fill my cup, Lord!

What we've been doing!

2012-01-25T20:15:00.001-08:00

I finally entered the world of an iPhone and was super excited to take all these great photos I have taken and put them on my blog! Lucy has grown so much over the last few weeks and I just can't believe how big she is now. She completely gave up her pacifiers for a new toy story bed and we haven't looked back! She is doing great with potty training and is talking in complete wonderful sentences. She is funny and will catch you off guard with her comments. So...without anymore words, here is our life in iPhone pictures!

Open Letter #3 and 100th post

2011-12-01T19:16:00.001-08:00

First of all, this is my 100th post. Kind of exciting, but sad at the same time. 100 posts in 3 years is kinda pitiful. Anyway, I wanted to revisit my open letter posts for my 100th post. It's gonna be wild, and without pictures so here goes!

Dear girl-who-came-to-my-garage-door-to-sell-me-carpet-cleaning,

Hello friend. Listen, not a whole lot of strangers walk through my messy garage to ring the doorbell up the steps to my laundry room entrance. You know, that's kinda what a sidewalk and front porch are for. I don't really know you that well, and don't need to looking all up in my recycle or my shoe rack by the door. So whatevs, you're here now. You want to do what? Shampoo my carpets? Oh, well I don't really have a whole lot of carpet here in this house. This is when I start to take a look at her attire and check out her car. (I watch enough Criminal Minds to be aware of my surroundings, come on people!) So you think I'm going to let you come into my house? I see no nametag, your flyer's are kinda iffy, there's no sort of name on your truck. Yeah...probably not going to do it. Then you try to throw Jesus in the mix. You are going on a mission trip? You know the way to my heart. But still, I don't even really have carpet. Well how 'bout (and God bless me, this was my exact response) "Let me talk to my husband. Leave me your card and I'll hit you up if I ever need my carpets cleaned."

"HIT YOU UP????"

What am I, a gangsta? Whoa. As soon as she walked away, I closed the laundry room door and busted out laughing. She was probably praying I would not "hit her up" with a phone call.

Anyway, sweet girl, maybe next time you should have some business cards. And stay out of my garage. That's kinda shady.

With love,

Nikki

And just for fun, here's one more!

Dear lady at the grocery store,

Hi. I just wanted to tell you that I love cheese. Ya, I could eat it every day. I'd be the Bubba Gump of cheese. Fried, grilled, whole, cold... whatever, I love cheese. But what I'm not really sure about is why you are eating SHREDDED cheese out of the bag while you do your weekly grocery shopping. I mean, you were getting down on that cheese. Did the Sargento kind that comes in cute little blocks not do it for you? You had to stick your hands down in the bag and pinch some cheese as you pushed your buggy. Or could you just not wait to get that cheese on your tacos? You had to have it right.now? Well, it's your shopping experience. I'm just a little confused by it. Until we meet again in the cheese aisle!

Let's talk cheese,

Nikki

Happy 100th post! :) Thanks to the people who actually read my blog and my one reader Adrienne who bought some Strawberry Newtons for me after my last open letter. Yum. They were fine. Wish I had some now! Love ya!

Fall pictures

2011-11-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

Well here I go again. Making excuses as to why I haven't blogged in forever. Don't have any excuses this time! Just didn't have a lot of pictures to share, and who wants to read a blog without pictures?!

It is COLD here today and I am already sick of it. I'm moving to Miami!

Lucy went to another Auburn game this year. We went with my friend Brandy and enjoyed ourselves so much! We played on Samford Lawn and Lucy was able to run and play all she wanted!

Here she is at Tiger Walk. If you go to an Auburn game you can't miss Tiger Walk!

We also visited the Peanut Festival and Lucy had a ball. She still asks me if we are going to the Fair or parade every weekend!

For Halloween, Lucy was her favorite character, Jessie, from Toy Story. We watch that movie at least 8 times a week. She loves it. She still wears her Jessie costume and carries her hat everywhere.

So there is our fall in pictures. Lucy is growing so fast. She is talking in complete sentences and going potty. She still takes her paci, but I'm hoping we can give it to Santa this Christmas. Her favorite phrases are "What doin?" "I have it?" and she talks in third person constantly.

"Lucy have it?" "Lucy's doll?"

She is finally enjoying going to school. She has some good friends and we love her teachers. She is such a ham and such a silly girl. And she'll tell you that "Lucy silly, or Lucy funny!"

I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner. I am ready to see how she will act. She already loves her Christmas tree in her room. She will tell me how beautiful it is and tell me all about the ornaments and who gave them to her! She is so quick and picks up on everything. She plays a matching game and is so good at it.

I am so proud of her and love her dearly!

Disney Recap

2011-10-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

We have been back from Disney for about 3 weeks now, and I finally feel like I am caught up on my sleep, my sanity, and my laundry! We had a magical time, as one does in Disney. We ate too much food, enjoyed wonderful company, gave too many thumbs up, and rode tons of rides. September in the middle of school was definitely a great time to go as there was a smaller crowd of people and we waited in line for rides for small amounts of time (as in like 5 minutes). Lucy enjoyed herself being the center of attention in so many peoples lives and mom and dad enjoyed having so many hands to help hold, feed, and love on our baby! We park hopped, ate with characters, walked till our feet hurt, and laughed over and over. That to me equals a super trip. I didn't quite know what I was getting into, even though I planned this trip down to every detail. From the outfits for each park, to our dining times and which park was what day, I was definitely the trip planner for our vacation. I had a great group to spend a truly amazing vacation with. Now that it's over, we all plan to go back in no less than 5 years! ha! We really wore ourselves out. Next time, we will plan for more days with a few days just for relaxing and hanging out at the pool with an adult beverage! :)

Family photo waiting in line! Beebs and I doing our "pose" for the week! Thumbs up!
Sissy and Lucy enjoying waiting for Dumbo!

Lucy still talks about her trip and how she hugged Pooh and Tigger. (Lie. The kid was a freak-a-zoid when they came near, unless they wanted to give her a high five!) She talks about the Dumbo ride all the time and when we watch the home-made DVD she giggles and talks through the whole thing reminding me of the people she got to spend all her time with!

Tots and Gigi with their girl. Tots bought Lucy anything she wanted! :)

This is Lucy's scared face. We were in the aquarium and all the big fish were swimming right behind her!

Back to reality brought more school for me, Scott's 20 year class reunion, my 32 birthday (whoa!) and lots and lots of laundry to finish. We've been enjoying the cooler weather, and sleeping in on the weekends. Just good family time. I can't believe that Lucy is now 26 months old. She is a huge mess! Her 2 year old attitude is out in full force. Daycare is slowly getting better, and not without many sleepless nights from her momma praying continually. I finally think things are going in the right direction and I am so thankful! She talks in complete sentences and they crack me up. Just tonight during our bedtime routine Scott was pretending to fall asleep on her floor. She jumped on his belly and said "Wake up now, Daddy!" I love the way she tells us that she "luffs us" at night when she's going to bed and how she prays for certain people if I forget them during prayer time. She has the most vivid imagination. I asked her the other day what her name was and she told me her name was "Lucy Pooh-Bear" each day since she's had a different name to go with Lucy (she doesn't quite have her /l/ sound yet so it sound more like U-cy, which cracks me up.)

I love that girl! I am so blessed to have such a funny girl. She loves music and Party Rock Anthem is her favorite song. We get in the car every morning and she says "Mom, Party Rock?" and so we jam to her song the whole way to school. I don't want to forget this fun and trying time with her!

Long Time Gone...

2011-08-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hello friends... that is, if anyone out there is still there! I have taken a month off from blogging. I've taken some time to enjoy my summer break, to spend some time with my sweet 2 year old and fabulous husband, and to sleep! School starts back for me on Wednesday and it feels like I just left the land of first graders! So... what have we been up to this summer?

Lucy and I at downtown Disney with our birthday treat! yummo!

Well, this sweet little girl turned 2 this summer! Oh my, and is she a handful. She is so funny. I mean Fun-ny! She talks non-stop, does the silliest things and she keeps me on my toes! Her new favorite thing to do is watch music videos and dance. Her favorite music video is Justin Bieber's "Baby." Ya'll, I'm not even gonna tell you how much we laugh. She can follow what the people do in their dance routine and do it with them. Even tries to break dance. We follow ol' Beib with the "monkey song" (The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars) and then finish it up with my girl Britney's "Till the world ends." We have a whole dance routine for this one. She calls it her "jumpie song" because during the chorus we jump up and down with our hands in the air. It is so funny! I'll spare you the video because usually I'm already in my pj's and no one wants to see me jumping around and dancing! ha!

We also celebrated Lucy's birthday with a bang! My mom threw Lucy an "Olivia" party on Friday night and then we had a "Minnie Mouse" party at SEAGA gymnastics the next day. She loved it all and kept telling me that "I blow!" when she saw a cake! I was so blessed to have so many family and friends celebrate our wonderful gift!

Lucy's Olivia party. I made the Olivia cut out and her dress made from etsy.

The wonderful cake mom had made from Debra West. We were so impressed! and it tasted delicious!

Lucy with her daddy at her "jumpie party!"

Sweet girl eating her birthday snacks.

My mother in law, Connie,made these adorable cupcakes for her party. I loved them!

Our little family went to Orlando to see the shuttle take off. We also went to SeaWorld while we were there. Oh my, it was so hot, but so much fun. Lucy loved seeing all the "fish" and we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. She was good in the car and was a great tourist. We have a big trip to Disney planned in September so I hope it goes as well as this trip did!
Waiting on the beach for the shuttle to take off! She loved the beach!

Lucy now weighs 30 pounds, is almost 3 feet tall and is smart as a whip. She copies everything we do and say. She puts together sentences, follows directions quickly, and is such a big helper now. I let her put all her juice boxes in the fridge the other day and she was so proud of herself! She also started daycare for the first time. She is a little timid (read-crying, mad!) when I drop her off, but she is learning so much and loves to tell me about "Eleanor and my my friends" when I pick her up. She could not stop talking about the "mag-nets" and the letter "B" today when I picked her up. She has the cutest southern accent. I love to here her say "help" because it is about 3 syllables long! She likes to go eat her "nack" in her "TB room" (t.v room!) when she gets home.

I know I say each age is my favorite so far, but this one has been great. Despite the few tantrums we have, she is sponging everything we do in her brain. She can read the book "Go,Dogs, Go" without any help. I love to hear her get to the end and say "A Dog Parttay!"

Happy girl on her 2nd birthday. She has such a wonderful time!

So that's what's been up in our household. I am gonna get back into blogging now that school is back in session and I won't have the video camera as much as I've had this summer! Gotta remember all she does for her baby book! ha!

I've missed ya'll!

letter #3

2011-06-22T13:03:00.001-07:00

Dear 16 year old Lucy,

You scare the bejesus out of me and I have 14 years to go. I worry so much about this time with you. I can only hope that I will raise you in the right way. Let me tell you a few things though....
Be yourself. Walk to your own drumbeat. Fall in love. Laugh all the time. Be kind to all types of people. Make friends who you can trust and who will stand by you and hold your hand always. Find a passion and run with it. Daddy and I will support you. Know your roots and be respectful to your family. Try your best in school. Don't drive too fast. Don't chase the boys who can't be chased. They're not worth the heartache. Speaking of heartache, it will happen, and yes, you will get over it. You're life will not be over no matter how bad it hurts. God has made someone for you that will make your heart feel things you didn't feel possible (when you are way older!) Don't do things just because others are doing them. Drugs are really not cool, neither is underage drinking or sex. You'll have time for grown-up things when your are grown up. I don't want to be on 16 and Pregnant with you. Be kind to your teachers. There will be days when you think you hate your daddy and me, but you don't and we will know that. We will hurt you and it will feel awful, but in the end, we will usually be right and you'll see that one day when you're grown with your own kids.

I want you to be an independent, God loving girl. I want you to make good choices, and even though that won't always happen, I'll love you anyway and help you in whatever way I can. Stay true to your faith, stand up for others who have less than you, and love hard.

To picture you at 16 is exciting, scary, and funny. I look forward to seeing what you are like. I wonder if you'll have my personality and spunk. I hope you do! What a ride I'm in for!

Love,
Your momma
(and let's go ahead and get this out... If you're 16, I'm 45. Holy hockeysticks.)

Letter #2

2011-06-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

Dear pain and suffering,

I hate you. You are rude and awful and unpredictable. I hate watching people lose their loved ones without warning. I am hurt over sick, cancer filled children. I am tired of hearing of the loss of a friend unexpectedly. I am tired of the heartache, the void, the hurt that you bring to all. Go away. I live with the hope that one day, I will be free from you and you will have no hold over us. I cling to the promise that God will give peace that surpasses all understanding. But even full faith in God does not make me like you at all.
Nikki

Praying desperately tonight for a friends who lost a brother and son, another friend who was killed this week in a car accident, and a sweet little girl fighting for her life from cancer. May our Lord and Savior hold them close and place a sweet veil of comfort over them all.

open letters

2011-06-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

I would like to begin a series of "open letters" to things or people or organizations I would like to pick a bone with or tell them something funny. I'll try to post one every day until I get it all off my chest. These are things I might say if I didn't have a censor!

Dear Strawberry Newtons,
I love you. With a deep love. And I love you so much I sit down to just eat 3 of you and I look down and have eaten 8. You are that delicious. So delicious I try to hide them from my child so she will not love them. I finally checked the package yesterday to see how many calories I am shoveling down my throat and I was sad to see that for every 2 I gain 100 calories. Does this stop me? No. And when I pass by your lovely yellow packaging in the Publix I know I am in for such a tasty sensation I cannot say no. Do you have some kind of Newton's Anonymous? I would be the one waiting in the room with a cup of coffee trying not to think of how badly I would like a Strawberry Newton. This is all.
With love,
Nikki

23 months

2011-06-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Lucy Clare....You are 23 months old today. Where has time gone? This time 2 years ago I was horribly swollen, visibly pregnant and so miserable. Summer heat was awful and I couldn't even wear flip-flops (shout out to Beebs who pushed me in a wheelchair at the Kohls!) I was so excited to meet you and get to know you and I constantly wondered what kind of child you would grow to be. How amazed I am at you every day. You are funny and sweet and such a smart child (and I don't just say that because I am a teacher!) You make each day such a joy. You can count to 5, spell your name after I give you the "L" and you "think" you can read books. We love to watch you play with your toys and I love to watch how you copy things I do on a daily basis.

You are a great sleeper. We have an awesome bedtime routine that you know so well. You love to play in the tub, get your "oshen" (lotion) and your "pop" (powder) to brush your hair and then brush your teeth, to say good night to Elmo and "doors" (Dora), read your three books (usually Oliva, Goodnight Moon, and an Easter story) then crawl into bed with "monk" (monkey) and your "pas" (paci). You love to say your goodnight prayers, and we pray for everyone we know!

You really crack me up with all the thing you say "Awesome" "Good job" "High five" are things we hear constantly. You also talk about your "TaTa" (my dad) a lot. I swear I hear his name 50000000 times a day.

Your favorite foods are tomatoes and black olives. Strange, but I think you could eat your weight in them. You also love your fish, blueberries, bananas, and cheese (preferably swiss).

I have so enjoyed my summer time with you. We've been sleeping late, enjoying swimming lessons, and all our time with daddy. I love that when I play on my computer you find your laptop and sit with me. I love that you will play your music keyboard non-stop and sing into the microphone. I joke that when you are older we will be the next "Judds" and travel the world with our fabulous singing duo!

I can remember first bringing you home and being so nervous at what I was going to do with you. You are the light of my life and the joy in my heart. I am blessed, humbled, honored, and overjoyed to be your mother. I love how much you love Gigi (my mom) and Sissy (my sister) and want to call them and talk to them, and love when we go over to visit or eat supper with them.

In one more month I will have a 2 year old. 2 of the most amazing and powerful years of my life have gone by and I hope that I have cherished each day with you.

My prayer for you is that you will always live a happy and fulfilling life. That you will put God first and seek His wisdom and guidance. That you will seek His voice. My life's goal is that you will love the Lord with all your heart. You are precious child of God and I hope that I can always be an inspiration to that testimony. I love you, my sweet Lucy Clare. With a love that knows no bounds. Always. Forever. Since the moment I knew you were formed, since the moment I held you in my arms. You will always be my baby, my first born, the joy of my life. The song I had always prayed for, the musical masterpiece that played in my heart. Your daddy's princess and mommy's helper. I love you.

180

2011-06-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

180 days of.....

sweat, tears, laughter. Of working hard, holding pencils, reading, reading, reading. Of math problems and timed drills and laughter. Of dancing, and singing and laughter. Of losing my patience, of crying with hurt hearts in sweet children. Of parent-teacher conferences, and late nights on the computer. Of faculty meetings, and friends. Of sanitizer and tissue. Of small group tables, promethean boards, white boards and markers. Of sweet, loving children who want to hold my hand. Of interesting lunch combinations. Of walk-throughs and grade-levels. Of knowing that someone just learned something for the first time. Of laughter, learning and social graces. Of lunch manners and hallway manners and notebooks and treasure boxes. Of hard work, praise, and jokes. Carpet time and table time. Of "tub" time and centers. Of silly words and silly stories. Of doing my passion and following His plan. Of joy, pain, and love.

180 of the best days of my life.

All leading up to

73 days of summer freedom.

Another day in paradise....

2011-05-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Rolling off of last week's post, today was a day to make sure I wrote down for the records. The day started normal enough, the kids are really ready to be done with school, but it is imperative that I keep them on a schedule and preferably the schedule that we have had for the last 175 days. So like all days, they came in the door, greeted me, unpacked their backpacks and began writing in their journal. Today's journal writing was "If I could go anywhere on vacation I would go _______." They were to complete and write their other four sentences. I hear them talking among themselves...

Kid 1: "I would go to the beach. Mrs. B, does this mean ANYWHERE? Like we are millionaires?"

Me: "Yes, pretend like you have all the money in the world."

Kid 1: "Good. I will go to Chuck-E-Cheese."

Kid 2: "She said anywhere. You can go there anytime. What about Texas?"

Me: "Yes, Texas would be a good place."

Kid 3: "How do you spell Hollywood?"

This goes on for about 30 minutes, with a bathroom break and a pencil sharpening time. After they finish their journal for this week, they are allowed to draw with markers or do a learning puzzle. Conversation number two begins here:

D: "Mrs. B, do you have grandmas and grandpas or are they all dead?"

Me: "Nope, they are all dead."

D: "oh no.no. my, my, my." (shaking head back and forth)

I am thinking he was drawing me a picture of my grandparents. He was visibly upset that I had no grandparents!

And finally....after we completed our Memorial Day project we went to the Promethean Board to watch a video before computer lab. I had been using my laptop to work so I had to move it back to the board and hook it back up. As I was walking, I dropped the battery of the laptop on my pinky toe. I lost my breath and almost threw up! My kids were very worried as to why I quit breathing and was grabbing my stomach, so they all hopped off their square to look at my toe. When I was finally able to speak again I told them that it hurt so bad that I had almost thrown up.

Me: "Heavens! I broke my pinkie toe! And it's bleeding everywhere. I almost threw up it hurt so bad!"

A: (please say this in your head like she talks. She lives with her 90 year old grandmother so she talks just like an old lady. You know, all shaky and southern. I love this girl.)

"Oh, gracious. Mrs. B almost threw up, right here on the carpet. I am so glad she didn't vomit. We woulda have had to search for us a sub to keep us."

Really. I laughed the pain away. She was worried I was going home and we would have to search for a sub! I have laughed all day about that comment!

And... I really did break or injure my pinky toe! It's been such a pain today!

Hope we made you smile!

When I make my first million....

2011-05-21T18:36:00.001-07:00

I always like to brag to my friends that one day I'm going to make my first million dollars teaching. But really, one day, when I get a recording contract, I will make a kids c.d and I will really make a million teaching kids. I need to get on that.pronto. In this post, as the summer break tempts me with only 8 days of work left, I wanted to tell you if I did ever write a book, these would be the different chapters....All the things college did not ever tell me that would come out of my mouth or that I would hear in a day.

1. You did not just lose your tooth. That's a piece of meat from lunch.
2. Yes. White girls wash their hair every day.
3. No. I cannot tell you how to spell "eyes" that is the spelling word you are writing.
4. Everyone passes gas. Even me. I just choose not to do it where you can smell it.
5. Get the spray. Someone passed gas again.
6. No, mummies are not like zombies.
7. Yes, Lucy's last name is the same as mine.
8. Why do I get to get a coke from the machine? Because I have a degree.
9. I would rather you not lick the plate to get the mashed potatoes.
10. No, I will not tell you where I live.
11. Mrs. B'.... You could be a mommy beauty queen! (Said like "booty" queen. I totally laughed for days)
12. Oh my gosh, when you put your hair out of the ponytail, you look like Mariah Carey! (personal favorite!)
13. It doesn't really help if the glass falls out of your glasses. Take them off.
14. Mrs. B, are you are momma in God's way? (I hear this all the time. I really like this. I get called Momma, Grandma or Auntie all day anyway!)

Oh my, the things I hear in a day. I'll try to remember to do this more often. I know I will like to look back, after my first million, while I'm sitting on the beach with my cold adult spirit drink laughing at my sweet children. How blessed I am to be their teacher! But hey.... Bring on the summer! :)

Ramblings....

2011-05-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am blessed. Just earlier tonight as I walked through the house, picking up here and there and putting some clothes away, I was praying silent prayers. I was thanking the most High for blessing me with such a wonderful and loving family, thanking Him for one more precious day with my loves and enjoying a silent house for just a few moments. I also prayed the Blood of Christ on our house and our loved ones. Someone told me recently how powerful those words were and I just wanted to affirm them. How beyond measure is the Blood of Christ, how He laid His precious life down for me. How He thought of us as he hung on Calvary's tree. I am blessed to be loved by such a beautiful Savior. Isn't this a joyous thought? Thank you, my Blessed Redeemer!

My 2nd Mother's Day was very low-key and sweet. Scott and Lucy woke me up (yes, I have a husband who let's me sleep in. This was a discussion we had long before children. I ♥ my sleep.) with a kiss and a card. Lucy was so excited to help me open my card! It was a super cute Mickey Mouse Clubhouse card from them both, signed in her sweet handwriting (with Daddy's help!) and a note at the bottom telling me how excited they both are about our trip to Disney we have planned for September. They also got me a massage gift card which I cannot wait to use when school gets out! A day of relaxation...ahh! I have no pictures of this day, but I can say that having the two of them in my life is such a joy. I am so pleased that God bestowed on me the chance to be a mother to such a wonderful little girl! She amazes me every day.

Summer is approaching quickly and I already have a booked up summer! With 2 teacher conferences, a 2nd birthday party to plan, swimming lessons, and tons of days spent at the pool, and sleeping, we are a busy bunch this summer. Plus we plan on hanging out with Lucy's friend Foster and his way-cool momma Jolie a lot this summer. I am blessed to have good friends to share the summer with. And really, don't ya'll think I picked the right profession for a reason?

I will be sad to leave my class this year. They have truly been one of my favorite classes to teach. All of them mesh so well together and are always so eager to learn. Even when they drive me crazy with their tattle-tales and their.....let's just be honest, smelly toots, I love them anyway! They have come so far this year, and I am pleased to know I had a small hand in this!

Thank you Lord forYour love and Your Son, forgiveness and blessings. You are the song in my heart and the air that I breathe. May I always praise You.

I love this!

2011-04-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

When Lucy was first born I would make up songs about her. I still do this (what can I say? I love to sing! Scott gets a little tired of the constant musicals that occur around our house!) One song I made up was to a little tune I made up one my own, but these are the words:

This is my baby, this is my girl,

when she is older,

I'll give her a curl.

(you know, like curl her hair for her)

This is my baby, this is my girl,

when she is older,

I'll give her a pearl.

(this one's pretty self explanatory)

This is my baby, this is my girl......

when she is older,

I'll even let her twirl!

(I don't know. It rhymed. I twirled when I was little. It makes sense to me.)

On the last verse, you really have to get down with the "twirl" part... I mean, really hold it out and shake your voice. Anyway, I do love this baby. She makes me laugh and smile and cry at the same time. She is such a blessing, even when she won't let me get her dressed and is screaming "NO WAY!" at the top of her lungs, or throwing whatever she doesn't want all over the floor. Yep, she's my sweet little blessing!

our fun day

2011-04-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

It has been extremely hot here in the south, so Lucy and I decided to take our party outside today. We began by dyeing our "Eee-ter" eggs which she loved. We had so many teachable moments doing this! Not only did we discuss our colors, but we used vocabulary like "gentle" and "easy" when we put the eggs in the dye and words like "spill" when we messed up! I love being able to teach my child. So many of my classroom children through the years have lacked the skills that parents should be responsible for! Oh...let me jump off this soapbox and get back to my sweet girl. So we dyed our Easter Eggs and then I pulled out a 2 dollar sprinkler we picked up at Lowes the other day. This was an experience! I had to show her a few times how to run in the sprinkler so I was soaking wet when we were done! It was so worth it. We worked up our appetite so we headed in for a "nack"

These are the days I cherish with her. Just enjoying each other's company and marveling at the creation of the Father!

Eggs. and a cheesy smile!

She had to get the water on the "bug" on her bathing suit!

I hope that each of you have a joyous Easter season. We as Catholics believe that the Easter season starts tomorrow and lasts for 50 days ending on Pentecost. So, have a wonderful Easter Season! Blessings to you!

Sweet smile as she runs the sprinkler!

when I'm not working....

2011-04-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

When I'm not working I like to play on my Mac at school. I won a Mac through a little contest at school and woo... How have I ever lived without one of these? For days, I played and played until I learned all I could... and then I found photobooth. well, hello! All my close teacher friends and I took pictures for hours. I also got the chance to get Lucy in on this action. Here it is for all your viewing pleasure!

Yes. My baby is a genius. What gave it away?

Hey guys, wanna play?

Something sure does stink around here!

Oh.. I just needed a laugh on this Tuesday. Happy Day!

His voice

2011-03-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in my quiet house the other night, after Lucy was snug in her bed, spending some time reflecting on the day, checking facebook statuses and enjoying the tv being off and the drama of the day long gone when I heard the voice of God. I have only heard Him speak to me once before, which is a story I keep locked in my heart that only a few know of. I am not Moses. God does not speak to me with a burning bush. I am not an old testament prophet. I don't hear of God "speaking" to people, so I only share my story of His first words to me for those who will understand. But on this night, He spoke. It took me by surprise. I wasn't even really thinking of anything in particular... but I guess that this is when God will open your mind to Him fully. It was loud and yet so quiet, and at first, I didn't know what it was. It wasn't with my earthly ears, if this makes sense. He spoke only these words..."Pray, my children, pray." No specifics. No intent. Just to pray. And with the words, "my children," I assumed that he meant more than just me. For me to tell others. So...with me, will you pray? Pray without ceasing. If my Lord will request it, I can grant Him this.

"Pray continually"

I Thessalonians 5:17

Spring!

2011-03-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

It is officially spring here in the South! The temperature has been near 80 each day, everyone is working in their yard, my school kids are getting restless, and I have been able to wear sandals just about every day! Yeah! In honor of the first day of Spring I am going to share Lucy's pictures from the beach. Ya'll remember when I told you I had to speak at a youth conference? Yep, it was held at the beach and was so wonderful. I left that weekend totally anointed by God's grace and seeing is handiwork in 400 teenagers was amazing. I met some great people and I have a feeling I would like to continue my ministry of speaking to young people. I hope the Lord will open many more doors for me to come.

Anyway, I digress..... When I wasn't at the conference, I spent some much needed family time with Lucy and Scott. We headed down to the beach when the teens were at mass so we could have the beach to ourselves and take some beach pics of Lucy. Here they are! :)

I do love living so close to the beach. Lucy loves the sand in her toes and the wind in her face. It was chilly that day so we didn't let her close to the water (I'm positive she would have jumped right in!) I am ready for the summer time for many more beach trips to come!

Happy Spring to YOU!

on my mind

2011-02-20T19:03:00.001-08:00

Got some fun things on my mind that are pretty much consuming what I think about these days, so I thought I'd share them! In no particular order!

1. I wish I could rock super white legs as cute as my kid can. I need to desperately meet the sun.
2. I am a keynote speaker at a youth conference next weekend. I'm a little bit overwhelmed at the thought of 400 teens....and me... on a stage, talking about service to the Lord. whew. It has made me step up my Bible time and my prayer time, so something wonderful has come out of it!
3. I wish I could send some reality celebs on an island survivor style. Snooki, Kate, Sarah, all the Bama Belles, and Holly. See who can duke it out to the end.
4. We go to Disney in 7 months. I am about to have a fit to get there!
5. Lucy turns two in 5 months. wow.
6. I wish I could lose more weight, and fast. I need to Zumba every day, and not just 3 times a week!
7. It's official. I have Beiber Fever.
8. I am loving this warmer weather, but if you see #1, you'll know why no cute spring-y pants have come out of the rubbermaid!
9. I am looking forward to summer, but not to losing this class. I have just had a wonderful, funny, sweet class this year. Just the other day one of my kids told me "I wish it would get warmer so you could wear that pretty blue long dress you wore on the first day of school." Really? The first day was 114 days ago. And she remembers? ha! Gotta love what kids say! :)
10. Britney has a new album. swoon!
11. I am thankful to have good friends who make me laugh, parents who love me and still take care of me, an awesome sister, a loving husband, a sweet, sweet toddler, and a God who loves me even when I make big mistakes!

Hoping that your mind is full of fun thoughts. Praying for YOU, blog friend, wherever you are!

Listening.

2011-02-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

I ran away from your love, But you waited for me

Yes, you waited for me

And then I heard your song Singing over me

Singing over me

Now that I hear you, Lord

I want to know you more

Sing your song to me

Oh, there's no greater thing than to listen to the sound of your voice

When I hear your song

I want to sing along

And listen to the sound of your voice

The sound of your voice

Lord, I am calling your name

And I'm waiting for you

Yes, I'm waiting for you

So won't you show me your way

And I will follow you

Yes, I will follow you

Singing over me

Bringing peace and mercy

With a song that never ends

Singing over me

Marvelous and holy Lord, I want to hear your song again

Third Day "Sound of Your Voice"

2011-02-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

It's February. I love February. February is when I first dated my husband. 5 years ago I was singing karaoke at a local bar pretty much every night. I liked that. I still like to sing karaoke, just not as much! Anyway, I was singing quite regularly, and I met this guy. I had met him a few months back and I thought he was pretty cute. I saw him again in February. We talked all night, he clapped for me when I sang, he bought me drinks, and we just clicked. He got my number but I wasn't really sure I would really hear from him.

Days passed, and I didn't get a call. Then, one Sunday night, February 12th, 2006, he called. I was super excited. He asked me out for a date. He said, how bout Tuesday? Really? Valentine's Day? I don't even like Valentine's Day. I think its kinda cheesy. But ok....He picked me up Tuesday night. I remember still how nervous I was. And for those who know me, know I don't really get nervous. I was a serial dater so this was all cool to me. But I was nervous that night. I went and bought a new outfit after work. So he picks me up, in his white Chevy truck and we head out to dinner. We go to Chili's. Remember. This is Valentine's. All places are packed. We enjoy a great dinner. We talk, we laugh, we kinda sparked. I liked him. But this is a first date. We just don't fall in love on a first date! So the date ends and I am thinking this might be a guy I want to keep around.

We talked every night and ended up going on another date on Friday. I was living on my own and I didn't have cable at the time (school teachers don't make that much money their first year teaching!) I had rabbit ears and I only watched two channels anyway, so during dinner on our first date I made a comment about wishing I had a DVD player so I could watch something besides my two channels. I made a simple comment about some shows I would like to have on DVD. Well.... on our second date, he shows up at my door bearing gifts. A new DVD player with 3 of the DVD's I had mentioned. Talk about listening! I was quite excited about this guy!

6 short months later we were engaged. 2 years after meeting we were married. 3 years after that first February we had our sweet girl.

I write this so my Lucy will always know how her parents met and fell in love. I knew I loved him on our first date... and I love him more today than then. He is an amazing father and a wonderful husband. And they always say you can't find a good man in a bar! ha!

Happy February!

are you ready?????

2011-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

For some AUBURN FOOTBALL???????

We are! I am so excited that our team made it to the BCS championship game this year and I am totally looking forward to eating some Duck! Wooo!

It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!

We'll be watching the game Monday night and cheering for the Orange and Blue!

oh my....

2011-01-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a little story. Sit down. It's kinda funny. At least, I think so anyway. And take a look at Miss Priss and how clean and sweet she looks. You'll need that for future reference.

So picture this. I'm cleaning the kitchen (really!) and my sweet, innocent, lovely child is playing in the living room. I'm jamming out to some old school hiphop. She's kickin' it (yes, I said that) with the Backyardagins. Anyway, so we're all busy doing our thing when in strolls my girly into the kitchen. I notice something on her hands. She shows them to me, sticks them right out in a "hold up" position. I see it... brown.brown.brown sticky something all over her pretty little hands. I freak. truly, it has to be. no. please lord in heaven with the saints almighty. please don't let it be poop. I carefully walk over to my girl, grab a hand, a smell. Smells good. Like chocolate. "What have you done?" as I run to the living room. Heart attack number 2. Where is it? What has she wiped it on? I can picture brown hand prints on the floor, chairs, and tv. Wait. really? Only 2 little hand prints on her PBK chair? and then I see that little silver wrapper, so carefully thrown on the floor. and the little white slip of paper with the words "Hershey's" on it. My sweet, quiet little girl has melted a Hershey kiss between her hands. Wasted a perfectly wonderful piece of chocolate, but she must have had fun doing it! And thankfully, I was able to take her right to the sink and wash her up, and throw the PBK cover in the wash. Not before I took pics. Gotta have those for her senior pictures!

Christmas Joy.

2010-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas has come and gone and this year it was incredibly fun with a 17 month old! She is quite the little sport these days. She speaks her own little language and goes to town with it! I'll be happy when someone else can understand her!

Christmas Eve is always a busy time in our house, and this year was no exception. I sing in the choir, so we got all dressed up to be at Mass early for practice. Mass was lovely this year. Lucy is well behaved in church which is such a blessing! The steel drums played and the children's choir joined us. I love the children's choir. They just bless my heart! I envision Lucy singing when she is older and it is so sweet to think of that! After Mass we went to my parents for our first ever Fondue Party. This was an idea I saw on someones blog and it just made me smile. I have two fondue pots from our wedding that have never been used. Mom and I did a little research and bam! Christmas Fondue was born. I loved it. We did a great job and I look forward to doing this every year.
Christmas morning Lucy woke at 6:30....which was a surprise because since I have been on vacation we have been sleeping until at least 8! She must have known something exciting was happening! Santa left presents and a sweet letter. She loved all her presents and had fun opening the few that we gave her. And.... on a total side note, my husband did a fantastic job this year for me...The one thing I care about name brand is my purse. I love name brand purses. I'll rock some Wal-mart bluejeans, but I want a good-stand-the-test-of-time purse. I've been carrying a Coach for about 4 years. I have 2 of them and trade them out often. I am also a huge Project Runway fan also and this year have fallen in love with Micheal Kors. So I've been asking (read: begging) for a MK bag. I knew they were too expensive so I set it aside for another day, but Christmas morning I opened a package and there was a beautiful black leather MK bag! Wooo!!!!!! I also got a Nookcolor which I have not been able to put down and it fits so wonderful in my MK bag!

I digress..... after we opened presents, my parents came over for breakfast. It was delicious! We opened presents with them, cleaned up, and Lucy and I crashed! We were so tired from our fun! After our nap, we headed to Scott's moms for late lunch, which was delish, and opened presents with her. After another nap, we went to MawMaw's for presents (Scott's grandmother) and stayed there and visited for awhile. We are so blessed and received way too much stuff. I got some amazing gifts from my parents (a necklace from mom I wear every day, and a bracelet with LC's birth date on it...pure love!)

We are blessed beyond belief and I thank God every day for the gift of my family. I pray that this new year will be as amazing as this past year has been! Thank you, Lord! I love you!

praying

2010-12-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

Today, my heart is heavy for a family of church friends who lost their daddy this morning. Sweet Jenn is a blog writer also. I cannot imagine their pain or grief, I only know that God will sustain (Psalm 54:4). I cannot imagine the road they are going to walk, I only know that God will walk with them (Isaiah 43:2). I cannot understand God's ways, but I know He is faithful (Isaiah 55:9). I also know that there are many who are praying for their hearts, for their pain, for their loss. And I believe that God hears our prayers (Psalm 66:19) and will not leave them.
"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Praying....

2010-12-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that 2010 is coming to a close! We have been enjoying our December in our household. We are gearing up for Christmas, and even though Daddy has to work a lot, we do have a tree up. It has no decorations, but we do have a tree! And I have put out our stockings and our nativity. I have been in such a thankful mood lately. I am so thankful for our health, good friends, amazing family....It has been a rough couple of weeks in my classroom and I think that is why I have had some good reflection time. If you could, could you please pray for two of my children? (Ya'll know I call my school kids my children!) I have been pretty emotional because they were two very special students with two very sad stories and now I am not a part of their lives. So taking some time to thank the Lord for what I do have, and to remember my two sweet girls in prayer often is making me a little sentimental. All that being said, here is what I am thankful for right now! (in no particular order!ha!)

This sweet girl. A momma's girl who is funny and sweet...and starting to be a bit stubborn.

Good friends and girl's night out. We all needed that! I love these girls! Big Bunkoooo!

Bundled up baby with amazing eyelashes!

Third Day. 'nuff said. My favorite band since as long as I can remember. Up close and personal. In fact, I am honestly thinking I am going to be a groupie. Either that, or I need to work on my recording contract so I can open for them. I had a blast!

Lucy having sweet friends to grow up with. I pray that she and Foster grow up to be life-long buddies. I am thankful for his mommy, Jolie. I am glad we are friends! And I am also glad we like train-wreck blogs and shopping! ha! :)

I didn't have any pictures of my husband or my family for this month. But I am always thankful for them and their love. In fact, tonight during prayer, Lucy and I prayed for a multitude of things we are thankful for, like warm clothes, a heater, mommy and daddy's job, that Gammy is her daycare, and that she is full of love. We always pray for babies without mommies and mommies without babies. I want her to understand how lucky she is to have a family that loves her and provides for her.

Okay. This post was really just going to be about me getting to see Third Day in concert, and look where it led me! ha! I am thankful for you, blog reader, wherever you are! Praying for you!

"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

16 months

2010-11-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

My tiny little girl is now 16 months old. Wow. I have to say, she is one amazing kid. She makes me laugh out loud all the time. I totally love this age! She is doing all kinds of fun things and saying tons. "Oh no" is a word we hear at least 100 times a day. But true to her southern roots, it is more like "ooooohh nooo" so drawn out and southern!

What else are you doing, my sugar plum?

You weigh in at 23 pounds and are 32 inches long.
You are in a size 4 diaper.
You eat salad. and love it. Your favorite part is the tomatoes!

Lucy at the Peanut Festival. The girl loves her roasted corn. She ate two ears!

You carry a purse. OMG. how I love this. It is so funny!
You wear a size 18 month clothing. True to size, kiddo!
My favorite thing you do is when you see a crucifix, cross, or a picture of Jesus. You point and say "Jesus?" I love this. At night when we pray, you almost have the sign of the cross down. You can do "The Father and Son" part. We are working on "and the Holy Spirit." Lately after we pray, when I tell you to tell Jesus you love Him, you look up at your crucifix and blow it a kiss. Love.
Speaking of praying, we have the ultimate bedtime routine down! You take a bath, get your jammies on, brush your teeth, and then we get a blanket and a stuffed animal and sit on your floor. You pick out a book and we read it together. Then we say our prayers and off to bed you go! You just get right in your crib and go right to sleep. You will either wake up around 6:30 or I have to wake you up for Gammy camp. You sleep from about 8:30 to 6:30.
You have started to "throw fits" oh, my. This is serious! You will throw your head back and say "oh, no" over and over. They can be pretty rough!
Fresh Beat Band is your favorite show. Of course, the show mommy hates would be your favorite. I go around singing "it was a great day...." all the time (here it goes again!)
We got your ears pierced last week. It looks so cute and you have done so well with it!

Why, hello, mini Rachel Zoe in your fur jacket. I would have so bought this for you if I didn't think your daddy would have had a fit! And yes, we did do a photo shoot in the middle of babyGap. Yes. and we would do it again. totally. babyGap? do you want to offer her a modeling contract?
You are growing too fast little girl! I love you so much. I love your dramatic personality (where did that come from? ha!) and I love your love for Jesus already. I love being needed by you and I can't imagine what Daddy and I would be doing without you!

Halloween butterfly. I loved this costume. and we only spent $9.88 on it! Whoo!

How I love these sweet kisses! Even after I traumatized you with piercing your ears! ha! I love you!

"God has given me cause to laugh, and all who hear it will laugh with me!"

Genesis 21:6

What a fall!

2010-10-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been a busy time in our household (inserting an Amazing Word from our first grade lesson last week) We have celebrated my birthday, a fall break from school, and tons of good quality time with friends and family. Lucy also turned 15 months old on the 16th. Where has time gone? I need to update some stats about her, so while I wait for my pictures to upload to my computer I'll write about her...
What can I say about that giggly little girl? I honestly looked at her the other day and thought...where did this "kid" come from? She is funny, she is inquesitive and smart, she is busy...so busy. She can eat like a champ, she loves most all food, but is very picky about her vegetables and most meat. She LOVES salad, which cracks me up. She runs when she wants to get somewhere and has a mouth full of teeth. She can say tons of animal sounds, and says a lot of words. She calls me "mom" ha! She can say Daddy, Sissy, Ta-Ta (for Papa), Jesus, pumpkin, JoJo (our neighbors dog), hi, bye, oh no, oh wow, uh-oh, "what's that?" and will mimic anything if you help her. She can climb on the couch. I finally moved her carseat to forward. She is putting herself to sleep at night. She loves to read. She tries to count and can hold a pencil or crayon like a first grader!
Here is our life in pictures this Fall:

This is Lucy before her school one day. She goes once a week. She has to carry a lunchbox!

Lucy and I at the Atlanta Zoo. Lucy at the Georgia Aquarium. She loved counting the fish and watching them swim by.We went to BabyLand General Hospital in Helen, Georgia on our trip. Lucy got her first Cabbage Patch Kid! Gammy, Sissy, and Lucy went on a playdate with some friends to a fun pumpkin patch! Lucy on the front porch. Last year when I took these pictures she had to sit in her Bumbo because she couldn't sit up! Fun times at the park with mom! Got to wear our shades! Well that about sums up our Fall so far! Bye Ya'll!

Happy day!

2010-09-15T21:33:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband! He is an amazing husband and I am so glad my life plan led me right to him! I am so glad I found him in a bar...yep! I was singing karaoke and came down off the stage and ran into him. I fell in love with his teeth. He had a beautiful smile and gorgeous white teeth! We went on a date...had many more dates and 2 years later were married. 4 months after getting married we found out we were pregnant and then the greatest accomplishment of our lives was born! He is a super father to Lucy and I love seeing how they interact with each other. I love you Scott and I am glad the Father put you in my life and I look forward to the rest of our lives!
Pre baby! Those were the days of spontaneous travels and late night dinners! Scott and Lucy at the beach when she was 6 months.. and then at the beach at 14 months old! He was explaining the water filling the hole they dug!

Oh memories!

2010-08-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

Last year for Labor Day we went down to the "Redneck Riviera" (a.k.a the beach) for Labor Day. Since we live so close, this is something we do all the time, but last year, we carted our new baby down with us. She was 2 months old when she first visited the beach. This is my girl last year. We will be making the trip again this year with my family (Happy Birthday Gammy!) and I can't wait to see how different this trip will be! Walking on the beach, playing in the pool....this year is going to be so much fun! I leave you with some of my favorite pictures from her first beach trip! Ya'll have a fabulous Labor Day!
Really...my kid is so stylish! And then she must have a beach themed outfit! :)

Like a child

2010-08-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

I was blog reading the other day and Angie Smith over at Bring the Rain was discussing prayer (and speaking of her blog, if you haven't visited her site run over there....really, don't walk or skip...get your hiney over there and read her amazing story and love for our Father!) I digress. So she was talking about how she prays and how we sometimes have crazy ideas for how we think Jesus thinks of us as we pray and it got me a'thinkin. How do I pray? Well for starters I pretty much just pray whenever I think about praying, whether it be in the grocery store line or driving down the road. When something hits me, I'll just pray. If you ask me to pray for you, by goodness, I'll just do it right then. No sense in waiting! But my real praying (as if the other is fake) is most often at night when I crawl into bed. I have always wanted to be the kind of
pray-er who gets on my knees, but by the end of the day, I don't do it. So I lay my head on my pillow and pray.

And I thought about what I think when I pray. I pray like I am a child. I envision myself just plopping down right in front of God. You know, He's on His throne, all big, with a white beard and fully robed in bright garb. I sit "criss-cross-applesauce" in front of His throne and just start talking. No bother if He's busy doing something else.

And it really reminded me of my school children. I sit in that big blue chair while they are on the carpet and they have to look up to me. I am teaching, they are listening, I am trying not to laugh at their silly stories, or their interesting questions, or the fact that I wore eyeshadow today and they are all discussing how different I look. And I have power. I can calm the class, or continue to let them talk, or I do the teaching. God is the same way. And I need to open myself up to the fact that sometimes I do need to close my mouth and just listen. I do a lot of talking. I need to listen more to Him. What is His plan for my prayer? I just have so many prayer requests and needs!

We as Catholics are never really "taught" how to pray. We have memorized prayers...which I love because they make it really easy. Our mass is one big long prayer from beginning to end. But ask a Catholic to "spontaneously" pray at a meeting and you'll get no hands for the pickin. I attribute my quick prayers to Methodist school. I was taught to pray there. I am grateful that I did.

I also do a lot of praying through song. I love to sing and praise and worship music make it wonderful. I am teaching Lucy to sing "Our God is greater" and it just makes my heart melt when she tries to sing with me.

I wish I was a devotional person. I want her to see me spending time with the Lord. I want her to know it's okay to pray whenever and that we have times spent each day reflecting on our behavior and fostering our love for our Lord. That is one of my goals this year. To find something she and I can do together and also find something I can do as a mom to quiet myself in front of Him.

Something I love this year in school is that we stand for the pledge as a whole school in our classroom and then we have a moment of silence. I tell my kids they can pray, think about the day or just be still, but that we are taking a moment to prepare ourselves for the day. I can't tell you how wonderful our day goes when I can stand before my class with my eyes closed and pray right over those kids. I do think this is one reason why I am having such a good year. I start the day off with Jesus.

Oh, I have rambled on this post. I want one day when Lucy reads her blog that she knows that I am a lover of Jesus, a full-on Christian. That when I leave this world that I am going to meet the One who loves us, created us, thought of us long before we were born, who Abraham saw stars for long ago.

How do you pray?

"I always thank my God for you as I remember you in my prayers"

-Philemon 1:4

Toddler Time.

2010-08-08T21:34:00.001-07:00

So.... my sweet little baby is now ONE. One. as is a whole year gone by. And in this year, I have grown as a person, as a mommy. Grown in my attitude, grown in my love, and grown in my faith. I have worried, cried, laughed, and worried more, but overall... this has been the best year of my life. How in the world did I live my boring life without Lucy?

We celebrated her first birthday with a cupcake themed party here at our house. She got way to many presents and is already so blessed in the friendship department. I love all my mommy friends and I love all my regular friends. They each bring something so great to Lucy's life... and mine!

Lucy and I on her birthday. We celebrated at a local mexican restaurant. Yum! They came and sang to her... which she hated! She loves to hug her babies. She says "aww" and pats them on the back. I love this! I so wanted her to have babies and love them! Libby is the new baby she got from her daddy and I with a new baby stroller.
Lucy's birthday party. So, the kid freaked out when we all started singing and then would not eat her smash cake her Nana made her. She finally got to enjoy it when the party was over! All of Lucy's friends. We are so lucky to have these children in our lives! I used to babysit the two oldest children on the left back. I kept them since they were babies. Makes me sad to see them so grown up!
My table decorations. Lucy's Nana (my MIL) made all the cupcakes. She used to own a bakery and all her cakes are amazing. So glad she could make them for us!

As for Lucy being one year now, here are some of her highlights!

You weigh 21 pounds.
You are 31 inches long.
You are almost completely off the bottle. She takes a night bottle, but lately, she doesn't want it so it's really almost a waste!
You love stuffed animals and babies!
Gammy and Papa (my parents) bought you a kitchen center that you love. You play and cook all day!
They also bought you a picnic table. You eat breakfast and lunch there. You look sooooo cute when you sit there!
You can say mama, dada, bye, yeah, no, star, what's that, and you know four animal sounds. My personal favorite is the lion. You roar so loud! You know a cat, dog, lion and a cow. We are working on a pig and a duck!
You run. No walking. Full on go. You strut. You swing one arm out when you walk. so funny! You also do a beauty pageant wave when you walk by people.
You are wearing a 12 month clothing.
You dance. Omg, it is so funny. You get to going and I can't stop laughing!
You push anything when you walk. Chairs, tables, anything that can move does.
You love to swim and take a bath.
You give the best kisses.
When I dress you in the morning I hold you up to the mirror and tell you how pretty you are. You pat your chest and say "awww." So cute!
You will hold my hand when we walk. love it.
You sleep from 8:30 till 8. Now that school started you are getting up earlier.
You take 2 naps a day, morning and afternoon.
You can put away some food!
You love your daddy. When he comes home, you like to "show off" and instead of running to him, you take things to show him, like you are so proud of your stuff.
I made a great decision to not send you to daycare. I just couldn't do it. Gammy Camp is back in full swing! You love going to my parents house. You act like you own the place (and you pretty much do!) You love Maize. You love Sisterbeth. Gosh, you love her. You hugged her for the longest time tonight.
She is such a special aunt and she loves you so much. You adore Papa, and you LOVE spending time farming with Gammy. She takes such good care of you and teaches you so much while Mommy is at work. It makes my day so much easier knowing you are taken care of by my mom!
Your godmomma b and auntie c bought you a little blue box for your birthday. It was the sweetest "L" charm. Made me mad because I want a Tiffany box!
You are growing much too fast. Slow down little one!
I LOVE YOU!

2010-07-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

Lord,

You

have abundant love.

are mighty. everlasting. true.

created my child and know each part of her. inside and out.

made her in Your image.

know her thoughts.

know the plans before her.

created her with a purpose.

created her with a love for You.

show your workmanship. Your handiwork.

will use her life to Your glory.

have covered her in Your precious blood.

will praise you daily, moment by moment.

will be forever eternal to You.

can imagine how Your mother felt about You.

look at her life as a testament to Your love and grace.

know what You give is a joy to others.

will thank you constantly.

look at human life differently.

love you.

Emotional me, writing my prayer to the Lord, knowing I don't have to write this for Him to know my thoughts and feelings, but knowing that He is all deserving of just a small token of His love. I have been blessed beyond to have Lucy in my life for this past year. I can only imagine the next many years to come.

Glory be to God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth!

11 months and Father's Day!

2010-06-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Lucy Clare--- You are now eleven months old. This brings a tear to my eye because this time next month, you will be known as "years" and not months! What happened to my little bitty baby?

What are you into these days? You are so funny, and have a shining personality! You are truly your mother's child!

You are walking! Yes, you are walking. You took your first steps last week while we were on our cruise! You got your walking legs at sea! When you fall down, we all clap and yell "yeah!" and you clap and get so excited! I am so proud of you!

You are eating "grown" people food exclusively. You have a variety of things you like to eat, particularly mac-n-cheese, grilled cheese (you love cheese like your momma!) chicken, all vegetables, pears, mandarin oranges, strawberries and bananas. When you are done, you will either push the plate away, or start throwing the food down on the floor.

You are still in a size 3 diaper.

You wear 12 month clothing and a size 3 shoe.
You are down to 2 bottles (maybe 3 a day)

You sleep from 8:30 to 8:30... wonderful!
You hug and kiss your babies!

You will carry your stuffed animals in your mouth when you crawl. I think you got this from Maize, mom's chihuahua! It is so funny!

You say "momma" "da-da" "yeah" and "oh" sometimes I swear I hear you say "mon" as in "c'mon" because I know I say that to you all the time when you follow me all over the house.

You definitely know what NO means and shake your head no when you are not supposed to do something!

You hand me things you know you cannot have, or when we ask you to give us something you will hand it over.

You don't watch a lot of tv, but when it is on you and you see something you like, you will say "oh" over and over.

You smile and laugh all the time.

You wave good-bye and hello.
You point at things constantly.

You went on your first 7 day cruise! and did WONDERFUL!

You are starting to get stranger anxiety and away from mommy anxiety.

No body can make you smile like your Aunt Heather!

You tried an Icee the other day and about let the entire Wal-mart know when I took it away!

You cry on command. Like when I tell you no, you will wait a few seconds, bring some tears up and then fake cry.

You love to swim!

You are so independent. You free play by yourself all the time, and are just so content playing with all your toys.

You love to read!

You are growing so fast before my eyes! Mommy and Daddy love you very much! You are so blessed to have so many people in your life that love you so much!

I want to also take this time to say happy Father's day to my two favorite men in my life. Scott is an amazing father and husband and takes such good care of Lucy and me. My dad is an amazing dad, but I have seen things in him with Lucy that are so wonderful as a grandfather.It makes me so proud.She is his little girl, and will always get what she wants from him! He is so overprotective of her and truly loves her so much.

For Scott's first father's day, Lucy bought him a tree so they could plant it together and watch it grow. Scott calls LC "sugar plum" and has since the day she came into this world, so we bought him a plum tree to plant in our yard. We had to give it to him on Saturday because he will be working and gone for Father's day. He loved it! I was so glad to give him something that they both can cherish for years to come!

Someone was trying to walk off the porch, so hence why she is so blurry! I had to hurry and take the picture!
My next post will be all about a fabulous cruise we all took.... cruising with a then-10 month old was the most interesting cruise we have taken! Fun, fun, fun, but way different that the old days of cruising!

A ten month trip

2010-05-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Lucy Clare--You are now ten months and you are busier than ever! You are talking, moving, laughing, and all around having a ball. I love this age right now. You are funny. You are so independent! You are growing so fast! You've done a lot lately, so here is a trip in pictures!

10 months photo shoot. This is THE ONLY picture I got of you sitting in your spot. You would not sit still this month!

You have learned to give a "high five." It is so cute!

Not sure what you are doing in that above picture, but that's how I find you most mornings when I go to wake you up! And you have learned to laugh and smile when something is really funny to you! Ha!

You have learned to love the grass!

You have really liked this ride along/push thing Gammy bought you! Look at you go! (and major props to Godmomma B for your super cute shoes!)

What else is going on?

you have 6 teeth and are working on 2 more.
you are almost totally on solid food. You like mac/cheese, strawberries, watermelon, grapes, chicken.... ok, you really pretty much like anything I put down in front of you! :)
You sleep from 9 to 6:30 every night. I love this!
You are such a good baby, and everyone says so. I can take you anywhere!
You are a daddy's girl. You melt his heart every day!
You are going on your first cruise next month! Wow! I am so excited!
You can "cruise" holding on to furniture. You are still a little scared when you let go as to what to do!
I love you!

I am so ready to spend the summer with you! 5 more days till it is summer vacation! Tons of swimming, sleeping, and cuddling.. along with some great trips!

Love you!

Support

2010-05-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that I had become a ZUMBA instructor last month. I haven't taught many classes (ok, just two) but I totally enjoyed making my friends sweat! Ha! Some of you may know that I was once our church's Youth Minister and I still help out when I can and the new YM and I are pretty good friends. Every summer our youth kids go on a mission trip called "Catholic Heart Work Camp" and it is an awesome experience for them. They help fix houses, help around different communities, and share their faith, all within the United States (which is a big deal to me.) This year 30 kids will be heading down to South Florida to help for a week. 30 kids is a great number, but with that comes the cost of sending all those kids on a mission trip. We have been thinking of different things we could do to help defer the cost for the kids and I decided I would have a ZUMBA fundraiser. I will have a hour long class and give all the money right over to the church so they can help send the kids!

I am super excited and I hope we really get a good turn-out. So for those of you in my area, please join us! Feel free to email me for exact times and location!

I have a number in my head that I am going to pray that God will fulfill for us. I pray that the church community will rally around us and burn a few calories while raising money! For those of you who don't live near us, please pray that God will bless us as we try to raise the money and especially pray for our teens as they travel to spread God's Word!

And finally, just cuz I think this little one is so dang adorable... her is a picture of Ms. LC doing what she likes to do.. Stand! Isn't she just so beautiful?! ♥

9 months and a workout

2010-04-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hello! It has been awhile since I have posted, mainly because I have been busy, but really I have just been procrastinating and too busy reading other people's blogs! I thought I would catch up so Lucy will have her baby book one day! Lucy turned 9 months on the 16th. I can't believe she is thisclose to being a year old! Her personality has just broken loose lately. She is babbling, crawling, trying to walk, and into everything!

What else are you up to these days, sweet one?

I like this picture because your eyelashes are so fabulous, but I love the little bit of sweet potatoe on the tip of your nose!

You are wearing a size 3 diaper.
You eat solid foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You have tried lots of new foods lately!

You drink 6 to 8 ounces of formula at each bottle feeding
You are crawling everywhere, and will follow me into every room I will walk into.
You have become "clingy" to me when we are out, until you become familiar with people.
Da-da is your word of choice, even though you still say "yeah!"

You do this break-dance spin on the floor. You will move around in circles on your butt. It is the cutest thing!

You love to play on the floor with your toys. You especially like cooking utensils!
You throw a "fit" when you don't get your way!
You are back to sleeping through the night, and putting yourself to sleep!

You have three teeth that have come through. Two bottom and one on top. The others are not far behind!
You like to dance holding on to the tv table. You bounce up and down to the music and kick one leg up!

You are wearing a size 9-12 month clothing.
You sleep on your tummy with your hiney in the air!

You love watching other children.

You love your daddy! You reach out to him when he gets home from work and clap!
I love you. Really. I love you. I can't say it enough!

Now, this little priss actually sat still for her 9 month pictures! Praise God! I took these pictures the night before I left for a ZUMBA training workshop. I am officially a ZUMBA teacher! It was 9 hours of pure hell but worth every minute! I decided a few months ago to give ZUMBA a shot and I loved it. If you haven't tried this amazing workout, you are missing out! It is an hour of fun Latin dancing where you burn some major calories. I have lost about 10 pounds and a ton of inches just doing ZUMBA. I love it and it totally does not feel like I am working out. I went and got trained and plan on teaching my own classes this summer!

I am also excited that school is coming to a close this year. My summer will be full of hanging out with this amazing kid. This will be a new kind of summer for me as a mom. We have a cruise planned and beach trips with friends and tons of swimming on the agenda. While I love my school kids, I am ready for a break and the whole summer to spend with my sweetie!

Ya'll have a good week!

teaching... it's a gift.

2010-04-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

I teach. I am good at it. I love it. I teach first grade at a low income school in my city. I have always taught children like this. It is very hard. It is very challenging, but I love the outcome in the end and what difference I make in the life of a child each day.

Now, Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is having a Show us Your Life.This week is Teacher Gifts. She has these a lot, but this one was the first one to catch my eye. I KNOW about this topic! In my fantasy world, I would love to get gift cards to get a massage, a really good book, a dinner gift card, or a really cute snack basket I could keep at school. You know, something that has things they don't carry in the snack machine.

In my real world, I get used batteries. Half empty bottles of perfume. A school picture from kindergarten. An old necklace. A coffee cup from the dollar store.

I wouldn't trade this.

I make a huge.. read... HUGE deal when a child brings me a present. It just doesn't happen. My kid's parents don't have the money to even think about their child's teacher. I squeal, laugh, and downright almost cry when a child gets a gift and it is all wrapped or in a present bag. This past

Christmas I actually had two little girls get an outfit for my baby! I was beyond the moon.

I love my kids. I love the thought that my child put into my gift. "Man, Mrs. B likes coffee. I bet she would like this coffee filter!" My favorite thing is a sweet note that a child has really put effort into making. I get one weekly from a little girl that says "i love mrs. b. i love her husband. i love lucy clare. i love mrs. b mommy. Truly, i love them."

and this is why I teach.

So, for those of you who can afford a gift for your child's teacher, do it. I know that sometimes it would be nice to get a gift like I will give my child's teacher. (oh, to have a massage!)

The biggest gift I can ask for all teachers is prayer. We take home 18+ little peoples problems every night. I wonder what my kids eat when they get home. I wonder if anyone is even there with them. I wonder what they see in their neighborhoods. Please pray for them!

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

I ♥ blogs.

2010-04-11T21:18:00.001-07:00

I read a lot of blogs. I like them. I like the window they open up into random people's worlds. I like to read other mommy's blogs, crafty blogs, blogs that teach me more about the Lord. I sit at night and will literally have like 10 pages opened up on my screen going from one blog to the next. I read happy blogs, but a lot of times, I read sad blogs. Blogs of mommies who have buried their children, blogs of parents struggling with sick children. and it hurts my heart. I have cried many tears as I watch these ladies struggle to put their lives back together after a loss, or during crisis. I have prayed unceasingly for these same woman. I pray the same list of children each night, and thanked Him in return for what He continues to do for them. It makes my life much more precious. Helps me see that I need not take things for granted. But it doesn't make the ache any easier. But it does help me believe the God is faithful.
I will never forget a blog from a girl in Arkansas who lost her beautiful little girl. I remember I was pregnant at the same time as she was. I was praying so hard that God would answer prayer in the way we earthly people wanted. And not long after I got home with my little girl, she lost hers. I remember crying such wailing tears all over my newborn child's head. I broke for her. And I have watched (or should I say read) this same woman throw herself at the feet of God and her faith... her faith is such testimony to our Lord and Savior.
It is amazing how the Lord uses people who we will never meet for His glory. How is the grand scheme of things, I am sure this girl never thought that a) she would be burying her child or b) that her life would impact so many people.

How I hope that I bring a sense of the Lord to this world. I want others to see God's glory. Even in my silly little blog about my family, I hope that it will shine my love for the Lord.

Be ever grateful for what you have. I know there are days when LC is being fussy or having a "bad" day, and I get so frustrated... and then I remember.... I have her. And it totally changes my thinking and I stop and pray over her right then.

Thank you, Lord, for what I have. Please never let me lose sight of that. Thank you for technology where Your word can be spread to many.

I know my mom would say me reading these blogs will help and hurt me. I freak out at the smallest thing. I am forbidden (ha!) from google-ing things. The Internet is my blessing and my curse!

I don't know why I even wrote a post about this tonight. I guess I just wanted to convey my thoughts on how I love reading blogs!

I will end on a happy note..my sweet baby girl will be 9 months old this week! Oh my, how time is going by so fast! She is a crawling, talking, eating machine! I look forward to her doctors appointment to see how much she weighs! And another happy note, my best friend welcomed her (huge) baby boy this week into the world! Cole was born Monday and weighed in at 10 pounds, 2 ounces! He is happy, healthy, and so beautiful! God is good!
Have a wonderful week. I promise my next post will have pictures of my baby girl! I know that's what you really want to see anyway!

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.

3 John 1:5

I know!

2010-04-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20: 10-18

I believe! I can only imagine how Mary felt coming to the tomb to prepare Jesus' dead body! How she must have felt such disgust and outrage to see that someone had taken his body away. And then, she did finally recognize Him... and how? Was it the way He said her name? The way he looked at her? Or was it that He is God and opened her mind to see Him? To know her thoughts would be marvelous... and what did she want to do immediately? Hug Him. After watching Him suffer such a cruel death, to touch Him was what she wanted.. to 'hold on' to Him. and He must have had to pull her away! Then to tell her that He must go to His Father must have been still puzzling to her, to have Him back, only to lose Him again?

I believe! I believe what Mary saw. I know that she saw my Lord and Savior. I know He rose again, and while I don't understand the ins and outs of how that works, my faith tells me that this man did just that. The God-man sent to earth to die for my sins, to be an example of my faith and walk, laid His life down for me, and then just rose right up from the grave. I believe... I know... I have faith.

Happy Easter to you! May the risen Christ fill you with joy today and forever. May you feel the peace that Mary felt seeing her Lord that Easter morning! May you always remember that your Redeemer LIVES!

Remember when?

2010-03-27T20:27:00.001-07:00

I was looking over my blog and thought to myself.. man, I wonder what I was doing a year ago. March 2009. What was my life like then? I can hardly remember life without spit-up, diapers, and huge hairbows, but I know I used to be the fun, karaoke singin, "Yeah" dance-routine'n, sleep all day kinda girl. Nope. That wasn't me. (well, yes I was at one time, but not last March. Up until November of 08 I was.. and man, was it fun.) A year ago, I was pregnant. and on March 26th of 2009, I made a list of my top five favorite things about being pregnant.

Top Five

I have been mentally making a list of all the thing I love about being pregnant in my head for awhile. So here it is... my top five favorite things about being Prego.

5. Seeing other pregnant women on the street gives you a real reason to stare at their belly. First for a little moment of "whooo.... I'm glad I'm not that big" to "I wonder how far long she is." I do love this. It's my license to stare card. And she in return doesn't look at me like a stalker. She's probably thinking the same dang thing about me.

4. Stretchy pants. Good God. How have I lived my whole life not wearing stretchy pants? I can bend over without a button cutting into my navel. I can breath when I sit down (except on the days my undies roll down with the belly.) I just think these stretchy belly pants are a fab way to feel pretty!

3. My 20 pound weight loss. I know. I break the rules with this. But when that stick said "pregnant" I vowed to change my eating habits. I figured my baby needed to be smart (you know with a teacher mom and all) so I started eating fresh fruits and veggies. Now losing that glass of wine can't hurt either, and you won't see me eating nothing but good stuff, but I did change alot about how I ate. I still crave hot wings and strawberry milkshakes, but for the most part, I will take real strawberries over the milkshake any day.

2. The cutest dang clothes for her. I am glad I am teaching after school tutorial. That money has come in handy. I have done really well with just cheap stuff. And people that say"you will not want to spend on yourself anymore" don't know me. I buy for her, I buy for me. We both have to look good, right? Poor Scott.

1. And the last reason I like being prego... no, its not all the attention, or the free pass to be gassy, or the excuse to be really lazy, it's just the fact at how it has changed Scott and I already. Before, it wouldn't bother me to go out without him or spend time with my friends when he was home, but now... I look forward to the time we have by ourselves. I know it is going by fast, this time it is just Nikki and Scott, and I want to savor it all I can. I want Lucy Clare in the most loving environment. I want her to feel the love between the two of us.

So, this was no David Letterman countdown, but I do love being pregnant. I can't wait to hold sweet Lucy Clare in my arms for the first time. She is going to be one spoiled girl, just like her momma.

I cannot believe a year has already gone by. For almost 9 months I have been the mother to the most amazing, wonderful, precious baby girl. She is growing before my eyes, and I can't stop it! I look back on my #1 thing I loved about being pregnant and it almost brings me to tears. Scott and I have changed completely as a couple. I see him in such a different way now. He is such a generous, loving father to Lucy, and so patient and loving with me. I asked him the other day about the day she was born and how he felt. He said he looked at her and thought.. "now what do I do!?" He was so nervous and scared, but he has turned into the most amazing father. I love him more and more each day. She is the light of our lives.

As I lift her up in prayer each night in her crib, I feel like God must laugh at me (in a nice God-ly kinda way) when I ask Him if He just knows how much I love her! While I know He does know how much I love her, I know His love for the both of us is so much more powerful, and that alone can bring me to tears.

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are!" 1 John 3:1

our spring in pictures!

2010-03-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

We had a busy Spring Break, so instead of a long post, I'll tell our story in pictures!

We got ready in our St. Patrick's day outfit for church on Sunday... Please ignore the mess behind her! Then we headed down to the beach for some shopping and fun in the sand.

We had a playdate with two of our favorite boys.. Foster and Collins.

We met the Easter Bunny.. even though we weren't quite sure about him.

We ate a lot of solids.. Cheesepuffs, yogurt, wagon wheels, and pears.. These were things we tried this week!

We enjoyed the sunshine at Landmark Park.

We met some great animals and learned what they all say.

It's times like these that make me wish I could stay home all the time. Happy Spring everyone!

wow!

2010-03-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well I am just tickled pink. I jumped on my blog today to check on all my favorite people on my sidebar, when I noticed I had a comment on my last blog. If you frequent my blog, you know I don't get the most comments on my posts (I know you people love me anyway, but dang... could you make me feel good and leave a comment?) It was a rockin' momma I read about named Danielle and her super cute baby Chloe. (whom you can read about here) She had given me an award! Me! yes, Me! Whoop-whoop with a wrist twist. I have made it!

And I am just about to come out of my southern skin. It turned me into a babbling southern girl. I was saying things like "bless my bones!" "well, I'll be" and "shucks." I just thought it was the most wonderful thing. And really, for anyone who knows me in real life, you know that I wear these kinds of shoes to teach in on a daily basis(except when I was pregnant because I lost my balance once and took a load of first graders out), so it just made my Spring Break so fabulous!

Here are the super stylish things about this award:

First, let us understand the Stiletto… some words that describe it…

Classy – Strong -Exotic – Demure – Extreme – Ultra – Sexy - Bold – Funky

“Walking in extremely high heels is not something that the average woman (or man)
will need to do in their everyday life. However, there are times when this skill may be required.” I want to salute the women who balance life, family & relationships with style & class! Those women who share their experiences with us…who encourage us, inspire us, teach us, make us laugh and basically keep us going! You know who they are! While you read this blog, your family is looking at you wondering what the heck you are laughing about so hard…or why the tissue is necessary for internet browsing. It’s the one that the kids are excited about because a new post means a new craft project or family outing. The one that inspires you to be a better mom, friend, person in general. The one that reminds you that we are all “in this life together” and you’re not the only one going through the hard stuff. The one that you secretly wish your blog was like…“Heels this high are not meant for clubbing or walking long distances in. They are mainly used for getting from the living room to the bedroom, from the car to the restaurant, or for a short stroll along the catwalk.” If you’ve received this award, someone out there thinks you deserve it! Be proud! Display the badge with honor! You earned it…after all it means that you brought something special to at least one other person, and really, isn’t that what life’s all about?

THE RULES!
This blog is meant to be shared, to be given out, to be bestowed upon any and ALL women who exemplify what the stiletto represents. If you’ve received this award, here’s what you do:
1. Display your Stiletto Badge of Honor on your sidebar! Wear it with pride…

2. BRAG ABOUT IT! -write a post about your award. Include the link to this page so everyone will understand what it’s all about! http://bit.ly/thestilettoaward

3. SAY THANKS! - include a link to the friend who nominated you for the award.

4. SHARE THE LOVE! -nominate 5-10 blogs that you feel deserve the award. Include links to them in your post -and- leave them a comment to let them know they are nominated.

5. DO WHAT YOU DO! -keep at it. Keep inspiring and encouraging and sharing your life! We love it and we thank you!

Now I am going to share the love. Some of these girls I know for real, and some of them are just blogs I like to read. I learn something from all of them and I am honored to give this out (and hopefully not trip on any of you as I do it!)

Lauryn @ The Griffin Family: She is a high school friend who has to be one of the coolest and most down to earth mommas I have ever known. and I mean that. Snowboarding? check. Cute kid? Check. She's one awesome lady. (and a great teacher to boot!)

Jenn @ Be.So.Happy: another awesome chick who is from my hometown. She is just an adorable twenty-something who is rockin it in another state, and taking us along for the ride.

Jessica @ the Steltenpohls: she's a gorgeous momma in my town who has one of the cutest babies I have ever seen. They are also Catholic which means our girls will grow up in the church together!

Jamie @ Another Joyous Journey: I don't know her from Adam. But she is a funny momma with a stylish shoe loving baby boy. I love reading about their daily life and watching him grow!

Kadie @ CouponKadie: She keeps me up to date on all the latest coupons and steals (which god knows I need for all the money I like to spend on a teacher salary!)

On a totally different note, my sweet baby is 8 months old today. I cannot for the life of me believe this. I love this time with her too. She has the cutest personality and is full of life (and into everything!)

Now, I'm fixin to go to bed, cuz this southern girl is plum wore out from all this typing!

Ya'll come back!

Spring is here!

2010-03-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

We are so glad spring is showing its glowing face on us! Lucy and I took a walk today to the park in our neighborhood. This would be the first time she would be big enough to swing and I was super excited! She enjoyed it so much! This will be the first of many trips to the park. We jammed out to my Ipod the whole stroller ride there. It was a great day!

I love this face! She was so happy with the wind in her face! Of course, we had to both wear our "shades." They cracked her up. It has been since the summer since we have worn them!

Thank you, God, for bright sunny days, for the wind on our face, for babies that are so happy, and for love abounding! You are my King, my Redeemer, and my All in All! Your blessings are abundant... Praise You!

busy girl

2010-03-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

Someone in our household has been trying to stand lately. It is the cutest thing but at the same time makes me so sad that my little girl is getting so big! She is also crawling all over the floor and is into everything. She especially likes to find wires, which is making her daddy have to really get on baby proofing the house! This is a pic I snapped quickly of her pulling up in her bed. Needless to say, the bed is much lower now!

Here is another picture of my little cutie in a crown. She looks so grown up in this picture! Sorry for the poor quality, it was taken with my phone. Miss LC is getting ready for peanut festivals and parades one day! I like to say she will be Ms. Peanut 2025. (and gah-I will be so old in 2025!)

Have a wonderful week! Next week LC will be 8 months old and it is our spring break! yeah!

so true...

2010-02-25T21:03:00.001-08:00

The name Lucy means "bringer of light" and it really could not be more true. That little girl brings more light into people's lives! Clare means "bright" and I like to think that she will be the bringer of bright light.

I don't just mean that she will bring happiness to others. I really hope that her name means that she will bring the Light of Christ to others. My prayer for her life is just that.

Bring that light, little girl. Let is shine for the whole world to see!

2010-02-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”- Jeremiah 29:11-13

I have been struggling lately with my job as a teacher. I am a wonderful teacher, and I am not afraid to say that. I find something in each of my children that I love. I care. I teach hard. I expect success, but I understand failure. I go above and beyond. I want them to do their best and I tell them that. I sing, dance, jump around, laugh, and cut up with my kids. I mean business.

I also get tired.

And I have been these last few weeks. And I don't like it one bit. God called me to be a teacher. I want to do my best to fulfill this job, not just for my children, but for my Lord. It's a mix of things. From administration who is being pushed by their administration, to a new reading program, to children who just need and need to be loved, to my own things of being a new mother and a husband who travels.

I am trying to find that me again. Not the me that wants to say "I'm done." I am crying as I write this post... because I know this me that I have been for the last few weeks is not the me I am, and

I want her back.

So prayer, good friends, and loving on wonderful baby cheeks is slowly making me feel better. I read Jeremiah and found a verse I have always loved, but for some reason the verse that says "you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen" just made me feel happy. I will call upon Him...

and I know He will listen.

7 months

2010-02-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

Here I go again with the late post! And I still have not even taken her pics in the bed in the same spot! I have honestly been busy (and someone has been cutting teeth) and it just got pushed to the back burner. I will share with you some pics from our beach trip this past weekend. Scott knew I was stressed out and planned for us to head down to PC for a little relaxation and a lot of good eating! He is such a good husband!

Well.... what is little miss Bootsie doing this month? I have to say that this is one of my favorite ages. She is mobile, she is funny, and she is a joy to be around!

You are wearing a size 3 diaper now!

You probably weigh around 18 pounds, but we don't go to the doctor again until you are 9 months!

You wear a 6-9 month clothing.

You have two teeth on the bottom. They honestly just popped out on the snow day!

You can crawl, move, scoot, and almost pull up. You can get to your knees, but stop there.

You eat quite a bit now. You puked up the plain meats, but you like the meat that is mixed with other fruits or veggies. You like puffs, you like your meltables and you love frozen bananas, ice, and your biter biscuits!

You are back to sleeping through the night.. and yes, in your own room!

You will play for a long time by yourself on the floor.

You still love Praisebaby. Daddy says you like when the kangaroo comes across the screen, and you love the songs!

You babble, and the only consonant-vowel blends you do is "Ba-Ba" sometimes I think I hear a Ma-ma in there, but nope!

You still enjoy car rides and trips.

You reach for people you know, and put a poky lip out and crocodile tears for people you are uneasy about.

You are so amazing and growing so fast! I can't believe I am already thinking about your first birthday and what kind of party we will have! Daddy and I love you very much!

Happy Valentine's!

2010-02-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's day from the most wonderful gift of love I have ever received! Praying today for those who have lost loved ones, who have lost babies, and who have not found love yet. God is always faithful!

"Your love, Oh Lord, reaches to the heavens. Your faithfulness stretches to the sky. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains and Your justice flows like the ocean tides." --Third Day taken from Psalm 36:5

My little snow bear

2010-02-12T17:33:00.001-08:00

Snow. I know you all up north are sick and tired of it. And I hurt for you! But those of us in Lower Alabama never get to see good snow. And by good snow I mean a few little flakes that just might stick. Today we got a nice flurry and about 2 inches. I took Lucy Clare out for her first experience with it and we both had a blast. She and I enjoyed my 'snow day' off of school. We laid in bed till 8 am and watched Wonder Pets, read her baby Bible, learned about biter biscuits, and ate a decent bit of food (her-pineapple ham and green beans, Me-girl scout cookies!) I love spending the day with her.

She is getting a cruddy cold and is just snotting so much. I feel so bad for her! She is a monster crawler now. While she is not off her belly, she is moving and grooving all over my house! I just love that little thang! Happy snow day everyone!

thankful

2010-02-07T20:46:00.001-08:00

With so much pain and suffering in the world today, I started thinking about all the things I am thankful for in my life. While this list is just a small glimpse into the things I am thankful for, it touches on some of the most important!

Family.
A husband who loves me, even when I snap at him. And I love him, even when he wakes me from a really good nap just to tell me Zaxby's has fried pickles.
My amazing daughter.
Sweet kisses on the most delicious baby lips.
The fact that Lucy does not have to go to daycare right now. I am so appreciative that mom takes care of her so she can be spoiled by family.
Singing. especially wonderful praise and worship songs.
Sleeping through the night.
A home. Even though it is messy and covered in spit-up and puffs, it is still our home.
My job. I love my children. I am proud of my children. I could see myself doing nothing else but loving 19 first graders.
Laughing. and laughing so hard you cry. "I'm strokin!"
Reading blogs that make a difference.
Reading blogs that make you appreciate things.
Friends. You know, friends you can count on. Friends who laugh with you, hurt with you, share joy with you.
PraiseBaby and the Jumperoo. 30 minutes of time for mommy to get work done!
Time off.
A nice cold bed with a cold pillow.
No bus duty.
New pencils, notebooks... really all school supplies. Office Depot is my secret crack.
Zumba.
"now, let me ask you this."
Parents who love me, but really love my kid. Watching them with LC is so fun. Knowing they think I am doing a good job as a mom means the most though.
A really good book that makes you think.
Prayers that get answered in ways you didn't think they would.
Prayers that get answered in ways you prayed they would!
Healthy babies.
Icee's
Knowing you are loved. and being able to feel it.
4 years with the same man and it still feels like I just met him. (oh, the carefree days of karaoke!)
Watching my husband be a father.
Road trips.
Hashbrown casserole.
Knowing I am forgiven.
Asking for forgiveness.
Project Runway, Criminal Minds, SVU, Chopped.
Feet kicking, head bobbing, arms waving, laughing, happy baby.
People who think my kid is gorgeous.
People who love my kid.
Nicknames for my baby. "Sugar Plum, Doodlebugs, Lovie, Bootsie."
Pedicures
People who sing along at church.
Jesus.
Biblegateway.com
Watching Lucy crawl, eat, smile, poop. Pretty much watching her do anything.
A good nap in the middle of the day.

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

~I Chronicles 16:8

finally...

2010-01-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've been lazy. I admit it. I am also a procrastinator. Here is where I stand up and say: " I am Nikki and I have a problem." My sweet baby has been 6 months old for 15 days and I am just now getting around to posting about it. Yes, I did take her pictures in the same spot, and yes, I posted them on facebook, but I just couldn't seem to get over to blogger and just do it! So much goes on in the life of a mom and by 9 pm, I am a tired mess. Here it is... finally!

Lucy Clare---I have been your mommy for a half of a year. Wow! I keep saying time has flown by and so it has. You are an amazing little wonder and are just about into everything. You are so growny already and have the cutest little personality! Here are some things you are doing now....

You sit up unassisted all the time. No more bumbo or boppy.. You can do it all by yourself!

You weigh 16 pounds 2.5 ounces and 25 1/2 inches long!

You wear size 6-9 months clothing, but some 3-6 still fit you and you can still wear some onesies from when you were first born!

We have moved up to a size 2 diaper and we are soon moving to a 3 (ahh.. the crawler ones!)

You are almost crawling. You can move around by rolling, but you have a great army crawl these days!

No teeth! Dr. Head did not feel any buds at our appointment.

You can laugh and it is the cutest little thing.

Happy feet you are. I don't know how your heels are bruised from as much as you kick and slam your feet on the ground!

You also flap your arms when you get excited.

You recognize your name and turn your head in the direction of the person calling your name.

You still love Josiee, Rudy, and the stuffed animal gang, but I splurged and bought you a Sophie and you really like her too!

You sit up in the buggy now in the front part when we go shopping. You think you are big stuff now.

Solids are your friend. You eat and love sweet potatoes, applesauce, bananas, carrots, green beans, pears, and loads of cereal. I just bought you meats to try this weekend and daddy bought you mangoes and other fun fruits!

You sleep most nights through the night. Randomly we will have a bad night, but I don't mind getting up with you (most of the time!)

You love bath time and take a good long bath every night. You sit and play with your tub toys while I sit next to you and do a Sudoku.

You like to watch WonderPets, Wordgirl, and PraiseBaby.

You love to read books.

You like to go to Zumba class with mommy and Gammy.

I had to post our first really good picture together. This is when we were coming home from the hospital. You had on your "coming home" outfit and I was just glad to not look like a whale. You were so tiny!

There is so much more you are doing... you are growing more and more. I love to watch you react to things around you. You love to people watch and smile at people when they tell you how cute you are!

Daddy and Mommy love you very much... You are very blessed and I love it that I can take you out and you act so well and love to be around others! You are a special creation!

When you wish upon a star....

2010-01-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Disney... the most magical place on earth. The place where dreams come true and even adults feel like kids again. We were blessed to take LC to Disney world for Christmas. While she is still really young, Scott and I love Disney and when Scott asked if I wanted to use his hotel points to go, I immediately said yes! LC loved all the people, the noises, the bright colors and the characters, and of course, everyone loved her!

I had this adorable shirt made from a girl on etsy. I love it, and Lucy will wear it again!

The highlight for me was Piglet coming up to her at the parade and playing with her. And, The FairyGodmother shouting down from her float that she was a beautiful baby. (I did tear up, I won't lie!) I will tell you that Disney has an amazing baby station. We spent a lot of time there changing diapers, feeding, or resting. They have it all down, including a kitchen to warm things up or wash, and a lady who will sell you things you might have forgotten to pack. It really made going to the park super easy. (Epcot's was really nice too, and it was a great place to hang out when it started to rain!)

Watching the parade with her daddy. It was so cold in Orlando that week. I am so glad she had a fleece hoodie!

LC did a great job on the 6 hour drive. On the way down she mostly slept and played and we got to Orlando around 8 pm. She slept well that night and we got up super early to be at the park early. The drive home was not as wonderful. I told Scott she was just in a sensory overload and was ready to get home to the house she was familiar with (and to be out of that carseat!) I am so glad she did well because Scott and I love to travel and I want a good travel baby!

Her ears. Her name is on the back. Please ignore the spit-up all over her jacket, and the fact that her hairbow is hanging off her head! :) But, aahh, can we talk about those pouty lips and chubby cheeks? They make me smile!

Her daddy bought her a Minnie and Mickey doll. (He was adamant she have both!)And he kindly bought me a coffee mug to go with my new coffee maker Santa brought me!

This is how LC spent most of her trip, hanging out in the Moby. She could take her naps and we could all still enjoy the rides!

We truly had a wonderful time. I am so glad I have such a thoughtful and generous husband. He is such a good, hands-on daddy.

Now... totally off subject, but I am looking for a devotional I can do each morning to jumpstart my day. Does anyone know of something I can do?

a good news update!

2010-01-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you for praying!!!! Christina had baby Austin this morning and both baby and momma are doing well! Rebecca (Christina's sister) posted a beautiful picture of him on her facebook. He looks great. Tiny, but great. He's long and looks like Christina. Please continue to pray that things go well. He will probably be in the NICU for 1-3 months.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
Luke 18:16

A little prayer goes a long way...

2010-01-05T20:14:00.001-08:00

Please pray for a sweet friend. Christina was due with Baby Austin around April and has been moved to Birmingham because she was diagnosed with HELLP. This is a serious condition for both mom and baby, but more for mom as it can cause seizures. They will be delivering Austin sometime tomorrow. So far, the outlook is good. The doctor says he possibly weighs around 2 pounds and they are pumping her with steroids to help develop his lungs. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated.

I will update anytime I see a facebook post from her sister. (Christina's sister Rebecca was just married New Year's Eve... I don't even know if she is home from her honeymoon yet! Pray for her also!)

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10

Busy Busy

2009-12-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

We have been busy this month in our household! I thought I would share our December in pictures! This sweet girl is sitting up all by herself! Only a few spills from time to time! (This is her daddy's favorite picture. I swear we have it as our screen saver, in our computer office, and on our fridge. He ♥'s it!)These sweet college girls were once highschoolers in my youth group. They are all grown up now but still mean so much to me. They came by to visit with Lucy Clare and have a little lunch. Come back anytime Jen, Rae, and Sam! We loved having you! Christmas Eve at our church is always a big time. I have played Mary many times in various church happenings, but this year, I got to carry my own baby as Jesus! It was such a big deal to me as a kid watching a family process down the aisle and I am glad I could do it this year! LC makes the cutest Jesus! And she hammed it up in her first acting debut! Christmas morning came with a baby who decided to sleep till 8 (which is fine with us!) and when she woke up Santa had come in the night. She got a Cabbage Patch baby doll, a play world, and push train for when she can crawl. You can kinda see in the background that Santa brought Mommy a coffee maker. I am so excited and will now have to learn how to make coffee! And finally, LC took her first very very long car trip. Daddy surprised us with a trip to DisneyWorld which is a 6 hour drive from Dothan! Here she is excited to be out of her seat while Daddy checked into the hotel. She was an amazing car baby!

(I will post pics of Disney in the next post! )

Overall, I cannot believe that a year ago I had not long found out I was pregnant and wondering what this Christmas would hold for us! It was all I could have imagined. God has blessed me with an amazing husband who loves me even when I am at my worst, and child who blesses me everyday with her smile and presence. I have a loving family who adores LC and spoils her rotten and a job that I love.

My life is good.

I will always praise the One who loves me!

"I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!"

Deuteronomy 32:3

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:37:00.001-08:00

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophets, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" which means, "God with us."

Matthew 1:21-23

May God be with you this Christmas and this new year.

With love,

Scott, Nikki, and Lucy Clare

Five Months, One Christmas, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree....

2009-12-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

Lucy Clare, you are five months now. Five short months that feel like an eternity. I look at you each day and am still filled with amazement at how much you have grown, how much you know, and all the things you can do. You make me smile, laugh, and cry all at one time! What are you up to this month?

You weigh 15 pounds! Whoop-Whoop!

You have started solids. So far we have tried peas (fail!), sweet potatoes, applesauce, bananas, peaches, pears, and carrots. You love them all and you know when I am pouring the cereal and getting the spoon out that something fun is going to happen! You are sitting in your high chair and you look so cute!

You wear a size 2 diaper.

You drink 6 oz every 3-4 hours. Sometimes a little less when you eat your solids, but you love your bottle.

You can sit up without assistance now! Big girl.

You are not sleeping in your bouncy seat anymore. We have graduated to the sleep positioner. You sleep on your side in a sleep sack. You are moving to your crib on Friday night (ahhh... mommy's a little nervous! I like having you in the same room with me in your pack-n-play. I can hear you breathe all night..this is a big step.)

You are back to sleeping through the night. We had a bad time when you were 4 months where you would wake up every hour. This was hard for mom. I was used to you sleeping all night long. I am glad you are back to your old ways. Mommy needs her sleep for those crazy first graders!

You have a funny crawl thing that you do. You smoosh your face to the ground and put your butt up in the air. Then you scream because you can't figure out how to get your face up!

You enjoyed your first Thanksgiving this year!

Everyone still thinks you are so wonderful.

Your dad has taught you how to blow bubbles. You get to going spitting all over the place. It is so funny.

You "talk" a lot more now...it's so funny!

Happy five months little wonder! We love you.

And... I am giving a sneak peak of my Christmas pictures. Lucy and I had a 30 minute photo shoot under the tree. I think she did great. My Christmas cards go out tomorrow, so I'll just share one picture until I know the cards are in hands! Merry Christmas to you all! Another exciting event will be mom and dad as Mary and Joseph and you as Baby Jesus at church for Christmas Eve service! It will be so cute!

And if you haven't heard Casting Crowns Christmas song "While You Were Sleeping" I encourage you to listen. What we might have missed in the night if Christ came to earth today. Would we be sleeping? I pray we will all be ready for the day we meet our Lord! God bless!

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

-Luke 2:11

Four months!

2009-11-16T18:10:00.001-08:00

Lucy Clare-- you are four months old today! You are growing so fast. We go to the doctor this week for your four month shots and check-up, so I'll have your exact weight and measurement soon!

You are wearing a size 1/2 diaper.
You are eating 6-8 ounces every 4 hours.
You started eating cereal two to three times a week at night. You are starting to enjoy it!
You are starting to be able to sit up better by yourself!
You can roll from front to back and sometime back to front. Your arms get in the way sometimes.
Josiee is still your favorite baby doll, but recently Gammy bought you a monkey you "picked" out. His name is Rudy. You adore him too.
You just found your feet this week. It is quite funny.
Football is your favorite thing to watch on tv. I assume you like the bright colors and the quick motions, but maybe you just like the cute boys! :)
You can follow noises with your head. If daddy or I say your name you can usually find where we are.
You still love your hands.
You are much more vocal these days.
You can grasp things and bring them to your mouth.

We praise God for you everyday, sweet sugar plum. I can't wait to see what the future holds for you. We love you so much! Happy four months!

Could you please?

2009-11-14T18:05:00.001-08:00

I need to ask ya'll for a favor. You know, the 5 people that read this blog? Can you help a sister out? I am really struggling with something and I am a total believer in the power of prayer, so I am reaching out to you guys.

I received this wonderful gift via C-section on July 16th. I am thankful for this gift every single day!
I also received this "wonderful" gift via C-section---this gift, not so thankful for. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
This. MRSA. Staph Infection. A very scary infection that without treatment can kill you. I found out I had MRSA about a month ago when I found a lump in my armpit. I thought it was a infected lymph node, or an ingrown hair. Turns out, it was staph infection, and that is how staph shows itself. These annoying bumps show on different parts of your body. Mine chooses to show itself in my armpit. I had it lanced, took antibiotics, bathed in Clorox stuff and thought it was all better. I knew I would live with this for the rest of my life, but I didn't know it would be so...bad. A few weeks later, I found TWO more bumps and one more on its way. I headed straight back to the doctor and was put on two new antibiotics, a nose treatment, a ointment for my bumps and a hibiclens bath for 7 days. I really thought this time it was over.
But no. Just yesterday I found another lump, meaning I am going to have to start another round of antibiotics and cleaning. I am just discouraged. I really wanted this to be over, or at least done for now.
I get so worried about little LC. I don't want her to get my staff infection and have to live with this too. I also worry that someday it won't show itself in my armpit and not show itself anywhere except internally and I won't know about it.
So, I am asking for prayer. I am prayer specific and while I know this is an infection I will always live with, I am asking that it keep at bay for awhile. I also pray that I never spread it to LC or Scott. Please just pray it stays away so I can feel better again. Thank you in advance... it means so much to me to have friends in Christ!

Peanut Festival

2009-11-07T23:08:00.000-08:00

This year added a new element for our household as we attended the Peanut Festival... carting around a baby! I enjoyed every second of the fun of the Nut Fest this year. Here are some of the crazy pictures from our adventure out. Hope everyone had their fill of all fair food. I know I loved my ear of corn, my elephant ear, boiled peanuts, Lady Antebellum, and all the interesting people who show up for the fair! Welcome to the South. Sisters! I do love this crazy girl!

Lucy having a ball at her first real concert. I hope there are many more to come.

Family shot in the tractor section of the fair. Check out LC's Ugg boots and adorable outfit. She was the trendiest person at the fair!

Prayer

2009-10-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,

I sit in awe at Your creation. I hurt for those who do not feel this joy and are begging you for the chance. You are all-knowing and all-powerful and You know all the plans and desires of our hearts. You are always faithful. I can always count on the fact that even in times of sadness, You will use it to Your glory.

My prayers are overflowing. You know my thoughts and I am confident when I approach Your throne. Whether it be a praise, a promise, or a request, I know that You take them and hold them close to Your heart. For that, Lord, I am amazed and honored.

I feel so much closer to You since you placed Lucy Clare into my life. I feel an abundance of love, joy, worry, excitement and praise when I look at her. I try to think into the future and imagine her loving You. How I hope that I can be an example of Your love in her life. My biggest prayer is that she will come to know You with unfailing love. I pray that she is charismatic in her testimony to You and that she will never go a day without stopping to praise You.

Lord, bless her. Keep her close. Hold her forever in Your palm and comfort her in times of sadness and in joy. Make her life a witness to You. Let others see Your radiant love in her.

I pray for her future, her present, and her past. I pray that You will guide me as a mother. I pray that I can always make just decisions in her life and lead her in a path of righteousness. I pray for our family, for her daddy, who travels so much and misses her dearly. I pray that You will make our family a family for You and that we will always remember that You are the most important being in our lives.

You bless me more than I deserve. Please do not let me ever take You for granted. May I be a light in this world that will shine for You.

I pray Lord Jesus, for children who do not have a mother. I beg of You to wrap them in Your arms. I pray for my own mother, who instilled in me a love for You. I pray for other woman who had an influence in my life.

Lord, You are the lover of my soul, my Jehovah, my King, my Redeemer. You are mighty to save and You pulled me from the miry clay so that I could spend my life in love with You and forever worship You.

Thank You for all You are, and for what You will be. Without You I am nothing, but with You I am everything.

"To live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

In Your most Holy and Precious Name,
Amen

Three Months!

2009-10-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Lucy Clare you are three months old! I cannot believe how fast time is flying by. You are an amazing, wonderful child of God who continues to make my life brighter. Happy Day, sweet Tootsie!

What are you doing these days?

You are still sleeping through the night. In fact, we have kinda moved your bedtime back because you were falling asleep around 8.

You are on new formula for your spit up--Enfamil AR. It has rice in it so it will fill your little tummy up!

You are wearing size 1-2 diapers and size 0-3 months clothing. It's getting cold so I can't wait to put you in your winter clothes!

You are drinking 5-6 oz every 3-4 hours.

You look so cute in your footie pjs every night!

You are trying your best to sit up all the time. You are so strong. You are even wanting to stand when you are in someone's lap!

Those hands...... my, my how you love them. You will stare at your hands and play with them constantly.

You are still in love with the lion in your bed. He really makes you smile.

Speaking of smiling, you do that a lot. Especially when you first wake up. You are such a happy baby when you wake up.

You love Josiee, your sweet baby doll. You will kiss her and hold her. No other doll compares to Josiee right now!

You have a pretty consistent schedule all day. Eat, play, sleep. Works for me!

You can grab things now and bring them to your mouth!

You still hate tummy time, but I make you do it. You can hold your head up so well now!

We went to the beach again and you liked the pool. It was too windy, so we didn't stay in for long. You did the best when we went shopping! :)

You are such an easy baby to take out in public. You are so content and everyone thinks you are beautiful! (Even the Gap ladies!)

You are more vocal and make such cute noises.

I love you Lucy Clare! You are a joy to my life. There is a Martina McBride song I have made "our song." She says...

"Everyone that sees you, always wants to know you. And everyone that knows you always always has a smile. Your'e the dream that I've been chasing, after years of waiting. Everyone calls you amazing. I just call you...mine."

To God be the Glory!

Love, Mom

WDE!!!

2009-09-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

I love college football, but I especially love my team Auburn! There is nothing greater than watching the eagle fly across the field, the plains on gameday, or Toomer's corner after a win. I love the south and I love Auburn. I plan on taking LC to a gameday soon so I can take her pic in front of the Auburn sign and Toomer's corner. I want her to experience the things that make Auburn so wonderful. And yes, I will let her decide what team she will cheer for, considering my entire family are Alabama fans. But personally I think she looks beautiful in orange and blue!

War Damn Eagle!

Two Months!

2009-09-17T21:00:00.001-07:00

Lucy Clare--- you are two months old! I can hardly believe that time has gone by so fast. I clearly remember that intense day and all the crazy emotions I had waiting for you to arrive! Now, time is going by so quickly and I am trying my best to savor every moment with you and not take anything for granted!

What are you doing at two months old?

You weigh 11 pounds and 11 ounces!

You are currently in the 55th percentile.

You are 23 inches long.

You have begun to laugh--and laugh hard when something tickles you.

You are sleeping through the night. I put you down around 10 and you usually sleep until I wake you up at 6 for Gammy's house.

You love your mobile. I call the lion your "boyfriend" because when you get him in your line of vision, you start to smile and coo. It doesn't matter what you are doing, when you see him, you melt.

You are drinking 5- 6 ounces ever 3-4 hours.

We took our first trip to the beach and you loved it! You had a great time in the pool.

I took you to Auburn also. You did well on your car ride there and back.

You are in a size 1-2 diaper.

You are DONE with newborn clothes. Can't even squeeze you in them! 3 months are fitting you just about right.

You have a "lovey" that you like to feel when you are tired. I noticed you would rub the fabric of my shirts when I held you so I started giving you the softest little bunny blanket to rub. Now I have dubbed it your "lovey."

Pacifiers. You LOVE your passy. You will suck it like crazy and have figured out how to keep it in your mouth.

You make me so happy.

You are now staying at Gammy's during the day while I work. Maizie loves to play with her little sister. I can't wait to see what you do with those chihuahuas when you can walk or crawl!

As I said my prayers the other night, I told God that if He created you for the sole purpose of me praising His Name more, He achieved that goal. I praise Him constantly for you. I can't believe I deserve something so wonderful in my life and He made you for His joy and pleasure! He is an awesome God!

I look forward to your other exciting adventures for the next month! I can't wait for the pumpkin patch, Halloween, and Christmas with you! I love you baby girl, Daddy's sugar plum, and the Lord's sweetest child!

Fun in the Sun!

2009-09-09T09:50:00.001-07:00

This past weekend the Burns' family celebrated Labor day at the beach with some good friends and family. This was LC's first big trip and first pool dip. We all had a blast and she was a great traveling baby (of course!) We will definitely be taking more trips!

And on a sad note, my maternity leave ends today. I must return to the land of first graders tomorrow. I am excited, nervous, sad, and emotional. I wish I could stay at home with my sweet one! I know she will be in good hands with her Gammy, but it doesn't make it any easier!

Take me to the water....

2009-08-26T22:36:00.001-07:00

This weekend we celebrated a joyous occasion... Lucy Clare's baptism. I have dreamed of this day since I knew I wanted to be a mommy and it was just as a pictured it! She was baptized after the 10 o'clock mass and then came back to our house for a wonderful cookout. It was a fabulous day with good friends, family, and the waters of our Lord! Praise be to God!

This is my beloved with whom I am well pleased!

Godparents Sam and Brandi.. I know they will help us raise her in the Lord!

One month!

2009-08-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Lucy Clare--- You are one month old today! My, how you have grown!

What are you up to these days?

(This wonderful idea was taken from Kelly at kellyskornerblog. She is an amazing Christian mother! I love reading about both her and her sweet baby girl!)

You are sleeping 4 hours at a time at night, sometimes more!

You have begun to focus on things.

You do not like to sleep on your back. You like your side (like your momma!) or you will only sleep in your bouncy seat.

You are drinking 4 oz of formula every 3 to 4 hours.

At our last appointment, you weighed 9.7 pounds!

You wear a size 1 diaper.

You are slowly growing out of your newborn clothes, but size 3 months are still too big on you!

We had a problem with you spitting up too much and it coming out of your nose, but we have found bottles that are stopping that!

You love to take a bath! Daddy and I have a great routine for bathtime! Daddy gets it ready while I get you ready. We both bathe you and talk to you! Then, mommy takes you to get dressed and Daddy fixes your bottle. You love it!

Mommy feeds you after bathtime. I have made a CD of songs and I sing to you while I feed you.

My song to you is " Make you feel my Love" by Bob Dylan (but we like the Adele version).

Daddy calls you his little "sugar plum" and you love it!

You are such a good girl when we go out in public! You are such a happy baby!

Everyone thinks you are so gorgeous! (and you are!)

We bought you an exercise mat and you like to lay there and talk to the lion and the bear. You hit them with your fists and get so excited!

You have your Papa wrapped around your finger. He is a changed man!

Your hair is growing longer everyday. It is still a little red to me, but sometimes it looks dark brown.

You like to suck on your passy when you get tired.

Mommy has a special way to hold you to make you stop crying. Works every time!
You have rolled over from your belly to your back two times! I can't catch you doing it though!
You have stayed with your Gammy and Big D so Mommy and Daddy can go eat or shopping. The dogs love you when you come over.

Daddy and I love you very much and we thank God everyday for His blessing! We are so complete with you in our lives! Happy one month birthday, baby!

and these are the days of our lives...

2009-08-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

4 weeks ago I welcomed someone incredibly amazing into my life. I wanted to share her birth story so that one day, she can look back on this post and see how she changed two peoples lives for the better. Scott and I could not love anything more!

On Tuesday July 14th, I was scheduled to be induced. Scott and I had dinner with all our friends in Tuesday Night Dinner bunch at Old Mill. Surprisingly, we were both very calm considering we were soon to be holding a baby! We got to Flowers Hospital and met our great nurse Whitney. (Really...she was so fabulous!) Dr. Nichols came in after we got settled and explained how Cervadil works and inserted it so that I could begin to dilate. Mom, Heather, Debbie and Lee J came up to keep me company and make me laugh and Brandi B was on her way from Gainesville to be here for the birth. Everyone left when I got to have my Ambien to sleep.... and everyone was so excited because the next day would be a birth... or so we thought!

Wednesday morning Dr. Mullins came in early and broke my water and I was not dilated. Oh... and this is when contractions started. I (for some reason) would not get the epidural right away, even though Scott was begging me to get it and promising me we would never have another child! As soon as Mom got there she convinced me to get the epi and good lord, I am so glad I did! I went from pain city to "feeling like I was at the beach!" By mid morning, all my good friends and family had come to be there for the birth of LC. Everyone was taking bets on when she would get here. I labored with no pain all day long. Yes. all. day. long. I think I finally dilated to 3 cm at midnight that night. The best part was, all my friends and family stayed. I think the waiting room was full of my friends and family. It was great knowing they were all there to support us!

Finally, around 11:30 pm, Dr. Mullins said it was time to do a c-section because LC was not moving into position, I was not dilating, and by this point, I was running a low fever and LC's heart rate was slowing down. We said good-bye to all our friends, said a prayer, cried some tears and they wheeled me to L&D.

I had watched enough "Deliver Me's" on Discovery so I knew exactly what was going to happen. At 1:03am, Lucy Clare made her entrance into the world. She and Scott went to the nursery while they finished with me. I think this is when my husband became a mushball and fell in total love with his baby! :) All that waiting for my friends and family was now over as everyone stared into the nursery window at sweet baby Lucy! After they finished with me, they moved me back to the room and I was able to hold and nurse LC. It was such an amazing feeling! By this time, it was close to 3 in the morning. I had labored for 17 hours and been up for almost 24. I was exhausted. By the time we got to our real room it was almost 4 am. We loved on Lucy and I fed her and I crashed!

A few days later I became anemic and Lucy started losing too much weight due to my not producing enough milk. While I was very scared, I had a wonderful nurse named Angie who was my angel. She took such good care of me and was so patient as I learned to breastfeed, and later when she brought the news that I needed to give LC some formula, she was there to teach me to pump and help me emotionally through all the scary stuff. She was definitely a life saver and was my sweet angel! I am forever grateful to her!

Lucy and I were finally discharged on Monday, July 20th. She is the most laid back wonderful baby! She loves to be held, loves to hear me sing, and eats and sleeps like a champ. I am so in love.

I have slowly been recovering from the c-section. I have really good days and days I am really sore. All in all, it has been really good.

And it was so worth the long labor and the pain for my sweet little girl!
Much love to all these people who stuck in out at the hospital:

Mom, Dad, Heather, Lee J, Brandi B, Debbie, Amy, Grant, Alicia P, Caroline G, Brandy R, Grant M

Love all of you!

This.

2009-07-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Lucy Clare was born on July 16th at 1:03 am. I want to make an entire post dedicated to our birth story, but right now, I am too enamored with the little bundle of love sitting on the couch next to me. I never knew you could love something this much. I say a prayer of thanks every time I look at her. Amazing love. This was 9 months of waiting.

And it was worth every second.

Babies are a great way to start people.

2009-07-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

So...tonight is my last night at home as just me and Scott. Tomorrow night Scott and I will walk into Flowers Hospital to bring Lucy Clare into the world. I am teary eyed as I write this because I am a bundle of emotions. From scared, excited, worried, nervous, joyful, and should I say scared again... I am sitting here feeling LC roll around in my belly just praying everything goes well. Everything is ready for her homecoming. Her room looks amazing, clothes are washed, house is picked up and cleaned. Looks like on the outside we are ready, internally I am not sure how ready we are! (no turning back now though!)

I look forward to hearing her first cry, to counting her toes and fingers, holding her, and seeing a transformation in our little family. What a blessing it is that God lets childbirth happen!
I sit here in the quiet, knowing that this time by myself is short, that my days of being selfish are over, and that my life will never be the same.

And that is so ok with me.

A little bit of hodgepodge...

2009-06-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

3 more weeks until I meet Lucy Clare. W.H.O.A. I am getting pretty nervous! I have a feeling my prayer warriors in Heaven are tired of the same prayer everyday! I have watched more birth stories, baby stories, and bringing baby homes than I want to share with you. I have screamed at the husbands on TV and laughed at the wives who were going "all natural." I have seriously enjoyed my summer! At any rate, I am taking on the mantra of a little yellow friend of mine and saying.... "I'm ready, I'm ready!"

On a totally different topic, I am fed up with some TV personalities these days. Don't get me started on Jon and Kate + eight. I am so disgusted with how all of that drama went down. No... the persons I would like to comment on are Heidi and Spencer. Better known as "Speidi" from the Hills and now from I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here. I could not have been more excited to see these two leave the show. I cannot stand their attitudes. And I think what makes it worse is that they threw Jesus up in the mix. Watch out now. When the going gets tough, the tough find Jesus? And get baptized by a BALDWIN brother in a river? Ok. I get you want some ratings, but don't make that sacred act something so trivial. So the two reformed souls act like fools and Heidi makes a big deal about wanting to be like Mother Teresa and prays with Patti Blagovich. Nice. Then she gets back to the states, and what does she do???? She poses for PLAYBOY. Yes, Jesus is so proud of you now! You have set the bar so high! You, my dear, may have a spectacular body, but come on... ooh. Totally fires me up!

I also want to tell you about a smoothie I made last night. I really should have taken pics of it. I cut up two mango's, two kiwis, added orange juice and ice and blended it. OMG. It was fabulous. If you have a problem with things being too textured, this is not for you, because the seeds in the kiwi give it a little crunch. I loved it... and was happy knowing how healthy it was for me and my little one!

Well, that about sums up my feelings for the day. I've got my swollen feet up. I'm feeling a baby roll around in my belly, and I am on my way to go swimming. I love summer, but honestly, I am missing teaching too. I love this time of year because it so rejuvenates me as a teacher. I have ideas brewing over for next years theme... "hopping around the world" and can't wait to take LC up to school and get busy decorating. Praying for a good class so Mom has an easy time doing my maternity leave!

Hopefully next time I write I'll be holding a sweet little baby in my arms! :)

~Nikki

I love Lucy

2009-06-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with this fat cheeked little wonder. Since seeing her yesterday, I have been so enamored with my belly. I can't believe something so wonderfully perfect could be growing inside me! Scott and I have slowly begun putting her room together and hours don't pass before I just walk in there and stand. I try to imagaine what my life is going to be like in 6 more weeks. How I know that everything I thought I knew about babies is going to change. How my nights and days will be confused and how I will never know love like I am going to know love then.
So we wait for the next 6 weeks, enjoying the time that it is just Nikki and Scott. And watching every kick and roll on my belly, thinking about that fat cheeked little wonder.

Love!

2009-05-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to a fabulous woman I am lucky to call my mother and my friend. Being a mother will be easier knowing you will be around to guide me. Lucy Clare will have the honor of you being her grandmother and experience all the joys I have experienced with having you as my mother. I love you!

A list of prayers

2009-05-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

I have a few prayer requests for you. I believe in the miracles of my Lord and I know He will prevail over any evil or pain. I also believe He does not give us things that we cannot handle and that He will walk us through any valley. I know these things because I believe in the Word and the promises I read. I also know that situations may not always have the outcome we want or like, but the growth we receive in our walk may be just the thing we need.
Please please please pray for these people!

1. Lilly--- Lilly is a former student of mine. She is 7 years old and an amazing kid. She drew the cover for my wedding program and helped pass them out at the wedding if you were there. She has been diagnosed with a rare disease called "histiocytosis" and it is a really scary illness for such a little kid. She is undergoing chemo once a week and it is taking a toll on her little body. Please pray that the chemo will work to keep the weird tumor-things off her body. A full recovery from this illness would be a true miracle.

2. Caroline---Caroline is a teacher friend of mine. She is one of my best friends and she is also pregnant with her 2nd child. She is having a girl too! She received news today that there is a possibility that her unborn child could have something called "trisomy 18". She is very worried and scared (as would anyone be) but she has hope in our Lord! She goes next week to Birmingham for further tests. Our prayer is that the tests were just wrong and that nothing is wrong with sweet Baby G!

3. Lisa--- Lisa is my cousin Brian's wife. We got to meet her when their family came to Grandma's funeral last month. She has become very ill and is the hospital. Her illness is called "cytomegalovirus." Please pray for a quick recovery and healing. She has a very adorable little girl to take care of!

4. Lyndsey---Lynz had her baby way too early. She was due to deliver on May 29ish and Sam decided to show up last month! He is doing great and growing well, but I still think Lynz needs prayer. She is also a teacher and has had to be gone from her kids during the craziest time of year. My prayer for her is that she finds a peace and a stillness in her crazy schedule with Sam and that God will give her the strength for her so tiny baby! You can read up on their blog at www.samuelgodhears.blogspot.com

God is good... all the time! Lift these people up whenever you think about it!

Homesick.

2009-04-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

I love Christian music. It moves me in the most prayerful way. It is my perfect prayer to my Jesus and Lord. I find scripture verses I have not heard before in music, my heart finds beats it has never made before and I love to imagine I am sitting at the throne of God pouring my song prayer to Him. This being said, when things are up, down, or normal in my life, I can always find some song to fit my life. I love to share them with others with the hope they will help them one day.

My Grandma went home to the Lord yesterday. It was expected, wanted, needed.... but still hurts. In my daily journal to Lucy Clare, I let her know that I was sad, but rejoicing! The earthly me is crying, but the heavenly side of me is well, jealous. I am not saying I want to die, but to meet my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer face to face would be the greatest honor. So, I find a song, something to get me through this and a way to speak to my God. Mercyme is an awesome Christian band and they have a great song that explains just this... "I've never been more homesick than now..." I search and wait for my heavenly home. This is the reason we are here, to make it to our real Home.

I hope my Grandma is enjoying her new Home. There are many that have been waiting patiently for her to get there. I try to imagine her new body and new mind. And I wonder if she got all those questions in when she got there!

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2009-03-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is a sweet video of Lola I found today while playing on the computer. Lola has been in doggy heaven for about 5 months, and the pain has gotten much easier, but I still miss her prissy self dearly. So to you Lolita Bonita Chiquita...

And try hard not to laugh at my voice. I guess that's my doggy voice, especially the "I don't want you nasty" that I repeat over and over at the end. I laughed so hard I cried! And the reason she is scooting on her belly is because I put a sock around her belly.

Top Five

2009-03-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

I have been mentally making a list of all the thing I love about being pregnant in my head for awhile. So here it is... my top five favorite things about being Prego.

5. Seeing other pregnant women on the street gives you a real reason to stare at their belly. First for a little moment of "whooo.... I'm glad I'm not that big" to "I wonder how far long she is." I do love this. It's my license to stare card. And she in return doesn't look at me like a stalker. She's probably thinking the same dang thing about me.

4. Stretchy pants. Good God. How have I lived my whole life not wearing stretchy pants? I can bend over without a button cutting into my navel. I can breath when I sit down (except on the days my undies roll down with the belly.) I just think these stretchy belly pants are a fab way to feel pretty!

3. My 20 pound weight loss. I know. I break the rules with this. But when that stick said "pregnant" I vowed to change my eating habits. I figured my baby needed to be smart (you know with a teacher mom and all) so I started eating fresh fruits and veggies. Now losing that glass of wine can't hurt either, and you won't see me eating nothing but good stuff, but I did change alot about how I ate. I still crave hot wings and strawberry milkshakes, but for the most part, I will take real strawberries over the milkshake any day.

2. The cutest dang clothes for her. I am glad I am teaching after school tutorial. That money has come in handy. I have done really well with just cheap stuff. And people that say"you will not want to spend on yourself anymore" don't know me. I buy for her, I buy for me. We both have to look good, right? Poor Scott.

1. And the last reason I like being prego... no, its not all the attention, or the free pass to be gassy, or the excuse to be really lazy, it's just the fact at how it has changed Scott and I already. Before, it wouldn't bother me to go out without him or spend time with my friends when he was home, but now... I look forward to the time we have by ourselves. I know it is going by fast, this time it is just Nikki and Scott, and I want to savor it all I can. I want Lucy Clare in the most loving environment. I want her to feel the love between the two of us.

So, this was no David Letterman countdown, but I do love being pregnant. I can't wait to hold sweet Lucy Clare in my arms for the first time. She is going to be one spoiled girl, just like her momma.

HONK!

2009-02-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

I was driving down the road the other day, as I do each day, when I was forced to use my horn. This happens on a daily occurrence. I love to use the horn. I feel the power when I use my horn. I really, really love to honk my horn. I could be blaring my Praise and Worship music, just loving the Lord, when bam.... some lovely person pulls out and I have to use my horn. You see, some of my family members do not believe in the "power of the horn" so when I am in the car with them, I am forced to do the reach over and honk for them. This really makes my husband mad. A lot. He usually slaps my arm away and now says, "Ugh. You are pregnant. That's probably not a good thing for you to do." This in turn causes me to give him a very valid argument. And everyone knows a pregnant woman is going to win her argument!

You are in charge of a massive amount of steel, iron, whatever a car is made of when you drive. Someone has said you are competent enough to get a license and drive on the road. This is a big responsibility. And if you are somewhat young, you were made to take driver's ed. (don't even get me started on people that need to go back to that course again!) So you know that driving is a big responsibility. Now, if you are not paying attention and you come over into my lane, or pull out in front of me, or try to back out on me, you are telling me that you don't care about your wonderful piece of steel you are driving or about your life. Which in turn, makes you not care about my life, or the life I am carrying, or the life of my family member. This is where you need to be told. This is where I HONK. I will honk for five minutes if it was serious enough for me to be scared. Then, oh forbid, we pull up next to each other. I will stare you down. Get a good look at me, fool. You.could.have.killed.me. Thank you. My mother swears I am going to put someone into road rage. "People have guns you know!" I just feel like driving is a pretty serious thing and I would rather not be hit by you if I can help it. And then, maybe the next time you are thinking of changing lanes without looking, you'll worry if the girl in the Black Pilot is gonna honk at you.

And I will apologize to my family for the reach over. I'm not going to stop doing it, but I love you!

Now... the four letter words I spew at you are for another post. Yes, I am guilty of that too. Usually when I am laying on the horn.

Finally, November

2008-11-06T15:14:00.000-08:00

A month of crying and a month of joy, all wrapped up into a package called October. The month started out joyous... The annulment finally came through with a YES and now Scott and I can be married in my home church and I can become "real" Catholic again! (JOY!) It's been a long, tedious, and very tiring journey, but faith in our Father is all I can say got me through it, along with all that have prayed so fervently for it!

Then it was my 29th birthday! Wow, I am getting old! We celebrated at the New House.. yes, that came in August/September, and my girlfriends from Gainseville came up for some festivities. (Joy!) Then sadness when I fell and tore my elbow up! (Cry!) It still hurts and for the first time in forever I was honestly embarrassed!
After my birthday, it was Fall Break (JOY!!) No school for an entire week. Scott and I went to Orlando while he worked and then had play time at Universal Studios. Here is where my eye becomes swollen shut and I get a nasty raunchy case of conjuctivitis! Only I would get this on vacation! (Cry!) It clears up by the time we leave, thank God!

I return home to a sick dog at mom's house. Lola and Frannie (my former chihuahuas that loved my parents too much to part with them so forever stayed when I moved on) were sick. The next morning I was up early (JOY! really, I never get up early) when Heather called to say Lola died in the night due to her sickness. (CRY.CRY.CRY.CRY.CRY.) Pretty much I think that is all we did. Still hurts, still crying, but going to get better.
Then the video grant I was writing for $25,000 did not make it in by the deadline. I am still bummed about this one, but, I didn't cry!

While this month will definitely go down in my history, I've learned lessons and become stronger. Isn't that what God is really using things in our life for? Because if I honestly said I didn't learn anything, I could not call myself a Christian. His plan always trumps mine.

Praise Him!

2008-07-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give a quick note and let everyone know that God is good! I met with Father Gallagher last week and he informed me that the first part of our annulment has finally gone through with a YES! Now, we hold our breath as it is sent to Louisiana. Once they give the yes, we can then have our blessing in the Catholic Church and I can begin receiving Communion again! I am very excited and blessed from all of your prayers. Please keep them coming! And while you are praying for us, could you pray also for a house for us? I told God I wasn't trying to be selfish, but I would really love to get out of this townhome! Thank you everyone and special big thanks to our God!

the picture above is from a church in St. Thomas. We visted it on our honeymoon. I spent a little time praying in there for our annulment!

Oh, Happy Day!

2008-06-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

It is now 17 days after the wedding, and I sure can tell you how sad I am! I adore being a new wife and I want to do everything right, but the void of no wedding planning sure has sunk in. I found my bridal book that I carried literally everywhere with me for almost 2 years and while it is breaking and pages are falling out, I could and would not throw it away! Planning a wedding had become my favorite thing to do and putting it all away is really very sad to me! I told Scott months ago that I would go through some sort of post-partum with not carrying around that book, not scouring magazines, not thinking and shopping and doing all that fun stuff. His response was a "Thank God!" You see, while I remember all the good and fun things that went into planning a wedding, he saw all the negative stressed out things it brought out in me. His biggest happiness was knowing he did not have to see that "filthy" bridal notebook again (yes, he's right, it is really dirty and so torn up!) But I had really forgotten all the stressful times of planning a wedding and I miss it so!
As for the wedding, not to toot my own horn, but dang, that was one awesome wedding! All that planning sure did come in handy. And the thing I loved about it was how close I became to the people that helped out the most. Mom and I have become much closer. I see pics of my dad beaming from ear to ear and get so excited. Watching Heather get so wrapped up in it all made it all worthwhile. I have an amazing support system in my family, and it was evident on my wedding day as you could just feel the love in the air.
I have so many memories of that day. My mom looking AMAZING, my dad walking me down the aisle, my bridal party being so supportive, John Kramer telling me how excited he was, partying until I couldn't stand up, Mrs. Debbie just being Mrs. Debbie and thankfully taking care of everything in the background, Bro. Tim leading a beautiful wedding, family and friends from far and near coming to celebrate the fact that true love is what matters most.
I am sad it is over, and I think the reason I am so sad is not because all the planning is over, but that all of those moments that were shared are now just memories. I wish I could lock them away and relive them everyday, but each day that passes I forget one more thing. I know that more memories will come and new challenges will lay before us, but that day was so magical, so full of life, so full of love. I didn't want it to end.
I don't know what more to say, as I sit here misty eyed, but I do know one thing. I love all of you. You who opened up your pocketbooks (aahh.... that one's for you mom and dad) who opened your hearts to the love that Scott and I share, you whose presence made the day so special. You are the one's who need to be thanked, you are the one's who God put in my life so my life will be better.
And with that... when can we party again? (In our play clothes this time?)

one month...four days

2008-05-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

All right... the home stretch is coming for the wedding and as each day passes, I get more and more stressed out! I didn't think I was stressing, but my stomach tells me otherwise! And those beautiful hivey things I get on my face when I am thinking about the wedding. Those are great, they look like mosquito bites that only last for about an hour. I know that I am also super stressed about buying a house. Things just aren't working our way on getting a home loan, and because I am so financially challenged, I have no idea what Scott is talking about, even when I try! I try to ask questions, but I feel I just frustrate him! Just say a little prayer that we make it through this!
On another note, I have always been a fan of pre-marriage counseling, but I am a super advocate for it now! We had our first session last week and in that hour we covered the major topics. I really thought Scott and I communicated, but boy, I was wrong! We were missing some major issues. I like going, because I can't cop out and walk away from the things that scare me the most. I really left that day with emotions running wild and more in love with Scott than ever! Don't get me wrong... it was such an emotional meeting, but I did really love every minute of it, even when it got very uncomfortable. Having the counselor there to mediate was great. He made the questions just flow and gave us lots of advice. I can't wait to go back next week!
I am very excited to be starting my life with Scott. I truly believe that this is who God created just for me. I look back at my crazy life and I'm sure as we all do, I wish that I had done different things (like have PERFECT credit and really paid attention in finance class!) but in the end, this man is going to accept me for all that I am, as I will accept his constant "huh?" when I ask him a question and his slow southern drawl when he tells a story!
As for now, I cannot believe the wedding is in one month and four days! It seems like just yesterday I was so upset I was waiting a year and half to get married! As sad as it is that I am not getting married in my home church, those who will be there with us are the ones who know how important Scott means to me. It is going to be a wonderful day! Now, if I can just figure out how to get rid of those hivey things!

Wedding hoop-la!

2008-04-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

It is very hard to believe that the wedding will take place in just a month and a half! I have been so happy these last few weeks externally, but internally I am so stressed! I love the way things have really been coming together. Last week mom and I went and got the invitations designed from local printing place. I promise they are not like anyone else's! I am hoping everyone will LOVE them as much as I do! I have also had my dress for a few weeks. It was as beautiful as I remembered it and it does look smashing on, if I do say so myself! Today Caroline and Emma and I went to Troy to get E's flower girl dress made and designed. Yet again, something you will just have to wait and see! E is going to look absolutely amazing and I hope she doesn't steal the show too much! There are only a few little details to take care of now. The boys need their tux's and I need some shoes!

Keep your eye out on April 27th in the Dothan Eagle as our engagement announcement will be in the paper! I am so excited about that one! Invitations will follow the paper announcement so start checking your mail that week!

I just wanted to really thank my parents on this blog. You guys have been so supportive and so willing to let me have exactly what I want. I know this is going to be the best day. I also appreciate you putting up with my indesciveness! I know I can't be easy to work with. I know I try to show my love, but I want to really thank you for all you have done and continue to do for me. I love the way you have opened up your hearts to my love of Scott and how you have welcomed him into our family. I feel like he just belongs now.

Mom, I have loved helping you find "That PERFECT dress" and I hope the most recent one is it. You looked gorgeous and I can't wait to have you help me get dressed that day. I have loved sharing this time with you. It has been so much fun! I thank you for understanding my quirky non-traditional ways! I also want to thank both you and dad for showing me what real love is all about. Not many kids can say that about their parents but I can. You two are a great example of a good marriage and what I can strive for with my relationship with Scott. I love you both!

You get it...

2008-03-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

So, one of my classroom children had one of those moments last week when she "just got it." I was going over a new standard of doubles and doubles plus one in math. I asked the kids what 6+6 was and without missing a beat, she said "12." Now, most of you are probably thinking that this is no big feat, but for this girl it is. She has been a struggler all year. Then, she procedes to go over the entire doubles family, just smiling away as she did it. I started to cry. She had it! It's one of those moments in the life of a teacher when you get so excited because holy moly... they ARE listening! I loved it. I say all this in movement into what this whole scenerio made me think of. So many times I get these "A-ha" moments with God. I really feel like God is like "duh Nikki, I have been trying to teach you this. I am so excited you finally got it!" If only I could have the faith of a child every day in every situation, my life would be so much easier. My classroom kids trust me whole-heartedly that I am going to teach them everything they need to know and even if I have already taught it before, they still listen like it's the first time, and learn something from it! Why can't I be like this?
I am reading a book called "Dangerous Wonder." It's all about finding your childlike faith. I was on the chapter about Wide-Eyed Listening and came across this quote. I absolutely loved it and wanted to share it with you. My prayer today is that we can all find God in our lives and love him with a childlike love.
"A four year old was overheard whispering into her newborn baby brother's ear, 'Baby,' she whispers, 'tell me what God sounds like. I am starting to forget.'"

Say Yes to the Dress?

2008-03-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a unproductive and lazy Sunday. The kind of days I really love! I honestly slept most of the day but I did lay on the couch and watch TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress." If you haven't seen this show, it profiles girls who are looking for a wedding dress. It takes place in New York City at Kleinfeld Bridal Shop, an amazing place with millions of wedding dresses. A girl could get lost in the taffeta, satin, and sparkles of that place. I absolutely love the show. But, as I was watching it, I started getting a little panicky. I could hardly remember what my dress looked like! It has been a few months since I have seen it and I started worrying that maybe I made the wrong decision with the dress I picked out! So I immediately pulled out my computer and went to the website my dress is on to take a breather and see it again! I was watching these girls pure crying over the dress when they put it on... and I just didn't have that experience! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my dress (why else would I have chosen it?) but I just got worried maybe I should have cried! Maybe I will cry when I see it again in April with the veil, and the shoes, and the tiara. Maybe I am just getting worried because the wedding is 3 months away and there is still so much to do! So, I titled this blog "Say Yes to the Dress?" because right now I am going crazy wondering if I said "yes" to the right dress!

Take it to Jesus

2008-03-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

I knelt on the cold carpeted floor of a hotel ballroom last night and met my Jesus face to face. He passed me as I prayed fervently for a peace and understanding. I lifted my hands to Him in utter still and awe. I needed comfort. I needed to hear His voice. I sang out to Him, telling Him that there is and was no one like Him. He took my broken, hurting heart and molded it. I remember looking up as the Archbishop brought the monstrance by my humbled body and thinking that this was an awesome experience that other religions just don't get. How amazing that we can truly believe without a shadow of a doubt that when Jesus said "this is My body" it really is just that. He did not say, "just pretend this is My body." He said "this IS my body, take and eat." Oh.. how I get chills just thinking that he was right in front of me last night! Jesus, the "lover of my soul," the "most Holy Lamb of God," and the "Great I Am" passed in front of me! I could truly understand how the woman in the new testament felt when she just wanted to touch his garmets to be healed. How I would have done the same thing just to be close to my Lord!
As the Eucharist passed my way, I stared directly at the blessed body of Christ. I cried out to Him my prayer that has become my anthem lately. "Please Lord, take our annullment. Bless it, burn into the hearts of the men in charge. I want badly to be married in my church."
I have been torn. Yes, I sit here with a complete love for my church, but a hurt for the things that must be done for me to get married. I know that it is acceptable for me to be angry and upset with the religion that has defined me since birth. I can love my religion but still be hurt. This process is draining. I hate looking for other churches to get married in. I want my church. I want the church that has meant so much to me. The church that I sat in for years dreaming about the dress, the priest, the man. While I could never see Scott's face, I thought of this day since I was old enough to see over the pew! And now, this might not come to pass and my heart is in a million pieces. Until today. I gave it. It is not mine. When Jesus walked by me last night, I threw it at Him. I pushed it and moved it right into His hands. What can I do with it?
I will continue to pray for this. But for now, it has moved into a world I do not understand with my earthly thoughts.
I will be married in my church. Jesus has taken it.