The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

We've been getting ready. Decorating. Last-minute gifts. Doing our Advent Calendar with P...It's such an exciting time of year! Last Wednesday night at church, the kiddos watched a Veggie Tale movie about Christmas, and then had a Birthday party for Jesus, complete with singing and a cake! I love it. P is totally excited that we're going to celebrate Jesus' Birthday next week. And yes, totally excited to open his presents under the tree. :)

Merry Christmas!

At last...

We celebrated Mr. P's Birthday. Presents, family, fun, and of course CAKE. The day before he turned 4, P asked me when he would be 5. *Sigh.* The 1 & the 3 candles on the cake are not because I'm wishing he was 13 (trust me, I do not want to rush him even more!)...it's all I could find before we cut into the cake. 1+3 is 4...so that's what I went with. P didn't seem to mind. =)

Time Flies

In some ways, it Seems like almost overnight, Mr. P went from this:

to this:

Time flies! P has been wanting to turn 4 for months now. He used to ask me daily, "Mom, am I 4 yet?!" I'd tell him, not yet...on your Birthday you'll be 4. December 8th marks the day that my little man will turn the big 0-4. We're having a family party on Saturday, so I'm sure he'll be thrilled to discover he gets to have his cousins over, presents, and cake EARLY this year.

Just Call Me Sherlock

I have figured it out! Well...at least I have figured it out-today. The key was for me to eat something every 2 hours. This week has been awful. Yesterday was the worst. I got sick the most in one day yet this pregnancy...I'll spare any more of the details. Anyhow, eating every 2 hours today helped me to keep everything down!! Small victories, right?

Also on the bright side, so far this pregnancy I have lost 5 pounds...NOT the way I want to lose it, but still. I'm trying to look at the positives.

We're ready for the weekend! Hoping for a date night and then a pizza and movie night with friends on Saturday evening, yay! Happy Friday. =)

News

Little Stellan had heart surgery yesterday, a risky ablation, and the procedure was a SUCCESS!! He is not out of the woods yet though, so the family still needs prayer. MckMama's blog has all the details.

This weekend we shared with my In-Law's (and church family) that we are expecting again! Our little one is due in June, so Lord-willing, Mr. P will be a big brother this Summer. :) He does seem excited about it, even though he told me recently, "Mom, we don't need another baby." Hmm...I'm thinking he'll change his mind when the time comes. It just may take some getting used to.

I'm 8 weeks along, so pretty nauseated and food generally does NOT sound good. Wonder why it is, that if I have to prepare and cook a meal, I'm gagging the entire time and have a hard time eating it...but if we go OUT to eat or over to someone's house, I can actually enjoy eating. Strange to me.

We did get to see our little baby (the size of a kidney bean I read online) yesterday on an ultrasound, so that was neat. The tech even gave us pictures! It's amazing how much you can see at this point. We even got to see where the back of the brain was developing. It amazes me that some believe that life does NOT begin at conception.

Hope everyone is having an amazing week!

Pumpkin Patch

This week we went to the Pumpkin Patch-for the first time ever! It was a blast. My Mom and I were worn down by the time we left though...it was hard work keeping up with all the kiddos! My Mom babysits, so she brought 2 of her kids, ages 2 and 4, and of course I had my 3-year-old, so we did have our hands full. There was so much to do at Vala's! I was amazed how big (and CROWDED) that place was. Here's a couple pics of our fun day:

Soaking it in...

The last bits of Summer!

Food Issues

Before I had a child, I always thought "picky" was just an excuse for a kid. My Mom had daycare kids that wouldn't eat spaghetti sauce on their pasta, or wouldn't drink milk...and I always thought it was lame-o. Come on! I was never going to have a picky kid!

I think the Lord does have a sense of humor. Our food issues with P started when he was just about a year old, and still continue (although he's made some progress) at the age of 3! 

I nursed P until he was 11 months, but started supplementing with formula when he was 7 months. It was so convenient when we were traveling, or going to church, etc. and I could just make him a bottle that I didn't have to worry about thawing, keeping cool, etc. This is about the time that P started having trouble with eczema. Severe trouble. One doctor put him on an antibiotic (because P's skin was raw) another gave us STRONG topical prescription cremes to apply. The connection was not made until LATER that the eczema was a result of the milk product in the formula. 

Just after his 1st Birthday, P had a reaction to a peanut butter cookie at Christmas time. It was horrible. We were five hours from home. He had red hives everywhere, swollen eyelids & ears, vomiting...but no breathing problems. It scared me to death. And I'm sure it traumatized him. We now carry an Epi-pen-but have never had to use it-thankfully!

By the time P was 18 months, we had determined that he had milk, soy, and peanut allergies...with some sensitivities to strawberries and eggs as well! I felt like I was doing an experiment on my child whenever it was meal-time! Maybe P picked up on some of my anxieties about him eating new foods? Maybe it was a texture thing? Maybe he became SCARED to try new things? Just after he turned a year or so...P's FOOD ISSUES began! He wouldn't eat meat. Refused MANY new foods. If we forced him to take a bite...he'd throw it up. Along with the rest of his meal. His gag reflux was EXTREME. 

Chicken nuggets & 3rd Stage jarred food were a sure bet at getting some protein in him. Frustration was (and still is) an understatement. There were meals where he and I would both be in tears at the end of it. 

When he turned 3 (last December)...things began to change. A glimmer of light appeared at the end of the tunnel. P was more willing to TRY new foods. Before, he'd not eat his supper, and would go to bed with OUT any...but now, he was eating bits of foods that were new to him, yay!!

This past week P went through a possible growth spurt and began eating...a lot! Everytime I turned around he was asking for something more to eat! Joel and I decided this was a good time to push the 'new' foods!! Last week he ate part of a pulled pork sandwich...and he also ate part of a hamburger!! WOW! :o) This may not seem like much, but is BIG for our child.

When P was about 2, a friend recommended the book "Just Take a Bite" by Lori Ernsperger. This book introduced to me the concept of food neophobia, which is the fear of new foods. It actually is a real thing! And my child has all the symptoms. It is so exciting to see progress though, whether he is just extremely picky...or is, like he says, afraid of new foods. P says, "It looks scary!" when I try to get him to take a bite of something that's not his favorite.

Because he was eating more...he was, ahem...pooping more. Some times this causes him pain. I told P he needs to eat more fiber! I explained that fiber is found in cereals & bread.

Today, in the van, our conversation went like this:

P: Mom, do chicken nuggets have alot of fiber in them?

Me: Nope, not alot.

P: Well, then we should get alot of them!

At least he's thinking about what I'd said right? Being a Mommy keeps me entertained to say the least! :o)

Weekend Recap

A busy weekend has come to an end. I am thankful that's it a short week! Joel has been really busy at work (since July!) so I LOVE having him around on weekends!! :)

We had company come in Friday night, and they left yesterday morning. Joel's Aunt & Uncle came to visit with their 2 kiddos. We went to Fremont Saturday and brought lunch to my In-Law's who are furiously working on their new house, to hopefully get moved in this week!?! Joel, his Uncle, and Dad all worked on the house and saw some minor progress in sanding floors. They still have a LOT to do before they're move-in ready!

In other happenings, P has been pulling on his ears - almost constantly! This has been going on for about 3 weeks now. No - it's not an ear infection. I've taken him to the Doctor. The Doc said it was allergies, and he did have fluid in his ears - but it wasn't infected. I have him on allergy medication, but it's NOT helping the ear-tugging. In fact, Joel pointed out that whenever P goes to do something, he has to take his  hands off his ears FIRST. Is it possible that a kid can cause his ears to stick out by constantly pulling on them? If so, maybe THAT is what P is trying to accomplish. I'm not sure. Today I began drops of Distilled White Vinegar in both ears. I read online (isn't that the best way to do medical research?) that a fungal infection could be cured by 2-3 drops of this Vinegar in each ear, every 2-3 hours. We'll see! So far, it already seems to be helping. P always keeps me guessing!

Better than Expected

Everyone had a good time camping. The kids played outside, held bunnies, and had their fingers bit by chickens. Maybe I should explain-last weekend was Heritage weekend at Ponca State Park. There were some special activities going on, including a mini-petting zoo for the kiddos, yummy cobbler & homemade icecream, and a wagon ride pulled by horses. 

The first night I didn't sleep much...at all. Joel insists that my parents deprived me by not taking me camping as a kid. I told him that I don't feel like I was deprived! I really enjoyed staying in hotels while we vacationed. :) That first night, I heard the crickets chirping LOUDLY & was freezing cold since it got down in the 40s Friday night there...But, Saturday night, I slept! Outside. In a tent. I feel very accomplished. :) I even told Joel that a few more times, and I maybe wouldn't mind camping-and maybe would eventually ENJOY it! Baby steps. There was 16 of us camping...4 tents set up at our campsite, and my sister & her family slept in their camper (now THAT is camping!) There is just something about being away from the internet and not having a phone signal...that allows you to really relax and enjoy your surroundings. I definitely want to do it again! 

Adventures this Week

This week has been a week of adventures for us. Joel & I decided Monday night that Tuesday morning, P & I would head to IA to see my Sister-in-Law & her 2 boys. We did over 10 hours of driving in 2 days! Of course, the trip took long longer...with stops. One of those stops occurred when we were on interstate, and P says, "I have to go poopy!" Okay! We took the next exit, then had to drive about 10 min. to the nearest gas station. At least we made it! :) That stop alone took about 30 min. though...so we didn't exactly HURRY to get to our destination. I usually like to make as few stops as possible, and QUICK stops, at that...but with a 3-year-old, that's not always possible. He did really well though, when he wasn't bemoaning the fact that, "We're NEVER gonna be there!" :)

We packed a LOT into the 24 hours that we were in Iowa! My Sister-in-Law took us to a c-u-t-e apple orchard, spoiled us with wonderful, fruity, baked oatmeal, and treated us to Pizza Hut. Another highlight was getting to meet up with TWO of my former college roommates in ONE day! We got to visit my sweet roomy from my Senior year on Tuesday night, at her house...and then Wednesday, we met her and her 2 kiddos at the park. It was great for all the little ones to RUN off energy! We all had a great time chatting, and eating watermelon. It was great to catch up! Wednesday night, on the way home...P & I met with my Sophomore year roomy and her 5-year-old daughter. We had dinner and chatted. She and I met before I even met Joel, so she got to was forced to listen to the drama involving Joel & I in the early days, when I was trying to figure out if I liked him...etc. HINT: I really did like him! :)

Tonight we are headed to a state park about 2 1/2 hours away to go tent-camping. Yikes. I previously referred to camping in tents as: sleeping on the ground, with BUGS. I'm trying to stop that. Really. Joel says bugs don't get in your tent. :) As much as I am not a camper, I am really looking forward to some quality family time away from it all!

Happy weekend!

The Wide-man Song!

Thursday morning, Mr. P asked if he could sing the Wide-man Song. It made me laugh. I possibly wouldn't have known which song he was referring to, except for the fact that he stacked his little fists one on top of the other while he asked me...

P: Can we sing the Wide-man Song, Mom?

Me: Oh. You mean the WISE man song?...(The wise man built his house upon the rock...) Yes, that was the song!

He sang that song Wednesday night with the kiddos at church. It's funny the things kids come up with. 

Happy Friday!!!

This-n-That

Last week we had a fun weekend ahead of us. There was a party planned for my In-Laws for their 30th Anniversary, family coming to NE, much to do...and then it all came to a halt for me Friday night about midnight, when Preston got sick. I thought it was maybe something he'd ate...but, no. His 'flu bug' continued throughout the long, long night. I'd be lying in bed, hear 'that sound' and bolt from my bed and into his room. Let's just say that he initiated his new bedding set on his 'big-boy' bed, the toddler bed, the carpet in his old room and in the hallway. The carpet needed steam-cleaned before, but now it definitely does!

After that long night, and on into Saturday, Preston was sick. Poor guy! The sad thing is, that I'd had him at the Doctor last Thursday...and of course Friday evening is when he got sick. I had a sneaking suspicion that he'd picked up SOME thing during the 45 minutes we spend in the Doctor's office waiting room! I called the nurse and discussed Mr. P's symptoms and of course she said they'd had "lots of calls" where children were vomitting...yay. So now I definitely think that I paid a $25 Co-pay and waisted about 90 minutes at the Doctor's...only to MAKE my son sick. Poor guy!

I had to miss my In-Law's party, but am thankful to my husband for texting photos to me, of people when they'd arrived, his parents with the cake, etc. I'd got to help plan the event, so it was nice to at least be able to see some of it, in almost 'real-time'...:) 

I think we are still playing catch-up this week! Mr. P had a good 2-hour nap, and then came downstairs only to fall right asleep on the couch again!! Guess he needs some extra zzz's...this might explain the super-whiney morning we had!!

28 Reasons

August 1st is Joel's Birthday. He's turning 28. Our marriage has had ups and downs, but we are happy. And I'm thankful for him. Here's 28 reasons why I love Joel! (There are more reasons than that, but I'm going with a theme here, ok?) ;o)

Joel...

1) ....loves the Lord.

2) ....is tall, strong, and handsome.

3) ....loves Preston & is a good Daddy.

4) ....makes me feel safe.

5) ....gives great hugs!

6) ....is smart!

7) ....studies and learns on his own so he is more knowledgeable in his work.

8) ....makes me laugh with his goofy sense of humor.

9) ....knows my flaws and loves me anyways!

10) ..is waaay patient with me.

11) ..can juggle!

12) ..has gorgeous blue eyes.

13) ..enjoys spending time with my parents & sister/her hubby, etc.

14) ..likes my cooking. (at least he says so...;o)

15) ..is learning to play the guitar. Good job hon!

16) ..works hard!!!

17) ..puts up with me when I'm crabby. 

18) ..has bigger feet than I do. ;o)

19) ..loves watching movies and just hanging out together.

20) ..is a great computer fix-it guy for our home computers and friends & family!

21) ..sometimes makes me coffee in the morning! (I love the sound of brewing coffee in the am!!)

22) ..made an awesome program to keep track of our finances.

23) ..is just a tiny bit shorter than me, and he's ok with that! :o)

24) ..is calm when I'm not.

25) ..has gorgeous, wavy hair.

26) ..knows just the right things to say to encourage me when I'm worried or sad.

27) ..likes listening to Dave Ramsey podcasts with me. (Yay!) :o)

28) ..doesn't judge people, and thinks the best of others!

I love you, honey!! Thanks for being my best friend~Happy Birthday!!

Prayers Needed

Sweet baby Stellan needs prayer! He has not been doing well. To read updates, click over to MckMama's blog. I am so concerned about this family. During the wee hours of the morning, I was thinking of them. Praying. I can't even imagine what they must be going through.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:16

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. - Galations 6:2

Finding Joy in the Little Things

Lately I've been realizing how great it must to find happiness in the little things. Last night we allowed Mr. P to have M&M's after he finished supper, and he was super excited. I mentioned to Joel that few people find that much joy in M&M's...(well, except for us)...:o)

Today at the mall was another exciting adventure. We went down to the lower level of Westroads Mall and had a blast!! For those that don't know, there is a carnival arcade of sorts, complete with a shooting range, mini-glow-golf, and more! We've been down there before, and Preston was content to just 'play' on the games...it's like he never realized you had to put tokens in to actually play! :o) Today though, I 'splurged' and bought 10 tokens for $2. For about 15 minutes, we played Skeeball and I let him race on a car game. So fun! He was actually pretty good at Skeeball. He got the ball in the holes several times...but it wasn't always the holes in our lane. He made use of the lanes next to us as well. I was kinda worried when other folks came over to play. I didn't want him beaming anyone with a wooden ball. ;o) We earned enough tickets with our $2 to get a couple suckers and a little plastic guy. What more could you want?!

Then after nap today we went to the park. It is my new favorite thing to watch P chase rabbits at the park. Hilarious! At one point there were 6 rabbits in one small area, and he went after every one of them, chasing them until they were beyond the point of no return. He was not deterred until they were OUT of sight! What a hoot. 

Basically, having a child has opened my EYES to the fact that happiness is in the heart of the beholder. P finds joy every day (and also his share of tears) but it is a challenge to me to look for the GOOD in things. 

James 1:17 (New King James Version)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Plans for the 4th?

I love Summer. One of the greatest things about Summer is the 4th of July Weekend!! Joel's Aunt & Uncle are arriving Thursday night, and will stay until Sunday. They have an adorable toddler girl and a new baby (well, not too new...she's 5 months old!) that we've never even met, so it should be a fun time! During their stay, we hope to go to the Zoo, maybe walk the Pedestrian Bridge again, feast with Joel's parents/family at our house, go to the Fremont Waterpark, grill out, and watch the Fireworks show in Fremont with Joel's family & possibly my sister & her family! 

Any of you (the 2 of you or so that read my blog) :) have big plans for the 4th? There’s a great new “linky” service available and I wanted to let you know about it. It’s called MckLinky – www.mcklinky.com.  After realizing the need for a new, reliable linky capability, Brent Riggs and MckMama got together to create a free, easy to use linky service for all their blog friends.

If you want to try out MckLinky, you can create a free account, and then post about your 4th of July plans on your blog & link back to mine. (Right? I'm new to this...just learning here!) Or you could always just leave a comment. :)

Have a great weekend!

Yelling Out the Window

Mr. P loves to play outside. LOVES. IT. Sometimes first thing in the morning he begs me to go outside. When we're still in our pajamas. BEFORE I've had my coffee. (Silly child, he'll learn.) Today was a bit cold and windy...and I just didn't want to take him outside. Tonight while I was getting ready for Bible study, I had the window open, to let in a cool breeze. Mr. P spotted some kids playing across the street. He proceeded to YELL out to them. For about 20 minutes. Everyone is a friend to him. One kid was apparently on a blue bike, and one was on a red bike. He called them 'the red kid' and 'the blue kid.'

He was so intent on talking to them yelling at them that he had a lil' accident. Just a slight one. Minor really. I was in the bathroom straightening my hair, and he was sitting on 'the potty' when he told me a story that went something like this:

P: Mom, that blue kid called me a baby. [P laughed a weird laugh.] But I'm not a baby.

Me: Nope, he's silly huh? You're not a baby.

P: [P again laughs a fake-sounding laugh] Nope, I'm not a baby. He's silly.

Joel did take him outside, while I was at Bible study. I'm so glad he got to go out. That way he could show the blue kid he's not a baby after all! :)

Here's Mr. P at the Children's Museum the other day:

And at the park. Sigh. I love Summer. :)

My Two Favorite Guys

I found this photo on Joel's computer-and I had to have it. :) He took it with his phone. I thought since it captures my two favorite guys, it's going on my blog!

Fun Fridays

I've decided that from now on Fridays for P and I are going to be fun. Today we went to the Omaha Children's Museum. It was a blast! P didn't know what to do first...there was a fire truck to sit in and drive, and an amazing ball-machine of sorts, that runs on air-and the spits the balls out willy-nilly. (Don't know if that makes sense, just really wanted to use that word!) 

Upstairs they had an awesome Elmo/body exhibit, a play area, and a pretend store where Preston operated the cash register and kept asking, 'Can I help you?!' It is evident to me that most of his experience in the 'real world' has been inside retail stores. ;o) 

Anyhow, P bounced from one activity to the next like he was in a pinball machine. I bought a museum pass. It's good for a year-and they subtracted the amount we paid to get in today from the price of a pass. Basically, as long as we go 3 more times, the pass more than pays for itself! I'm excited for Joel to see what it's all about. P and I are now going to alternate between the Zoo and the Children's Museum on Fridays. This will give us something to look forward to, and P is getting to the age where he needs activities to keep from driving me crazy express his natural curiosity. 

I'm excited to do the Shred today. This will be Day 9 for me. Yes, I have missed a mega amount of days, considering I began the workout about 2 1/2 weeks ago! Yikes. But, I do plan on moving up to level 2...tomorrow. ;o) I'm giving myself ONE last day on the 1st level! Considering it still makes me sore, I think that's ok. Yesterday I tried to do deeper lunges, and maybe that's the culprit-but last night my legs were sore going up the stairs! AND I still hate the pushups. With a passion. I even do the 'girl-kind'...I already knew I had basically no upper-body strength. This just confirms it.

Happy Friday!!!

My Partner in Crime

Today is Day 3 of the 30 Day Shred. Jillian Michaels is kicking my hiney. I love how P has been doing the 'esercise' with me. Last night he even went to go get his shoes on and was lying on the floor with me during the abs portion. He really helps my morale. And he makes me laugh.

He also likes to sit on the couch and hold my hand weights up in the air. Ok, I realize they are not heavy hand weights since my 3-year-old can lift them, repeatedly. However, after about 20 curls or arm raises in which I am also doing lunges, they FEEL like they weigh much more. :) 

Here's Mr. P showcasing the dreadful awesome dvd. I think his face says it all.

Back to the real world

Joel went back to work today, after having 6 days off! We had such a great time in Branson and definitely want to go back someday!! We got to see 4 shows and one movie! Our time there was jam-packed and kinda rainy so we opted not to do Silver Dollar City. Hopefully next time! :)

On our way into Branson, we stopped off at a discount ticket place that was being advertised on a Branson radio station. They asked where we were staying and we told them which resort tour we were doing. The guy was like, 'How about you skip going on that tour, and come stay with us. We'll give you 3 nights instead of 2 and 4 show tickets!' Um...okay. After being reassured that we would get no cancellation fee with the other resort, he 'convinced' us to stay with the Grand Crowne Resort. Really, it was too good of a deal to pass up! After the 3 hour sales pitch for the time-share (or partial vacation ownership as they called it) we were able to really enjoy our time in Branson! The sales presentation wasn't too bad, just way longer than the min. 90 minutes that we had been told. Guess it was worth it to get 3 nights and 4 shows, which we would've never been able to do. The shows alone would've cost over $200! 

We got to see the Redhead Express-a family singing/instrumental group from Alaska! They were amazing!! We really enjoyed it and now own 2 of their CD's. :) We also got to see Yakov, a Russian comedian, who had us in stitches for over 2 hours. He was hilarious and also had some heartfelt stories that moved me to tears also! Yakov actually painted a huge beautiful mural that was hung on a building near the 9-11 site and paid $100,000 out of his own pocket to get it there. He has an incredible life-story! We also saw Pierce Arrow, a singing group. They did some Gospel and a lo

t of early 90's music. Joel really enjoyed them! Lastly we saw Kirby & Bambi VanBurch, magicians that performed some incredible illusions that left us wondering, "HOW did they do that?!" :)

Our last day in Branson we went to the Hollywood Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not. Both were pretty impressive, and we got some pretty fun pictures at the wax museum. 

Our fun time in Branson was a good distraction for me from what happened on the WAY to Branson. I was driving, and had the cruise set at 72 (in a 70 mph zone.) Joel had been watching a DVD and had it angled towards me. Took my eyes off the road for a moment, looking down at the movie. Felt the car slip off the road. Scared, I panicked and over-corrected. Lost control. Slid sideways down the shoulder of the interstate. Our car struck a steel highway marker and plunged down the embankment. So grateful to not be hurt or have hurt anyone else. It honestly happened SO incredibly fast and left me wondering what happened?! We took the car into a local tire shop there in Lamar, MO and had the tires examined. It was driving BUMPY but it turns out it was just because of all the mud in the tires. Guess that happens when you do extreme off-roading in a car. The tires were FINE and the guys didn't even charge us anything. So we gave both of them a tip. We talked about it after the fact-ok, I talked about it a LOT...and it is just incredible that we didn't roll the vehicle or get hurt, and were so thankful that there were no other vehicles involved. Nothing was hurt...except my pride. Big time. 

I don't believe that I have ever felt so protected. It may sound crazy, but it was as if God had us in the palm of His Hand, and safely placed us at the bottom of the embankment. Joel and I have said that it is amazing that we didn't feel 'jarred' at all...All of our stuff was in place, nothing had bounced around. A semi had just passed us. His protection amazes me. It was honestly a mindless activity for me, to be driving with the cruise set, etc...and I had NEVER expected anything to happen. It all happened so fast, yet looking back it almost seems like things were in slow-motion. We had just passed a long section of road where there were rumble bars on the yellow line, on a hard-shoulder...This was a soft shoulder, that dropped down, with lose gravel. A simple 'mindless' activity turned into a major wakeup call! I am unbelievably thankful for the Lord's protection! Also I am grateful for my husband who helped me feel alot better after my stupid move. And I am thankful for life-in general. 

Here are some pics of our Branson trip and a couple from the Zoo on Monday!

Jennay and Forrest :]

Going AWAY!

I can't wait. Wednesday morning we are leaving for Branson! It's all part of a luxurious vacation package that my wonderful husband purchased...for just over $50. ;) Ok, so it might not be luxurious, but I don't really care! We're going AWAY! Sure, they are going to try and sell us a time-share, but as long as we 'just say NO' we'll have a pretty inexpensive vacation...including 2 nights at the Radisson. We'll also earn $50 in gift cards to Bass Pro Shops, for completing the resort tour (making the vacation lodging pretty much FREE.) There are a LOT of things we could do in Branson, but topping my list is Silver Dollar City. I've been there before, 'Fire in the Hole!' but it's been a while. I was about 15 or so last time we went as a family. 

Preston is staying with my parents and I will miss him like CRAZY! I already know there'll be tears (on my part) but as Joel reminded me, I'm with him 99% of the year, I can at least be away from him this 1%, right? Right. I'll try. :) 

Last time Joel and I were away together we went to Vegas-last Summer. It was fun, but I'm not much for HUGE crowds everywhere and accidentally seeing a little too much (or a LOT too much) skin on someone that I don't want to be seeing! Our hotel there was cheap, but NASTY...I'll never forget the blood-spattered walls and the sheets I was afraid to touch...EW. I'm thinking that the Radisson will be a LOT better, but I guess you never know.

About as random as I can be...

Last night we had a party for my Mother-in-Law's 50th Birthday. I used our lil' George Forman grill to cook the burgers (which took longer, yes...) but with wind gusts at over 40 mph, we kinda thought that using the charcoal grill was not a great idea after all. We had a fun time, and of course some yummy (storebought) cake. Unfortunately I didn't buy candles, forcing me to use what I had. I put a 3 and a 9 on the cake. Just making due with what was on hand. Either way, she turned 39 again, so hopefully that was ok with her! :)

Sometimes as a parent, I wonder about the impact I am making on my child's life. I try to limit the amount of time he spends with his beloved PBS and we read to him, Bible stories and LOTS of books, teach him, train him, try to make sure he has proper social interaction (or playtime with other kids:) and hope and pray he will turn out to be a man of God with strong character, willing to stand for the things he knows to be right. The other night he gave me a glimpse of what he hopes for the future. At the tender age of 3...I was excited to hear what he had to say. "Mommy, when I get big...I can reach the candy." Well, yes son. You definitely can. We keep the candy (mainly from Easter) in the cupboard only we can reach at this point. So you see, he has a worthy goal. And that is the first step, right? 

Potty-training has been going well!!! Just as I was at the end of my potty-training rope, hanging by just a tread-bare strand, it appears P has finally grasped the CONCEPT. I used to ask him if he had to go potty, and he'd say 'No, maybe tomorrow.' Well, that's great and all, but it's a pretty long time to HOLD it. But the past few days he's been keeping his pants dry...for the most part. And I am super proud of him! We're not at the end of this road yet, because it'll be a while before I'm comfortable taking him out and about in his 'big boy' underwear. But, I now feel like we are getting CLOSE and it's not some unattainable goal for us any longer!

We had a good Easter, and it's great to get to spend time with both of our families living in the same town now! As a Christian, I feel that Easter is the most exciting Holiday we can celebrate!! Christ is Risen! That is cause for celebration. Yes, we did the Easter egg hunt(s) and ate way to much candy and yummy food but the reason for the celebration was of course the exciting part! Saturday evening Joel and I were talking about the Easter 'season' and how it signified 'new life', and I realize that as a born-again believer, I have a new-life or new-beginning in Christ. Sunday morning on the way to church, out of no where, a large pheasant slammed into the front of our car. It was DEAD. Even broke our headlight! I was horrified to see a feather sticking up in the air. Yes, the pheasant rode the rest of the way to church with us, stuck in our headlight/hood. When we got to church my Dad gave us a curious look as we pulled in and then we popped the hood and Dad rescued the poor dead pheasant. I told a friend that we'd just been discussing Easter signifying this 'new life' and now we'd brought a dead bird to church. She pointed out that we could eat it...Well, yes! The Lord had provided an Easter dinner for us after all! It was so tasty. I'm kidding of course. We didn't eat the pheasant. But I'm pretty sure that P wanted to keep it. When we went back to church on Wednesday, he was concerned that the bird was gone. I'll close with a photo of the unfortunate pheasant (because I'm sure everyone wants to see it.)

Here is P having a 'picnic' with a friend...NOT having pheasant. :)

Shopping Cart Laughter

I was reading a devotional the other night, called Joy Breaks, by various Chrisitan women authors who spoke at the Women of Faith event several years back. I borrowed the book from my Mom, and I read it-pretty spuradically. But the other night it was talking about the importance of laughter. The author used an example of hysterical laughter that had happened to her and a friend...she wanted an outfit dry-cleaned-in the one hour dry-cleaning. Which is not normally a problem, unless you are WEARING the outfit you want cleaned (and you don't have a change of clothes with you.) Her friend took her to the dry cleaners, and took the outfit in for her...while the author (Luci Swindoll) tried not to be seen, and ducked down in the car, holding a purse in front of her on the way home, while her and her friend Marilyn laughed all the way home.

This reminded me of the time Noelle and her friend Jeremiah came to visit back in 2004 and we went out on the town for a good time. No, I did not go to the dry-cleaners...but we ended up at Target, where Noelle thought I should get in the shopping cart, while she would push me around the parking lot. Really? I don't make a habit of that. But, we were all goofing around, and sure enough-I got in the cart. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard-she pushed me FAST through the parking lot, while Jeremiah snapped some pictures. (Oh yes-there ARE pictures!) Thankfully my scanner does not work...:o) The devotional I read challenged me to do something today that will make me laugh...it said to, "Dare to embrace something a bit risky and wild. And don't put it off until tomorrow. How do you know tomorrow will ever get here?" The reference was Proverbs 27:1, "Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth."-New King James Version. 

While I don't intend to run to Target and jump in a shopping cart (which would be FUN...) I do want to try to not take life so seriously! In this time of economic hardships, the uncertainty of the job market, and trying to lose weight (again) there are a LOT of things to be concerned about, yes...but I do believe that LAUGHTER is the best medicine, and I WANT some of it. :o) 

Making me laugh today-is Mr. P-who is 3. He told me this morning that he needed some coffee. What a riot. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! 

Romantic Notions

Since I posted pictures of my gorgeous roses, I feel it's only right to expose the 'other' side of Valentine's Day at our house. Since our second year of marriage, Joel has brought me home a lovely little singing creature-the day after Valentine's Day (hint: 50% off-which is a good thing. :)

I tried to capture their vitality and spirit with a photo-but did not accomplish it. My favorite is the green frog, who wiggles his hips from side to side, while opening his jacket and croons, 'you're UN-believable...' Magical, no? 

In fairness, I'll admit that our first Valentine's Day as a married couple-I was guilty of giving Joel the little hamster with the Elvis haircut. His little cheeks light up as he dances and sings, 'Ain't too proud to Beg'. It's heart-warming.

Notice how I've kept several of these cute lil' creatures in the original packaging. One might think I was getting ready to sell them all on Ebay-as one lot, to make a few bucks. No, I wouldn't do that. But-I am wondering what we'll do with them all in say another 20 years of marriage. Maybe build an addition? A room just for them? Or put them all in a lovely display case? Ha!! Until then, they'll all be huddled up on the top shelf of the closet until next year, when we can bring them out to laugh and entertain ourselves. Ah, who said romance was dead?!

Roses are Red...

Six gorgeous roses were delivered to me on Wednesday. This has never happened before. Flowers-delivered! I was impressed. A friend was over, and urged me to read the card-to make sure they were from Joel. ;) (They were.) He amazes me. I love them-so I had to capture their beauty, before they begin to wilt...(they already have.) But-it doesn't matter, I have pictures! And I will remember them forever.