First post of 2013

Wow guys, I have been absent.  Haven't I?  If you are looking for a good excuse, I have none.  I have not been reading blogs, nor have I been writing.  This is a shame, since I actually truly enjoy doing both of those things.  So, hopefully I can stop being lazy (read: open my laptop every now and then), and get with the program.

So let me catch you up on us... since I know you're all dying to know what I do all the time.

1- First of all, I feel like I should say publicly that I have abandoned any pursuit of Paleo, Wheat-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, ANYTHING-Free lifestyle.  Let's call it "restrictive-diet-free."  So until I have some major medical health problem (and not just an imaginary one, since I am a self-diagnosed hypochondriac), I will continue eating freely.  Figured since I bombarded you with the wheat-free stuff a couple of months back, I'd come out and say I'm off the bandwagon. ;)

2- Although I know it doesn't do much for you, I feel the need to write an "update" on my kid's development, especially Sam... since I never do it anymore.  But instead of doing ALL that right here and now, I'll just note a couple of things.

• Sam's most commonly used words are: mama, dada, Henry (eee), Cheese (eeeeeeee), banana, more, berries (ba) - but he is repeating or at least trying to repeat a lot of things!  So fun!
• Sammy is SO cray cray and happy, most of the time.  He screams a lot, loves to run around and chase Henry/do everything Henry is doing. He seems to be passionate about pretty much everything.
• And last fun Sam fact for now. He has an attachment to his baby pillow and this lovey turtle stuffed animal- he wants to bring them with him out of the crib when he wakes up in the morning and he snuggles with them while falling asleep.  Henry never had "comfort" toys or blanket, so I find this to be really sweet and adorable of course.
• Henry is in the beginning stages of potty training.  He goes #1 on the potty (on should read "all over" aka we need to work on aim) almost exclusively during the day (even though I still have him in a diaper, long story)... we are having more issues with the other part of potty training, but that's a different story for another day.

3-  I am excited about a couple of big things that are going to happen this year.  ONE, is that I am going to London with my church in June!  I'm sure as the weeks lead up to it, I will share more details on that, but I get to go with some of my close friends, and I cannot wait to see how God is going to work in/through the whole thing!

Two, we already booked our annual beach vacation to Gulf Shores in August!  Cold January weather just makes me daydream about the beach.  It's fun to have both of these trips to look forward to. :)

Welp, there ya go.  Here's to high hopes for more posts.

2012

I'm sort of a dork.  The week between Christmas and the New Year is always a reflective, contemplative one for me.  I can remember reflecting on the past year and planning for the new year, even when I was in 8th grade, but probably before that.  What can I say? I like new beginnings.

Nerdiness aside, I am going to summarize our 2012 right here for you.  When I look back on this year, I see three specific ways that God provided for me.

1- Our new house.  We had prayed for it, and even out of frustration of not knowing where to go/what to do, we prayed, and he provided.

2- New friends.  Another prayer out of frustration of not feeling like I had close friends to do daily life with (because many of my closest friends either work or live in other cities or don't have kids, etc.).

3- Austin Stone Women's Development Program- a program through my church that I am doing with my new friends (mentioned in #2).  And this program, which if I'm being honest- I would have never probably signed up for on my own because I had been so burnt out on church activities, has been the source of several answered prayers for me this year.  It's a big time commitment, but it goes on the blessing list for 2012.

And here is the notable stuff I can remember from 2012.  It was a relatively boring year, activity wise, but a good one, nonetheless.

Jan- I had a newborn.  So this is kind of a haze, but I remember being very proud of myself for going ANYWHERE on my own with both kids.

Feb- This month is truly a haze.  Can anyone else tell me what happened last February?  AH! Henry turned two.  We dedicated both kids at church, and had a family bday party.

Mar- Celebrated SIX years of marriage.  Took a family road trip with my sister and her kids to see my mom in Alabama over spring break.

Apr- Can't remember.  Pretty sure Easter was in March, leaving me with hardly any memories of April.  And... upon looking back at my blog, I should not that last April was my first experience at Hopdoddy. Ummm. SO GOOD.

May- Can't remember.  Seriously, this didn't feel like the most boring year ever until now!  Oh I know!  My BFF from HS had her first baby, Eme!

June- This past June was 10 years since I remember the gospel becoming a reality in my daily life.  See this post.  And also, I created my 30 before 30 list, but since I turned 28 in June, it means I have two years to complete the list.

July- Matt turned 29. ? I hosted a 31 party for my sister.  We put our house on the market and it went under contract in ONE day.

Aug- Beach trip with the family.  First beach trip that I was not pregnant, and it was so much more enjoyable this time that I might just plan all my future pregnancies (not sure that should be plural) around our beach trips.

Sept- Moved out of old house, into new house.  Started Women's Development, and Henry started preschool.

Oct- I pretty much just remember that both boys were sick a lot, and my mom came to visit once.

Nov- Ran my first half marathon since like 2005 or something crazy like that.  Ran the turkey trot.

Dec- Did not send out Christmas cards.  Sam turned ONE!

There it is my friends. And please forgive me for not posting!  I actually had written a post about a week ago, and then I later realized that I had never published it... oh well, you can just number me with the half-hearted, slack-bloggers.

Merry Christmas, I'm a slacker.

Merry Christmas to you all!  How thankful I am for a Savior that I so desperately need and who I also love.  And please forgive me, friends-and-family-who-normally-receive-a-Christmas-card-in-the-mail... I wasn't with it this year, and it's just not happening.  So here is the card I actually made and had printed, but never got around to sending.

Hope you have the happiest day!

Happy 1st Sammy!

Why is it that kiddos are always exhausted for their own parties??

I'll post his well check stats soon- all I remember is 50% for weight, 75% for height and head circ.

Love my little man.

Sam... and Santa

It is officially the week of Ham. Or Sam, as you know him.  I sort of can't believe that last year Henry couldn't say "Sam" and that he also couldn't say Snowman (he said "ho-man") and that he looked like this...

Well, I guess it is not just the week of Sam, but the week of "How in the world is my baby almost one and how in the world is my firstborn baby almost three?"

Guess I'll just have to get pregnant again... just kidding. Not trying. Not ready. Believe it.

So let me think of fun Sam things to tell you.

He has words.  They are "mama" "dada" "more" (which sounds exactly like mama and the only way we know it's different is because there is food involved when he's asking for more.) and also "CHEESE."

Seriously, he loves cheese and he can say the word.  Also I've never seen a child go more insane over the sight of some good ol' fashion blackberries.  Seriously... he passes up quesadilla for blackberries.  Totally weird.

I think there are a couple more words, but I can't think of them right now, and most likely he is saying words and I am just not paying enough attention to notice because that's kind of how my life is these days.  Note, Henry's latest phrase is, "MAMA! Listen to me! I'm talking to you mama!"  (Sad? Yes. But true.)

Other things.  Sam loves to brush his teeth.  Thank the Lord, and I mean it.  Henry also loves brushing his teeth- we have not gotten a child who hates that yet, thankfully.  BUT, both of them will protest their dinner and throw it on the ground, a habit we are trying to break- Henry went to sleep hungry tonight.

In the spirit of posting old pictures, here's an awesome one of me, Matt and Sammy in the hospital bed.

Look at that sweet little munchkin.

I can't be lookin' at those pics too long cause it makes me want to do it all over again. Remember, I like having babies... I'd go to the hospital and deliver a baby every stinkin' day of the week. :)  Like I said, no, not ready yet!

Okay, that's all about Sam for now...  Can we talk about the lyrics to Santa Clause is coming to town?

Good.  I was listening to this song with Henry a few days back, and the lyrics, "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake" were sung, and I was like, "Dang, that's creepy."  Does anyone else think that's creepy?  Okay, I'm the weird one.  Anyway, carry on...