008

I just sat at my computer for 45 minutes and started typing a nice, long post to catch everyone up on what’s been going on in my life for the past 3 weeks.  I had a nice little post going on when the entire thing deleted.  I’m not sure what happened, but all of a sudden I was staring at a blank screen.  So, since I’m not going to retype everything (and since Barry tells me people don’t like to read long-winded posts), I’ll just recap what we’ve been up to!

• I finished my second triathlon on October 25th.  Still hate the water, but I did well in the bike and run, finishing 6th in my age group! 
• The kids had so much fun trick-or-treating.  Emma was a pop star, Ansley was Cinderella and Jackson was Prince Charming.  Only he wasn’t so charming by the end of the night with lollipop and tootsie roll slobber all over his white shirt and in his hair!

• Emma and Ansley finished up their soccer season yesterday.  We were proud of both of them for doing their best every week.  Emma played on an all boys’ team this year and she held her own!  When we told Ansley that it was her last game yesterday, her response was, “Yea!  I wonder what we’re having for snack?” 
• Barry and I attended the C3 volunteer dinner Friday night and listened to Byron share about the C3 Christmas project.  You can read more about it here. I am so excited to be a part of a movement that is truly Connecting the Community with Christ! 
• As I turned another year older today, I was reminded once again how truly blessed I am.  I have the best husband, family and friends!  Thanks for making my day extra special.
• I really am going to try to be a better blogger.  Vanessa even gave me a blogging award a few weeks ago.  One that I haven’t been able to accept yet because I haven’t fulfilled the requirements.  (Sorry, Vanessa!)  I’ll get on that as soon as I think of some more random stuff about myself that I don’t mind sharing on the world-wide web!
• We’re taking Emma to her first FSU game next weekend.  She’s so excited!  Hopefully the Noles won’t disappoint
• I am completely addicted to facebook right now.  I have reconnected with several people that I knew in high school, plus it’s a quick and easy way to stay in touch with people I don’t get to talk to every day. 

Hope everyone has a good week…I’ll try not to let 3 weeks go by until I blog again.  But if I do, you can find me on facebook!

I’m Back! September 21, 2008

I got lectured today by a certain someone about slacking in the blogosphere, so here I am!  I have had a really busy couple of weeks and lots of things that were blog-worthy.  I just never took the time to write about them.  This certain someone also recommended that I not overwhelm my readers (I know there are so many of you out there!) with everything that has happened all at once (like my last post…I know, it was a lot of info!), but to give you little bits to digest at a time.  So, here’s to you, Mrs. Blog-Advise-Giver…

Church was amazing this morning.  Byron started a series called “I Wish Jesus Hadn’t Said…”  Today he spoke from Luke 6:27-36 where Jesus talks about loving our enemies.  Sure it’s easy to love our neighbor and the people who are lovable.  But what about our enemies, those who are really un-lovable?

I’ve never really thought of myself as someone who has a lot of enemies, but as I think back over the past few years, there are definitely people who I have been hurt by, who I feel have in some way betrayed me or my trust.  As Byron spoke this morning, I was reminded again that I must CHOOSE to love.  And the only way to truly love is to forgive.   I am called as a Christ follower to love and forgive those who have betrayed me.  And every time I relive the hurt and betrayal in my mind, I am reminded to forgive.

I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father who, no matter how many times I have hurt or betrayed Him, He chooses to forgive and love me. 

On another note…

We think Jackson got stung by a yellow jacket this evening.  The kids were playing outside with the babysitters while our community group was meeting when he started screaming.  His cheek right underneath his eye began to swell up almost immediately.  Heather came to the rescue with some Benadryl and it looked a lot better before he went to bed.  Poor little guy…he sure was a trooper.  He looked like someone punched him right in the eye!  (On the bright side…he’ll probably sleep REALLY well tonight thanks to the Benadryl!)

Week in Review August 31, 2008

Lots of things have happened in the last week or so that I just haven’t made the time to blog about.  I decided to show you what we’ve been up to…enjoy the pictures!

Emma lost her first tooth last week.  When she asked me about the tooth fairy, I told her, “All I know is that she is tall and thin and beautiful.”  Her response was, “Is it Staci?”  (I know that made Staci feel great!)  Emma was so proud and couldn’t wait to go to school and put her name on the Lost Tooth chart!

 

Barry completed his first triathlon last Saturday.  He did awesome, placing 5th overall.  Way to go, Babe!  We were all able to make it out to cheer him on.  I sure was glad it wasn’t me who had to run through all of that standing water that Fay left behind.  (YUK!)  He was a trooper!  (And no, not everyone who trains for a triathlon looks this good!)

 

Ansley was the first student in her preK class chosen to bring her class mascot, Delphina the dolpin home for the weekend.  She was so excited to bring her to Melbourne overnight! 

 

Jackson is getting so big…I think this picture shows how grown up he is. 

 

My brother and his wife, Tim and Robin, came down from Tennessee for a visit with their daughter, Kylie this past week.  Kylie will be turning a year old next week, so my parents threw her a little birthday party for the family on Friday night.  We had fun, but I’m not sure she liked the cake so much!  Happy Birthday, Kylie.  We loved spending time with you celebrating your first year.  Now that you live a little closer, we hope to see you more in your second year of life than we did your first!  We love you!

 

First Day of Pre-K August 20, 2008

Ansley was really disappointed that Fay postponed her first day of school.  She was supposed to start yesterday, but instead got to start today.  She was really excited and couldn’t wait to get dressed and get out the door.  (If you know Ansley, you know this is not typical behavior…let’s just say that I use the phrase “Hurry up”  with her about a dozen times every morning!)  I was happy to see her so excited and eager to start her school year.   Everything went well her first day, except for the fact that they didn’t get to play on the playground.  She made lots of new friends and can’t wait to go back tomorrow.

Ansley, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.  We can’t believe that you are already starting Pre-K!  We know you will do great at school.  We love you and we are looking forward to a great school year!

It was odd having just Jackson with me today.  I almost didn’t know what to do with myself!  (almost!)  We started off the morning with breakfast with Angie at Morning Glories for her birthday.  Happy birthday, Angie!  I’m so glad you were born and that you are a part of my life.  Your friendship means more to me than you know! 

First Day Jitters August 18, 2008

Well, to be honest, Emma wasn’t nervous at all…I was more jittery than she was. 

This morning I was in the kitchen making a back to school breakfast for Emma and Ansley.  (Don’t give me too much credit, it was Pillsbury cinnamon rolls from a can.)  I was just about to go get her out of bed so that she would have plenty of time to get ready, when she walks in the kitchen, completely dressed, shoes on, hair brushed and announces that she has already made her bed and is ready for first grade! 

After I walked Emma to her hallway, I watched my little girl walk over to the kids in her class (which has no one from her Kindergarten room) and start talking to the other kids like she’s known them forever.  I was so proud of her…I would have been a nervous wreck.  I told her goodbye and had to ask for a hug.  (She’s so independent!)  I was happy to walk away and not have to worry about her during the day.  I said a quick prayer for her and I knew she would be fine.

When I picked Emma up this afternoon, she was full of energy, telling me how great first grade is and how “it is much differenter than Kindergarten…you don’t get to play, EVER!”  If you know Emma, you won’t be surprised to know that she said that with a smile on her face…she loves school! 

Emma, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and the confident little girl you have become.  We hope you have a great year in first grade!

 

 

“You’re the Best Mommy Evah!” August 4, 2008

That’s what Ansley (my 4 year old) tells me when…

• I make her favorite dinner
• I take her swimming
• we go to the beach
• I give her chocolate
• I let her pick out a treat at the grocery store

…you get the picture.  Basically, whenever her wants are met, in her eyes, there’s no one better than the person who fulfilled those wants. 

Tonight we were just snuggling on the recliner, not doing anything particularly wonderful or out of the ordinary when she said those same words to me, “Mommy, you’re the best Mommy EVAH!”  It was really sweet when she said it this time, like she really meant it, not just because I was giving her something or taking her somewhere fun, but just because. 

I love moments like this…it makes me want to keep my kids little forever!

Weekend Recap August 3, 2008

Okay, so I know I’m not the most consistent blogger…I’ll try to catch you up on what’s been going on these last few days…

Barry preached this morning and did an amazing job…seriously…I know I’m probably a little bit biased, but I think he had an incredible message about allowing God to fight our battles.   He claims that he gets really nervous before he speaks, but I can never tell…he’s a natural.   I’m proud of you, baby, and I know you’re glad it’s over!

So, in order to give him lots of uninterrupted study time on the days leading up to today, the kids and I packed up and headed to Melbourne.  It was good for Barry to have a quiet home to prepare his sermon and, I’m not gonna lie, it was good for me to not have to deal with the stress of making sure he was not interrupted by the kids!

While we were in Melbourne, we got to spend some time with my parents and Barry’s mom.  One day we spent some time with some family friends who live on a lake and Emma and Jackson went for a ride on jet skis!  (Ansley liked hanging out by the shore…she wasn’t quite ready to venture out on a motorized vehicle!)  Emma had a ball and Jackson wasn’t quite sure what to think. 

We got some back to school shopping done (I can’t believe school starts in 2 weeks!) and just enjoyed hanging out with our family. 

Everybody was very happy to see Daddy when we got back on Saturday!  We all napped after church today (Sunday afternoon naps are the best!) and ended the night with a little “High School Musical Get In the Picture”.  Those kids are REALLY good!  

I’m off to bed now…good night!

At Home with Amanda July 29, 2008

If any of you are like me, sometimes it’s a struggle to get out the door with all of the children dressed and ready in a decent amount of time.  This is what a typical morning at our house sounds like,

“What do you want for breakfast?”

“Go get dressed.”

“Have you brushed your teeth?”

“Don’t forget to brush your hair.”

You get the picture.  I’m constantly nagging gently reminding my children to remember all the things they have to do to be ready to walk out the door.

So, in an attempt to make our mornings go a little more smoothly, I borrowed this idea (along with some others!) from this website.  Emma, Ansley, and I made these job jars:

Each child has a jar (minus Jackson, but he will as soon as he’s old enough!).  They each chose a color…purple for Emma, pink for Ansley…and colored just the tip of a craft stick.  Then we thought of all the things that they can do on their own each morning.  (These may vary according to the ages of your children.)  Here are the ones we chose:

Make my bed.

Get dressed.

Eat breakfast.

Brush my hair.

Brush my teeth.

Mom and Dad’s choice.

We wrote one job on each craft stick.  Then we placed all the sticks in the jar, color side up.  Each morning when the girls wake up, they complete on job at a time, turning the stick over when it is complete.  When all the colors are facing down, they’re ready to walk out the door!  (And there’s not as much nagging  reminding!)

I knew Emma would love this (she’s such a rule follower!), but Ansley has really surprised us…she loves it also!  I wanted to start implementing this before school starts so they will be pros by the time August 18th rolls around.  I hope this helps some of your mornings go a little more smoothly!

Things that made me smile today… July 24, 2008

• Getting to sleep until 8:30!
• Hitting the Target toy sale and finding stuff for my birthday/Christmas stash.
• Having a yummy lunch with Heather.
• Watching Jackson play with Brady…they’ve GOT to be the cutest 1 year old boys EVER!
• Listening to Kelsea and Ansley play and sound so grown up.
• Swimming 1000 yards without stopping…and feeling pretty good when I was done.  (BIG accomplishment!)
• Even though she wasn’t feeling well, Emma asking if we could go run a mile together.  (By the way, she ran almost an entire mile 2 days ago…I was so proud of her!)  We didn’t go tonight, but the fact that she WANTED to do it made me smile!
• Mexican night at home.  (Fajitas…yummy!)
• Watching Jackson run with the football through the living room waiting to be tackled.
• Reading out loud to my girls from the book “The Boxcar Children”, one of the first chapter books I read as a little girl.
• Making plans to go the beach with the Bledsoe’s tomorrow.
• Chillin’ on the couch with my husband, getting ready to watch the results for “So You Think You Can Dance.”
• My husband watching “So You Think You Can Dance” with me.

Creative Play July 16, 2008

I’ve really enjoyed having all the kids home this summer.  Emma and Ansley have been playing really well together.  Of course they ARE sisters and they definitely have their moments of NOTenjoying each others’ company, but for the most part, they play well together.  I’ve tried to limit their TV watching this summer which has forced them to find other things to do.  It’s funny, even with all the toys, games, books, and puzzles we have, they usually choose to be creative and use their imaginations. 

I love listening to their conversations when they don’t think I can hear them.  Here’s a conversation I overheard today:

Emma:  Come on, Kaitlyn (Ansley’s name while they’re playing), let’s go see your boyfriend.

Ansley:  He’s not my boyfriend anymore.  I dumped him.

Emma:  Why’d you dump him?

Ansley:  Because he likes cats and he keeps talking about them.

What an imagination she has!  (But for the future, Ansley, you should never date a guy that only wants to talk about his cats.)