Dirty Playing Adventures...wait that's not the right order.

I am sick and tired of being a couch potato...ok so maybe I was never a couch potato per say but I was a house potato...we stay in all the time. Which was fine for 2 adults who would rather cook, craft, watch movies, or read. Its not so fine for two growing boys. I don't want them to grow up staying in... I don't want them to start the video game/tv habit. I want them to play outside..get dirty and have adventures.. Then again that sounds like fun for the whole family...so I want us all to play outside get dirty and have adventures. We have started taking baby steps as the weather gets good. We went this past weekend to a local Civil War Memorial Park...where we flew kites and played ball...it was a blast. We have also started our garden up... and today we took a walk together after dinner.... 2 miles to be exact... Well my hubby and I walked and my 2 year old rode his trike (I don't think I could have went that far even)... The 10 month old rode in a little push car. I would say that's a fine way to start playing those dirty adventures.. That just sounds all wrong doesn't it...but at least we are going to have fun...LOL

WW...Partners in crime.

A one of a kind handmade cake topper and my first craft of 2011

I am really happiest when I am crafting and working but sometimes I am not inspired...this one wasn't my idea though..Someone specifically asked me to make it. I had never done a cake topper before... It worked great because their idea inspired me and the result was this cute little family... The picture above was on the cake...the picture below was took just minutes after I was finished and happy with my final creation...I sculpted this for a grooms cake.... Its the groom being dragged by his son and bride...and the sweet groom requested it that way. Hopefully this will be something I get to do more of in the future...This was a little piece of my dream come true...to get to make something that will become a part of someones life...because it is made out of clay its a keepsake... I have so many ideas now for cake toppers...birthdays, weddings, babyshowers etc.. although this one isn't for sale...its already happilly tucked away with the family it was for... if anyone else wants a custom topper feel free to contact me I would love to create something for your special day.




I am linking up to the following

Blue Cricket Show and Tell

A moment in my world.

The best part of my day comes early before the world is awake and going...its when I hear those sleepy footsteps come rushing to my bedroom. I smile into my pillow when I feel him scramble up and over me...its a king size bed with lots of pillows but I know within a few moments I will have my pillow stolen. He will cuddle up to me and I will pull him closer wrap him tighter in my arms...I dont fall back asleep as quickly as him...My brain has woke up too much...I marveled a second too long at the gift he is. So I say a prayer of thanks slowly saying thank you for each of my blessings..Haven..Soren... Brian...asking that they be protected and watched over..the list goes on till I drift back to sleep...depending on what time it is I may only have a moment...if I am lucky a few hours....Hours of him close to me... breathing with me...his heart beating near me...we were this close once...closer..for 35 weeks he was mine all mine and now I share him with the world..My last thought before I drift back off is usually that I almost missed this magic...I almost missed out on these amazing tiny moments...we wake up noses almost pressed together...tangled in quilts and each others hair..looking directly into each others eyes...the sweetest smile with sparkling blue eyes is staring right at me...he usually pats my cheek in the way I guess I have his since he came into my life...He says hello Moma every morning...and my heart melts...everytime...it never gets old...it never gets boring...hearing those words is magic everytime...seeing that face is a gift.. I am so very thankful for the gift of being a Mom...for the moments I get to share with him..both of them...being a Mom is the greatest gift I have ever been given....I am working to give them the gift of a great Mom.

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I need a good stiff kick in the behind...

I think the title says it all. I need my behind kicked...um stiffly whatever that means. It's been a while since I have posted. With good reason.... I haven't had anything to say. Well I have had things to say but maybe I was to scared to say them. I am in a funk...a sad funk..a depressed funk...now I haven't been in one this whole time...off and on... I am an emotional person admittedly. Lately its more on than off. I find myself sinking. I have been battling to lose weight...which I have lost...then gained...then lost...then gained again...its a crazy cycle. I am not going to make excuses. I know what it takes to lose weight...but I have to say its hard for me. I have several things against me... My thyroid...it just doesn't work right...and I have insulin resistance... I gain weight so quickly...for example in the past two weeks I had too much on my plate and havent been going to the gym and exercising. I also haven't been eating correctly...so you know what happened. I gained 13 lbs... that's alot of weight to pile on... That's part of the funk. The 2nd part is I want to do something...but I am just not doing it. That's vague... let me elaborate. I am crafty...there is a local market here that is open on Saturday for crafters to set up a booth. I want to set up a booth. To do that I need to make stuff. Doesn't sound hard does it? I go and buy supplies and as soon as I do the inspiration leaves me... Or more honestly fear sets in. I look at all these creative people online...following their dreams opening their own business...or etsy stores. I see the things they make and I think to myself..."why didn't I think of that?" or "I could do that". The honest truth is I could...we all could. People offer tutorials for almost everything if you cant figure it out on your own. So what is stopping me from doing this.... ME... I am looking at myself really hard right now. I am pushing myself to take action... I want to take action. I want to accomplish my dreams. I want to have my own business...albeit a small something.. I want to finally lose all my weight and get healthy... I want so many things...great things...achievable things...and the only thing stopping me...is me... I am not listening to myself when I try to explain that I can do anything I just have to have faith courage and confidence...sadly although I am in a funk...I haven't lost that stubborn streak. I plan on blogging my way out of it....blogging my way through weight loss...and blogging my way out of this funk...till I accomplish my goals...oh yeah and let's not forget while I try to do this I am also trying to be a good Mom and juggling 2 really cute monsters is so much harder than it looks.

WW Soren at 4 months

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away after this series of posts we may never see him again.

Its apple time here in my little part of Georgia and so we loaded up the kiddlets this past Sunday and headed out to a local orchard and got some. Ofcourse while we were there we sampled some Apple Cider Slushies, Fried Apple Pies, and Pecan Brittle. We didn't just pick up apples we also picked up Sorghum Syrup...and I can't wait to eat some drizzled over a hot buttered biscuit...If you don't know what Sorghum is the only way I know how to describe it is it's the South's version of molasses. I love it. I have a few recipes that you use it in. Since I now have some I plan on making them and I will be sure to post them. Get ready because the nexts few posts are going to get fruity.

I learned to juggle....which is a good thing since my life has become a circus!

I want to start off by saying first thank you if you are still a follower. I know I disappeared for a while. I missed blogging. I have been a little busy though. I was trying to figure out this whole Mommy of 2 deal. I feel like I have came a long way from where I was in the beginning. I am not ashamed to admit that at first I didn't think I could do it. I let things get to me. I had a few days where I would call my husband crying and have a mini-meltdown. A few times both kids were crying the house was a mess and lots of things had gone wrong so I sat down and had a good cry with them. It started getting better when I learned a few things.... I figured out that there will never be enough hours in the day, that I will never have enough hands, and that I am not super woman so I just can't do it all at once. I am a perfectionist...and I am learning to let go of perfection. It was really stressful at first. Trying to do everything and expecting so much from myself. I started slowly but surely letting things go and relaxing a little more. Guess what happened...I started really enjoying being a Mom of 2. I was missing out on the little pleasures because I was hyperventilating over the house and other stuff beyond my control. Now I am not saying I don't still get overwhelmed or have rough days...but I certainly have fewer than before. I have also started going to the gym and working out a few days a week. I try and eat healthier. So far I have lost a total of 34lbs since I had the baby. I was trying to lose weight before I got pregnant with the baby so it brings my total up to 67lbs lost in all! I am so excited about that. That has really helped me feel better. I have so much more energy...and let me tell you I need all I can get. I am going to be blogging more (anything is more especially since I haven't in forever!) So check back later this week I have a few things in the works. Keep in mind that blogging will basically be another ball that I will be juggling so give me a chance to work it into the routine. I promise though that I won't drop the ball...

I am back sorta...

I realize its been forever since I have been on here...So here is a quick update. My little man stayed a little more than a week in the NICU. I was so busy running back and forth to see him and taking care of my 18 month old (who is now almost 20 months) that I couldn't post much. Then when he finally got home the real choas began. We had to take him to the doctor to be checked every couple of days for weight and I can report that the little chunk now weights 9lbs and 7ozs. Taking care of two kidlets all day and the house is pretty much sucking all of my energy up...but I am happy to report that I have been making jams, jellies and drying fruit. So I promise I will be back with another post on that soon. Plus I will be posting pictures... Be back soon...a little is crying and I have to rush off.

S is in NICU

S was born by C-section Friday 5/21. He weighed 8lbs and 3 Oz at just 36 weeks. His lungs were mature and had he not inhaled amniotic fluid he would be home right now. Instead he is in the NICU battling pneumonia. He has been on a breather. He has an i.v. in the side of his head. He has a feeding tube and he is also on a jaundice light. Pray for my little one he improves everyday...but not fast enough to calm a Mom's heart.

C-section today

Its 1:50 am as I sit writing this. I should be asleep but I can't. I went to the doctor Thursday for a regular check up... There just wasn't anything regular about it. My doctor wanted to immediately send me to the hospital to get an emergency
C-section....but she and I came to an agreement and instead I will be having a
C-section here shortly. I needed time. A moment to breath in my son as an only son. A little later today his whole world will change and I wanted to give him one more day of what he was used to. We went out and had dinner as a family of 3 for the last time. I didn't know how sad I would feel at this...or how guilty. Why do I feel so guilty? I am not excited at the prospect of what I will go through today. I won't be given an epidural or spinal tap due to complications caused by my cancer years ago. I will be put under general anesthesia. So instead of being able to immediately enjoy my new son I will be out for hours. Don't get me wrong I am looking forward to meeting the new little guy...but there is a part of me that is so sad. I am only 36 weeks pregnant maybe if I had a little longer I would feel differently. I would be ready for this....I knew this new path was coming up in my life...I just wasn't ready to walk on it yet..

So please if you pray say a prayer for me and my family...no matter what your religion or what your belief...Think of us today and send good thoughts good energy and even love our way....because I need it...we all do.

As far as blogging you may not see me for a while. I will be back when I can.

A walk on the farm

We went to my Mom and Dad's one night this past week for dinner. It was a simple dinner. I got to pick the menu....partly because I am pregnant and mostly because I begged...lol. I asked for breakfast. My Mom made her biscuits and sausage gravy and I took a breakfast casserole. My grandparents were there. After we ate I dragged everybody out for a walk...It was a long slow lazy walk around the farm and here are a few of the pictures I took.



The wheat is almost ready for harvest.




H the one time I could get him to stop running....he slept good that night!



The honeysuckle is starting to take over...notice its almost covering a gate.




I dropped behind to take a shot of everbody slowly walking along...ofcourse no one noticed...What if I was fell over having contractions??...no one would have noticed...lol

Wordless Wednesday

picture title: Pawpaw's glasses

I am still here and pregnant.

Just wanted to stop by and say I am still here...and currently still pregnant. Right at this moment I am 34 weeks and 3days pregnant. Last week I had a long visit to labot and delivery where they started giving me the steroid shots to mature his lungs. I go every Monday and Thursday to the doctors office and get monitored. Today there was talk of doing my c-section next week. I walked away from the office feeling a little sad. Hopefully I can stay pregnant as long as possible for the little guys sake. I know its not a long post just wanted to say I am still here and haven't forgot about you...so don't forget about me!

A homemade gift for my Mom

My Mom's whole house is done with an outdoor theme. She would rather be outdoors than anywhere else. She loves to garden and go fishing. If the sun is out so is she. Well that's not true because if its overcast she will be outside. It doesn't really matter the season as long as its not storming she will be outside. When it comes to buying her gifts its not hard at all. She likes perfume, jewelry, cookbooks, and everything most women do. However if you want to give her something she is going to love....you make it. So over the years I have made her a gifts here and there. A couple of weeks ago I was at a craft store and they had a papermache/cardboard heart ( I am not sure exactly what it was made of) that was on clearance for just a quarter. I bought it not knowing at the time what I would do with it. Till last week. I decided to try and paint my mom something. I had never done birds before but that is what I settled on. I make the same mistake with everything I make my mom. I tell her I am making her something before I get it done...and she is like a kid that you just told you got her a surprise. She drove me nuts for 2 days till I got it finished then she swooped it away. Where it now hangs in her house somewhere. I barely got it finished and got to take a picture before she pounced. Painting really relaxes me and I learn a little more every time I would love to one day take a class and get really good. Till then my Mom still loved it mistakes and all! I will be linking up to the following. Click the links so that you can check out other creations.

Making the World Cuter

Whatever goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

We came he puked then we left and Mommy had a contraction in Walmart

Last week and so far this week have just been filled with excitement around here...like contraction inducing excitement. My birthday was Sunday...I hit the big 29....I say that its big but it sure doesn't feel it. I don't know how its possible that I have been kicking for 29 years when it feels like I just stepped out of high school. So back to last week. I had contractions. This is nothing new to me at this point...but my doctor is growing more concerned...there is no sign that I am going into labor just contractions no progress...but they get stronger and stronger. So I get the news on Thursday that I have to start coming to the office twice a week for the remainder of my pregnancy. Now I am not complaining about going. I am glad she wants to be safe but I am not looking forward to it because getting up and going to the doctor usually wears me out. I don't sleep well anymore and I always make my appointments as early as possible so I am not in the office for 4 or 5 hours...so I have to get up early. I wrangle a 17 month old also lets not forget that...then add to the equation this super belly that I am dragging around...or its dragging me at this point who knows. I will go every Monday and just get monitored for contractions etc...then go back Thursdays get monitored again, get an ultrasound and then see a doctor for a regular appointment. Were still on Thursday here in this little story just to help you keep up....that same day after the doctors appointment my in-laws want to take us out to dinner to celebrate my upcoming birthday. We go to the place of their choice...yeah they are those kinds of in-laws. We walk in the front door go to the hostess and my son who was born with my timing takes the opportunity and pukes all over my husband and himself...It happened in slow motion. The horrified look on the hostesses' face...the same horrified look on my prim and proper in-laws. I would have laughed out right if my son didn't immediately go into melt down with my husband not far behind him. Hubs immediately turns around and walks out the door. Were working as a team now the Hubs and I we don't have to talk. He heads to the back of the SUV where I have an emergency bag packed for just these situations...why? Because I am good? Nope because it has happened before and with our luck I knew it would happen again. Now I am thinking ahead and know that I am going to need Tylenol....because H was starting to feel warm and we had used the last little bit we had the day or so before when he was fussy with a new tooth coming in. So off we go to the Walmart. Hubs stays in the car because in the emergency bag I packed for us I apparently grabbed a shirt that was one of his old ones and he had outgrown it. I went in to Walmart alone with no argument because he didn't want to go in public showing off his belly button...lol. I totally understand because there is no way I would want to show mine off right now either. So I rush into the Walmart to grab Tylenol and in the middle of the rushing (not so much as rushing as waddling faster than normal) when boom I get hit by a contraction...like knock you down take your breath make you puke, die, and come back again...just so you get the idea of how big it was. I make it back to the car winded and clammy. We spend the next 2 days with H at the doctor's and battling a 104 temp....and a nice little strep throat infection. My birthday rolls around H is better and that's more than enough birthday present for me. Sunday night comes and Hubs gets knocked down...throwing up running a fever and its deja vu. He has the same thing H has...so I single parented from Sunday night till Tuesday...today. I have to hand it to any Mom who does it alone...I don't know if I would survive 365 days single parenting...I barely handled 48 hours. Now its not normal for me to actually be the well one. I am usually the one going to the doctor or catching the plague but not this time...or so we thought. We made it through Sunday night all day and all night Monday... Then about 12 this afternoon my hands started burning...A little blister appears on my finger....and within 30 minutes my hands are covered. So we make the trip to the doctor because after 2 hours and benadryl not helping I had to call and of course they want me to come in. I would expect no less...So here we go. The doctor determines that I got into something I am allergic to ( I can only imagine what it could be now). They go ahead and do a full visit though...then it happens I have a contraction in the middle of talking to her...I tried to act like it was nothing but I certainly won't be getting an Oscar because I was promptly put on a monitor. Within 30 mins I had 2 small contractions and 1 medium...well medium for me anyways but enough for them to be concerned...So I am set to have another test on Thursday (Thursdays are starting to kinda suck for me...what happened to Monday being the bad guy) This test will tell if I am in preterm labor or if I am expected to go into preterm labor....Till then I am supposed to keep my feet up and take it easy....which I try to do as much as possible anyways...On the plus side on the way home from the doctor's I got a pity trip to the bakery...So I am going to go put my feet up now while I eat an Ambrosia cookie....yummy... At least today will have a sweet ending....while I cross my fingers that no one pukes, runs a fever or goes into labor tonight...Mommy needs some real sleep.

Thats not Champagne chilling in my fridge its something far better

How do you like the Cribs view of inside my fridge? Sorry no champagne or caviar...just pepsi, ketchup, milk, and pink liquid gold. What is that pink liquid gold you ask...It's homemade pedialyte. I consider this liquid gold because it has saved me so many times when my son was sick. I don't have to run out and buy pedialyte anymore...and why would I as yucky as it is. Did I mention how expensive it is?...You don't even want to know how much money I have wasted buying it and then my son won't drink it no matter what I do....the yuck taste shines through. I can mix in stuff...but even sick he is smarter than that. There is just no way he will drink it. I have tried everything. One night when he was really sick and on his way to dehydrating I got desperate. I looked up tricks to making your kid drink it. Well it was late and somehow it pulled up a recipe for homemade pedialyte. They gave a few alternates on how you could do it and I have tweaked it until I got something my son will drink. I also checked it out with my son's pediatrician and she was so impressed she wrote the recipe down and now gives it out to all of her patient's parents. She said that the sugar and salt in the recipe are what is really important...thats what pedialyte has anyway.


4 cups of water
1/2 pkg jello any flavor
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Mix all of it in a pitcher and serve it to your sick kidos. I also freeze this into popsicles. Thats homemade pedialyte for less than a buck! You can even sub in a pkg of koolaid..but increase the sugar to half a cup.

Menu Plan Monday

I fell off the Menu Plan Wagon. Although we did ok and ate at home for the most part it would have been better to have a plan. However last weeks unplanned moments were pretty fantastic. I made chocolate covered strawberries one day just because I had the chocolate, strawberries, and a pregnancy induced craving. I also made some really good cheesesteak sandwiches...complete with homemade french bread to serve them on... Which was my first time making bread and my first time actually making a cheesesteak taste like a cheesesteak. I am back on the wagon now so here is what our week looks like. For more ideas head over to The Organizing Junkie.


Monday- Spaghetti, garlic bread, broccoli and pears

Tuesday- BBQ Pork Chops, Au gratin Potatoes, green beans, applesauce

Wednesday- Country ham, biscuits and gravy

Thursday- Chicken Enchiladas

Friday- Creamed Chicken and veggies over biscuits, applesauce

Saturday- Pizza, Corn on the Cob, and fruit salad

Sunday- Steak fingers and brown gravy, Mashed potato, peas, homemade rolls (from dough I froze when I made the cheesesteak buns)

Dessert- Banana Bread( the freezer is full of bananas and more on the counter), Messed up Pineapple upside down cake (my husbands pregnancy craving),

Five question Friday

Because I haven't posted in so long and because I love reading other peoples answers its only fair that I answer them too...

1. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Ok so Candice Cameron when she was chunkier. I actually used to get told all the time when my hair was lighter and I was too that I looked like her. I even had to correct a few people in New York that wanted an autograph 10 years ago..I think it had something to do with dark sunglasses a fancy outfit and standing outside of a limo waiting on my mom so we could get driven back to the airport.


2. Did you ever go to summer camp? No way. I love to camp but the whole thing about once you get there you are there totally bothered me. I don't like to be stranded anywhere period...I know for a fact if I had went and wanted to come home my mom would have just told me to suck it up!


3. What sends you running and screaming in the other direction? Snakes I hate hate hate snakes.


4. What is something you do that drives your spouse nuts? I never sing the lyrics to any song right...I always make my own up because my version is better...lol.


5. What is currently your favorite song? Shamman Dragonfly is today but yesterday I was listening to the Zack Brown band all day then the day before I was listening to Elvis...so I guess it depends on what day it is.

Blind to blessings...

I am guilty sometimes of only seeing the worst. The glass is half empty...the glass is almost out.. rarely pondering that the glass is half full or that my glass sometimes is really over flowing. I am sometimes guilty of being covered in blessings but never "seeing" them. I can say that is not always the case....like today. To be more accurate like the past few days. I think part of the problem is that I spend most of my time rushing. I rush mentally and physically. While I am flying by I see all the bad. I see everything that's not done...or everything I don't have. Its only when I slow down do I start to see all the good....everything I have accomplished..or that I already have everything I need. The last few months have been really hard. I have spent alot of time fearing what was coming after I have the new baby (still nameless in case you were wondering). Because lets be honest. Babies are alot of work. I know 16 months ago I had a newborn. Babies are also alot of money... not to mention now I will have 2 in diapers. One on the liquid gold (at least thats what it costs as much as) that they call formula. I really wasn't looking forward to it...the work, the tiredness, and even more sacrifice to make ends meet. I dwelled completely in the negative because I was moving so fast that I never gave myself a moment to see positive side. This weekend my husband was off of work and we spent the entire weekend wrapped up in each other...the hubs, H and I. We only did what we wanted to do. We played in our yard, went to a park, slept late, stayed up late, took lazy naps, ate late breakfasts, visited friends, and just enjoyed being a family. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with guilt as I watched H play. I had somehow forgot the miracle it was for me to have a baby. I mean I had said thanks for another baby...but deep in my heart I don't think I felt it at least not at the right magnitude. Not that I didn't want it...just that I doubted myself and the situation that I know is right around the corner. It was like a light went off or suddenly everything that had been out of focus finally became not just legible but crystal clear. I started crying. Here I am pregnant again when I was told by so many that I would never have a baby. In remission from a terminal illness that no one thought I would live through. Sitting beside the man that I thought only existed in dreams. Watching my first born son play in our yard as his little brother did his best to kick hard enough to bruise my internal organs (I see soccer in this ones future). I immediately started praying and offering my thanks apologizing for my blindness to all the blessing that surround me. I gave thanks for my babies. I gave thanks for my health. I gave thanks for the man who is my rock. I gave thanks for my husbands job...and although it is not without struggles the opportunity to be able to stay home with my kids. I gave thanks for all the times that somehow our needs were met...when I just "knew" they wouldn't be. I gave thanks for everything that I had previously taken for granted....If right now your glass is half empty then take a moment...maybe you are moving to fast slow down and see how full the glass really is...it may suprise you.