Saturday, August 22, 2009

Good grief!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have updated this thing. I can't even begin to try and catch up so I won't. Things have been going really well and Delia is still the smartest, funniest, most beautiful little girl I've even seen!

She will be 21 months next week which means her 2nd birthday will be here before we know it. I'm already planning the party cause that's how I roll. The thing that stinks about birthdays in late fall or winter is that there's not as many options as in warmer weather. But she's still pretty little for a lot of stuff anyway. Not that anyone may care...but the theme is Woodland Fairy Tea Party...I do love having a little girl!

We were thinking of enrolling her in Montessori this year but we're gonna hold off. I can't bear to part with her just yet, even for a few days for a few hours.

As some may know...I have become a PartyLite consultant. It was free to start and it seemed like a flexible, fun thing to do...and it is! I have been doing really well. I even made top sales in my unit last month without even knowing it. I get to get out and socialize while I'm making money. And I get a ton of free candles, which is a HUGE bonus for me. It's allowing me to continue to stay home with Delia during the day and taking some of the burden off Mike. It really has been an enormous blessing.

Our biggest news is that we're moving!!!!! Finally! I've said it a thousand times...I don't mean to seem ungrateful for having a free place to stay the last 10 months...but there is nothing like being in your own place. We'll be heading up north of Nashville. We'll actually be about 30 minutes from the KY line. Which really isn't far from where we are now. I will be so glad to be in my own bedroom (on our mattress that is no longer just sitting on the floor...we've been sleeping like squatters all this time), and cook my own meals, and watch my television (which is a brand new Samsung LCD 1080p 120hz HDTV...thanks PartyLite!), and have everything just the way I want it...this is starting to sound really self-centered. You get the point. We're excited. Delia will be back in her own room...I've been building a stash of new things for it so I'm super-excited to get it all set up. If you've ever gone from living on your own to moving back in with your parents...you know how we've been feeling. But the time has finally come.

We've been taught so many things over the last year and a half. We've had a serious lesson in patience and God's plan/timing vs. our plans/timing. We've left friends and lost A LOT. It has been so stinking hard a lot of the time to not get discouraged and down on ourselves. But I've also learned how to find joy...in everything. I've never really been a pessimistic sort of girl...but as rough as things were getting...it was really taking it out of me. I don't think we ever hit the bottom of anything...but we sure got close several times. That has taught me to look for the silver lining in just about anything and any situation. I've also had to learn that my silly attempts at control really are futile. I've been meaning to get this lesson down for a long time...it took drastic measures for that to happen. But I'm grateful for it.

Well, I need to get off here and get some more packing in. 2 more weeks!!!! Of course...it's going to crawl by...but I can handle it! Oh and I'll add new photos once we get moved. I have been forbidden to add any photos to my parents' ancient computer and we no longer have internet on ours since we had to dismantle the router. Apparently it was somehow damaging the aforementioned ancient computer. You've all waited this long...2 more weeks won't kill anyone.

Friday, May 29, 2009

I have an 18 month old little girl!!!

Taken from Delia's Babysite on 5/28/09:


We have an 18 month old little girl as of 6:15 this evening! I cannot believe how fast it has all gone by. She is starting to lose that "baby look" and is looking more and more like a little girl. It makes me excited to watch her grow, but sad that she's not a teeny baby anymore.

She is more and more independent every day, which is also kind of sad. She can say about every word out there, she is starting to put together 2 and 3 word sentences. She can say "I love you", though it doesn't come out quite that way. She blows kisses all the time and if she sees keys in your hand, she'll start to wave and tell you goodbye.

She can climb stairs which freaks me right out. She still hasn't figured out how to climb over furniture though...thank goodness. She likes sitting in her little chair and I'd really like to get one of those little Princess or Dora couches that folds out into a tiny bed. It is the perfect size for her.

We just took her off her bottle so we'll see how that goes. She is starting to throw tantrums which makes me want to pull my hair out but she responds pretty well to discipline...even though we get some attempts at manipulation when she knows she's in trouble. She starts saying, "Hi Mommy" or Hi Daddy" or "Come Here" and pulls your finger to try and distract you. She's a smart one.

She is turning out to be such a girl...which is odd for me since I grew up with a lot of boys and have never been terribly girly. She loves purses and calls them "baggies" and loves chapstick which is called "ips" for "lips". She loves her dresses and insists on putting on a jacket every morning no matter how hot it is outside. She also loves her Lucy Bear and rocking on her horse that she named "Rocket". The name came from her saying "Rock it" anytime she wanted on. We thought that was a good horse's name.

She is still a Dora nut but also really loves Ni Hao Kai-Lan, The Backyardigans, Max and Ruby (which she just calls "Uby"), and Olivia.

She loves eggs and can eat a ton of them. She also really loves apples and chicken. And the french fries that Aunt Caity is always bringing her.

We bought a zoo membership in April and have already used it a ton of times. We can also use it to get into over 160 other zoos for free which is pretty cool. Delia loves seeing the animals up close. They have farm animals which are her favorites. She also loves the meerkats (which look like our old buddy DeeDee...RIP little man...) and the petting zoo. She has a fit every time we leave that part and cries while saying "Bye goats". Oh and the elephants...she loves those! They also have this huge 60,000 plus sq. ft. play area with a section just for the little ones and a really cute carousel that she rides like such a big girl. She just loves being outside and loves dandelions...or any flower, really.

Delia has now been to four different states: Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois (where I used to live). She'll go to the fifth in July when we take our girl's trip to Florida and see the beach for the first time! And then to Maryland this Christmas (and possibly before if we can swing it)...she is a big traveller.

We love spending time with her and making sure she gets to experience as much of everything out there that she can. She is a huge goofball and cracks me up all the time. She does the funniest, most random things sometimes. I can be completely angry about something and she gives me that big grin she has and I can't even remember why I'm mad (unless it's about something she did...she doesn't work me over that easy...).

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Free Soaps...Oh My!

A chance to win free soaps...I am so there. You can either visit Maria's Space for a chance to win soap for the dear father in your life or go to the source herself and visit Tanya's Dirty Housewife page for instructions on how to win there every month. I already have about 10 bars myself and they are soooo worth it! So go go go!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Give mama some sugar...

I had a great Mother's Day...even with a migraine. Mike and Delia got me a heart necklace with Delia's name engraved on it. So pretty and I loved it. We went to church with my parents and then came home and spent most of the day resting...which is all mama wanted. Then my sister, Sarah, came over and cooked dinner for the two mothers in the house (well, and everyone else too...). We didn't have to cook or clean...yay!

I am so thankful everyday for being appointed as Delia's mom. I love that little girl with everything I have. She is such a blessing and I love spending as much time as I can with her and discipling her. Being a mom is one of the best things I have gotten to experience. I am so proud of what she does and who she is and how she changes and learns new things everyday. I just get her...even when she's being a turd. It's so amazing having this little person who looks just like you and is so much like you.

Can't wait for all the Mother's Days in the future and to have another child to be mommy to someday soon...

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Whoa

So um...yeah...I have been terrible at keeping up with this thing lately. Between Twitter and Facebook...I forget to update on here.

Mother's Day is coming up and I am so excited! My sisters and I got our mom a pretty cool gift...I think she'll really like it.

My photography business is starting off nicely. It is really hard to find time to edit since my parents' computer is old and bogged down and ours is in the room where Delia sleeps...and the only time I have to do anything is, of course, when she is napping. I have gotten some bookings for May and I am really excited about them.

Hopefully using our computer won't be a problem much longer...Mike had his second interview with a really great company this past week. Our old neighbor in Powell, Brian, works for them out of the Knoxville area...but they are actually located here in Nashville. This last interview was with the owner and it went really well. Now we wait. Please pray. If he gets this, we can for sure move out in the next couple of months.

Delia is doing awesome! She never ceases to amaze me or crack me up...even as she is developing a bit of baby attitude. It's so funny how much like me she is. I get her...even when she's being less than cooperative. She is talking like crazy and growing more and more independent. She is twirling in the living room as I type this. She is starting to say two and three word "sentences". Stuff like, "Help please" or "I sorry" or "I stuck" (though that one comes out as "I suck"). She is climbing stairs...which absolutely freaks me out. She is hardly ever still...except maybe when Dora is on. She loves ammals (that's animals). We got a zoo membership that gets us into over 100 other zoos for free...she loves it! Especially the animals we can get close to: the goats, horse, lorikeets, sheep, meerkats, etc. As far as growth...she's gained a tiny bit of weight but she is still one of the healthiest kids I know of.

We're going to try to go to DC this summer...like late summer. Even though Mike's grandparents only live about 45 minutes from there, he's never been. I went on a class trip for 4 or 5 days in the 6th grade and I loved it. We were going to stay with his Mamaw and Pap and then just either drive in to DC every day or take the train. Every major monument there is free...all the Smithsonian museums are free...we will literally only be paying for food and gas. We were going to try to make it to New York either this summer or fall to see my family...but we're going to have to wait now.

Oh and I have already stated my Etsy addiction...if you have baby girls (or are about to, Ashley...), you need to visit this blog: Three Yellow Starfish . She makes the cutest pinafores and bloomers. I'm also putting her link on my friends list. I got Delia a pair of bloomers for summer and they are so cute! There is a link to her Etsy site where you can purchase any of her items.

I also have to give link love to Tanya, owner of The Dirty Housewife Soaps. I love, love, love her soaps. I am a soap junkie and these are so great...I even licked one of the bars I got because it smelled really sweet. She has an Etsy store as well. You can visit her blog here: The Dirty Housewife . There is a link to her Etsy site on there as well.

Well, I need to get off here. Delia has been playing but she's getting cranky since it's getting close to naptime.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Obsessed

Ok...I know, I know...I haven't posted in a long while. I'll be getting back to that. I just needed to confess a love (obsession) of mine.



I could seriously scour this site ALL day and it wouldn't get old...I can always find something I need (or want, really).

See for yourself...Etsy

Yep, that's all...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

So ready for spring!

I am so congested it's making me sick to my stomach. Delia has had the worst sounding cough and it's starting to sound a little better so I hope it's gone by the weekend, at least. Mike found out from Epiphone that they are in an "unofficial hiring freeze", whatever that means. He was pretty frustrated with the woman who called since he's been trying to get a hold of her and another guy there for over a month. So pretty much...he's giving up on that as a job prospect. But since they told him he had the job, he hadn't been looking as diligently for other things so now he's back at it, full swing.

Okay, that's the stuff that sucks right now. I needed to whine a bit. Other than that, we're good. So ready to be out of my parents' house but it'll happen. We joined the church we've been visiting and we're really excited. We had already started getting involved and have even started a new ministry there with another in the works.

I am loving the nice weather we've been having the last two days, even though I think it's supposed to get cold again soon. We're planning a camping trip for sometime soon and since I won't be working Saturdays anymore after this Saturday...we'll be able to get into more stuff on the weekends. I am so pumped about Easter since Delia will be able to participate this year! She has the cutest dress and we made a basket for her. Again, we'll be visiting Knoxville/Powell the first weekend in April and we can't wait to see everyone! I think we're also going to try and head up to Cade's Cove while we're there if the weather is good.

Mike is about done with my logo so I can start watermarking my photos. It's really cute. Since they're kind of pricey, I'm not setting up a website yet...I have a blog I'm going to post photos to for now. We also got Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2 and I am ready to figure them both out. I know a little about Photoshop...like basic stuff...but I want to be able to use it all on my own so I'm not constantly bothering Mike about it.

Well, I guess that's all that's been happening. Like I said, we're just itching to get out of here and into our own place. Please keep Mike in your prayers as he looks for another job so that we can get a place of our own.