Life With The Beach's

Howdy!

2012-01-26T14:05:00.000-06:00

Howdy lovely readers :) Hope you are all doing well. I have been trying to get back into the swing of blogging and have actually started a daily blog about my daily migraine history. You can read it right here if you feel so inclined. I am just basically journaling about my daily foods and migraine history. I am trying to figure out my migraine triggers. Anyways, I am only 3 days into that but hopefully it will entice me back into my family blog.

I am in the process of planning Kirsten's 6th birthday! She is having a cowgirl themed birthday party at a local farm/ranch. She is going to have a blast with all her Sunday School friends and cousins.

I don't know if I have already posted (yes, I am too lazy to go back and look right now! ha!) but Noah got a job as a surgical tech!! We are so blessed. He starts on February 6th.

The kids are doing great! Bella is almost 18 months now and is really starting to explore the great big world of talking :) I love seeing her learn new things and the amazement in her eyes! She is so wild and likes to whine but I love her so much! We don't have a bottle anymore (since 11 months), still sleep comfortably in our crib with no intention of moving to a big girl bed anytime soon and are absolutely addicted to our pacifiers!! She will carry around 2 or 3 in her hands all the time. ha! :) Silly girl. I am confident that she will wean herself when she is ready though.

Kirsten will be 6 next month and is loving Kindergarten still. She is having some problems with phonics and I am trying hard to work with her on it. A friend of mine told me about ABCmouse.com and it is really awesome!! I truly love that website! If you have a preschooler to Kindergartener you should look into joining that website to help with their skills if they need it. They have really unique settings that work for each child! As soon as Bella is old enough, I will set her up an account too!

Elijah will be 8 in July & is still 100% boy. We are still having a little trouble from him at school but nothing like the previous years have been. He is soooo into his Wii and his Nintendo DS. We are having to monitor his usage on them because he wants to be on them all the time. He also got a netbook for Christmas from his pawpaw (Noah's dad) so he is up to date on his electronics. Right now he is really into Star Wars. He tries to get his sisters to "fight" him with the light sabers all the time...he really needs a brother! ha :)

We are heading to AR this weekend to see my family and celebrate my niece's 6th Birthday! I can't believe she is already 6 years old. I sure love that girl!

As far as I go, I am doing great! I only have 1 year of school left then my 12 weeks of student teaching and I will be DONE! I can't wait to walk across that stage and get my diploma! :) It has been a long road but I am so grateful and thankful that I did it and accomplished a life long goal!

Well I guess that is all for now! Hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend!

-Cori B.

Family Pictures

2012-01-09T13:00:00.005-06:00

Hey Lovely blog readers...I know I am a terrible blogger lately. And I don't have a lot of time right now but I wanted to share some family photos we had taken back in November :) You can see how much the kids have grown! Elijah is 7 1/2, Kirsten will be 6 next month and Bella is 17 months! Wow how time flies. Our family is doing great! I only have 1 year of school left then I start my student teaching. Noah finally found work at a local hospital (praise Jesus!!). The kids are growing like weeds!!

I am still Alive :)

2011-10-28T10:07:00.006-05:00

Bella at 14 months old

All 3 kiddos on the first day of school :)

Yes, dear 29 followers-

I am still alive! I know you have been wondering and wondering where I am (or not, you know). But the truth is I just didn't feel like my blog was worth reading. But here I am for a minute..not sure I will stay long. ha!

Things are going fairly well for our family. Noah is still looking for full time work in the Surgical Tech field while doing part time computer programming.

I am still working full time at the attorney's office and doing school full time too. School, work and life make for a really long day but I would not have it any other way :) (hey that rhymed!)

Elijah is 7 years and (almost) 4 months old now. He is in 2nd grade and doing MUCH better than last year with his conduct and grades. He is still getting in a little trouble for not finishing his school work but it is a drastic improvement from last year. He is playing soccer now and loves it!

He hopes to do Karate during the Spring.

Kirsten is 5 years and 8 months old now. She is getting so big. She is in Kindergarten and really flourishing well! We are so proud of her. She has become a little "diva" though :)

Baby Bella is not such a baby anymore at 15 months old, more like a toddler now. She is so smart! She goes to a Christian daycare during the week and does great. She is walking/running/jumping all over the place!! I can hardly keep up with that girl! She says some words that are understandable but mostly still just talks jibberish! :)

Halloween is right around the corner. Our kids are going to be: Elijah-Anakin Skywalker, Kirsten-A princess ladybug, and Bella-A pink poodle :) They are going to be precious.

Well I hope your weekends are great...we have plans to attend our local Zoo Boo and then trick or treating Monday :)

Miracle Blessing

2011-08-25T07:31:00.003-05:00

Well Hi there strangers! I know I have been MIA for over a month and a half..things have been kind of crazy around our house. I hope (no promises though) to be back to blogging regularly VERY soon! But I wanted to let you guys know that a miracle blessing happened yesterday..

Do you remember my cousin Becky and her baby boy Jake?

Of course you do, well Jake is now HOME!!!!! Yes, ladies (and gentlemen) Baby Jake now weighs over 7 lbs, breaths on his own and takes a bottle like a champ! They were discharged from Vanderbilt University yesterday morning and made it home yesterday afternoon!

Thank you for all your prayers. Please keep them up for baby Jake as he does have a long road ahead of him but I know our Ultimate Healer and He is GOOD! :)

A baby Jake update!!

2011-07-01T11:36:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to give you an update on second cousin, sweet baby Jake. He is up to 4 lbs 3 oz. and still being fed breast milk thru tubes. He is off of the ventilator and holding his own. His surgery will be in about 3 weeks. My cousin wanted me to thank you for your prayers!

This first picture is my absolute favorite! I am thinking about having it put on a canvas or something for my cousin.

Becky & baby Jake :)

Look at all that hair!!

Don't you just want to eat him up! I wish so badly I could go see him in the hospital!

My cousin Ashleigh (Becky's sister) told me that when Jake cries all Becky has to do is speak to him and he is silent. I thought that was the sweetest thing!!

Thank you all again for your prayers for our sweet baby Jake! I will keep you all updated as much as I can!

Just a note, if you are in a position or feel inclined Becky is in need of Virgin Mobile phone cards and extra money for expenses. The hospital feeds her 3 times a day but she has no money for anything else she needs. Her husband is having to travel back and forth to Vanderbilt from their home (about 4 hours away) and the money for gas is really breaking the bank for them. Becky's address is below:

Becky Brown
3311 West End Avenue
Room 309
Nashville, TN 37203

Thank you all again for your sweet prayers! You will never know how much they are appreciated!

Things Bella likes to play with...

2011-07-01T10:40:00.003-05:00

...that are not her toys!

1. Power tools. This morning I walked in our room after showering and Bella was trying to get to a screw driver that was left out from hanging pictures the day before. I tried to get her to come and play with her rubby ducky and fishies but she refused. She kept running (crawling really fast rather) back over to that screw driver. I eventually had to place it where she could not find it!

2. Cords. Yes, I know I have blogged about this before but sheesh this child is almost impossible to keep away from cords in our house! Absolutely insane. I am almost certain that she b-lines for them as soon as I put her down in any room. She usually knows where they are in any room too..smart little child.

3. All of mommy's hair products. Every morning when I am getting ready she raids my hair product drawer (probably because it is the lowest one..but it is better than having the makeup drawer down there..can you imagine?) But instead of just playing with my brushes and combs she goes for the things that spray. Yesterday she sprayed her body with hairspray! Then thought it was extremely funny :)

What things do your babies/kids play with aren't their toys? :)

A handy little chart for when you need it :)

2011-06-29T11:56:00.003-05:00

If you are like me, when I am having a rough day (like today! sheesh!) I usually go to God's word for a piece of advice. I received this handy little chart in an email from my Aunt today and wanted to share it with you, my awesome readers!

YOU SAY
GOD SAYS
BIBLE VERSES

'It's impossible'
All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

'I'm too tired'
I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

'Nobody really loves me'
I love you
(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34)

"I can't go on'
My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

'I can't figure things out'
I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

'I can't do it'
You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

'I'm not able'
I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

'It's not worth it'
It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28)

'I can't forgive myself'
I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

'I can't manage'
I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

'I'm afraid'
I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)

'I'm always worried and frustrated'
Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

'I'm not smart enough'
I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

'I feel all alone'
I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)

I tried to make it into a chart for you but it would not work for me. So just read it as the first line is what you say, second line what God says and the third line is the scriputure to back it up! Some of these verses are my favorites :) Always know that when you are at your weakest point...just hold on to the Bible, open the Bible and believe in His almighty Word and you will make it through! He has promised us this!

11 months!

2011-06-29T09:50:00.007-05:00

Bella,

You are 11 months old! My oh my how time has passed by so quickly in front of our eyes. In one short month we will be celebrating the day of your birth! I remember so vividly like it was yesterday.

You are about 22 lbs (estimated). You wear anywhere from size 12 months to 24 months clothes. Size 4 diapers. Size 3 shoes.

You took your first steps recently . And since then have taken several more. You can walk just holding one hand of someone and cruise around the furniture constantly. I am sure you will be taking off and walking on your own all the time very soon!

You are a great eater...you beg (like a puppy dog) for our food when we are eating. You still have baby food occasionally but mostly it is table food. You are completely off formula, whole milk is all you drink now. I have almost weaned you from your day time bottle into a sippy. You are still getting used to that. However, you still take your morning and night time bottles. I will try and wean the morning one very soon. It won't be easy because you are definitely a "bottle baby" :)

You have two teeth on bottom in the middle and your top left eyetooth is coming in.

Words you can say:

Dada
Mama
Papa
Baba (bottle)
dydy (bye bye)
baby

You wave bye bye (when you feel up to it). You much prefer to be barefoot and naked than to have clothes/shoes on! We have not had an issue with you taking off diapers yet. I hope that is something you never do! ha ha.

Kirsten and Elijah are your favorite toys. You think they are the best thing since sliced bread (which you love by the way).

You have a ton of hair and it seems to be changing to a reddish/brown color. You have the prettiest brown eyes ever!

Bella, you are so loved. We can not fathom life without you. Continue to grow into a such a beautiful toddler!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Thankful Thursday

2011-06-23T11:42:00.002-05:00

I am so very thankful for this little miracle in my life. I was given a 20% chance of getting pregnant on my own without fertility meds. Noah and I were not trying to have a baby. I was very sick when I found out I was pregnant :) However, I am ever so thankful that she came into our lives and have changed them forever.

I love you Isabella Grace!

Kirsten-isms

2011-06-22T12:30:00.002-05:00

Our middle child, Kirsten, is quite the character. I thought I would share with you some of the funny things she has done recently, other than the pool incident.

-Upon entering a public restroom that might be a little "smelly", Kirsten says in her not to quiet 5 year old voice "Cori! What is that smail (smell with a southern accent)!?!"

*note to readers, the bigger kids are not biologically mine. They are my step-children, that is why they call me Cori :)*

It is especially nice when the culprit of making the bathroom "smelly" is still in there. Super awesome mom moment.

-While driving home from a girls only breakfast with Kirsten and Bella last Saturday, Kirsten and I are talking about all the holidays in the year. I am telling them to her in order from first to last and I come to Memorial Day. She promptly says "Mario Day!?! Do we just play Mario all day? I don't even like Mario!"

-On our way home from vacation 2 weeks ago, Noah, Kirsten and I stop at a small country store for a few things. We get to the register and out of NOWHERE Kirsten says "Cori? You are my step-mom right?" "yes ma'am, I am" "Cori? Why do I HAVE to have two moms?" "We have discussed this before and we can discuss it later in private. Ok Honey?" "Ok I guess" (she never asked again, lol)

-It was late and Kirsten had just gotten out of the bath. Elijah was now in the bathtub and Kirsten asks "Where is Elijah?" Noah says "he is in the bath" Kirsten "Outside?" Noah "Kirsten, is there a bathtub outside?" Kirsten "no". ....a little later Kirsten is moping and Noah asks her what is wrong. She says "Well I really want to go outside with Elijah but I already have my pajamas on" Clearly she wasn't listening when we told her he was in the bathtub and not outside. ha!

-I walked in to Bella and Kirsten's room to hear Kirsten talking to Bella and saying "what is wrong baby? do you want a paci? do you want a puff? do you have a poopie? do you need a bottle? do you need some medicine? do your teefies hurt?" ha ha! It was sooo cute!

Kirsten is such a spirited child. She cracks us up daily! I can't believe she will be starting kindergarten in August!

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-22T08:27:00.003-05:00

Psalm 91:2

"This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him."

I fully believe and declare this statement true in my life! He is my refuge, He is my safety and He is my GOD! I trust my life wholly to Him and no other God.

:) May God bless your day!

A little Jake update

2011-06-21T19:53:00.006-05:00

I recieved a text from my cousin today on Jake. She said that baby Jake is off his ventilator and breathing great on his own! He is learning to suck so he should be able to take a bottle of breast milk soon. Becky has been pumping and freezing the milk for him at the hospital. Praise God she is able to do that! He needs all the nourishment he can get and breast milk is always best if possible :)

Jake and his mommy, my cousin, Becky.

He is still so tiny. Please continue to keep Jake and his family in your prayers. He still has a long road to go but we have faith in our Lord that He will watch over Jake and bring him through these trials.

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-21T09:12:00.004-05:00

Todays scripture comes from 1 John 4:7-8

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

How true!! GOD.IS.LOVE!! My kids will tell you that when you ask them :) It is too darn cute. I love seeing my kids love Jesus! Nothing warms my heart or makes me more proud than to hear my 5 year old belting it in the backseat to The Redeemer by Sanctus Real or I refuse by Josh Wilson :) Makes a mommy proud!

Exciting News :)

2011-06-20T21:14:00.002-05:00

I wanted to get this down on my blog tonight!

Are you ready? Brace yourself...

BELLA TOOK HER FIRST STEPS TONIGHT! :)

I am super excited. She took 2 then took 1 more after that. I was yelling and it scared her then she refused to take any more. My baby girl is getting so big. It all happened so fast that I didn't get video or pictures :( I will be sure to next time though.

The first time she was walking towards me and the second time she was walking towards daddy who was tempting her with the cell phone (which she loooooooves!)

Yay Bella! We are sooo proud of you!

Daddy's Fun Pool Experience

2011-06-20T15:50:00.002-05:00

Daddy took the big kids to the pool by himself yesterday. I was busy dealing with a fussy baby at home so did not venture out to go. Upon his arrival he tells me the reason they left the pool only an hour or so after arriving.

Apparently, Kirsten (our 5 year old) had to go "potty". So daddy calls her over to him and asks "Do you need to pee pee or poo poo?" and Kirsten (bless her innocent self) announces in a very loud 5 year old voice:

"Well Daddy it is all mixed in up there (pointing to her belly). It is going to be a bad one! and it is going to smell awfully bad! I think we need to go home fast! I can't hold much longer!! (cue pee pee dance)"

Noah rushes both kids into the van and drives them home.

Not sure daddy will be taking the kids to the pool by himself any time soon :)

Father's Day

2011-06-20T15:31:00.004-05:00

Our Father's Day was nothing grand. Church. Picnic lunch on the back patio for the kiddos. Then the fun part begins.

Bella was being cranky all morning. She refused to eat anything of any substance (with the exception of her favorite puffs). I had tried almost everything to get her to take a nap. So I was only left with one option: forfeit my afternoon and take a nap in my big empty queen sized bed with her. What can I say, I will do anything for my children, including take a nap on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I sacrifice like that :)

So B and I are laying down fast asleep (finally, glory hallelujah!). I hear my door open and tiny little voices snickering. Then I hear "CORI! WHERE IS BELLA?" Yes, that is right ladies and gentlemen after working 2 hours to get her to take a nap and maybe 45 minutes of sleep, the big kids snuck "quietly" in to my room only to scream and ask where Bella was. Of course, Bella sat straight up in the bed.

Then my little hethens errr...sweet children asked if Bella was awake?!?! I said "if you don't get out of here in 2 seconds I am going to ....". They were gone before I could finish my sentence. Honestly, I don't remember how I was going to finish it. But I am guessing it wasn't going to be pleasant.

Needless to say, Bella refused to go back to sleep after that. REFUSED! So we got up and went into the playroom where the big kids were begging to go to the pool. I politely asked (told) my husband to take them swimming because I was NOT a happy camper and neither was Bella. She fussed and fussed all afternoon.

I finally decided to take her to the pool with the big kids and just when I was walking outside my husband and kids were pulling up. I asked why they came home so early and he said Kirsten said she needed to potty. This is where he tells me the super funny story of his day at the pool. :)

Dinner was uneventful. Oh except for Bella refusing to eat in her highchair and my mother in law who knew I had been dealing with a fussy baby all afternoon lovingly offered to feed Bella in her lap. Not sure she will be doing that again any time soon :)

After dinner, Bella was so tired and so cranky that I had to let her cry it out in her crib. I hate letting her do that. I sat outside her room and cried too. But she would not sleep any other way. I tried rocking her, singing to her, pushing her in the stroller...nothing worked. Felt like a huge mommy failure at that point in time.

Yep, that is how our Father's Day went. Oh daddy did get a new shirt and a new hat for Father's Day though :) Which he loved!

Hope your Father's Day was a little less eventful than mine :)

A couple things & Scripture of the Day

2011-06-20T08:02:00.004-05:00

First: My cousin, Becky and her son Jake are doing well. Jake can not have his heart surgery until he has been in the NICU at Vanderbilt for 5 weeks. However, the doctors are optimistic that he will be healthy and fine! Praise God!

Second: I know I have not uploaded vacation pictures. I am a terrible blogger! ha.

and now for our scripture of the day: Joshua 24:15

But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."

One of my favorite verses. Me and my family...we serve the LORD! :)

Happy Monday-ing!

Need a new blog design?

2011-06-18T18:46:00.003-05:00

Kelly's Avenue Designs is giving 20% off any full kit until 11 p.m. central time tonight! Head on over there and check it out :)

She is super great to work with and does great work! Tell her Cori sent you!

Jake Eli Brown

2011-06-17T08:44:00.002-05:00

Here are some sweet photos of my 2nd cousin Jake Eli who was born yesterday at 11:30 a.m. and weighed 4 lbs 1 ounce!! Praise God!

Jake and his mommy, Becky, will be traveling to (or have already traveled) to Nashville to Vanderbilt Hospital for Jake to have heart surgery.

Please continue to pray for Jake and his family as they go through this stressful/heart wrenching time.

Thank you all so much! We believe in an ULTIMATE HEALER and in His devine Grace!

Urgent Prayer Request!-UPDATED!

2011-06-16T10:43:00.002-05:00

UPDATE 06/16/11 @ 11:25 a.m.:

My second cousin was born. He is 3 lbs and he and his mom are doing well so far. Please continue to pray for him to continue to gain strength so he will come through his heart surgery .

ORIGINAL POST:

Hello Friends, I have a prayer request.

My cousin Becky Brown is in the hospital giving birth to her baby boy that is only 31 weeks gestation. This is her 3rd pregnancy. She lost the 1st baby boy(Jaren) at 29 weeks pregnant and she lost her 2nd baby at 12 weeks. We all know that a baby at 31 weeks can survive however he has a heart defect. And will require open heart surgery as soon as he is strong enough.

Please pray for my family and for the doctors working with my cousin and her baby boy.

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-16T07:51:00.003-05:00

Ephesians 4:32

"Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

I love this verse! It truly hits close to home for me. I have been harboring anger and I know that needs to be something that I fix (soon!).

Things You Should Not Do In An Attorney's Office

2011-06-15T14:28:00.003-05:00

Or any other office/establishment away from the confines of your own home:

-Cut your toenails-I am absolutely not kidding. I have had more than one client do this in our lobby.

-Wear rollers in your hair, houseshoes (they are called HOUSEshoes for a reason) on your feet, or annoyingly obvious pajama pants.

-Bring your pets. Unless otherwise noted or a service animal, pets are not allowed in professional offices. Just because you don't want to leave "sparky" at home doesn't mean that we want your "baby" here in the office.

-Bring your breakfast/lunch/dinner with you into the lobby. Eat before you come in or leave early enough to eat at the fast food joint you stopped at. We don't need to smell McDonald's french fries wafting through the office all day.

-You should not call the paralegals/female attorneys "baby" "sweetie" "darling" "honey" "cutie" or any other words of affection. Ma'am, Miss or our names will be just fine.

-While the paralegal/attorney is trying to explain to you the answer to your question..do NOT cut them off and tell them they are wrong. You asked them for advice and if you don't want to hear it then don't call. We are trying to help you but being cut off every 2 words by someone saying "I don think 'dat right" is pretty irritating and does not make our job any easier.

-We are not a garage sale, antique dealer, or craigslist seller so therefore our prices do not change when you try to "haggle" us. Would you go to Wal-Mart and ask them if they would take $99 for that $599 television? Probably not.

Ok..that is the end of my rant. I could go on and on about the annoyances of my job but I am just going to say that I am blessed to have a job that supports my family. I actually enjoy my job...just the clients irk me sometimes :)

Happy Wednesday!

Embarking on a New Adventure

2011-06-15T10:03:00.004-05:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen that is right. Our oldest, Elijah, has embarked on a new adventure this summer.

He has started to learn to ride his bike without training wheels!! We are probably behind on this "milestone" as he we will be 7 years old in 3 weeks but nonetheless we have "officially" started his training. Well I probably should not say we because I had nothing to do with it. His Papaw (Noah's dad) took him over to the elementary school near our house and practiced with him.

The Bad News: he ran into the only pole in the parking lot 4 times.

The Good News: he has pretty good balance and Papaw says that 7-8 more practice runs and he should be good.to.go! :)

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-15T08:22:00.003-05:00

John 14:10

"Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me."

I believe this verse explains at least two parts of the Trinity. The Father and the Son. Jesus says to his disciples that "I am in the Father and the Father is in me". Clearly stating that they are one.

I believe in the Trinity.

The Father.

The Son.

The Holy Spirit.

*As an aside..I would like to pray for all the people being affected by flooding in the northern part of America and fires in New Mexico. I do not personally know anyone in either of these states but the devastation happening has really hit a heart string with me.*

Faith in Jesus Saves!

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-14T08:24:00.002-05:00

Today's scripture is from Psalm 37:8

"Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper--it only leads to harm."

I know I tend to be a "hot head" sometimes but I don't consider myself an angry person. Do you? The bible pretty bluntly tells us...don't be angry because it will only lead to harm. In my life, I have found this to be very true :)

Happy Tuesday. May God Bless you in All you do today :)

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-13T16:32:00.001-05:00

This scripture goes along with my last post:

James 1:27

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

Things we take forgranted

2011-06-13T16:15:00.004-05:00

If I had to guess, you probably have one (or more. We have 3!) of these in your house. Am I right?

Well the children at Shine Uganda Ministries which our ministry helps support use this:

And they are in need of a new one. Desperately. We are raising funds to help them build another toilet/bathroom. They do not have running water so a "normal" toilet is not something they can have. But with your donations and support they can have a new toilet/bathroom area that is clean and more sanitary. Just go here to donate if the Lord calls you. The children would very much appreciate it.

Please visit Shine Uganda's website for information on sponsoring a child there or click on my "ministry" tab above to read more about what we are striving to do.

About 3 weeks ago we recieved letters and drawings from the children at the orphanage. I am going to get them scanned and uploaded as soon as I can.

May God Bless You.

Bella's Birthday Outfit

2011-06-13T14:26:00.004-05:00

My very good friend Cadie owns a business called Babee Producks :) You should definitely check her stuff out. She custom makes everything and anything. Bella has 4 shirts from her now. She made this outfit for Bella's first birthday. I LOVE it. It is so bittersweet to be planning her birthday.

Here is the cake/cupcake we chose for her party too.

I had a personalized banner and centerpieces created for her party by Piggy Bank Parties on Etsy. (Have I mentioned before that I Loooooooove Etsy?) I will try and upload those images later.

I will try and get our vacation pictures uploaded tonight..no promises though.

Just checking in :) & some scripture.

2011-06-10T07:18:00.003-05:00

Hey lovely readers :) Just checking in from Branson, MO. We are having a blast. Today will be Day 2 (first full day) at Silver Dollar City and we can't wait to spend more time there! I am missing my baby girl like crazy but getting updates from my parents all the time and I know she is being so spoiled.

The big kids are stoked about going back to Silver Dollar City and riding more rides. Shockingly, Kirsten was not afraid on most of the rides yesterday so I am hoping that is the case again today :) ha! She is a little bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to those things. ha :)

Well I hope you are all having a grand Friday!

Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

Just a cute photo I wanted to share

2011-06-07T08:26:00.002-05:00

Bella had corn on the cob for the first time last night...she LOVED IT! :)

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-07T08:02:00.002-05:00

*Just a little note..I may be absent from my scripture of the day until Monday because we are leaving tonight for vacation :) I will try and remember to blog from my phone but I may not. ha!*

Today's scripture is one of my favorites and one that our children (well the older two) have memorized: John 14:6

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. "

Pretty self explanatory...no one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ!

I hope you all have a great week/weekend! I will be back Monday with lots of vacationing pictures :)

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-06T07:55:00.001-05:00

Today's scripture comes from I Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

I really can't say anything about this than the verse already says. Pretty self explanatory :) How amazing that we have this set of rules to live by!

Happy Monday! May God bless your day abundantly.

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-05T07:51:00.002-05:00

Todays scripture comes from John 14:3

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

Isn't is awesome to think He is preparing a place for "YOU"? and then He says He will take us to Him :)

Happy Sunday! May the Lord bless your day!

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-04T09:09:00.002-05:00

Today's scripture of the day comes from Romans 12:5

"...so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other"

We are having a low key weekend with the kids :) Just living and loving summer!!

May Jesus Christ be in your day and bless you!

Happy Weekend-ing :)

Scripture of the Day-Fruits of the Spirit

2011-06-03T09:20:00.003-05:00

Today's scripture of the day comes from Galations 5:22-23

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

Love-I am pretty good at this one with the people I actually "love". But I know the Lord commands us to love our neighbors as our selves (Mark 12:31). I can't say that I exhibit love towards people that I don't know and/or don't like.

Joy-I am pretty good at showing Joy in my life. I know I don't do it always and that is something that needs worked on. Showing Joy in the trials of life (as yesterday's scripture said).

Peace-I pretty much stink at this one. I hardly ever have "peace" about things. I am a self-proclaimed worrier.

Patience-yep, another one I stink at. I have patience for about an hour or so with most things..then my patience starts wearing thin.

Kindness-I am kind to the people close to me and also to strangers. But to my enemies..I am not. Also, to people I deem "different" I know I am not kind.

Goodness-I am perplexed by "goodness" Does that mean we should be "good" all the time because that is impossible as we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God.

Faithfulness-I would say that I am faithful. I have fallen off the bandwagon a time or two but all in all I am a faithful follower of Christ.

Gentleness-Until I am angry, I am gentle. I definitely have my non-gentle moments!

Self control- I have pretty good self control. I am not easily angered (unless extremely tired).

It appears I have a lot to work on after evaluating this verse. :)

Memorial Day Zoo Trip

2011-06-02T13:36:00.001-05:00

On the Sunday before Memorial Day, my mom came up and we went to the Memphis Zoo. We have season passes to the Zoo and go often but the kids love it every time :) It was really hot but super fun.

The kids riding the carousel.

Here are some pictures of some of the animals. We love our Zoo. It is really big and so much fun. Definitely an all day event! :)

I hope your Memorial Day weekend was great too!

Thank you to all our veterans and those who have lost their lives fighting for our freedom. My dad is a retired CW4 with the Arkansas Army National Guard. He served 19 years (I think?). I am so proud of him and thankful for his service and the service of all our military.

Profanity

2011-06-02T10:34:00.002-05:00

I just do not understand people's need to use profanity. I am not by any means a "saint" in this department because on occasion I do (out of frustration usually) say a curse word.

However, I have friends on Facebook that constantly use "dirty" words in their status updates or comments to each other. I have deleted most of these people because I just refuse to look at that every day when I log on.

Now it seems the new trend on people's status updates is to write "fml". I didn't know what that meant so I googled it. Apparently it means "f--k my life". Really? Why would someone say that about their lives? It really shocked me when I found out what it meant and saw how many people were using it!

What do you do/say about people using profanity around you?

Matthew 15:10-11 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Just a thought.

Scripture of the Day

2011-06-02T09:09:00.002-05:00

I have decided to try and post a scripture of the day everyday.

Today's scripture is James 1:2

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy."

This is so true. We should count our blessings. Have you heard the song "Blessings" by Laura Story? The song hits so true to my heart. No matter what the struggle...always look at it with joy as God is always with you.

Happy Thursday :)

The "Sneaker"

2011-06-01T20:31:00.004-05:00

Bella has become a little "sneak". She has started to climb up on the couch...over the arm of the couch and onto our side table to get something she wants.

What did she want you say?
Oh just to chew on the top of her teething medicine bottle...that is all :) Guess her poor "teefies" were hurting her.

Yes, she is such a mess :)

Oh my heavens! How could you be mad at a face like that? Especially when she is missing one sock! ha :)

New Blog Design

2011-06-01T20:01:00.002-05:00

I started playing around with a new header and decided it was fun so I changed my whole blog up. I think I really like it. I had fun doing it too :) Never knew I was so talented. ha!

Oh what a difference a year can make

2011-06-01T15:44:00.001-05:00

Me last year in June.

I was a little “rounder” then :) I am totally missing my preggo days! I crave being pregnant again and having another baby. Hubby and I are waiting though.

Happy Wednesday!

Bella 10 months old

2011-05-31T11:27:00.003-05:00

Wow 10 months already? Seriously? I just can't imagine life without you my sweet darling Bella.

Bella,

You are the joy in my life. I long to get home everyday to see your sweet smiling face. When I come home I usually walk into the room and say "Baby!" and you turn to face me with the biggest smile on your face and then crawl over to me super fast while giggling. Melts.My.Heart!

You are saying "mama" "dada" "baba" "dydy (bye bye)" and sometimes "papa". Plus a lot of other stuff that we can't make out but I am sure you "think" you are saying something really important. You have started to mock people around you. It is soooo stinkin' funny! You will babble to us and then start giggling at yourself like you said something so very funny. Cutest thing ever!

You are starting to eat table food really well. You LOVE bread of any kind. Cheerios, puffs, lima beans, peas, green beans, bananas (occasionally) are some of the things you like. Of course you also LOVE french fries and tator tots. (Yes, I occasionally give my baby french fries and food that is bad for her) :) You are great at self-feeding.

You are such a chunk. You weigh about 23 lbs now. You are wearing only 12-18 month clothes. Size 4 diapers. Size 3/4 shoes.

You are still a total bottle baby but you are adjusting to your sippy cup really well.

No walking yet but you can stand unassisted for about 10 seconds or unti you realize you aren't holding on to anything. You do walk while holding on to things like mommy/daddys hands, the couch, the chair or your push walker. You are a super speedy crawler. Into everything. You think that everything anybody has is yours to put in your mouth :) I would not trade you for the world!

Bella please keep growing and being the wonderful daughter that you are. My life is incomplete without you. I love you so much baby girl.

-Mommy & Daddy

Quirks and Odd Things About Me

2011-05-26T13:19:00.003-05:00

I have them. Quirks that is.

I would much rather drink water out of a paper cup than a water bottle.

I can not stand to have one eye open and the other not..it makes my eyes feel "off balance".

I do not drive in the center lane of any highway, freeway or road because it scares me.

I am scared of the dark. I will literally run for my life if I have to go to my car when it is dark outside. Sad, I know.

Letters that are folded more than two times in an envelope drive me crazy.

Envelopes that are taped shut make me cringe.

If I am waiting for something through email, I will literally check my email every 10 minutes until I get it. Pathetic right?

Out of place eyebrows bother me.

I do not drink regular white milk...has to have some sort of flavoring in it. For some reason, plain white milk smells spoiled to me (even though it isnt!)

Ok so now you know something(s) odd about me :)

Life Thoughts

2011-05-24T09:51:00.001-05:00

I received these in an email from my mom and I thought I would share this little bit of humor with you fine people today:

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with 'Guess' on it.
So I said 'Implants?' She hit me.

Marriage changes passion.
Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and over fifty for Miss America ?

When I was young we used to go 'skinny dipping,' now I just 'chunky dunk.'

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!

Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over? AMEN, AMEN!

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

Wouldn't you know it....
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever.

Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?
A completely brilliant question!!!!!!!

Bumper sticker of the year:
'If you can read this, thank a teacher -
and, since it's in English, thank a soldier'

Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed outside?
Another completely brilliant question!!!!

I hope you are all having a fantabulous Tuesday so far! :)

Bella & Logan

2011-05-21T21:25:00.002-05:00

About two months after I found out I was pregnant, my friend and co-worker Jessica also found out she was pregnant! We got to be pregnant together for most of our pregnancy. It was really neat to compare notes on things. It was usually her asking me "did this happen to you?" or "is this normal?" since I was a few months ahead of her. She had a little boy Logan Alan born on 10/10/10 (awesome birthdate huh?) and then of course I had a little girl Isabella Grace born on 07/30/10. They finally got to meet a few weeks ago (I know we are horrible for not introducing them before now) So here are their pictures we took that day. Logan is almost as big as Bella and he is 2 1/2 months younger :) ha!

Logan seriously is the most laid back, content baby you will ever meet. Jessica can have him in her office for hours and no one even know! You would know in about 1.2 seconds if Bella was anywhere near our office because she is so loud and into EVERYTHING! :)

Best buds.

They were oh so cute together. We are going to have some play dates this Summer hopefully. Bella has to teach Logan how to crawl :)

A Perfect Day

2011-05-21T21:09:00.005-05:00

We had such a lovely Saturday today (with no rapture!..ha!) We (the kids made me) woke up early. The big kids had blueberry waffles (frozen..don't assume I cook much because I am a terrible cook! ha!) and a banana with milk for breakfast. Bella had cheerios and some banana (plus a smidge of mommy's grits...yummmmm)

After breakfast we watched some tv and hung out for a little bit. Then we loaded up on our bikes (and stroller) and headed across the street to elementary school playground. We just moved into our new house two weeks ago so this was our first adventure (of many I am sure!) to the playground. It was a lot of fun :)

After the playground, we had a picnic on our picnic table in the yard. Then played some more, had dinner, played some more and had baths :) Now the girlies are in bed, Elijah is downstairs with Papaw, Noah is working on his ministry stuff and I am blogging.

Happy Saturday!

Preschool Graduation

2011-05-21T19:02:00.005-05:00

*Her hat kept falling off...I tried motioning to her to push it back up but she just kept smiling like she had been practicing. It was so funny and cute*

On Wednesday, May 18th, Kirsten had her preschool graduation. I can't believe our big girl is going to be in kindergarten next year. She has grown so much since I met her. Kirsten has really become much more independent over the past few months and is such a great big sister to Bella. She keeps Bella entertained when she is at our house.

Kirsten,

Daddy and I are so proud of you. You have become such a great little girl with a sweet prissy personality. You could not be more prissy and girly if you tried :) You are going to do great in kindergarten. We can't wait to see you grow more.

Daddy & Cori

Help me Choose Bella's Birthday Cake :)

2011-05-18T14:30:00.002-05:00

Please vote and help me choose which cake you like best for Bella's 1st Birthday. Obviously the theme is owls :) I know it is 2 1/2 months away but I just like to plan! ha. So in the comments let me know which one you like best:

Option 1:

Option 2:

Option 3:

Thanks so much for all your help.

I have a friend making Bella's 1st Birthday outfit and I will post pictures of it when I get it :) I am having so much fun planning this! I can't believe it is almost time to celebrate her birth! Such a magical time in my life.

Easter Part 2

2011-05-17T11:39:00.004-05:00

Here are the much anticipated (oh you haven't been waiting patiently at your computer for them?) pictures of Easter. Shockingly (sarcasm) we didn't get a single family portrait on Easter.

Mommy (sans makeup) and Bella.

Kirsten and her Easter bunny.

Could she be any more beautiful? I think not!

Bella with her "My First Easter" bunny :)

Can we say precious-ness? :)

Baby B playing with the kittens. (they no longer reside at our home in case you were wondering)

My big babies :)

Mr. Handsome (who refuses to smile at the camera for pictures)

Well at least we got this semi-goofy smile!

Attempt No. 1 at getting all three in a picture.

SUCCESS!! Love this one :)

I love all my beautiful babies so much. My life is so blessed.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19

Easter Part 1

2011-05-17T11:28:00.006-05:00

Yep, I am that far behind in my blogging that I am just blogging about Easter! ahhh! Here are pictures of the kiddos (oldest to youngest) opening their Easter baskets on Easter morning. I will do a post with their Easter best on after this one (hence the Part 1 in the title) :)

Enjoy :)

Sweet Elijah:

Water gun!

3D coloring book!

coloring book again..plus candy in the basket.

Silly Kirsten:

With her bunny, basket and treats.

With her coloring book :)

Opening her "little purse" (it is actually a lipstick holder in the shape of a purse that I thought was too cute) :)

Baby Bella:

Bella in her "My First Easter" bib!

Checkin' out the goods.

Elijah helping her open her gifts...she got Beauty and the Beast (my personal fave!)

We had a great Easter just spending time with the kiddos and loving on them. :)

JFC Designs

2011-05-11T13:33:00.002-05:00

I have posted before about my husband's ministry Jesus For Change. He has now started a new company that is directly linked to Jesus For Change called JFC Designs. He designs websites, flyers, business cards, etc. If you need any graphic design just contact him. He even does website hosting!

Email him for all details :)

My Best Friend's Wedding

2011-05-10T11:01:00.002-05:00

On April 30th, 2011, my best friend, Lesley married her dream man, Will. I love them both to pieces and could not possibly find anyone better for each of them! Will is the sweetest man and he is so good to my Lesley! Just love them both!

You may kiss the bride!

Lesley and I playing around before the wedding.

The beautiful bride!!!

The groom, Will, and me :)

Love her to death!

Playing around in the car on the 3 hour drive to the wedding :)

My ever-so-handsome husband and I! We had a blast! That was only the 2nd time I had been away from my sweet Bella overnight. We had fun having "adult time" :) ha!

Learning

2011-05-09T16:07:00.005-05:00

Bella has learned a few new "tricks" lately:

How to clap:

Where her tongue is:

How to climb the stairs:

(note the tongue again!...so cute!)

I love watching her learn and grow! She also stands for several seconds at a time but it is almost impossible to catch her doing that with the camera! :)

Let me Introduce you!

2011-05-09T13:25:00.001-05:00

To my new (and first!) nephew!!

Korbyn Rusden Bradley

May 6, 2011 @ 8:05pm

8lbs 2oz

20 & 1/2 inches

**I took all these pictures off my sister in law’s Facebook page. I have not met him in person yet but my arms are longing to hold him!**

Here he is with his big sister, Jayci Leigh.

I can’t wait to hold this precious little man! Welcome to the world Korbyn! I love you so much! :)

Bella 9 months old!

2011-04-30T08:02:00.002-05:00

Bella,

You are 9 months old today! Time sure flies when you are having fun. I love you so much precious girl.

-Weigh 21 lbs (official doctor appt next week and we will see your percentiles then)
-Size 4 diapers (just changed you to 4s this week)
-Size 12-18 months clothes (some 9-12 month but not many)
-Size 3 shoes

You pull up on everything and think everything is yours to put in your mouth. ha! You eat all your baby food soooo good now (except peas). You now take three 8 ounce bottles a day. You have baby food three times a day and one 4 ounce bottle of juice. You love baby yogurt (any flavor) :)

You are a zippy fast crawler and you can walk when holding on to something. You don't do it often but you can do it. You love to act like you want someone to pick you up and then when they do you wiggle so much that they have to put you down for fear of dropping you! ha.

You are a great sleeper. You adore your older brother and sister. You think you are big like them. You would much rather play with an empty pepsi bottle, remote control, or piece of paper than your actual toys. You don't like getting in your bouncy chair anymore until you have been in there for a minute. I think it is because you do not like being contained to one spot.

You are such a wiggle worm. Getting you dressed, changing your diaper, or anything that requires you to hold still is a huge challenge these days.

We love you more than words can express Isabella Grace. You are the light of my life. We love you forever and always.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

New Design?

2011-04-29T14:00:00.001-05:00

Like my new blog design?? I love it :) My friend Kelly over at Kelly’s Avenue Designs did it for me! Go check out her blog if you need a great new custom design!

Cedar Hill Farms-Easter

2011-04-29T12:59:00.001-05:00

On the Saturday before Easter, we took the kids to a local farm. We also took them back in October to the pumpkin patch there. We took my little cousin Stevie (even though he calls me Aunt Cori since he is only 7) and the kids of course.

We loved hanging out and just having fun. They have really cool stuff there. If you live near here, you should totally check it out. Happy Weekending!

Our new family members

2011-04-26T10:09:00.003-05:00

Introducing our newest family members:

Calico Kitty (girl)

Orange Kitty (boy)

I know these are horrible pictures because they were taken with my cell phone and if you have ever tried to photograph 5 week old kittens you would know how hard it is! ha :) They are soooo funny to watch. We have not decided on names yet. I think that the girl Calico kitty will be named "Callie". What do you think? The orange one is my mother-in-law's kitty and she hasn't named him yet. We are keeping the Calico "Callie" as our own for the girls. Elijah could care less about them most of the time. ha!

**Easter pictures coming soon!**

Fundraiser!

2011-04-19T13:49:00.002-05:00

My husband and I are trying to raise money for a well in Uganda for the orphans I have previously posted about. We need to raise $8,500.00 for the well to be dug and placed. This well will not only provide clean drinking water but it will also help them to sustain themselves with food and crops.

You can give through our chipin button above. Please pray and seeks Jesus’ guidance in your giving. We have a goal to reach this amount by August 19th!

If you would be interested in donating for a prize, please let me know what prize you would find worthwhile. We are looking into all options.

Thanks so much!

God Bless!

*You can find information about our non-profit organization and Shine Uganda Ministries here *

The Big Backyard

2011-04-19T13:41:00.001-05:00

On Saturday (04/02/2011) we went to the Memphis Botanical Gardens: The Big Backyard. It was sooo much fun. If you have kids are in my area and/or visit my area anytime, this is MUST do! They have such cute things for the kids to do. We spent several hours there and if Bella hadn’t gotten fussy we probably would have been there until they kicked us out :) ha!

Here are pictures from our day:

Yes, Bella was there too but she mostly just rode around in her stroller the whole day or was carried by me and Meme. ha :) The big kids had such a blast! We will without a doubt be going back (and more than likely getting season passes!)

Bella's First Easter Bunny Photo

2011-04-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

You get a line…I’ll get a pole

2011-04-15T12:57:00.001-05:00

And we’ll go fishin’ in the fishin’ hole….

They caught all those fish :) When we were in AR last weekend my dad took the big kids fishing. They had a blast!! I am not sure they had ever been fishing and caught something before! ha. Kirsten would not stop talking about how much fun she had. She went to daycare on Monday morning just spouting off to her friends about it! I love it when my kids make awesome memories like that :)

About Me.

2011-04-14T12:26:00.002-05:00

I have been writing this blog for a little while now and I can't recall if I have ever written a post about who I am. So Who is Cori you ask? (ok well you didn't, but I am going to tell you anyway).

I was born on May 1st in Little Rock, AR to my parents Dennis and Brenda Bradley. My maiden name is Cori Lynn Bradley. I grew up in Benton, AR where I lived with my dad and step-mom Dana. I graduated cum laude from Benton High School in 2004. All through high school I dated my "high school sweetheart" named Travis F. He was my first love. We broke up at the end of my senior year (for reasons I won't bore you with)

I started dating Trey S. later that summer and moved to MS with him. We married in September 2007, after many, many, many, many ups and downs in life. We seperated in December 2007 and were divorced in the spring of 2008. (I won't go into all the details here either) I am still very good friends with his mother...yes I know that is weird but that is ok with me.

I dated some random people here and there throughout all that time.

In June, 2008 I started working at my current job and also joined eharmony.com. I was matched with Mr. Perfect (ok, he isn't perfect, but I love him oh so much) and we talked online for a couple months. On September 1, 2008, Noah and I met in person for the first time. Love at first sight :). We took his kids (Elijah was 4 and Kirsten was 2.5) to the zoo for the day. We pretty much rushed right into a relationship.

In December 2008, we announced to our families that we were going to get married. It took me about a year to plan our wedding and on October 10, 2009 I married my best friend.

Now of course, you know (or should know) that we have 3 beautiful children. Elijah is (almost) 7, Kirsten is 5 and Bella is 8 1/2 months.

I am a Christian woman. I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is murder and should not be allowed. I am a conservative. I am not "Republican" because they aren't doing anything great up there either. I am a creationist. I can't stand Obama (and not because he is "democrat").

I work full time at a law firm. I generally love my job. I am in school full time to get my BA in elementary eduation. I have 3 years left to finish my degree and it can not come fast enough. I am very eager to be doing what I truly love in life.

I enjoy scrapbooking, sewing, anything crafty. I struggle with keeping a clean house and doing our laundry. I lose my temper too often and really seriously struggle with using the word "hate". I am addicted to shopping for my daughters.

Well I guess that is all you probably want to know (or didn't want to know but I made you listen anyways) :)

Hope everyone's day is going great. Oh and if there is something else you wanted to know about me..feel free to ask :) I am pretty much an open book.

Bella Walks!

2011-04-14T12:02:00.002-05:00

Well she has to push a chair with her but she is walking :)

The background noise is loud because at daycare the before and after school kids were still there :) These were taped this morning. I just can't believe she is doing that!

I just want to add a note that I absolutely LOVE our daycare provider. She is a stay at home mom that keeps children. She realizes that I truly want to be there for every milestone of my daughter's but I can't. So when she can, she videos it for me! Or takes pictures. I have tons and tons of pictures that she sends me on my cell phone or on the computer. It is truly awesome :)

Outside Cuteness

2011-04-05T15:03:00.001-05:00

We had some outright beautiful weather this past weekend and we took advantage of it and spent all day Saturday outdoors. The first half of the day was spent in our own yard and the second half was spent on an adventure (will post those pics soon)

Bella:

Kirsten:

Elijah:

(Have I mentioned how hard it is to get a good picture of this boy recently? He almost downright refuses to take a picture, unless he is the one that took it…more on that later!)

Bella, 8 months!

2011-03-31T15:56:00.001-05:00

Bella,

Oh my how you have grown. You are 8 months old now! You have gotten so much hair in the last month! I can put a bow in it without a headband but you do not like that so I just stick with the headbands for now :)

You are wearing mostly 12 months clothes with some 18 months mixed in. You are a big girl :) I would say you probably weigh around 21 lbs but I do not know your exact weight.

Size 3 diapers still and size 2-3 shoes (even though you rarely wear shoes because you are not walking)

You are crawling all over now! You have really started to explore your surroundings. Your number one no-no is the cords! You make a b-line for the cords as soon as we enter any room. (daycare, home, grandparents)

Bella, you still love your baths! I bought you a new blow up rubber ducky bath tub and you sure think you are “big stuff'” in that thing.

We have finally had to put up the baby gate since you are mobile. You don’t seem to mess with it too much. You are a little curious with it but in general you leave it alone. (you would much rather be near the cords! ha!)

You are such a great sleeper! I never have a problem with you waking up at night. On the rare occasion, you just wake up for a paci.

You are now eating 3 meals of solids a day, 3 eight oz bottles of formula and 1 four oz bottle of juice. You are a growing girl! You love baby cookies as a snack and your favorite snack is basically any type of rolls/bread! You love to smoosh it between your fingers :) ha! It is so cute.

With your solids, you like just about all foods except peas (still!) and you are not real fond of oatmeal/rice cereal without something mixed into it. Your favorite is sweet potatoes :)

Bella at 8 months :)

We love you sweet baby girl! Keep growing and making us proud to be your parents!

Love always,

Mommy (&Daddy!)

My babies

2011-03-27T09:26:00.003-05:00

These pictures were not staged...I walked in and this is exactly what I saw! So sweet. Elijah and Kirsten are such great big brother/sister to Bella and Bella ADORES them. They are seriously all the entertainment that she needs. ha :) They are loving that Bella is crawling and mobile and they can follow her around the house.

I will upload video soon of Bella crawling...too cute!

Bella Bathtime 8 mos

2011-03-26T09:25:00.001-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

$8

2011-03-21T12:33:00.001-05:00

What can $8 get you these days?

McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (biggie size)

A fancy schmancy hairbow for your little girl

2 gallons of gasoline

Or $8 can save the lives of these children…

These are some of the children I blogged about before from Shine Uganda Ministries.

8 dollars buys a mosquito net to cover these children’s beds at night. So for the price of one meal at a fast food restaurant, one accessory for you/your daughter/son, or 2 gallons of gas you can SAVE A LIFE! How awesome is that?!

Look at these faces.

These little faces are reliant on funds from donations. Please donate to them at Jesus For Change. 8 dollars can change their little lives forever.

(all images courtesy of Google Images)

(all pictures courtesy of Shine Uganda Ministries)

All I am asking for is $8.

Thank you and May God Bless you in all you do!

Psalm 41:1-2
Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

Proverbs 11:24-25
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

These Faces

2011-03-15T12:44:00.001-05:00

I am in love with these faces…

these faces are so very precious to me…

These are the faces of children that Love Jesus Christ (praying, above)

These are the faces of the children of Shine Uganda Ministries

These are faces of children that received their FIRST pair of shoes yesterday through donations from Jesus For Change.

Noah and I support these children through our ministry called Jesus For Change.

We are trying to raise $8,000.00 to help put in a water pump near their orphanage. Please consider donating to these children.

(*all money donated is tax deductible and 100% goes to spreading the word of God and helping these children. Jesus For Change distributes bibles, bible tracts, monetary donations, clothing (as seen below), school supplies, etc.)

If you do not have money to donate, please consider donating used clothing, school supplies. We would be willing to pay all shipping fees to Uganda.

We donate all of our children’s used clothing…

What a contagious smile!

Violet, in the middle, helps run the orphanage with her husband, David. As you can see, these children needs so much help and support. But most of all they need to know the life changing message of our Father Jesus Christ!

In His Name!

Blogging...

2011-03-14T12:49:00.001-05:00

I am just not sure I am going to keep up with my blog anymore. I have enjoyed it but no one really reads it and I started it for my parents to keep up with our daily lives but now they are on Facebook with me so I just don't quite see the point anymore. Maybe I am just in a "rut"...hmmm..I don't know. I am debating on deleting my blog. I dont really have many "followers" that read and comment often.

So if you don't see me around for a little while...I am probably still debating on keeping up with this blog or not.

:)

Splish Splash

2011-03-09T20:39:00.003-06:00

Bella

takin'

bath!

and she absolutely loved it! She loves her baths now and she actually threw her first "fit" when I took her out! ha :)

Kirsten turned 5!

2011-03-08T14:36:00.001-06:00

This is several weeks late (ugh I am such a bad blogger) but on February 23rd, our sweet girl turned 5 years old! Hard to believe but it is true. On February 20th, we had her a Princess Birthday Party.

All the Princesses in attendance (from top of stairs) Jayci, Hallie, Madison, Emma, Kirsten and Olivia. (Olivia is the only one not dressed up because she was soooo shy. But by the end of the day she had definitely come out of her shell. Such a sweet girl!)

Kirsten getting her makeup done by my mom.

I put down a big flat sheet with different makeup things on it and let all the girls get “dolled up”. They loved it!

Kirsten after she was all “dolled up”

Kirsten with her birthday cupcake. I refuse to buy a “character cake” from a store when the kids like homemade cupcakes just fine! ha. Plus it is so cost efficient!

Opening presents…sorry it is a little blurry. Noah was in charge of the camera that day! ha.

Oh and of course I can’t leave out my little man:

He was sooooooo good that day! He knew it was Kirsten’s day and I didn’t hear one whine or complaint from him! So proud of him!

And I have to show you this picture…I love this kid!

Me and my baby brother, Christian. As you can see, he is way bigger than me and he is only 14! (oh and I totally look preggo in this pic but I promise I am NOT!) ha.

We had a great time at Kirsten’s party and she got lots of fun stuff! :)

The next birthday in our house is Noah! He will be 29 in April.

Sure hope you all are having a great week!!

7 Months :)

2011-03-02T13:29:00.001-06:00

Bella,

You are 7 months old now! I know I say this on every post but I just can’t believe how fast time is flying. You are such a little spark plug of energy. I love being around you. Seeing your smiling face makes my day a gazillion trillion times better!

I am not sure how much you weigh exactly but I am going to guess that it is around 19 lbs!

You are still wearing size 3 diapers.

Your clothes are all 6-9 months and 9-12 months now.

You can sit unassisted perfectly, but you can’t seem to get yourself into the “sitting” position quite yet. You are close though!

You are mobile but you don’t do the “traditional” crawling yet. You get around with a mixture of scooting on your belly, rolling and the rock ‘n lunge! ha ha. It is so cute. You are determined to get where you are going.

Recently you are started “blowing raspberries”. You sound like a motorboat and it is so cute! You do it over and over and even more if we laugh at you! :)

You love just about all of your solid foods that I feed you with one exception: peas! I can’t get you to eat them for the life of me ..ha!

Bella, you are the light of our lives and we can’t imagine life without you! You are a daddy’s girl but you are also a mommy’s girl. :) I love everything about you.

You are such a great sleeper. I put you down for the night and you sleep straight through. On the rare occasion that you wake up in the night you just want your paci and then go straight back to sleep. You have not taken a bottle at night for about 4 months! We have started to let you try a sippy cup…you are not too sure about it. You mostly want to chew on it like a teething ring! ha.

Speaking of teething rings, you still have NO teeth! but that is ok with me because I love your gummy smile!

Bella, Daddy and I love you with all of our hearts. We thank Jesus for letting us raise you in HIS name!

Keep growing and being our special baby girl, Bella!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Bella goodness

2011-02-21T15:59:00.001-06:00

My gorgeous baby girl.

Doing pull ups!! :) (of course my dad was on the sidelines holding her up!) ha ha.

Playing in the plant.

(I had to crop this picture because I didn’t want our phone numbers on here)..but it says For Sale By Owner..ha!

and last but NOT least (this is my favorite)

Also here are some pictures of Bella just a couple weeks old wearing the same tutu!

I think she gets more adorable every single day!!

She was wearing her tutu because it was her big sister’s “Princess” Birthday Party and she wanted to dress up too. I will post Kirsten’s awesome party later! :) Much fun was had by us all!

Sisters

2011-02-16T15:24:00.001-06:00

Yep, this is my 3rd post today. I am trying to get caught up on some blogging ha! :)

Here are some pictures of my pretty girls! (Yes, they still have a brother but he refuses to be in pictures these days and I choose to pick my battles..ha!) I took these a couple of Sundays ago before we headed to church. Kirsten LOVES dresses and putting bows in her hair..I always give her a couple of options of bows and let her pick which one. She is always so proud :) Can’t believe that sweet girl is going to be 5 in ONE week! *sigh****Time sure does fly!

B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L! :)

“I am going to eat this couch mommy!”

Big girl!

Scrunchy face.

Whoaaaa, I am falling over!

My new screensaver on my computer! LOVE this one…such sweet girls!!

Love Bella’s face in this one.

Bella more interested in the arm of the chair than in mommy taking pictures.

I think Kirsten was telling Bella “let go of my dress please” in this picture :)

Kirsten is an awesome big sister. She dotes on Bella and just loves being around her. She gets Bella which toy she “wants” which is usually the toy Kirsten “wants” to play with too! ha ha. Love these two girls (and their big brother of course!) so very much!

Bella, the Daddy’s Girl!

2011-02-16T13:21:00.001-06:00

My baby girl is a complete Daddy’s Girl! and trust me..I LOVE it :) I have always been a daddy’s girl and I love that she is one too. Nothing like a Southern Daddy’s Girl! ha.

Lounging with Daddy on the couch.

Daddy cuddles :)

Yummy nose! She loves to put anything and everything she can reach into her mouth..not excluding her daddy’s (and mommy’s) noses :) ha!

My 2 loves :)

Bella’s First Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-16T12:42:00.001-06:00

Of course we didn’t “do” anything special for Valentine’s Day for Bella because she is only 6 months old but I could not resist the urge to dress her up in a “Valentine’s Day outfit” :) ha! So here are the only pictures I got of her. She was being a little stubborn that morning. These were actually taken Sunday, the day before Valentine’s Day before going to church.

I just love these leggings from Briar Claire.

Her adorable shirt was made by my good friend at Babee Producks.

Her beautiful bow is from Violet's Velvet Box. She has some awesome creations for a great price!

On Valentine’s Day, my mother-in-law kept Bella for us while Noah and I went to eat at one of our favorite restaurants Osaka! Nothing eventful for us. We are pretty simple. We don’t buy gifts, mostly because it is pointless :) ha!

Hope you all had a Happy Valentine’s Day!

6 Months!

2011-01-30T15:42:00.000-06:00

Bella,

You are half a year old! (6 months) :) Wow have you changed so much over the last 6 months. Your daddy and I could not ask for a better baby girl!

At your 6 month checkup, you weighed 18 lbs 2 ounces. I was kind of shocked because I was almost certain that you weighed at least 20 lbs :) ha! You are a healthy girl.

Here are some of your stats:

18lbs 2 oz (85th percentile)
26 inches long (75th percentile)

You wear mostly 6-9 month clothes and 9-12 months.
Size 3 diapers

You take about four 8oz bottles of formula, 4oz of juice and eat solids 2 times a day. Dr. M told us today to get rid of one bottle and up you to 3 times a day of solids :) I am not sure how this transition will go because you are a total bottle baby. But we will see. ha.

You roll everywhere you want to go now. You can scoot on your belly in circles and backwards but have not quite figured out how to go forward yet. You are getting up on your knees and rocking back and forth like you are about to crawl. I think it should be any time now :) I can't wait for that milestone..well I can wait because I know I will be chasing you EVERYWHERE! ha.

You do not like to nap. You have got to be the nosiest baby I know. Even Ms. D, your babysitter, and the ladies in the church nursery say that about you. ha. ha. You do sleep all night though. With the occasional exception of waking up for your paci.

You do not have any teeth, but you are teething so it should not be much longer. You are trying to sit up on your own but can't seem to get the hang of it quite yet.

You are so loved by your mommy and daddy, grandparents, brother and sister and aunts and uncles! You are the happiest baby! I love that about you. I love everything about you :)

We are enjoying every single moment with you. We are looking forward to all the wonderful days that lie ahead of us.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Randoms…

2011-01-28T13:39:00.001-06:00

At some point on the way to drop Bella off at daycare this morning she spit up all over her seatbelt and self. (Luckily, it only got on her mouth and seatbelt) I realized it when I went to get her out of the van. I said to her “Bella what happened?” in a joking manner..well apparently she thought that was funny and smiled at me really big with this spit up covered face! SO.TOTALLY.CUTE!

I have been working extra hard to be a better wife. I know I have my lazy areas (LAUNDRY!) but I have been making a conscious effort to not be so “lazy” in this area and others in our marriage.

I am planning a Princess birthday party for a certain little girl that will be 5 next month! Our sweet little Kirsten is turning 5 and I just can’t believe it. I am trying to make this party special. She will start kindergarten in the fall. again..can’t believe it!

Elijah has been horrible at school the past 2 MONTHS! at least 3 out of 5 days of every week he gets an “N” for “Not Satisfactory”. We have taken away toys, grounded, spanked…we are almost out of ideas. I am getting so frustrated with it all. Elijah is a good kid and the things he is doing are for attention. We know that he needs more “daddy time” during the school week but his mother refuses :( ugh.

Bella is almost crawling. She rocks on her knees for a couple seconds before falling flat on her belly. But I can see that she is getting soooo close!

We are having Bella dedicated at church on February 20th. I ordered her a pillowcase dress with her monogram and some bloomers with her initial “I” on them. I can’t wait to see her in them and take some pictures. But I am most excited about dedicating her to Jesus Christ before our church and family. A dedication at our church just says that we dedicate her to Christ and dedicate our selves to raising her in a Christian home while teaching her the Love of Jesus Christ!

Elijah has memorized John 3:16 :) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life”

Kirsten is semi-memorized it.

Noah and I plan on moving out into a rental house at some point this year. We are excited about it but also nervous. (If you remember, we live with his parents right now)

I have one semester left of basics and then I start my Foundations of Teaching classes! Can not wait!!

Three awesome movies coming out this year that I can not wait for: July 1st Transformers 3, July 15th Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and November 18th Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 :)

Off to finish my work now! :)

Have a good weekend!!!

A Bella First.

2011-01-17T12:03:00.001-06:00

Bella stayed overnight away from home (IN A DIFFERENT STATE!) for the first time this weekend (January 15-17, 2011…for record purposes). I was a complete wreck the first night. Noah and I had made plans to go out on a date to The Butcher Shop and to see True Grit at the movies. I got dressed up (& actually put on makeup..gasp!)…

We got to The Butcher Shop around 7:30 p.m. and was told that it was an hour and a half wait! I was already a hormonal emotional wreck so that kind of set me off. When we got back in the van, because there was NO way we would wait that long to eat, I started to cry and told Noah to take me home. I was sooo upset at that point. Hormones + emotional = bad night. So he took me home.

However, Sunday after church we did go see True Grit (GREAT movie by the way..and it is based in the great state of Arkansas where I grew up!) We didn’t get to go to dinner because my all time favorite tv show Big Love had its first episode of this season, which is the last season..so sad! So we (yes, my hubby loves it too!) went home and cuddled on the couch to watch that instead :)

Ok back to Bella staying the night away from home (gasp!) Here are some pictures of her visit that my step-mom and Dad took..most are with a cell phone so bear with me. ha!

Love this one! Bella and my daddy asleep together :)

Bella and Uncle Jay.

Yummy…I love my food mommy!

Oh and Papaw let me have some coffee!! It was yummy too!!

I fell asleep at church :)

I would say she was pretty much loved on and adored her whole visit! I did enjoy the little “break” but totally missed my sweet girl. As I type, my hubby is on his way to get her from AR :) I can’t wait to see her when I get off work! Lots and lots of kisses are coming her way!!

Happy Monday!!

Bella started…

2011-01-12T14:56:00.001-06:00

DAYCARE! and I cried..like a big fat baby..I cried! I know that is probably a normal reaction but it sucked! Dropping her off and watching her watch me leave was horrible. Usually I am leaving her at home with her daddy so she is ok with that. Noah has watched her since she was born (with the exception of my 6 week maternity leave)…so now she is in daycare! Today is Day 2 and Ms. D (her babysitter) said she is doing better than yesterday.

On Day 1, she hardly ate and was fussy all day! So glad that Day 2 is going better. She is in an in-home daycare run by a lady in the town we live in. She only has Bella and a little boy, J, who is 2 right now. (and might I add that he is absolutely ADORABLE!)

I hope that she continues to adjust and really enjoys going everyday. I know she is only 5 months old and she will adjust.

So big change for our family but definitely worth it because now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel with Noah’s school. He is in clinical rotations for his surgery tech position now and will graduate in April of this year! yay!

Bella’s First Snow Day!

2011-01-12T12:56:00.001-06:00

Several days before Sunday our meterologist was calling for 8 inches of snow here in Tennessee on Sunday. Of course, no one believed it because we never get that much snow. When Sunday rolled around, my parents (in AR) got the snow first..they got several inches (about 5) before it even started here. We watched it fall and then went to bed. We woke up to a winter wonderland :) We had about 5-6 inches total! It was so beautiful…

Our backyard covered in snow.

Bella’s first snow!

Daddy and Bella

Mommy and Bella talking about the snow :)

Bella’s snow angel!

Family photo in front of our house.

We didn’t get to stay outside long because it was too cold for little Bella. She loved it though and did not fuss for one second! Did YOU get snow recently?

Look What Bella Can Do!

2011-01-06T13:53:00.003-06:00

Sitting...

Sitting...

Crash and burn...

She is slowly but surely learning to sit up on her own. I know these pictures are not great because they were taken with my cell phone. I am loving this stage because she thinks it is so funny to sit up and then so much funnier when she falls. :)

I can't believe she will be 6 months at the end of this month!! Crazy how time flies when you are loving every minute of your life!!

Jesus For Change

2011-01-06T12:09:00.003-06:00

My husband has started a non-profit organization called Jesus For Change. We are working with several ministries to promote Jesus Christ and salvation. We are also collecting donations (money, shoes, clothes, mosquito nets) for an orphanage in Uganda. If you feel the Lord calling you to donate, please visit his website for more information.

You can also donate directly to Jesus For Change and we will purchase items for the ministries.

Thank you for your support.

Faith in Jesus Saves!!

Background..

2011-01-06T10:24:00.001-06:00

I know my Christmas background is still up...I really am going to try and get it changed this weekend :) ha!!

I hope you are all having a great week!!!

Teething...and Bella update.

2010-12-31T10:13:00.005-06:00

Oh.my.goodness. I never thought teething would be so hard on a baby..I knew it could not be "fun" but Bella is having the hardest time with it. Poor thing had/has a runny nose and diarrhea. Plus all the other symptoms/signs of teething.

She has started waking up at night like a newborn. She was sleeping completely through the night before this. I can see two pearly whites on top that have not broken through and I can feel two on bottom that have not broken through.

I had a bunch of friends on Facebook tell me their best teething advice..but if you have any..PLEASE feel FREE to leave it for me here :)

She has so much slobber but I think that is kind of cute! ha. Other than that, Bella is growing and doing wonderfully. I am going to have to baby proof the house this weekend. She has started to roll everywhere..she no longer wants to stay put and play with her toys on her quilt. That is so old fashioned apparently. She wants to be where the action is! ha! The girl cracks me up.

Yesterday (on her 5 month birthday) she started to get up on her knees a bit. I have a feeling she will be crawling in no time. I have noticed it more and more in the last 2 days. I try to help her but she gets mad at me..ha! She is so independant and strong-willed (like her daddy!).

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year (and safe!) We will be kicking it at home with the kiddos..exactly where I want to be :)

P.S. I will post some Christmas pictures soon!

Bella's 5 months old!

2010-12-29T15:11:00.000-06:00

Bella,

You are 5 months old! I can not believe how much you are growing. Your daddy and I love you so much!

You weigh about 17 lbs now. I am not sure how long you are..we will get that at your 6 month checkup. You are such a joy to be around.

-Just moved up to a size 3 diaper
-Mostly wearing 3-6 and 6-9 month clothes

You are a great eater. You have started eating solids much better. Peas and Green beans are not your favs but you will eat them mixed with cereal. Your favorite is apples...you act like you can not get enough of them! It is so cute the way you open your mouth like a little baby bird...I could just eat you up.

You have mastered rolling. You will roll all over the room to where you want to go. It is absolutely insanely cute! I think you will be crawling soon but I am not rushing it because we have not "baby proofed" the house yet. ha.

You still sleep all night, except for the past couple nights because you are teething. I can see one coming in on bottom. I hate that you are hurting but I know it will pass too.

You just had your first Christmas..it wasn't anything special to you because you didnt know what was going on. ha. But I cherished seeing you amazed at your new toys. I love watching you grow and develop.

We moved you out of your infant carrier into a rear facing sit up seat. You seem to like it very well. I love it because you do not fight me when I have to put you in it :)

You love your daddy so much but still tend to be a mommy's girl. I think you look a lot like me and your daddy.

Bella, you are so loved by everyone and I am loving every second being your mommy and watching you grow into your own little personality!

Love you forever and always,

Mommy and Daddy

Recent (& Not so Recent) Pictures

2010-12-20T20:13:00.002-06:00

Christmas Pictures

2010-12-18T07:51:00.004-06:00

Yes, I am still alive. I know my blogging has really fell by the wayside since Bella was born..but I just have sooo much more to do these days :) ha! On Thanksgiving weekend, my sister in law took some family Christmas pictures of us. Here are a few of my favorites:

I have several others I really like but I cant find them on my computer for some reason. I will try and post them later this week :)

I am pretty sure I won't blog until after Christmas. So I wish you and your family a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Bella's 4 Months

2010-11-30T05:52:00.003-06:00

Darling Bella,

You are 4 months old! Wow how time flies when you are having the time of your life raising the most precious daughter! You are such a great baby!

At your 4 month appointment Dr. M said that you were PERFECT..which we already knew.

-15 lbs (75th percentile)
-24 1/2 inches long (60th percentile)

You got 3 more shots plus an oral vaccine. Needless to say you did not like the shots. But honestly by the time we checked out and were in the car, you were just fine and back to "talking" to me again. But you crashed shortly after that :)

You wear size 2 diapers.
You wear 3-6 months clothes and some 6-12 months clothes.
You can roll from front to back and back to front now.
You sleep on your belly.
You sleep all night without wanting a bottle. However, you do lose your paci at night (usually 2-3 times) and I have to come give it back to you. Also, at "nap" time during the day you LOVE to fight your sleep.
You are eating some "solids". Here are what you have tried and the verdict on each:
-Peas....Spit them back in my face (that was nice)
-Sweet potatoes...didn't like them the first time but the second time you started liking them.
-Bananas...your FAVORITE
-Rice cereal...you like it mixed with a fruit or veggie but dont really care for it by itself.

Those are the only food you have tried so far. Except for the occasional dip into whatever mommy and daddy are eating. Papaw Dennis (my daddy) let you eat some cinnamon roll icing off his finger and needless to say you loved that too :) ha!

You eat 8 ounce bottles now about 5 times a day.

You just had your first Thanksgiving! Everyone loved holding and passing you around. You were the center of attention for most people there.

Bella, you are looking so much like me, your mommy, these days.

As I type, I am watching you play with your toys at 6 in the morning on a Sunday. You like to wake mommy up early...I think you think it is funny. ha! You are also battling a cold right now..as is the rest of our house. NO FUN!

You are so much fun and so full of energy. I love being your mommy and could not ask for a better daughter! You are definitely starting to show signs of being a daddy's girl though...and that is ok as long as you give your momma some lovins too! :)

We love Isabella Grace! We can't wait to see the little girl you become!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

“Not Meeting Standards”

2010-11-24T15:03:00.001-06:00

I am absolutely sick over this. This new policy that our local school district has implemented does not make sense to me. If you don’t want to read the article…here is the rundown. Memphis City Schools have implemented a new policy called “Not Meeting Standards” or NMS. What it essentially does is it allows students who make an F in any class (grades 7-12) in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd quarters to be able to make up all their work in the 4th quarter in order to be able to pass that grade/class. I am all for giving second chances. Maybe say, a student made an F on an assignment that they actually tried to do, not one they just didn’t do, give them a little better understanding and have them try again. I had a teacher that did this for us. If we failed a test/homework/project, she would let us redo it for a better grade but the highest we could get on it was an 80% which is still a B, much better than an F.

I do not however, believe in allowing students to slack all year long and then think they can make it up at the end of the year. I think work should be made up as it goes. I believe that this policy is doing nothing but instilling in our children that it is ok to “play now and work later”.

Also, I think it is unfair to students who work hard to get good grades the first time around and they see all the other students not working, then those other students get to “make up” all the work they failed in the first 3 quarters.

As a student in school to be a teacher, I do not believe in this policy whatsoever. I have read comments from other teachers that do not agree either. Most of the teachers are saying that these students have already been given chance after chance after chance and they still do NOT do the work. I do not believe this is an understanding the work problem, I believe this is a laziness, don’t want to do the work problem. And I believe this problem starts at home…not at school.

Parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives. Especially when it comes to education. A lot of these students need to know Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, there are very few that actually attend church regularly, that saddens me.

I really truly believe that the NMS policy is doing more harm than good. Do you have an opinion?

Halloween 2010

2010-11-09T08:47:00.005-06:00

Ok yes, I know I am over a week behind in posting this but better late than never, right? :)

We didn't have the big kiddos for Halloween this year but their mom brought them by so we could see them in their costumes.

Kirsten, the princess.

Elijah, the ninja.

Girls Halloween night, Bella was already dressed for bed.

I didn't buy a costume for Bella this year since she was so small. But I did buy her a cute Halloween outfit.

We really didn't do anything for Halloween. Our neighborhood doesn't get trick or treaters because the houses are spaced so far apart. I still dressed Bella up in her outfit and took her to Target though :) ha!

Bella's 3 Months!

2010-10-30T08:32:00.002-05:00

Dearest darling Bella,

You are 3 months old today! I just can't believe how time flies. You are such a little spark plug of energy and I am enjoying every moment with you.

You weigh 12.5 lbs now.

You wear size 1 diapers.

You wear mostly size 3-6 months but some of your 3 month clothes still fit.

You eat at least 6 ounces of formula every 4 hours or so.

You sleep about 6 hours at a time during the night..only waking up when you can't find your paci. You usually don't eat in the middle of the night much anymore, only on occasion will you actually be hungry.

You can roll over from your belly to your back and you are working daily to get from back to belly! You love to smile and kick your legs constantly!

Daddy is still keeping you during the day while Mommy works but you have spent a couple of days at a baby sitter and you always do really well. You have been to the church nursery 3 times now and Mommy always has to come in and check on you.

You are still a mommy's girl but you will follow your daddy around the room with your eyes hard core! You love him so much too!

Thank you for being such a sweet precious baby girl! I could not have asked for a better baby than you!

Your mommy and daddy love you so very much!

Love always and forever,

Daddy and Mommy

Bella Rolls :)

2010-10-22T15:06:00.002-05:00

Bella has started to roll from her belly to her back now...She is so stinkin cute I can't stand it!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

She does it all the time now..so "tummy time" is basically spent rolling her back on to her belly after she rolls over. ha!

Love this girl with all my heart!

My new endeavor

2010-10-19T11:34:00.002-05:00

I started a new blog just for my daily therapy really. It is about my life as a working mom and just some funny stories I get to hear about daily.

Just click here to check it out!

Tell me what think :)

It’s that time of year again

2010-10-17T16:36:00.001-05:00

Yes, it is that time of year again. When the leaves change and the wind gets cooler. When we wear boots and stockings.

and when we go to the pumpkin patch and farms.

(it has been unseasonably hot here so while she started off in leggings and socks they were eventually removed)

Yesterday, we went to Cedar Hill Farms about an hour from our house. It was tons of fun! Here is our fun packed day:

A fun time was had by all :)

Happy Fall Y’all!

I got a…

2010-10-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

New do:

I cut off 5 inches!!! I love it though :)

Singin’ the Blues

2010-10-04T10:50:00.001-05:00

Bella likes to

Play her guitar

and sing the blues

But then she….

Falls asleep :)

2 Months Old :)

2010-09-30T20:53:00.002-05:00

Bella,

You are 2 months old now! Mommy and Daddy just can't believe how much you are growing. You are so precious and have such the sweetest personality.

At your 2 month checkup, here were your stats:

10 lbs even (25th percentile)
22 inches long (25th percentile)

Your overall growth is in the 25th percentile of everything. Doctor said you are perfect just little :) We would not change you for the world!

You got your first round of vaccine shots at your appointment and needless to say...you did NOT like that! ha. But all in all you did really well at your appointment.

Your shots did not make you run fever at all but you did get pretty fussy and sleep most of the night after getting them.

You are starting to coo and goo at us all the time now.

You wear size 0-3 month clothes,you have officially outgrown your newborn clothes.

You are eating all soy formula now because my milk dried up. You are doing great on the formula. Eating between 3-8 ounces per feeding.

You still wake up about 2 times a night but we are working on getting you down to only once.

You look so much like your daddy these days.

Bella, Mommy and Daddy love you more than anything in the world! You are so loved by so many, including your older brother and sister. They truly adore you too!

Keep growing strong and being as sweet as you are now!

With Great Love In Our Hearts,

Mommy & Daddy