The Smith Family

Spring in January

2012-02-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

How is it possible that winter hasn't already happened in Erie this year? It's the first part of February...and it reminds me of last May. I'm confused.

I was geared up for winter this year. And, I mean GEARED UP :) Two new pairs of warm boots, a handful of new sweaters, homemade mittens for myself...even our "all weather" floor mat has been at our front door since November because last year, winter hit me like a brick in the face.

Last winter, I remember feeling like there was 2 feet of snow on the ground the majority of the time. I remember telling my Texas friends that it snows at least once a day, whether it accumulates or not.

This winter, much different. Cameron has only shoveled snow 3 times! Earlier this week, the last day of January, the high was 59 degrees! We were outside all day long! Not that I'm complaining. I could use a winter like this...Madilyn rode her tricycle (my old tricycle!) for over an hour! We took a nice long walk! And, we played at the park!!! Totally fantastic for the end of January!

But, it's still kind of wierd :) I feel like I had to go through major heart changes to be ready for another Pennsylvania winter, and now it's not here. It's crazy the things that can affect your mood/attitude.

I've grown up in TEXAS. Land of blue skies and wide open spaces...and crazy weather. One day, 16 degrees and a foot of snow...the next 3 days, 65 degrees and sunny skies. Seriously crazy, but WONDERFUL.

God has really taught me over our time here that I cannot let circumstances dictate my mood. I have to CHOOSE peace. I have to CHOOSE love. I have to CHOOSE joy. It's not always natural...but it can be supernatural, by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within me.

A verse that I've clung to lately has been:

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

It happened...

2012-01-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

And, just like that I'm "30." I have to admit that the night before my birthday (my last day in my 20's), I did shed a few tears. Life just seems to be flying by. The days are going much faster and I don't know that I'm exactly where I thought I would be at 30. I'm not sure where I really wanted to be at 30, but at an age like this, it makes you stop and reflect on your life...

Am I the person I want to be?

Have I done anything significant up to this point?

What's in line for the future?

Am I making healthy choices?

I mean, I'm probably close to 1/3 done with my life on earth. It really puts things into perspective. Life is so short. So, I am going at this year with a new plan. Usually, I make resolutions (in the spirit of New Years and my birthday), but this year it's this:

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious. Slow to anger, abounding in love." Psalm 103:8

I want to be more like God, more like Jesus, more like the Holy Spirit. More like them. More like HIM. I want to be slower to get angry and full of more love than ever before. Afterall, the world needs to see HIM, and at the end of my life, if I've shown HIM, then I've accomplished all that I was purposed to do.

I'm so thankful that:

" '...My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

With Christ, I can do all things. With Christ, even my weaknesses can be turned to strengths. I have a lot to look forward to in the coming years with HIM inside of me.

For my birthday, we played in the snow as a family, and I didn't have to cook or do any dishes...which is a HUGE blessing to me since we don't have a dishwasher! :) Sometimes, I feel like I've spent all day in the kitchen!

Then, last night, my MedWives Girls Group friends took me out for appetizers and desserts at a great little train station restaurant. So fun!

So far, 30 is looking pretty great!

The BIG 3-0

2012-01-13T17:32:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm turning 30 in two days. I know I don't look that old (wink, wink), but I really am about to cross over to the 30-something category. There are plenty of things that have happened in my life to bring me to this place, but some of these things have really surprised me:
1. I am okay with turning 30! I'm thankful to be alive!
2. I don't dress like a 19 year old anymore...and I'm happy about it.
3. I like who I am more now than I did when I was 15, 20, and 25.
4. I feel confident in (most of) my decisions.
5. I've learned what it is to live off of next to nothing.
6. I'm okay with my hand-me-down clothes and my bargain groceries.
7. I love being home with Madilyn (literally just being home).
8. I'd rather skip a hair cut if it means I can have a sit down dinner date with Cameron.
9. I should've paid more attention in history classes because that stuff really is important.
10. Home is where Cameron and Madilyn are...even if it's a 22 hour drive from all that is familiar.

I am happy to be turning 30. I love what God has done in my life. There has been so much He has brought me through, and there have been so many blessings along the way. He is a FAITHFUL friend and a loving, just God.

A song that has spoken volumes to me in the recent years is by Nichole Nordeman, called "I AM" and here are the lyrics:

Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn't always this tall
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed.
You watched my team win, and watched my team lose
Watched when my bicycle went down again
When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
And I said Elbow Healer, Superhero, come if you can
You said, I Am

Only sixteen, life is so mean
What kind of curfew is at 10 pm?
You saw my mistakes and watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I'd never love again
When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
And I said Heartache Healer, Secret Keeper, be my best friend
You said, I Am

You saw me wear white by pale candlelight
I said 'forever' to what lies ahead
Two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
Too much it might seem when it is 2 am.
When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name
Oh, Shepherd Savior, Pasture Maker, hold on to my hand
You said, I Am

The winds of change and circumstance
Blow in and all around us
So we find a foothold that's familiar
And bless the moments that we feel you nearer

When life had begun I was woven and spun
You let the angels dance around the throne
Who can say when, but they'll dance again
When I am free and finally headed home
I will be weak, unable to speak, still I will call You by name
Creator, Maker, Life Sustainer
Comforter, Healer, My Redeemer
Lord and King, Beginning and the End
I Am, I Am

Christmas in TEXAS!

2012-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas came and went...and a few weeks later, I still feel like I'm recovering from it. I know my laundry is still recovering anyway :) Madilyn got EXACTLY what she wanted...which was Squinkies...and thankfully those babies only cost $10, so Mom and Dad could provide this year. No disappointment here :)

We had such a nice time seeing family and a few friends while we were in town (though we would've loved to see lots more friends). Time literally flew by. It is nice to be back in Erie, PA but I seriously miss being close to family.

We have a lot of cute pics from the trip, so I'm just going to save some time explaining each one and just show them to you. I found a pretty sweet little editing site, so I was able to caption the pictures for your viewing enjoyment :) Go with me here...

We had a nice time seeing family in Amarillo and opening presents. Madilyn got SO MANY GIFTS that she literally had to stop and take a break in the middle of present opening. She is a very blessed, loved little lady.

Madilyn also took the time to enjoy a good story with Poppy. I'm pretty sure she told him the story because she kept interrupting while he was reading. After all, 3 year olds know pretty much everything :)

One night, while in Amarillo, we went over to Tyson and Jenny's (my brother's) home, and they made us some delicious, spicy potato soup and we played Scrabble. Madilyn loved getting to spend more time with them, and I'm pretty sure she talked their legs off. The girl loves a captive audience of those that adore her.

Cameron and I got to visit some of our favorite places while in Amarillo (i.e. Trinity Fellowship Church, Thai Arawan), and we had lots of great meals from various spots. My mom made my favorites (enchiladas), and we enjoyed mostly relaxing and taking it all in. One of the days there, we were able to drive to Dalhart (my hometown) and eat at LaEspanola and see my Gang Gang and Anna.

Madilyn got to read stories with Anna, and she almost fell asleep. I have vivid memories of always falling asleep at my grandparents houses...I think the combination of quietness, loads of love, and the fact that house is always warm makes it easy for any kid to relax. Hmmm...maybe I should take note of that :)

While in Amarillo, we were also able to visit the Discovery Center with my family, and Madilyn had such a wonderful time. We saw an IMAX movie about the weather and it had aliens (Ach-ew-onns, as Madilyn says). Her eyes were as big as they could be during the entire 20 minute movie :) They had lots of fun experiments and gadgets to play with. I'm pretty sure Cameron and I had as much fun as she did!

Next, we drove 4 1/2 hours to Abilene with Cameron's grandmother "Grandma Patsy." I wish I had gotten a picture of her this year, but somehow she didn't make it on my camera...but she was there, and we enjoyed the car ride with her! She told Cameron to drive 55 so he could save gas. She said it only took an extra 45 minutes to get there. Cameron told her that 45 minutes could be life or death when it's concerning a car ride with a 3 year old. He drove 70. We still got great gas mileage. She said we must've had a tail wind. I said thank you to Cameron because another 45 minutes would've done us in! :)

While in Abilene, we visited the zoo. Weird, but we actually get in free with our Erie Zoo Membership. They're in the same network...so we enjoyed it quickly because it was FREEZING COLD that day...like literally not above freezing. I think we must've brought the cold to Texas when we came. When we left it warmed up again. Ugh. Oh well.

We had nice family time with the Smith side of the family. Aunt Melissa played the guitar and she even took the requests of the 3 year old of the house. Madilyn enjoyed getting to know Uncle Colin and Aunt Melissa even more this year! She got a book from them, and when we got home, she was reading it and said, "Mommy, they love me. Colin and Melissa love me." Very sweet.

She even let Uncle Colin take a picture with her, which doesn't happen very often.

And, Madilyn got to decorate cookies with Papa and eat all the frosting she wanted. She loved being in control of the decorations, and she did a great job telling Papa what to do. She didn't want to decorate. She wanted to eat frosting and tell Papa how to decorate. So, of course, that's exactly what happened :)

What an exhausting, exciting and fun trip! We came, we saw, we conquered, and now we sleep...and sleep...and do laundry...and sleep :) Blessings on 2012 to all of you friends and family! Much love from the Erie, PA SMITHS!

Giving Thanks

2011-12-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving came and went without a hitch this year. No extra cleaning for company since we didn't have any. No getting up early to get showers (we stayed in our pj's almost all day!). No baking 4 pies or taking Madilyn to the E.R. the night before for ear infections (that was what happened LAST year!). No, this year was pretty much amazing.

While we were sad to not be with family this year (I got a little teary at times),we went to our friend's house for a dinner on the evening of Thanksgiving. They made the turkey, we all brought the sides (there were 7 couples total and 5 kids!). It was so nice to taste other people's traditional Thanksgiving recipes since we are all from different parts of the U.S., and I came away with an AMAZING Crockpot Spinach recipe. OMGoodness. This will probably make an appearance at our Christmas table this year (thanks, Corinne!).

We enjoyed our family time so much! We ended up watching movies in our pj's, hitting up the park and the zoo and even shopping at Walmart together (which never happens, and it's kind-of my love language, I think! haha)

While at the park, Madilyn made friends with two little girls from New Jersey named Zoey (4) and Sarah (5). When we were all leaving the park that day (because it was getting dark), Sarah pulled out her very own Lego digital camera and started snapping pictures of Madilyn. Then, she rubbed her head and said, "I will look at these pictures of you everyday so I never forget you." It was absolutely precious. So, here is a picture of Sarah taking the pictures of Zoey and Madilyn.

After Cameron had to start studying again (as all good things must come to an end), Madilyn and I decided to visit our beloved zoo one last time. It was super cold and rainy, but like I said earlier, if it's above freezing, we're going outside, so we went. And, I'm so glad we did because it closed today until the first of March because the snowy weather should be here soon.

I am so thankful that God brought us to Erie, PA. He's provided great friends for us, great neighbors, and a wonderful church to call home. It's not anything like Amarillo, but I'm guessing it never will be. It's Erie, and it's a fun place to add to this adventure we call LIFE. Since being here, I've learned that I love hummus, whoopie pies, pepperoni rolls and that I can actually survive with eating delicious Mexican food at least every other day (although I miss Mexican food terribly!). God has provided for us. He has made a way. He has settled in this momma's heart that everything is alright. He is more than faithful. He is more than good. He is more than a loving Father. He is my everything.

Our little Copycat :)

2011-10-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, we were sitting enjoying a family meal around the dinner table and chatting about life. (Let me preface this by saying that I ripped a hole in my favorite pair of jeans...SAD!) Anyway, so I was telling Cameron about the jeans I was wearing and how I didn't like them very much. They're stretchy and a little big and they're kinda like Pajama Jeans...even though I got them at Target. I've never worn Pajama Jeans, but this is what I imagine they're like. Super comfy and stretchy, but probably not that cute :) (No offense if you wear them and like them!)

So, I say, "Cameron, I H-A-T-E my pajama jeans." Madilyn chimes in, "Mommy, I A-C-D-H my shirt." Needless to say, it got a great laugh from all of us, and then she proceeded to say it 30 times more because she knew it was funny.

Oh be careful (my) little mouth what you say! :)

Port Farms with MOPS :)

2011-10-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

We finally got to visit Port Farms and see what all the fuss was about. All of my friends have been to Port Farms more than once, but we'd never had the chance to go. Thankfully, my MOPS friends wanted to make it an outing...so we went. And, Madilyn is still asking to go back (even though we can't, 'cause the weather is too yucky and it closes in a few days anyway). Next year. Definitely next year.
Here are some fun snapshots of the kids enjoying their day.
This first one is of Madilyn, waiting in the parking lot...wondering what all this pumpkin farm business is about...

Here are Caleb, Madilyn and Asher...they loved looking at all the pumpkins.

And making silly faces. But what kid doesn't love a good silly face picture?

Then there were the slides. There are little slides and big slides down the sides of a hill. Madilyn was scared to go on them, but after we tried a few times, she went down the big one all by herself. She's conquering her fears and having fun. I love it! :)

Mommies can have fun on the slides, too.

There were goats and chickens and bunnies that they kids could feed.

But Madilyn liked the fake cows the best of all.

Corn was another highlight of the outing. There was a cornfield, and there was a big corn box, full of dried corn that the kids could play in.

All in all, such a fun day! Can't you tell by the happy passenger on the Fun Bus?

We will definitely be going a few times next Fall. And, we're taking Daddy with us next time! :)

Fall Fun Day!

2011-10-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today was Fall Fun Day at our church. We have never been, so Madilyn and I weren't sure what to expect...but it was FUN!!!

This morning was very cold, windy and rainy, and it would've been the perfect day for me to stay in, but I had signed up to bring 3 dozen cookies to the event...or else I probably would've just stayed home. But I guess I'm learning that if you live in Erie, you go to stuff no matter how bad the weather is because you have no idea when it's going to get better. Can't stay home forever! I'm so glad we went, though, because we had a blast!

Madilyn painted a pumpkin which is still drying as I type this, 8 hours after it was painted. The kid loves to paint! She really knows how to apply it thick, too :) She picked the pumpkin that had all the pimples on it...I guess she knew it needed some love.

Next, we went to face painting. At first, I asked her if she wanted to get her face painted. She replied, "Yes, I want to paint my face. My do it!" But, after I convinced her that those paints were not hers, she still wanted the sweet lady to paint her face. I have never seen Madilyn sit as still as she did today. And, the "Fy-fwy" (butterfly) turned out just great!

Then we headed over to the food. They served meatball subs, chips and cookies with lemonade to drink. There were crayons and color pages for the kids to work on while they ate. I ate the sandwich and Madilyn ate all of the side items while she colored a masterpiece. We make a pretty good team! ;)

Lastly, we stopped by Candy Bar BINGO before we left the event. I wasn't sure how she would do at this since she doesn't quite get the concept of letters with rows of numbers, but she surprised me and loved it! We didn't win the first round, but we played another round and Madilyn got a BINGO! She got to pick a full-size candy bar...and she picked a Hershey Bar with Almonds. The girl's got good taste.

She ate the majority of the candy bar on the way home (hey, I had to sneak a couple of bites) and then she started in on my Reese's Pieces (I got the consolation mini-size candy bar since I didn't get a BINGO). This was such a treat since we don't give her candy very often at all, and if we do, it's in tiny amounts :) I'm pretty sure she's going to dream about chocolate tonight!

The Body of Christ

2011-10-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Just to give y'all an update, I've started serving again in Children's Ministry at church!!! And, I still LOVE IT! :)

It's been since before Madilyn was born that I was ministering to kids at church, and I thought that maybe my heart had shifted or something...but as soon as I started serving again I realized once again, "I was meant to do this!"

I received some great advice from Pastor Valerie (a sweet friend and mentor) who said, "Ashley, part of the reason you still feel far from home is that you're not being used in your giftings." You see, God made each of us with something to give. We all have our own unique talents and giftings that He's placed inside of us. We are all a part of the "Body of Christ." And, when each part is functioning at full-capacity, we give so much to others and we totally reflect the way that God intended His church to be to a lost and dying world. I always like to think, "If the ankle doesn't show up and do it's part, the toes can't do theirs because the toes aren't connected without the ankle." (And, in a wierd but true way, if you are the ankle, you'd better get to the spot God has for you...the toes are waiting! :) haha)

"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts with one body, and we all belong to each other. In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you." Romans 12:4-6

It's amazing to me how much more "at home" I feel, even being thousands of miles from my friends, family and all that is familiar. God has given me the ability to reach kids, and I have a passion to see children saved and ministering to other kids with all the power of the Holy Spirit who is inside of them! But, I realize that this is because God put that desire inside of me.

What has God put in you? Use your talents for the glory of God and find yourself "at home," even if you're far away.

"For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are." Romans 8:19

Be who you are in Christ! The world needs you. And, creation is waiting...

Erie County Farms

2011-10-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I have decided to start updating my family and friends on a few little special things about living in Erie, since most people won't be able to come visit while we are here. A major part of our lives in Erie is being thrifty or frugal...mostly because we are living off of student loans :) A great place we've found is called Erie County Farms, thanks to my sweet friend Megan.

Now, I know what you're thinking. It's what I was thinking, too, when I heard the name for the first time, but it's not a farmers market. It's actually inside an old grocery store...like an old Walmart or something. But the deals that come along with this crazy place are AMAZING! We go and get super fresh produce and meat in bulk packages! :) Who doesn't love a ton of meat?

I love Erie County Farms days because our freezer and our refrigerator are stocked FULL. And, there's something about having a full refrigerator and freezer that makes this mommy feel super blessed and provided for. (Thanks be to God for all of His provision!) Seriously, there is some good food at ECF. How good? So good that my 10 lb. bag of potatoes goes all month without sprouting and going bad. So good that my large bag of spinach is still crispy and fresh for 4 weeks...I rarely ever throw away produce from ECF. It's super fresh and delicious! Yummy!

Some of the deals we've found are:

10 lb. bag potatoes for $1.99.

3 lb. bag of onions .99

coffee creamer .99

big bag of baby carrots .99

hamburger meat $1.79 lb.

boneless skinless chicken breasts $1.19 lb.

Madilyn calls it "County Farm" and she wants to go there all of the time...probably because I give her "dum dums" because I want her to sit quietly while I navigate through the madness. It is literally basket-to-basket lines of people pushing and shoving through the aisles to get the best deals.

If you ever come and want to go, let me know. I only have the patience to go once a month...but I'll do it for you if you want to :)

Sunny Days

2011-10-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

We have had the most gorgeous weather lately! It's been in the mid to upper 70's and lots of sunshine, and we are living it up!

We have had lots of zoo time and park time! Speaking of parks, we discovered such a beautiful park on the edge of town. It's called Picnicana Park, and it's in the Summit Township. It had beautiful trees, lots of fun playground equipment and even a little hill to hike down to a stream. It is absolutely gorgeous! We actually went there two days in a row because Madilyn said, "Mommy, that was my most favorite park in the whole world!" What mother wouldn't give in to that? :)

The first day we went with Pierce and Autumn and some other friends.

The next day we went to Picnicana with Olivia. The girls had fun throwing rocks into the stream. Pennsylvania has beautiful trees and I am continually amazed at all of God's creation. Colossians 1:17 "HE existed before anything else, and HE holds all creation together."

Also, our zoo time included Cameron today! It's his birthday, and we have enjoyed a nice family day together!

We even got to ride the train!

Madilyn rode the carousel and named her horse "Salty." She pet Salty and talked to him the whole time...very sweet.

Fall is such a fun time of year in Pennsylvania. I feel like we're finally getting adjusted to living here :)

Already October???

2011-10-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Man, time flies! I can't believe it's already the first day of October...and boy did it feel like it! Today was COLD with drizzly rain and wind. Yuck. The perfect day for another indoor activity. Thankfully, Stephanie called and invited us to go to the FREE kid's workshop at Home Depot. Apparently they offer these once or twice a month. The kids get a cute little orange apron with a new pin to put on their apron (they collect a new pin to add to their apron each time they attend). Today we got to make a rescue helicopter. Madilyn keeps calling it an airplane...but whatever. Close enough, right? :) So, we hammered, glued and put stickers on our helicopter.

Then, after we finished, the kids had refreshments. Gotta refuel after hard manual labor like building helicopters. I love these faces...patiently waiting for the yummy food! There were cookies and popcorn, but guess what they went for...

Popcorn!!! I think they loved their popcorn and lemonade just as much as they loved using hammers and glue. What do you think?

P.S. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it even more than Madilyn. I can't get over how CUTE she looks in that apron!

Seasons Are a Changin'...

2011-09-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

Well, as Autumn is upon us, we are finding all of our jackets and jeans and dusting them off so we can get outdoors. Something we've learning living in Erie, PA is that you don't stay inside if it's above 32 degrees outside. You just don't. Because there are plenty of days that will be BELOW freezing that we'll get lots of indoor activities in.

Madilyn found out what a tire swing is, thanks to her great friends Pierce and Autumn. This was definitely the high-light of that playdate! :)

Fall fun at the Erie Zoo! Madilyn loves to look in the "barn" and see the chickens inside!

In contradiction to everything I just said, we went to the Children's Museum this morning. My mom bought us a pass (thanks, Mom!) this year so we can go as often as we like. Normally this would be saved for a snowy day, but today was chilly, rainy and windy so we decided to pull out an indoor activity :)

Madilyn gives a fabulous puppet show.

She loves the grocery store, and she tells all the kids "Thank you for coming," when she is the cashier.

The princess found her castle.

Here the face painting station. She LOVES it! I think she loves it so much because she sees me doing makeup in the mornings. She's very creative!

But her all time favorite station at the Erie Children's Museum is the boats and ducks in the water. She can literally play in it for an hour. Loves it.

There are many more adventures for us this Fall as we change seasons and prepare for the Winter ahead. More pics soon...I promise! :)

Being Green and Saving Money!

2011-09-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well, as those of you who know me already know, I'm not totally into "being green." I see the benefits of being responsible and good stewards of what God has given us, but I'm not overboard...but I DO LIKE SAVING MONEY!!! :)

This morning, we had a playdate at the park...

So, I skipped driving to the gym for a workout. Instead, I grabbed the stroller, my grocery list, a letter to mail, and a prescription to drop off and headed out for our playdate at the park. Whew! Honestly, though...it felt good to not spend extra gas on all of those things... and I got my workout in for the day! Yay! So we jogged 1.6 miles to the park to play and then walked to Walgreens, the post office and the grocery store before heading home (thankfully, they're within a few blocks of each other).

Madilyn brought Kitty of course. She had so much fun playing in the big tree tunnel with Olivia!

And, the swings were the hit of the day! Madilyn thought Kitty needed to swing, too. All in all, such a fun morning... and very productive! :)

Our big 3 year old!

2011-09-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, Madilyn is officially 3 years old!!! I absolutely cannot believe it, and I have cried a few times in the last couple of days because she's just growing up so fast! Three years old just seems so "kid-ish". She's not a baby and not even a toddler. She's a "pre-schooler." I'm so proud of her and the little lady she's becoming.

Some things I really love about this stage: She's learning to be a good friend. I see moments where she's starting to reach out to others when they're sad or if they don't want to play what she's playing. Granted, she's not perfect (as none of us are!), but she's such an amazing little girl. I'm overwhelmed by the destiny that God has planted in her little heart and the good things that are in her future! There is absolutely no better job than being a mom in my book (Hands Down!). What an honor!

She's really funny! Madilyn is starting to crack jokes and play with us like never before... and she's got a great sense of humor. And her laugher and her smile... they melt hearts (even in the grocery store we get stopped sometimes because people just love her little voice and the cuteness of the sparkle in her eyes and her smile, Oh her smile!). On a side note, a couple of days ago, I asked her what her favorite part of the day was. She said, "Playing with you, Mommy. That was my favorite!" Oh... melted me like butter.

She's got a sweet heart. She's tender. She's kind. She's loving... and she's starting to grasp the beginning of who God is and His plan for her. Oh, this excites me most of all! She has memorized her first memory verse: Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth." She's really good at saying it and telling us about all the things God has made that are around us.

She's three, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds for her and for us! Madilyn's name means "prayerful" and "magnificent", and that's truly just the beginning of who she is. She's amazing, she's incredible, and I'm grateful for all the time we spend together! Wouldn't trade it for the world!

We took Madilyn to Build-A-Bear for her birthday, and she loved it! She picked out her "Madilyn Kitty" and got after it!

They told her to hold onto the kitty's heart, put it against her own heart and close her eyes and make a wish! She was VERY into it. :)

She got to give Kitty a bath before picking out her clothes.

Kitty ended up getting Sketchers Twinkle Toes shoes, just like Madilyn has.

She gave up her paci on her 3rd birthday in exchange for her new kitty. And, she did great and slept all night! As I type, she's sleeping without a paci, holding Kitty and taking a nap! She's getting the hang of growing up quite well, I think! :)

Fun with friends

2011-08-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

How hard is it to get toddlers to all look and smile at the same time? (And, I'm not sure why this is underlined, but I don't know how to fix it.)We went to Frontier Park the other day because it has a fun playground... but we ended up finding that there's a really cool path around the park. Here are some pictures of our adventure.

A fun stream to throw rocks in!

Madilyn with the Read's on the bridge

And, on a completely different occassion:here is our friend Megan. She is moving to Washington State in a few days to begin a professor's job, and we will miss her lots... we made cookies at her house today! Madilyn really loves Megan and thinks she's pretty much the coolest.

Hello and Goodbye

2011-08-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

These seem to be the two phrases most used during this present season of our lives. We are constantly meeting new people, explaining to them what we thought about a PA winter, and telling them how long we'll be here. Or... we are sending off our new friends to the next season of their lives while we stay here in Erie.

I have made 6 great friends over the last year we've lived here. Four of them no longer live here. So, I'm down to 2 girls that I'm close to. Thankfully, their kids are Madilyn's best friends...so it all works out.

It's such a strange season. It's not even close to being as hard as an Army wife would have it ...I know there are couples out there that have it much tougher than we do. But, at the same time, it's hard. It's hard not seeing my husband every evening and getting to hang out on the weekends. It's hard surfacely meeting hundreds of new people but not feeling like any of them really know you or what you're about. It's hard saying goodbye to the closest friends you've had in a year and wondering if you'll meet anyone that's as nice as them to tide you over for the next 3 years until you move again. It's hard.

There are days that are quite lonely during this season of our lives. There are some days that seem like they'll never end. But, there are also days that fly by so quickly that I feel like I didn't get anything out of the day like I wish I had (more hugs from Madilyn, more smiles from Cameron, more coffee with my girlfriends, etc.).

Today, the scripture that really hits home is:

"This is My command-- Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

When I feel lonely--He's there. When I feel discouraged--He's there. When I feel like no one knows me--He's there. When I feel I've messed up as a mommy-- He's there. When I feel like I've failed again--He's there. And, HE IS REALLY ALL I NEED :)

I'm so glad to have Jesus in my life!

Grammy's In Town!

2011-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well, Grammy came to visit this past week, and let me tell you... we had a lot of fun! So much fun, in fact, that I was completely worn out! My mom helped me get my sewing machine going, and we made a plethora of new things including but not limited to: curtains for Madilyn's playhouse, Madilyn a dress, a matching hair bow, hemmed up 5 pairs of pants and more!

Besides sewing, we traveled around Erie and did a lot of the fun things that Erie's known for in the summertime. I'm exhausted just thinking about it! :)

We started off the weekend by eating at Steak and Shake. Yummy!

Then, we visited Waldameer, which is an amusement park and water park. This was Madilyn's first time to ride amusement park rides! She absolutely loved them, and her favorite one was the one that took her up 10 feet in the air and spun around. I was seriously trying to not have a heart attack! She's so adventurous and brave! :)

We also visited the Erie Zoo, which Madilyn thinks is her 2nd home! And we got to go to the children's museum and the beach. It was a lot of fun, and many great memories were made.

In Everything Give Thanks...

2011-06-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

When Madilyn and I visited the zoo yesterday, she asked to ride the carousel. This is her favorite thing right now! She even prefers it over the train ...so we got on the carousel. We were the first in line, so Madilyn got to pick her favorite animal to ride on--the brown horse. As we were patiently waiting for everyone to pick their spots, I decided to take the moment to affirm Madilyn. I said, "Madilyn, God has a great plan for your life...do you know that?" She quickly put her hand in my face and said, "Hold on Mommy. Dear God, thank You for the carousel! AMEN!," and she screamed the "amen" at the top of her lungs! Precious! This is the first time she's prayed on her own about something that we haven't prompted her to. Makes a mommy so proud!

As she gave thanks, it reminded me of something. God's Word says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17

He is beyond faithful, and He gives good gifts to His children. Take time today to notice the good things, and give thanks to Him!

Friends and Sandboxes

2011-06-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Isn't that what life's all about? Friends and sandboxes? Madilyn is having a blast this summer in Erie! It's the most gorgeous place to be during the warm months... and I remember why I loved it so much when we first moved here. Each day, we wake up and decide if we want to visit the zoo, the beach or play in our enormous back yard (well, enormous on our scale anyway!).

Madilyn's favorite thing right now at the zoo is the sandbox. She and Olivia had a great time playing this week, and there were a few tears shed when it was time to pack up and go.

Another fun exhibit was the petting zoo! This is the first time we've seen brushes there to brush the animals, so Madilyn found an unsuspecting goat and went after it. Notice she's brushing the hind quarters ...right after I took this picture, the goat gave a good kick! :)

I'm telling you ...if you ever want to visit Erie, go to Niagara Falls, eat the original Buffalo wings and see a Great Lake, come during the summer time!

Speaking of friends, one of Madilyn's favorite people here is my friend Sarah Brennan. She and her husband are moving to Pittsburgh next week for him to do rotations, but Madilyn just LOVES Sarah! At first, she called her "syrup" because she couldn't say Sarah. But, now she says her name just fine-- and very often! I am pretty sure she thinks Sarah is her best friend. We are going to miss the Brennan's so much! Sarah is such a fun friend ...but you can usually find us at Starbucks chatting it up after Madilyn goes to bed. It's so nice to have friends that understand the season of life we're in. I know that God has great things in the Brennan's future! We are so glad to have gotten to know them here and look forward to visiting them in Pittsburgh from time to time (only 2 hours away!).

It's Still There...

2011-06-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

The beach, that is. It's still there. I kinda wondered if I would ever see it again after all the winter we had this year. I didn't go out there during the snow. I didn't really want to see my beautiful beach/lake frozen and iced over. I guess it was part of my denial that really the whole place was the tundra for month after month.

But, rest assured. It's back! We love going to Presque Isle ("almost an island" in French) and enjoying the beach. Yesterday, we even visited a new restaurant that is located by the beach... Sara's! Let me tell you ...I haven't had any onion rings since we've moved, but that was remedied yesterday. Yummy. We had footlong hotdogs, homemade onion rings and french fries. And a Cherry Coke to drink. So delicious!

I love our beach. I love Lake Erie. I love living in Erie, PA in the summertime. It seriously feels like I'm on a really long vacation. So, we'll soak it up all we can and enjoy the warmth until the snow comes again.

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

The Proof is in the Pudding... or the Lettuce!

2011-06-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Just had to mark this day down in history. Madilyn ate salad. At Olive Garden. She liked it. She ate lettuce and croutons. This makes a happy mommy. I bet her tummy is trying to figure out what to do with lettuce since it's never had the priviledge of digesting it before. But, it will again. Oh, it will again. She loved it!

Life in General...

2011-05-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Life in General...

People always ask me what's going on new in our lives and how we're doing, since to most of our friends we've turned into people who are pictures on facebook and voices on the phone... we haven't seen most of our friends in months or even years! :(

Well, here is an update:

In General, we spend as much time together as we can as a family. We realize that this time in our lives will be over in a jiffy and we'll be in the 'real' world... where Cameron has a demanding job and Madilyn is grown up and into new things...and who knows about me? Teaching? Having another baby? The jury is still out on me :)

In General, Cameron is doing great in school. He's making excellent grades, and it is more than obvious that we heard God by him coming to med school. This was not on our agenda, but most definitely was God's divine plan. Cameron is excelling in ways we could have only dreamed. I am SO SO SO proud of him. He will be a great doctor one day.

In General, Madilyn is a fun, sassy 2 1/2 year old! She thinks she knows EVERYTHING, and she is not afraid to express her opinion on every matter including but not limited to: when Cameron and I are talking and she wants us to be quiet, when we are listening to music in the car and it's too quiet/too loud, when she wants the sunroof or windows open while we drive--even when it's raining. She is my little buddy. She is my assistant in the kitchen. She helps me set the table, do dishes and fold and put away laundry. She serenades me with BINGO and Isty Bitsy Spider while I shop through Walmart. She loves her three friends--Pierce, Autumn & Olivia-- with everything she has. French fries and ketchup are her food of choice...and she has a great day if we eat at Moe's or Steak and Shake. She reminds me how fun it is to play in the Bah-raht (back yard!). She has kept me company though what could've been the loneliest time in my life and just the smell or her hair brings immediate joy to my soul. She is such a blessing.

I'm reminded of how Cameron and I were 'surprised' when we found out I was preganant. Totally unexpected...but what a blessing God's perfect timing is! She has made this season of our lives so sweet.

Okay, back to topic :)

In General, Cameron and I find creative ways to have dates. We have two sets of friends here that we trade babysitting with once a month...so two weekends out of the month, we get dates where we get to go out someplace fun. Other than that, it's Netflix, board games, and blizzards from DQ. But, I tell you what...I wouldn't change a thing right now. I love our simple lives.

In General, I am doing well. Mind you, I've been procrastinating painting our house for months...and slowly it's getting done. I keep myself pretty busy while Madilyn is asleep with friends--making crafts or getting coffee or watching girly movies.

In General, we are good. We are amazed continually by the faithfulness of our God! Just last week, as I was laying M down for a nap, I was flooded with the thoughts of how blessed we are...to be healthy, to be safe, to be provided for. As if salvation wasn't enough...

In General, God blesses us more than we deserve. He has gone above and beyond...and He continues to each moment we live. Every moment, every sunrise, every singing bird, every light breeze, every smile, every kiss, every friendship, every moment we have to show His love...

In General, we have more than we could ask, think or imagine!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

The Zoo Parade!

2011-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been forever since I've updated. I've decided to try and do an updated blog post once a month... just so everyone can see what we've been up to.

Cameron is finally finished with his first year of med school! Can I get an AMEN? :) He is enjoying being out for a few weeks, and we've been soaking up every minute with him!

Lately, Madilyn has really been showing a preference for her daddy, which I just love. It's so precious to see the special love that a father and daughter can share for each other... unlike any other love. Very sweet! Everything has been, "I wanna hold Daddy's hand." "Mommy, you stay there. I wanna go with Daddy." "No, Mommy. It's Daddy's turn to get me outta my carseat!"

This morning we went to the Zoo Parade, thanks to my friend Allison who let me in on this info. I thought it would be lots of animals parading, but it wasn't. It was mostly the Shriners Temple guys riding around on all of their toys that make REALLY LOUD noises mixed in with a few animals. Nevertheless, Madilyn got some candy and waved at everyone who went by. The tootsie rolls were her favorite! She loved it! After she woke up from her nap this afternoon, she said, "Mommy, can we go to my parade now?"

Life is so blessed living with my sweet little family. I feel so honored and loved by God to have such an amazing husband and a precious little daughter. I just feel like taking a deep breath and saying, "Ahhhhhhhhh..."

Take time today to remember the blessings in your life...(another one of my blessings today was abundant sunshine!). God is faithful. His Word is true. He is LOVE and He loves you!

Shoot! :)

2010-05-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I try to watch my language... as a Christian woman and as a mommy. There are times, however, that I'll stub my toe on the endless blocks or kitchen toys that are strung throughout the house (even though I pick them all up about 5 times a day!).
When I do trip or get hurt, I sometimes say, "Shoot!" Well, I think I really must say it a LOT because now my precious 20 month old is saying it! Her version is, "Shoooooo!" and she says it a lot more than I ever did!
It's doesn't sound cute coming from a little girl, so I'm trying to say, "Uh oh" when I encounter a situation that I can add it to our conversations... maybe she'll catch on to that instead??? :/
As a mommy, it's so important to remember what an example we are to our precious babies. God has entrusted us as stewards of them, and they're only in our care for 18 years. (I only have about 16 years left with this one!)
I encourage all of you mommies, be the kind of mommy you want to be today. There are always things we can worry about or busy ourselves with each day. If you've been discouraged and feeling like a bad parent, take some time today to do something that's fun with your kiddo... go to the park, build towers with blocks, make a spring picture with finger painting (those little finger prints would make great flower petals), etc. Have fun. These days go by fast and before we know it, our babies will be all grown up.
"So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34
Have a fun day with your precious blessings!

Update and Mommy Time-Out

2010-04-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been over a year since I last blogged. Here's some updates in our home:

1. Madilyn is now 19 months old...which explains why I haven't had lots of extra time to blog. :) She's the most precious little thing EVER. As I type, she's naming all of her body parts to me that she knows...hands, belly button, arms, eyes, nose, ears, knees, feet, etc.

2. We are in the process of moving to Erie, PA, which in and of itself is a HUGE deal! It just hit me yesterday, when we got a contract on our home, that it was actually happening... and in 8 weeks, we are set to "close." Therefore, eight more times for me to go to church. Eight more weeks of me packing lunches for Cameron to eat at the hospital. Eight more times of doing our weekly cleaning job. Eight more weeks of Comedy Wednesday on ABC in our home. Eight more times of clipping Madilyn's fingernails in her little bedroom. Kinda sad! :( Although very exciting too. I'm really going to miss our home here... it's small and kinda ugly (a rent house with plain white walls), but there are so many memories here (i.e. Telling Cameron I'm pregnant, giving Madilyn her first bath, grading papers on the living room floor, learning to cook with Madilyn in her little sling, painting and decorating a nursery, making cupcakes and finding out Cameron got an interview for medical school, etc.). I'm feeling a teeny-bit sentimental. Okay, maybe WAY sentimental! :)

3. I am starting to learn to sew. Well, I actually haven't even sewed anything yet, but I did get my sewing machine threaded, thanks to my favorite sis-in-law, Jenny! :) I'm so excited to learn, and I have lots of thoughts in my head... hoping they turn out as cute when I make them for real!

4. God has been showing me a lot about having a "Mommy Time-Out." I feel like many times I'm not the person I want to be in situations... for example, when Madilyn disobeys, I don't always respond the way I want to. When things don't look like I think they should, I get discouraged. The Lord reminded me that being a stay-at-home mommy is my ministry. Just like when I worked at the church on staff, I would never go to preach to kids without spending time in the Word each day... that would be CRAZY! In the same way, I've gotta get filled up for the ministry of my home. When you've gotten your baby all bathed and spent time to even dry her hair with a round brush where it's smooth and beautiful, all the laundry is done and put away (which sometimes is a rarity in itself) and then your sweet baby girls pukes all over her carseat, the living room carpet, and her clothes... it's easy to feel discouraged. (If you can't tell, this has happened to me a few times! ha!) But, when I draw from God's grace and mercy, it's all do-able. It's all okay. It's all just a little bump in the road. I've gotta get a storehouse set up of His grace and mercy each day or else I'm drawing from my own strength...and let me tell you ...I'm not very nice without Him. :) He makes me able to love. I am because HE IS.

So, to all you momma's out there. Hang in there. It's okay to have a Mommy Time-Out. You deserve it. You need it. Spend a little time on yourself so you can be better for those around you.

Take time to smell the roses, or just laugh!

2009-04-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

Well, to start off, the other day we were at my parent's house, and we decided to get my baby book out to see when I got teeth...the dr. told us Madilyn would probably get teeth around the same time Cameron and I did. Turns out, we were both "late" teethers. Anyway, we found this picture of me (I was one), and it reminded me a little bit of Madilyn. She is only 7 months old, but still... What do YOU think?

The "roses" in my life are sometimes not real roses at all. They're figurative roses...go with me...the sweetest-smelling moments that I have experienced have been with my family. And, it's such a special thing when you can stop and breathe in the moments that so many times we take for granted, so this is what I've been smelling lately. :0)

First off, Madilyn now puts herself to sleep in her bed, instead of me rocking her to sleep. This makes me excited and sad at the same time. She seems like she must be pretty confident because she weens herself from things before I'm ready. LOL Like breastfeeding,...one day she decided she was done, and SHE WAS! Now, she sleeps better when I just lay her in her bed...so I DO! :0)

She now holds her own bottle, and she drinks from a sippy cup during her meals. She eats carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, prunes, applesauce, peaches, and oatmeal. Very impressive!

Madilyn also does the army crawl. She can pretty much manuever herself into any place in the house she wants...but she likes standing much more than being on her tummy. She may be a "walker before a crawler." We'll see.

It's so neat seeing her grow up and change. It's the most amazing thing to be a part of a baby's life...watching her learn and explore new things. It's such a miracle! And, as far as staying home with her goes, I'm loving EVERY minute of it! This is EXACTLY where I want to be. I told a friend who is expecting a baby today, "When you have that sweet baby and hold them in your arms, you'll think, "THIS is what I was created for." God is so amazing...and so are His little treasures.

We had a Blizzard this past weekend (Yes, in March!), and I caught some fun moments of her playing.

Here is Madilyn with her two buddies, Zoey and Maya. All three were ready to go outside and play!

Here she is, playing on our bed!

On a funny note, last night Cameron was working at the hospital (he works the night shift, 7pm to 7am), and I got up to feed Madilyn around 5 a.m., so I called him to see how his evening/early morning was going. I heard the strangest noise. Now, if you know me, I can be startled a little easy...especially when it's nighttime, and my super-strong husband isn't in bed next to me...and sometimes I'm startled even when he IS there. Even so, I heard the strangest sound. It sounded like what you hear on TV cartoons when ghosts are there...."whoooooooOOOOOO! HooooOOOOOO!" You get the point. Anyway, I didn't think I had a ghost...but I thought, "Hmmm....what is that strange sound?" It wasn't coming from the baby monitor...and I was talking to Cameron on the phone while he was working....hmmmmmm. "Cameron, what is that sound? Do you hear it?" Cameron then says, "Oh, THAT sound? That's Sally, the lady I work with who's like 60 years old. She's listening to her I-pod." LOL We both started laughing so hard...the kind of laugh that won't stop when you're exhausted...which we BOTH were. It was definitely a moment to remember. I had tears streaming down my face and I was stuffing my head in my pillow so I wouldn't wake Madilyn who shares the same wall with her bed.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T08:15:00.001-08:00

We had a great Valentine's Day yesterday. First off, Cameron bought me a box of chocolates, which I love! I like trying every one of them! So, I asked him to get me a small box. Well, he got me a box, but it's a little bigger than I wish. I say this because I know I will eat the whole box...won't take me very long. I have such a weakness when it comes to yummy chocolate with assorted fillings. So, at least I only get a box of chocolates once a year...otherwise my jeans would not fit, I'm sure!

Madilyn made her daddy a card, with my help of course. It made his day. :0) He's such a great daddy! Then, Madilyn decided (LOL) that we needed to make Daddy his favorite cookies, so we baked heart shaped sugar cookies. They turned out delicious! I didn't have a recipe for them, so I went to allrecipes.com and found an excellent one! This is definitely a recipe I will use for Valentine's Days in the future.

Ahhhhhh...the day of love! LOL No, really, we decided to not take a date night on Valentine's Day because it's NOT romantic at all!!! There are always thousands of people rushing around town, crowding restaurants, and standing in lines for movies all at the same time...and the majority of this crowd are teenagers who can't keep their hands off of each other. Yuck. We decided to go on a date on Friday night instead. Say what you will, but I think it's more romantic when you are with the one you love...not with the whole city!

Baby Food...Everywhere!!!

2009-02-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

Well, this morning Madilyn and I were playing while Cameron slept (he worked last night). I decided to scoop her up and fly her like an airplane above my head. Apparently, she wanted to let me know it was time for me to take a shower because as soon as she got up there, out came the formula...all over the chair, my hair and my glasses! It was so gross it was hilarious! I started laughing so hard, trying to be quiet, and I HAD to take a picture so Cameron could see what happened! You know you're a mom when...you get puked on, and you take a picture! LOL
Well, she definitely made her point! I took a shower, and she got a bath! She loves her bathtimes! Here is a picture of her playing in her bath towel. I caught her! :0)

We started rice cereal a couple of weeks ago. She didn't like it at first, but the dr. told us we could put a drop of Karo Syrup in it so it doesn't constipate her...and it makes it taste better! She now cries after her cereal is gone...no matter how much I feed her! I keep adding more, thinking maybe she's still hungry, but it doesn't matter how much she gets, it's not enough. She also grabs the spoon right when it gets to her mouth, so by the time she's finished eating, I have rice cereal all over my arms and she has it on her hands, face, neck, and pretty much everywhere she can get it! She's so ready to do all of her eating from a spoon! She absolutely LOVES it! I'm so proud of how she's growing and developing. She amazes us everyday! (She kinda looks like Santa Claus! LOL)

Reflecting

2009-01-15T20:21:00.001-08:00

Well, today I turned big 27! Yay! I absolutely love celebrating my birthday...it's probably my favorite day of the year. It's the only day that one can justify picking EVERY activity and EVERY meal without feeling selfish. :0) LOL Anyway, my family made it a very special day.

However, as I think back to all that has happened in the past year, it made me realize that last year, on my 26th birthday, Cameron and I told my family that we were expecting a baby. My how one year can totally transform a lifestyle! Now we have a beautiful baby girl who's already 4 months old! All I can say is I look forward to what God has in store for this year...lots can happen in 365 days...and God's plans are so amazing!

Family

2009-01-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

You never realize how much you're missing, until you have kids. Madilyn has just brought Cameron and I so much closer together as a couple...

I'm loving having her here! What a tremendous blessing it is to be a parent.

Tummy Time & Growing Up

2008-12-31T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well, as you well know, most babies sleep and really do everything on their backs...since this has reduced the risk of SIDS. Which, of course I'm all for keeping my baby safe...so she sleeps on her back.

But, in doing so, she doesn't get very much "tummy time." This is important to develop her muscles and all that. However, each time I put her on her tummy, she gets mad. It's like I'm torturing her. And, believe it or not, for a while I would only do it about 2 or 3 minutes a day because it made her so mad. Being a new mom, you do whatever you can to try to not have a crying baby! It's the truth!

One day I was on a baby website, and it said that "By now, she should be having up to 20 min. of tummy time per day." Whoa! We were not doing that much at all!!!

I am pleased to let you know that now (she's almost 4 months old!), we're able to have more "tummy time" without her crying.

So, here are a few pictures of her this week, having tummy time and not crying! Yay!!!
She's getting SO BIG! I can't believe it's almost been 4 months since we welcomed her into this world. In some ways, it seems like just yesterday, and as far as sleep goes, it feels like I haven't been rested in 2 years! LOL But, all in all, we are so blessed to have her with us. I'm already teary-eyed when I think about her growing up and going to school and all that. Whew! I just can't think about it right now...she's such a huge blessing. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her life and our lives as a family.

Here is her first 3 month size outfit to wear. It was a gift from our friends Thomas and Amity. I had to take her picture because I am amazed that she's just now fitting into it (at the ripe old age of 4 months)!

Also, last night after this picture was taken, we were playing in her floor and she starting screaming!!! LOUD! I've never heard her do that before. I couldn't tell if she was mad or just overly excited. But, I'm guessing she was mad because an hour later when I was changing her diaper and getting her pj's on, she was thrashing her arms around and jerking her head around and throwing a FIT! Wow! Praise God for healthy lungs! LOL It ended up being that she was just really tired, and as soon as I swaddled her and fed her she was OUT for the night. It's so fun to see her growing and changing...and I figure that she can't talk yet, so all she has is her whining, crying, and (NOW) screaming to let me know how she feels. So, it's acceptable for now. However, when she learns to talk it will be a much different story. :0) Oh, the joys of motherhood! I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Little Miss Personality!

2008-12-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Here is our little Madilyn Kate, almost 4 months old! It's so hard to believe! Time really flies, and I'm already getting sad about her growing up...but also very excited at the same time. She has started smiling and laughing at us...

The other day, I was rocking her to sleep and she was fighting it and crying. I caught her attention and said, "You've gotta go to sleep little girl," and she started cracking up! Well, as you can imagine, I started laughing, too. I kept repeating the phrase and she would just laugh and laugh and laugh. As you can imagine, sleeping didn't happen for a while!

Field Trips

2008-05-13T12:15:00.001-07:00

Oh, the glorious Field Trips. Today, we went to Palo Duro Canyon. One of my students asked the Park Ranger if she could catch a prairie dog and keep it. He said NO and so did I! :0) Then, we found out prairie dogs don't live in the Canyon...they live on the prairie. Duh, right?

Then, the Park Ranger proceeded to tell us to watch for Rattlesnakes and wild pigs. He said that the wild pigs would charge you if they saw you...and that if they caught you, they would proceed to eat you. Thanks a lot, Park Ranger! All I had was a group of 11 third graders and a tube of sunscreen. I guess I could've tried to aim for the pigs' eyes, right?

Then, we cooked hot dogs. The greatest comment of the day? "Will you tell that guy to cook my hot dog medium rare?" Oh, goodness!

It's time for summer! LOL

I've Been Tagged...

2008-05-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

Amity tagged me...so here goes.
4 jobs I have had in my life:
1. 3rd grade teacher (which I LOVE!!!)
2. Waitress at a BBQ place
3. Early Childhood/Children's Ministry Director at Champions Church
4. Summer Camp Guru (TFC--Amarillo)

4 movies I have watched more than once:
1. The Wedding Planner
2. Can't Buy Me Love
3. Napoleon Dynamite
4. Curly Sue

4 Places I have lived:
1. Amarillo/Canyon, TX
2. Denton, TX
3. Abilene, TX
4. Dalhart, TX

4 TV shows I watch:
1. LOST
2. Ugly Betty
3. The Bachelor
4. Dancing with the Stars

4 Places I have been:
1. Reynosa, Mexico
2. Shiprock, NM
3. Salida, CO
4. Kansas City, MO
(I haven't been very far!!!)

4 of my favorite foods: (right now, things are different because I'm preggo...so here's the preggo taste)
1. french fries from McDonald's
2. Buffalo Chicken Salad (from Chilis)
3. asperagus
4. grapefruit

4 Places I would like to visit:
1. New York City
2. The Bahamas
3. Hawaii
4. Jamaica

4 Things I am looking forward to in the coming year
1. Preparing the baby nursery
2. Naming our little girl (it's such a BIG decision!)
3. Meeting our little girl
4. Not being pregnant/losing the BABY WEIGHT

4 Bloggers I am tagging
I think everyone I know has already done this...

It's a GIRL!!!

2008-04-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

We found out yesterday that we will be welcoming a beautiful baby girl into our family! Cameron, myself, and all of our family thought it would be a girl...but it was nice to hear it, and see her! :0)

She was very wiggly and even waved at us right when the sonogram started! Like, "Hi, mom and dad!" It was precious. Everything measured normal, and she's VERY healthy! Praise the Lord!!!

I'm learning that as a "mom," you realize just how much of a miracle pregnancy is! I mean, I have NOTHING to do with her little fingers, toes, 4-chambered heart, or anything else. God just does it! Wow! It makes me realize even more just how amazing God is:

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You." Psalm 139:13-18

Whoo-nu?

2008-03-25T17:41:00.001-07:00

Who knew Dallas could be so fun?

We decided to get out of town for a few days over Spring Break and head to the BIG D. Well, let me just say, it was the funnest week of my life! :0)

We spent time with friends...

We went to a Dallas Maverick's game...and had a lady yelling her head off the whole game right in our ears!!! Then, she'd clear her throat each time after she did it... "Go Mavs!!! Ah-HEMMM!" (What's a good basketball game without an obnoxious fan yelling in your ears, right?)

And then we met Jerry Stackhouse, a Dallas Maverick (sometimes a starter) at the Galleria! What more could you ask for?

We had a great time, and it was much needed. Now, we can start preparing our lives for a new little baby!!! :0)

Being pregnant= eating too much or not eating enough!

2008-02-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

Seems like since this pregnancy thing has begun, I'm either always hungry or too full. I haven't figured out the right amount of food to eat, where I feel "just right." Hmmm...no one ever tells you it will be this way. They always say, "Oh, you'll have a little morning sickness." However, no one ever said, "You might puke up your guts and feel disgusting and tired for a good amount of time!" I will be spreading that part of the news.

I wish people would be more honest with you. I mean, I wouldn't trade this BABY for the world...and the end result is going to be TOTALLY worth all of the junk that the 1st trimester offers...but really...

Why don't people tell you the truth? Like when you get married, "You're not always happy all the time." Marriage is a tremendous blessing and it's even better than what people say...but it's better in a TOUGH kind of way. I think I'll write a book after I get a little more life experience. My title will be, "Honesty Unplugged." LOL Would you buy it?