Florida Vacation - PT 1.

A few weeks ago, our family took our first "family vacation" to Clearwater, Florida. This was also both of the kids first time flying! They did an amazing job even though Charli Beth chewed gum so hard to keep her ears from popping, I thought she was going to dislocate her jaw! Bryar loved it and took some really good naps on the rides. Isn't it amazing at the difference of pilots/landing on each plane? Eek. Not a fan of the hard, throwing you back in your seat landing.

When we arrived in Clearwater, we were greeted by Curtis uncle Michael who we stayed with during our vacation.

The pictures that I will be sharing are not going to exactly be in order because some are on my camera as well!

Prayers Needed!!

A girl that I went to high school with but have actually got to know better through Facebook and the blog world is in need of all of our prayers! Her daughter Addyson was admitted to Vanderbilt Childern's Hospital yesterday after a CT scan showed several tumors on her brain. She will be at Vanderbilt until further notice but will also be having an MRI to give the more information.

Addyson's Mother Amanda is such a sweet girl that has incredible faith. My heart is so very for their family. But I know that God is in control of this situation and will continue to comfort them through her healing!

Please join me in prayer for this beautiful girl and her family!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/addysonclark

Photo was taken from Facebook.

Yay Buddy!

Baby Bryar started crawling on Friday July 13th. I was cleaning before our vacation and noticed him start to take a crawling step forward, so I swooped him up and rushed to the living room. I used a spining light up toy to get him to come towards me. I ended up getting on his little nerves since every time he would get close to me I would move further back.

That night started it all, this boy is now everywhere and into e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g!

30 things - several added in.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

Easy peasy. I would live in Montana. Even though I am obsessed with the state I still have never had the chance to travel there. When I was single, Charli B and I used to look at magazines talking about moving away and being cowgirls. We may still do it ( with Daddy and baby Bryar of course) ........ Kidding Mom!

Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.

1. Our house burnt when I was in the 2nd grade. We lived in what one would call a "holler" if you are from Kentucky but pretty much it was the middle of nowhere. I would take long walks in the woods, the creek or up the road to our neighbors and one day I was outside as several fire truck came flying down our little lane. I was so scared until I found out that my family was okay and actually had been outside as the fire started.

2. After the fire occurred we moved into an old farm house while our new one was being built. One morning I woke up with big chipmunk cheeks and an accessed tooth. I am not sure why but this day has always stood out to me. I can even remember the smell and the purple shorts/shirt outfit on that had a globe and stick figures on top.


3. My papaw took me to Walmart one day close to Easter and bought me a little white bunny that had a purple floral outfit out. I named her Penny and she was my favorite thing, ever. My Papaw died soon after and Penny was the closest thing to him that I had left until Charli came along who is named after him :)

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?

If I could pick on superpower it would be to know what people are thinking. Obviously I would go use this on my husband first during a fight ;) Ha! That would totally mess with him and make me "right" all of the time instead of just 99% of time. :)

Mixed Signals.

"A seed of worry can build a mountain, just as a seed of faith can move a mountain."

I sent this quote to my Husband a few weeks ago while at work during a time that I thought that he needed it. I never really thought that I would use this quote so often through out my days. I have sense added it to a post it note on my work computer as well as quoted it on Facebook. There is so much to be said in this quote and especially with the fact that it is really "hitting home" with me this week.

I have had a week of what one would call mixed signals from God. I sometimes get so confused whenever I pray over an issue for so long, feel that he has given me that answer that I need then in two seconds that answer is changed into something else, then changes back the next day. This is something that I have always found hard to adapt to in my faith. I wish it was easier and God trust me enough to just plainly give me the answer out in open, then guide me throughout. But he loves enough to make our own decisions - which is so hard for us sometimes when you want the perfect answer.

I have worried over a topic and cried this week over the excitement and the fear of change that it is going to bring our family. No I am not pregnant. Then as I sat at work today I read over this quote once again and it finally hit me that no matter what decision I make the Lord will stand by our family and guide us throughout. Although, he may stand distance he will be there to pick us up if we fall. It is always hard for us to remember this no matter how strong we are as christians but we should use our faith to guide us no matter how gambling the issue may be.

Forgiveness - 30 things

What has been the most difficult thing for you to forgive?


Let's just be honest here... I am NOT good at forgiving. I know that people always use the quote to reference forgiveness of "I do not forgive because I am weak, I forgive because I am strong enough to know that people make mistakes." But I personally say forget that and am strong enough to know better than to forgive so that it doesn't make me weak in the end.

Crazy, I know. Scars may represent where we have been but they will never dictate the path that I may follow.

So I guess simply I have not experienced anything that has been very hard that I have forgiven someone for. I have become content with something's but have not forgave, yet.

17.

What is the thing you wish you were the most great at?

This is such a tricky question because there are honestly thousands of things that I wish I was "the most" great at. Although, two things stand out most importantly to me.

1. Being a great wife
2. A great Mommy

Over the past year, I have experience one of the most rewarding and challenging things that life has to offer - being a spouse. Our situation has always been different and of course it was our decision for it to be the way that it is but we have a different kid of hard than most families. I struggled with a sense of PPD after Bryar was home from the NICU. I believe that my body was so pumped up for such a long period of time while taking care of him that I just hit a brick wall. Thankfully, my normal self started coming back around month 7 but during the past year I feel that I have not been the wife that I want to be for Curtis nor the wife that he deserves to have. I want, pray and need to be more for him!

I am also skipping the 30 things that I missed while out of town. Sorry for any confusions. I hope to blog about our trip very soon as well!!

#7 - Dream Job

What is your dream job and why?

Do I have to pick only one?

If had to pick today what my "dream job" would be I would have to say a STAHM. This is something that we all know that I long for each day. I want to be able to raise my childern myself and not having to worry about which sitter they will go to each day. I want to be there for all of their first or maybe even their lasts. I want to spend every moment that I am able to spend with them while they are littles. It is so important to me to soak in all of the little moments that are truly the big moments to us Mommys. I feel that it would make me a better Mother since I would have more time and a better wife to my Husband. I could be wrong but my house may even be cleaner! Ah!!

If I am ever able to stay at home with them I would also provide child care for other families to help make ends meet for ours. But in all reality I would be able to be there for exactly the reasons that I want and need. Maybe one day.........................soon.

#8 Passions.

What are 5 passions you have?

1. Childern - my very own to hopefully one day being able to foster a child and help make a difference in their life.

2. My Work - in every aspect.

3. Politics - in a sense.

4. My Religion

5. Charli's sports

Mr. Polka Dots

Baby Bryar somehow caught fifths disease this week and has turned into a big pink rashy mess.

His rash came up on Monday on his arms, legs and face and we thought it was an allergic reaction to something. Although, after taking him into the Doctor she quickly told us that even though it is the wrong season she believes it is fifths. She also said that she couldn't say for sure that it is fifths because it did look like hives as well. We have continued giving him Benadryl in hopes that it would clear but no such luck yet!

Hardest thing, ever - 30 Things!

Todays post is "What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?"

This is a simple question to follow although I feel as if I have been blessed to not have had to experience something that is truly VERY hard.

Being a single Mother was the hardest thing I have ever experienced. Thankfully, I was blessed to never have to experience it "alone." But as I have learned and could also see in the past, just having someone by your side isn't what counts. The courage, love, wisdom and the obvious factor of extra help means so much. Just having a companion to love you and encourage you through a hard day means more than you can imagine - knowing that they have "you six" (your back as h husband would say.)

My family helped Charli and I out more than I could ever thank them for. But to be honest, working 3rd shift, hanging with a toddler then going back into work someways was killer as well as attending college. It was hard stuff. But not something that I would eve want to take out of my life.

Even if I prayed every single night for the perfect person to be sent our way I loved the time that I was able to share with CB. It is amazing that a bond between a Mother and child can be so strong at such an early age.

5 Things That Make You Happy - 30 Things Link Up

What are the 5 things that make you the most happy right now?

1. That vacation is only days away :) I am so ready to just have a few minutes to relax and spend time with my family with minimal worries in the world.

2. That we have a home that gives us shelter and that has working a/c in it. This Summer has been, h.o.t so far. Oh me I cannot imagine how August will be!

3. Having a wonderful family. I have been blessed all around with a great group of supportive and loving family members.

4. My Hubby & babies- enough said.

5. That I have started blogging more. :)

Bryar 9 Month

I am a little late getting this in because I wanted to make sure that I had Bryar's exact measurements to add to his post :)

We went to the Doctor on Friday and little bud weighed a big ole 15 lbs 7 ounces and was 27 1/2 inches long! So that means he has gained 10 lbs and has grown 10 inches since birth! Isn't that amazing?! I am pleased with his growth, even if he is still on the small side. Bryar is such an active boy, and Dr. Simmons says that he is skinny because he is burning off his calories very quickly!

Weight - 15 lbs 7 oz

Height - 27 1/2 in

Sleep - What sleep? Ha! We are still waking up through the night but lately it is varying thanks to teething. I have started rice cereal in his night bottles to see if that helps any. Although, his waking is out of habit.

Clothes - 9 months - depending on the brand. In Crazy 8 brand he could probably wear newborn still because they run SO big.

Movement - Bryar is not crawling, yet. He scoots and rolls to where ever he wants to go. He loves to stand up and has almost pulled up. He also started trying to pick up tiny things with his fingers, then looks at them like they are the most amazing little things he has ever saw. We are getting there and I just have a gut feeling that once this boy moves he is going to give us a run for his money.

Eating - 6-7 ounces of milk at at time. We are doing more formula (Neosure) now than, ever. I am still pumping but to help with growth since I have such a low supply we decided to do this. He hates baby food, except a few that are textured. He loves yobaby and yogurt blends. He will eat a container at a time. We typically do baby food twice a day.

Teeth - Baby Bryar cut his first tooth about a week and a half ago. It is still just barely through the skin and is his bottom right. The bottom left is soon to follow. He gums are constantly swollen and achy at times.

Talking - No words ,still. But Daddy is really trying to get the "Dada" out of him first. Which is okay with me. I will let him have his moment of glory ;) So far Bryar just likes to scream, yell and "la la la la la la la" but I must admit that it is the cutest thing ever. Minus the times while out to eat when he sounds like an exorcist baby! He really has started to find his own little personality. Which is so fun :)

I cannot get over the fact that in just 3 short months baby Bryar will be turning 1! Ah, be still my heart. Why do these times have to fly by so fast? I know that the next month will be full of new things to learn and lots of fun! I am excited to see what all this babe grows up to learn and be!

30 Things - Dear 16 year old ME!

Dear 16 year old me,

I have been wanting to write you for a while. Why you may ask? Because there are so many things that I wish I could tell you to help you a long the way. But stupid choices and wrong decisions are typically what makes us, who we are and boy did you make a lot!

#1 That perm in your hair is SO not cute and it is going to kill your hair for the rest of your pretty lil life.

#2 You know that green car that you made fun of your sister for driving? Stop making fun, now! Your parents are fixing to hand it down to you. Even trying to give it a nickname to make it a little more cool by calling it, "The Green Rocket" will not work!

#3 That girl that you are BFFs with right now is going to turn her back on you as soon as life gets hard.

#4 Getting really drunk and going home....most dumb move you could of ever made. Mom is going to make you get up at 5:30 and scrub the entire house. Put your poker face on and smile the entire time while saying you feel just fine will only cause more cleaning!

#5 Next year, you will meet a guy. He will change your life forever. Be ready and make your heart strong girlfriend.

#6 Get that evil look off of your face! Having a good attitude and pleasant disposition is a good thing! People are getting the wrong impression of you and will remind you about over and over (and over) again as you get older.

#7 There are two boys that are going to get in a fight over you. One that is a boyfriend and one that is a friend. Don't try to stop them and do not cry because in reality the fight is not over you - boys are boys. Oh and do NOT go to the boyfriends Dad's work to apologize because you feel guilty, you will obviously only make a fool out of yourself!

#8 You need to pay attention in Math class. In just a few years you are going to be scared to finish college because you are SO awful at it.

#9 There is a girl that is going to become your new BFF senior year. You guys will be attached to one another's hips. Remember to enjoy your time with her and make the best memories possible, the Lord will be calling her home very soon. :(

#10 When your heart gets broken remember that the Lord has someone very special waiting for you! He just loves you an awful lot and is letting you learn just how strong you are at an early age!

16 year old me, you were a complete idiot in so many ways. But I guess you have to be young and dumb before you can be old and wise!

Sincerely,


24 year old me :)

Describe Your Relationship With Your Parents

Wow, so this may be the easiest of all of the 30 things that I will be posting on. My relationship with my parents is easy to describe - great! The main thing to start out with is thy my Mom is my very best friend. When everyone in my life walked out on me (friends including) my Mom stepped up to the plate. From holding me while I cried at my understanding while my friends were going on with their lives without me to go to Lamaze classes with me. She watched me struggle and me up most days so I wouldn't struggle as much. I can never thank her for all she has done for Charli and I - as well as our family now.

Same goes for my Dad (marcel) he works so hard for our family as a trucker and although he was not around as often as he would like he would for sure call every day to check on us. This goes for us still even as we have moved out. I am blessed to have parents that I can call friends as well! :)

3 Fears - 30 Things Link Up

The second part of the 30 things link up is 3 legitimate fears and how they came about.....

1. Death. Just the thought of dying and no longer being with my family brothers me. I know that we will be together in Heaven, but death in general just worries me. I cannot fathom the thought of loosing one of my loved ones. I have lost several good friends over the years and watching their families go through these times was devastating. I think we all have this fear.

2. Feeling like a failure as a Mother. I want to build good strong well behaved Childern that love the Lord. "It is easier to build, to build strong Childern than it is to fix broken men." I have always loved that quote because there is so much truth in it. I hope to be the best example possible for them to grow up with.

3. Sharks and Bees. Sharks have HUGE teeth and bees just make you have that anticipation of a sting. Enough said! Eeek!

20 Random Facts - 30 Things Link Up!

In case you missed my post yesterday, I am starting a "30 Things" blogging challenge. I figured that this may help me get back into my groove of blogging! A few of you have asked me where or how to link up to play along. But I would like to make sure that we all give credit to the girl who came up with this idea - her button was posted on my blog yesterday with the 30 things idea. Although, if you know of a good link up site that we can all share to read one anothers posts please let me know!

20 Random Facts!

1. My nickname is Pig.

2. Bubble gum freaks me out to no end. Yuck!

3. My favorite # is 11. At one time I thought it was an unlucky # so I made it my luckiest # by getting married on that day ;)

4. I want more kiddos. Like lots, but will it happen...

5. I miss dispatching. Although, I do not miss the hours.

6. I have not slept more than 4 hours at a time since before Bryar was born.

7. I do not make a very good office employee. I am a fast paced person.

8. I blow out my birthday candles on 9-11.

9. I was a fighter in school. Yes, I will call myself a redneck. My Momma should of whipped my rump into shape on several occassions.

10. I do spank my kiddos. If you do not like this, please leave this blog now :) Thanks.

11. While growing up I dreamed of having childern and a horse farm. Charli says we will make the second part of that dream come true, one day.

12. My husband is my rock.

13. I do not remember life before Charli. It is as if I became a Mom and everything else went away. I am sure you ladies know what I am talking about.

14. We only keep milk and water in our fridge, so that we are not tempted to drink coke products.

15. I can remember names and situations better than any person that I know. If you say a name to me, and I took a 911 call on them 3 years ago, I could probably remember the entire ordeal.

16. I am still in love with Montana.

17. I buy and eat way to much fast food.

18. I hate spicy foods but if you give me fire fries and a mt. dew I become obessed and cannot stop eating them. It's so strange?!

19. I hate a terrible attitude, and I hate it.

20. My middle name is Eleana kind of like Thumbelina from the story book.

30 Things Link Up!

I am going to start a new blog theme for the month that was found via pinterest! I really miss blogging and all of the time that I had in the past to do it. So hopefully this will help me get my blog swag back ;) ha!

The List:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you the most happy right now?
6. Why is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves that you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you wish you were the most great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

If you would like to play along with me, feel free to do so! Please link up or add the button to the crediting blogger!

Facebook Statuses

Facebook statuses are something that typically gets another person's attention. Why we may ask? Because everyone, everywhere seems to be obsessed with the website. I on the other hand, typically only like to post photos of my children and post a quote or verse in my status every now and then. The reason I do this isn't for the number of likes that I may obtain but to make you stop and think. To reflect upon your life or to maybe even help you get through your day. It seems way to often that I have read a verse and think, "Goodness, that was destined for me to read. I really need to start working on this a little more."

I sadly may not be the most faithful woman to Christ and I am still growing in my Christianity but that shouldn't make me stop and think, "Well I shouldn't post that because I cursed today." We all fall short in our lives, sometimes way more often than we would like to admit. But should that stop us from witnessing {in every way} to others? No. We should never feel as if we are not worthy enough of enlightening someone's day of words from the Bible, our heart or something we read in a quotes app. You may never know the power of your own words - until they are spoken of course :)