Sticks and Stones

Blogging Rhymes with Jogging

2012-02-08T10:46:00.002-05:00

I recently heard this quote:

"Every time I say the word 'exercise' I wash my mouth out with chocolate."

It isn't even the middle of February and my New Year's Resolution....well...let's just say it was a great three days and then I stopped.

Dang it.

I'm-Not-Good-Enough

2012-02-01T21:32:00.004-05:00

I have a case of the "I'm-not-good-enoughs." I hate that.

I find myself not contributing to a conversation because I don't feel like I have anything beneficial to share.

My introvert-ness is shining through. My low self-esteem is making a come back...seriously?! I am in my thirties and I still deal with this? COME ON! Grow up, Jamie!

Hope

2012-01-20T08:46:00.002-05:00

Last week I was able to sit down with a friend and we swapped stories, our life journeys, our mountains and valleys. We traded stories of emotional battle scars, battle scars that have made us into the women that we are today.

I could see my friend's pain as she tearfully shared. I felt her pain. I could relate.

As I recall certain seasons of my life, I can now see how God was there during every step. He never left, even when I wanted to leave Him. I had Hope and I have Hope. I'm grateful for my faith because if it weren' t for that, I don't know where I would be today.

I have had some dark seasons and I desire someday to be able to use my experiences to help others so they can have a Hope when they feel like they have lost all faith.

-------------------

2012-01-17T19:20:00.005-05:00

I'm struggling with a little case of the "blahs." Nothing major, just blah. Just in a little funk. Just enough to wipe the smile from my face but not enough to make it into a frown.

Not sure why because life is great right now! Go figure.

That's all.

Comparison

2012-01-14T21:11:00.009-05:00

I have struggled lately with comparing myself to others: personality traits, outward appearance, material possessions, talents, etc.

Thesaurus.com defines compare as "to examine in contrast."

Synonyms for compare:

analyze, approach, balance, bracket, collate,confront, consider, contemplate,contrast,correlate, divide, equal, examine, hang, hold acandle to, inspect,juxtapose, match, match up,measure, observe, oppose, parallel, placeinjuxtaposition, ponder, rival, scan, scrutinize,segregate, separate, set against,set side by side, size up, stack up against, study, touch,weigh, weigh againstanother

It also has an added note on the site. It reads: compare emphasizes thesimilarities between or among things, though not losing sight of the differences.

"Not losing sight of the differences." I need to celebrate the differences more.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

2012-01-08T16:27:00.003-05:00

Last night I fell asleep as I was praying for my husband, my family, our church, and thanking God for all of His wonderful blessings.

At first I was thinking, 'oh great, not again, I fell asleep before I finished praying.' But then I thought, 'how beautiful, I fell asleep while praying.'

I am pretty sure that God hears our prayers even if we don't conclude with "amen."

Legacy

2012-01-03T20:12:00.004-05:00

Sharing my story and leaving a legacy...

I have definitely been through some seasons that weren't so beautiful but with God's grace and mercy, He has turned those valleys into something amazing, something just that, beautiful.

God is really going to have to do a work in me and shatter the shy, introvert Jamie.

The Jamie that doesn't share.

The Jamie that doesn't take off the emotional mask.

The Jamie that is timid.

The Jamie that hides her scars...

the scars that He has turned into beauty.

I Have Been There

2011-12-28T14:52:00.003-05:00

I got a phone call from a dear friend of mine. She feels like her whole world is falling apart. She is scared. She doesn't know what to do. She is in a valley. She came to me for help and advice because she knows that I can relate.

I have four words for her: I HAVE BEEN THERE.

I've been there when you feel like your whole world is crashing down.

I've been there when you don't know where or who to turn to.

I've been there when you are angry at God.

I've been there when you feel like you have lost all faith in God.

I've been there when it takes everything you have to get out of bed in the morning.

I've been there when you cry yourself to sleep.

I've been there when you feel like you have lost everything.

I've been there when you feel like you have no friends.

I've been there when you don't want to leave the house.

I've been there when you just want silence.

I've been there when silence is lonely.

I've been there when you want to hide.

I've been there when you want to keep the shades drawn.

I've been there when you don't want to hear "God has a plan."

It is true, the valley sucks. It is difficult. I'm not going to lie and say that it is easy. It's not. It is horrible.

The Good News is that Jesus has been there too. The Good News is that there is sun/Son in the valley. God is still on His throne.

I will be there for you, dear friend, in the valley and on the mountaintop!

Ironic Life of Swimming

2011-12-11T12:49:00.001-05:00

Athletics were a big part of my life while I was growing up. I swam competitively for 13 years, ran track for 4 years, and played other various sports like soccer and volleyball in between. I had the constant aroma of chlorine on my skin, and when I wasn't dripping with pool water, I was dripping with sweat from other sports. I helped to coach swimming and also taught private swim lessons for kids.

I felt more comfortable in the water than on land.

I remember getting up in what seemed like the middle of the night to get to early morning swim practice before school started. The sky was dark and I had to brush the snow off my little Honda Accord.

I remember walking outside after long evening swim practices, the sky was dark and snow would be on the ground. My hair literally froze.

I remember getting tan lines on my back during summer swim.

I also remember my crazy eating habits. Unfortunately, this is not what you might think. I didn't consume extra calories to make up for the amount that I would burn off. In fact, I don't know how my body survived and how I could literally walk and stand up. I wasn't anorexic or bulimic but I was concerned about my body.

This was my daily menu:

Maybe one granola bar in the morning

Two granola bars at lunch

Dinner

What?! Three granola bars?! How could I even swim?

I didn't want to eat an orange because it "felt heavy" in my hand so I thought that I would gain the weight of the orange.

What?!

Sometimes on Fridays, I would join some friends for lunch and hit up the local bakery and eat a plain bagel, but that was just because it was Friday. Other days I would join my friends at restaurants for lunch but just eat my two granola bars.

I had some sort of messed up idea of nutrition (despite what my parents told me and what my health class taught me).

So, what is the moral of the story? This was bad. Don't do this. It isn't healthy.

The Emotional Struggle

2011-12-10T18:40:00.003-05:00

While writing out my story, I was forced to think of various seasons of my life from childhood until present. A reoccurring theme seemed to be an emotional struggle, even from an early age.

Why? I don't know. It just was.

I remember when I was in second grade, I laid on the dining room floor and wrote out with pencil on sheets of white lined paper "I hate myself" over a hundred times.

Why do I remember this? I can recall this moment as clear as I can recall family vacations to Mexico and trips to Disney World.

Sometimes memories have a purpose. Now I just have to figure out why I remember this and how to turn it into something beautiful.

Beauty from ashes.

Welcome Home

2011-12-06T20:09:00.003-05:00

I came home exhausted from a long day, and as I pulled into the driveway, I saw the girls scurry into position.

Upon entering our porch, I saw the girls sitting on the tile floor by a vase of beautiful pink flowers and a card that was made out to "Mom."

The card read:

"Thinking of you,

believing in you,

standing by you,

praying for you...

...not just now,

but always."

Mariah wrote: We Love you! and we are Proud of you!

Then Jerry wrote a message about how proud he is of me and his appreciation for my hard work and dedication to our family and to my new job.

I teared up. I love my family!

Lacking Confidence

2011-11-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

As I posted a few days ago, I am starting a new job. I'm nervous.

I am honored and humbled that someone saw my gifts and talents and wanted to put me and (and the gifts and talents) to work. I'm apprehensive. I'm a little anxious. I am unsure. Can I really do this?!

I am lacking the confidence right now that I can successfully carry out my job of creating curriculum and teaching developmental classes to parents and kids. Instead of a 5 Hour Energy Boost drink, I need to create a 5 Hour Confidence Boost drink.

Thinking positive thoughts. I CAN do this!

(I wonder if it is alright if I just smile and nod and act like I know what I am doing).

New Season

2011-11-20T13:27:00.000-05:00

I am entering a new season, a new chapter, in my life. I am excited, yet nervous, about a new opportunity as I venture out of being a full time, stay at home mom. I am beginning a part time job creating curriculum and teaching developmental classes to parents and children.

Seasons in life, are just that. I have enjoyed my time as a stay at home mom, but now a new season is beginning and I am excited for the changes.

My life "as I know it" is about to drastically change.

Tales from Motherhood

2011-10-27T13:01:00.001-04:00

Some of my ups and downs of being a parent can be found here: Raising Three Girls.

The Emotional Mask

2011-10-25T09:37:00.003-04:00

I bet you didn't know that I am a Semi-Professional Emotional Masker. It is true. I started perfecting this talent during my childhood and I think I am pretty darn good at it.

I am uncertain as to why I started to hide my emotions. I guess revealing true feelings is a risk. It made/makes me feel vulnerable. (Kinda like blogging).

It was/is a rare moment for me to shed tears in front of others or for me to talk about what REALLY mattered in my life. In the past, I have started to open up and share my emotions to close friends, and sadly, for some reason, the friends didn't stick around. This, in turn, made me put on my mask again. Hiding is much safer, and I guess I care too much about what other people think of me.

Talking about the weather is always a safe topic of conversation. You won't lose friends over the weather.

Sadly, the question of "How are you?" nowadays is more of a statement than a question. I, too, fall into this trap. 'I am fine.' 'I am doing well, thank you.' No, I am not going to pour out every little detail of my life to strangers, but I need to be more honest with the "how are you" question with close friends, and even family.

Is this blog post risky for me? Yes. (and I am stalling to hit the publish button)

Do I care? Maybe a little.

I have begun to take small steps in dismantling my semi-professional talent, and guess what?! It feels pretty good!

Writing

2011-10-23T20:46:00.003-04:00

I have been writing out my life journey, or attempting to.

I write. I delete. I get stuck. I write. I stop.

I have never done this before and it has been really refreshing. It also reveals of all the pieces that God has put together, in His order, in His time, and in the way that He wants.

Amazing.

This week, my nightly task is to finish my story, up to current day. I started from the beginning, but I know that after I reach the point of current day, my story will not end there.

I think I will conclude typing out my story with this: ...

I Stand in Awe

2011-10-13T15:55:00.002-04:00

I took this picture this week. This is the view from the street that we live on. We get to see this EVERY DAY! Words cannot describe the beauty and the picture doesn't do it much justice.

I never want to take this view for granted!

A Marriage Commitment

2011-10-10T21:24:00.004-04:00

Over 10 years ago, Jerry and I said "I do" in front of God, our family, and our friends. It was on this date, that we began a commitment, not only to God but to each other as well. We committed to read a chapter out of the Bible EVERY night and pray together.

We began doing devotions together since our wedding night and have not missed one night since then.

Am I bragging? No.

I want to be an encouragement to other married couples. I want to emphasize the importance of placing God in the center of our/your marriage.

This nightly task has not always been easy. It takes effort.

Doing devotions together has proved to be an amazing time that Jerry and I spend together, we read the Bible, we discuss the chapter, and then we take turns praying.

If there are nights when we are in separate locations, due to vacations, conference, etc, or if there is a night when we don't go to bed at the same time, we still read the same chapter and pray individually.

What an amazing way to end the day! It is near impossible to go to bed angry when you read the Bible and pray together. Jerry and I don't have a perfect marriage, but doing devotions together can only strengthen our relationship.

My dear friends, I challenge you to make a commitment to your spouse and to God to read the Bible and pray as a married couple. It is never too late to start a new rhythm, a rhythm that will soon become a healthy habit of the heart.

Mosaic

2011-10-06T14:51:00.003-04:00

I am really beginning to feel that God can use my story for His glory! This is a huge step for me, as I can be a quiet introvert. It is a scary thought.

All of my ups and downs of the past 31 years can be turned into something beautiful.

My life is a mosaic of broken pieces coming together to form a masterpiece.

God can restore. God can redeem.

Busy.

2011-10-03T09:18:00.000-04:00

I need to take a deep breath. Life has been a whirlwind lately.

I Don't Talk Much

2011-09-12T12:33:00.002-04:00

Someone called me and asked me to think and pray about being a keynote speaker at a women's conference. Considering I don't tell my story much, this might be a problem. :)

I do have a story. It is 31 years in the making.

I am working up some courage...

Unsure/Uneasy

2011-08-29T21:26:00.005-04:00

Tonight I am feeling a little uneasy about something. Not exactly sure what, just a feeling.

I looked up the word "unease" on thesaurus.com

Definition: restlessness
Synonyms: agitation, antsiness, anxiety, bustle, disquiet, disquietude, disturbance, edginess, excitability, fitfulness, fretfulness, hurry, inconstancy, inquietude, insomnia, instability, jitters, jumpiness, movement, nervousness, restiveness, transience, turbulence, turmoil, uneasiness, unrest, unsettledness, worriedness

Definition: anxiety
Synonyms: all-overs, angst, ants in pants, anxiousness, apprehension, botheration, butterflies, care, concern, disquiet, disquietude, distress, doubt, downer, dread, fidgets, fretfulness, jitters, misgiving, mistrust, nail-biting, needles, nervousness, restlessness, shivers, solicitude, uncertainty, uneasiness, watchfulness, worriment, worry

Wow, not sure if that helps, but thanks Thesaurus.com for all the synonyms.

I need to reassure myself that it is ok to "feel." I am learning how to "feel" again.

This is What it is All About

2011-08-28T20:35:00.002-04:00

A few times a week, my husband works with a gentleman that has autism. My husband explains this relationship as 'a friend for whom he cares' rather than someone he 'takes care of.' This experience has been a blessing to my husband, but also to me. It has been amazing to watch this relationship blossom and grow as this young man has become a part of our family but also a part of our church family.

Each week, he has a captivating smile and a monotone song to share (along with a new Matchbox toy car: today he had a new red corvette), but today was a little different. After our church service, we had a baptism service down by a local river. My husband had the privilege of baptizing his friend for whom he cares, and tears filled everyone's eyes, including the young man's mother, as she applauded the occasion.

It was an amazing moment that I will not soon forget.

An Old Prayer

2011-08-27T22:17:00.003-04:00

I am finding that God does answer prayer.
What I didn't know what that He was listening to my honest, humble prayer over 12 years ago when I quietly asked to become a pastor's wife.

WHAT?!!

Yup, you read that right. When I was in high school, I prayed about this calling...and God listened.

Never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would be in the ministry. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would be listening to my husband through the floorboards of the basement rehearsing his sermon. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that God would somehow use ME!

How He is using me...well that is up for discussion. I have a story. I am starting to become inspired.

Safety

2011-07-31T17:31:00.003-04:00

I have been reading other blogs with deeper thoughts and more transparency, but me, not so much.

I have a difficult time letting down my "wall" and sharing emotions. It is safer to be vague.

I like to be safe.

Sometimes...

2011-07-22T10:13:00.002-04:00

Sometimes...

*I organize the dirty dishes in the sink so it doesn't look like there are so many dirty dishes and then I can wait a little longer to wash them
*I leave a little toilet paper on the roll so I don't have to change the roll
*I leave a small piece of cake in the pan so I don't have to wash the pan
*I put the laundry through another fluff cycle do I don't have to fold it right away
*I kick crumbs or dirt under the couch so I don't have to vacuum
*I ignore a small bug in the house so I don't have to kill it
*It is easier to throw something away than to put it in its correct spot (ie: paper clips, rubber bands)

Just so you don't think I am lazy, I don't do this ALL the time...just sometimes.

10 Years!!

2011-06-10T20:39:00.002-04:00

Jerry and I celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary yesterday! Wow, 10 years!!

He has always been amazing at planning mystery dates for me and once again, he proved to be successful! Jerry planned out two days of fun and relaxation for us and the only detail he told me was that I had to wear tennis shoes and we had to leave the house promptly at 8:00am.

Our day began with Jerry taking us to a three hour zip line tour through the mountains!! It was more than amazing! Absolutely beautiful.

If you look closely, you can see Jerry in the middle of the zip line.

After our zip line adventure, Jerry planned a picnic for us on the top of a mountain. Romantic! We heard thunder in the distance and saw lightening but we decided to make the hike anyway.

From the top of the mountain, storms surrounded us, but we did not get a drop of rain. Again, beautiful!

After our picnic, we hiked down the mountain and drove to check in at our hotel for the night. We stayed at a fancy, historic hotel called the Grove Park Inn.

We went out to dinner and a movie that night and then after sleeping in the next morning, we enjoyed a relaxing day by the pool in the sunshine.

Someone must really love me! :)

It was an incredible few days with my best friend!

It's That Time of Year Again!

2011-06-03T12:50:00.003-04:00

It's National Donut Day!! Time to celebrate my favorite food!!

Actually, the truth is, we don't have any donuts in the house. For real. No sugary fried goodness sitting on the counter tempting me to shove them into my mouth.

I still prefer to spell the word donut instead of doughnut.
I enjoy the cake donuts over the yeast raised ones.
Not a fan of donuts with nuts.
Not a fan of cream filled donuts.
Jelly filled donuts are ok (they are my dad's favorite).
If had to choose white icing over chocolate icing, I choose white.
I don't like to share my donuts.

So, I guess I will celebrate with the rest of the country from afar.

Cheers!

A Mother's Day Tradition

2011-05-07T21:35:00.004-04:00

Seven years ago, my father-in-law started a tradition. Every year for Mother's Day, he would take all four of us girls (two of his girls and two of us 'in laws') shopping for a new dress. All four of us looked forward to this day; time with our father-in-law and time with just the girls.

I remember the first time we all went dress shopping: my father-in-law paced near the dressing room, trying his best to be patient with all of us and we went in and out of the dressing room about 50 times.. and then we needed shoes to go with the new dress so we had to go to the shoe store...and then we needed jewelry to go with the new outfit so we had to go to the jewelry store...and then we were all hungry from shopping so we begged to go out for dinner. :)

We all laughed nonstop and my father-in-law would roll his eyes but really he was loving spending time with all of us girls on our yearly 'date.'

Today, was Mother's Day dress shopping day.
I was sad.
I miss them.
I have been fighting back tears all day. I am glad they had fun but I wished I could have been there to laugh too. I am glad they all got fun new dresses and I wished I could see the dresses in person so I could tell each of my sisters that they look beautiful.

I am blessed with such a great family, that not only is family but are friends too.
I miss you Dad DePoy
I miss you Jenny
I miss you Janelle
I miss you Sara.

On a side note: My father-in-law sends me money so I can go shopping to get a new dress too! Yay!

Dr. Seuss

2011-04-08T16:56:00.000-04:00

The other day I was reading to Ambria before nap time. She picked the book "Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog."

The children's book poses a bunch of questions like, would you rather be a cat or a dog, would you rather be tall or short, etc.

I paused when I got to this question: Would you rather be a window or a door?

This is quite a thought provoking question.

Thank you Dr. Seuss.

Two Blogs

2011-04-07T12:52:00.002-04:00

I enjoy posting on my other blog Raising Three Girls better than Sticks and Stones. My thought with having two blogs was one for parenting/kid/mom stuff and the other blog for any other things that don't fall under any of those categories.

I am finding that because I am a mom
and that is what I do
and how I think
and how I live,
it is difficult for me to separate those thoughts.

It is challenging for me to decipher the difference between who I am and what I do.

A Little Unsure

2011-04-06T09:55:00.003-04:00

Sometimes making a decision is a little difficult for me, big and/or small decisions.

I need to make a decision and be ok with the choice I made.
I can't worry about the choice I made and wonder if it was the right decision.

Not sure if this makes sense, but I am making a decision to post this...and then I will ponder if I should have posted it... :)

I'll Huff, and I'll Puff, and I'll Blow Your House Down

2011-02-25T15:04:00.004-05:00

Today has been an extremely windy and blustery day outside, our house is rattling and shaking, and I can almost feel a slight breeze through the closed windows. Ambria and I made an adventure out of going to get the mail and trying to not get blown away! We laughed...

Due to the windy weather, I was thinking about posting a status update on facebook about feeling like the big bad wolf was outside trying to huff and puff and blow our house down, and how it isn't going to work because our house is made of bricks...but then I thought about it more and how people could read into that simple status update. (Because that is what people do, whether their thinking is true or not).

Wow, there are some major parallels with that fairy tale and our life right now. The 'big, bad wolf' will not be able to blow our family, our home, our house, our life down, because it is built upon The Rock. The bullets of criticism and rocks may hurt or attempt to harm our family, our home, our house, and our life, but they will not destroy.

I do recall that at the end of the story (in the version we have on our shelf), the wolf gets killed and the protagonists wins. And I do recall that at the end of the Bible, the good guys win!

2011-02-17T13:16:00.002-05:00

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
Let it shine
Let it shine
Let it shine

Sorry for Not Posting Lately

2011-02-02T15:52:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts. Find out why when you read Oh the Joys of My One Handed Life on my other blog Raising Three Girls.

P.S. Sign up to "follow" my new blog along with this one so you can find out when I write something new for your reading enjoyment.

North Carolina Snow

2011-01-07T20:19:00.001-05:00

Michigan Snow

2010-12-31T21:54:00.003-05:00

Ironic, but for the second year in a row, we were in Michigan while North Carolina got a record snow storm. Last year, we missed a storm that caused our house to be without power for five days, and this year, we got over 9 inches of snow at our house. I guess we are just lucky that we missed out. We'll have to see what next year brings.

I got a new DSLR camera for Christmas so I had fun playing around with it.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T20:34:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Christmas a few times, once at our house in North Carolina, once in Holland, Michigan with my family, once in Muskegon, Michigan with Jerry's family, and also Christmas morning with just our girls. We had such a great time and it was wonderful to see all our family and friends back in Michigan too. Here are just a few of the many pictures from the past month (I had a difficult time choosing which pics to post).

Decorating our tree

Sisters working hard

The Perez cousins

(we got to meet our new nephew, Ian. He was born

in February, but we hadn't been able to see him yet).

Ashlyn's First Christmas

Marcie, my sister-in-law, meeting Ashlyn for the first time

The Perez Family

Up to Muskegon to visit the DePoy's

Christmas morning

Mariah loved to sweep by the fireplaces. She was up at

4:45am on Christmas morning and decided

that besides checking under the Christmas tree,

she thought she should sweep too.

Ashlyn found a baby doll in her stocking

ALL the DePoy cousins

(now this was a difficult picture to take)

Baby Rant #2

2010-12-09T19:46:00.002-05:00

Here is the second chapter of my baby rant and a follow-up to Baby Rant #1 from back in August.

For the most part, the comments from strangers thinking that Ashlyn is a boy (despite the color PINK everywhere on and around her) have faded. I still hear an "it" every now and then, but I just politely smile and move on or answer the bystander's question with "SHE is five months old."

UNTIL yesterday.

We had a fantastic family day out and about and the girls were all dressed up in Christmas dresses. I went into the restroom to change Ashlyn's diaper and a lady was swooning over us while I changed Ashlyn. The lady says, "Oh, how handsome! What a precious baby boy!"
BOY?! Are you kidding me?! Ashlyn has EARRINGS and has on a DRESS and has a BOW in her hair and since you are looking, lady, her diaper is OFF and I only see girl parts here.
I just smiled and didn't comment.

To this stranger's defense, maybe the black and white and red dress threw her off and maybe she was TRYING to give Ashlyn some privacy and not look while I changed her diaper and maybe she didn't see the earrings and/or the bow. BUT STILL...UGH!

Oh well, life goes on.

My three girls in their pretty dresses

Making Christmas Cookies

2010-12-06T20:21:00.002-05:00

I decided to try making Christmas cookie cut-outs with the girls this year. This is the first year that I have made Christmas cookies without my mom, so it was a bit of an experiment. Well, they turned out great and we had a lot of fun making them. The girls really enjoyed using the cookie cutters and they had fun frosting and decorating them too.

Not only was this a baking experiment, but it was also a challenge for me not to freak out over a messy kitchen. I am a bit OCD. I really just tried to enjoy making memories with the girls and kept reminding myself that I can clean the kitchen later. I did ok with this task.

Getting started

The MESS

A MESSY little baker

Ta-da! The finished product

The First Snow

2010-12-06T20:13:00.003-05:00

We got a light dusting of snow yesterday but then the snow picked up a little in the evening. Yup, you guessed it, our first snow day! We have about 4 inches on the ground and the girls are more than excited.

These pictures were taken when the ground was barely covered, but the girls didn't care.

A Successful Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-11-26T20:41:00.002-05:00

I touched a RAW turkey!!

This was a big Thanksgiving for me...I cooked everything myself! For the past 30 years, my mom made the turkey and all the trimmings, but this year was different.

We just stayed at our humble abode in the mountains and enjoyed Thanksgiving Day with just the five of us.

All the food turned out great, nothing was raw or undercooked or rotten or moldy. Thanks to my mother, a great teacher, whom I watched from a distance for many years. (My older brother and I would always fight about who got to baste the turkey--ha, this year, I GOT TO DO ALL OF IT!)

The hardest part of the whole day...touching the RAW turkey. Gross. No one told me I would have to do that. I NEVER touch raw meat (yes, I am weird). I truthfully thought to myself, "maybe I will put plastic bags over my hands" as I just stood and stared at this raw, slimy thing. So, I just did it.

I am trying to erase those images out of my head. Just gross.

I TRIED Collard Greens!

2010-11-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

...and I didn't like them. We have some new friends that have quickly become really good friends and we hang out with them at least once or twice a week. Well, he is a vegetarian and she is a vegan, which means I am trying and/or being exposed to many new vegetables. So far, I have tried squash, different kinds of beans, zucchini, collard greens, mushrooms, and probably more stuff that my friend hasn't told me about because she just chops it up really small and mixes it in.

You see, this is all new to me because I only eat "normal" vegetables like carrots, corn, potatoes, and lettuce.

The verdict? I am still alive, so this means all these new vegetables ARE really edible!

I Got Sucked In

2010-11-24T12:20:00.003-05:00

If you read my post below regarding spending money on MYSELF and get something just for ME that didn't involve kids or babies or toys or spit-up, well, that didn't last long. I saw another magazine deal for 3 years of Parents magazine for $5.99 and I couldn't pass it up. So, there you have it, now I have one magazine for recipes and other womanly whatnot and such and one magazine about boogers and diapers and how I can be a better parent. I guess it is the best of both worlds...maybe.

Now I have to FIND the time to read TWO magazines each month. Not sure if that will ever happen.

I Have a New Blog

2010-11-17T19:03:00.002-05:00

Don't get your panties in a bunch, I am still keeping Sticks and Stones, and I will update it often. However, my new blog focuses more on parenting, or lack there of. It is a more in depth glimpse of our lives as we journey through the ups and downs of raising three girls.

It is called Raising Three Girls
http://raisingthegirls.blogspot.com

Ashlyn's Voice

2010-11-12T15:01:00.003-05:00

Here is a conversation I had with Little Miss Ashlyn.

I love her to pieces! (even if she didn't keep her promise...)

Disclaimer: If you don't want to hear a baby coo/babble for over 2 minutes, then don't push the play button.

Milk.

2010-11-12T13:11:00.003-05:00

A blog post about milk? Why, yes it is. I am not sure if this is blog-worthy, but milk can bring up all sorts of interesting topics.

1. The expiration date! This is one unwritten rule that 99% of people will abide by.

2. The smell. Even if the milk is a week from the expiration date, most people will still smell the milk before they use it. And for sure, everyone smells the milk the day before, the day of, and the day after (whoa the day after is pretty risky) the expiration date.

3. The milk percent. Most people have their favorite and some people are die-hards about not drinking any other percent than their favorite preference. I usually buy two gallons of milk, 1% for me and 2% for Jerry. If the 1% is gone, I will sometimes use the 2% but Jerry will never use the 1%.

4. Our local grocery chain packages milk in YELLOW gallons. This took me some getting used to and most of our visitors that come from other states, think that these gallons are orange juice.

5. As you can see from the picture (yes, as stated before, we have two different kinds of milk in the house at all times), the 2% milk has a picture of a girl on it and the 1% has a picture of a man. My girls will only drink the milk from the gallon with the picture of the girl on it. They call it 'the girl milk.' (Living with girls is a whole separate blog post or novel really).

Milk discussion is over.

I Officially Feel OLD

2010-11-09T15:57:00.003-05:00

I saw a deal today on a website: a 2 year magazine subscription, 34 issues, for $4.99, and I just couldn't pass it up. I had to think twice, because my MOM reads this magazine and if I read it, then that must make me old, or not stylish, or not hip, (insert your own word to describe a stereotypical mom/grandma). I am not saying that my mom is not hip, but you get the idea.

What was the magazine you ask?.....

Yup, like I said, I feel old. It isn't a subscription to In Style or Vogue, but WOMAN'S DAY!

This means a few things:

(1). I actually spent $4.99 on MYSELF. This is rare since I love/am addicted to buying/looking at toys and/or clothes for the three girls. I tend to find myself in the bright pink toy aisle or children's clothes section of each store. Jerry wants me to spend money on myself, but instead, I just choose to wear the old, faded, out of style clothes I had since I was a freshman in college and spend the money on the girls instead. (maybe he is trying to give me a hint...)
(2). This is the first magazine I have gotten that is NOT about babies, kids, toddlers, toys, educational parenting, how to avoid fevers, the best baby products of the year, the fears of labor and delivery, the horror stories in the delivery room, and how to get spit up stains out of my clothes.

You see, this is a monumental purchase is so many ways.

This $4.99 is a big step in my life. This $4.99 may change me forever...

An Honest Prayer...(a comical, but embarassingly true exerpt)

2010-10-25T07:58:00.000-04:00

Dear Lord
Thank you for this beautiful fall day that you created, thank you for my wonderful family
('did I get out Mariah's school clothes, I think I did. She is almost out of clean pants. I need to do laundry tomorrow')
Thank you for our health and that everyone is feeling better. I pray for ___ who is having health problems and ____ who has some important doctor visits this week.
('Jerry needs to call the doctor. We all need to get our flu shots. Last week's doctor appointment with Ashlyn was horrible. I am glad Ashlyn's legs are feeling better from her shots. That appointment was on Thursday. Survivor was on television the night before. Oh yeah, I forget, who got voted off? Oh yeah, and it was nice to relax on the couch tonight and watch Amazing Race. I have to do laundry tomorrow')
Zzzzzzzzzzz.

It's Been a Year

2010-10-03T20:30:00.001-04:00

Yup, that is right, we have lived in North Carolina for a year now. What this means is that we have not lived in Michigan for a year, we have traded in the Big Lake for the mountains, our little brick house on the side of a mountain has become our home, we have added one family member, we are all a year older, and the leaves are changing colors again. We stepped out on faith and we continue to step out on faith...

Faith is what has gotten us this far.

I am more than ready for this valley, this season of our lives, to be over with, I am ready for the future. (I think I have been saying this for a long time now).

Asheville has been good to us. We like it here. It is home (for now until God calls us elsewhere). We miss our family and friends back in Michigan (but we have made some new friends that have become like family), and we miss our old neighborhood with sidewalks and parks on every corner.

This has been the new beginning that we have needed.

A Few Smiles and Coos

2010-10-03T20:21:00.000-04:00

Whenever the camera comes out, Ashlyn stops smiling and cooing. I finally captured a few but when she sees the camera, she just starts staring at the foreign object. This will do for now...

You might not think this is excited, but I think it is pretty cute. Her smiles make me smile.

A Little Premature

2010-09-19T20:43:00.002-04:00

As Ashlyn turns three months old, I am trying to remember her first hours and first days in this world. My Labor and Delivery story and five day stay in the hospital can be read below, but this post is about Ashlyn's surprise entrance, almost five weeks early.

Due to severe preeclampsia, the doctors decided to induce me but before this could be done, an ultrasound had to be performed to check on the baby's lungs. Praise the Lord, everything looked great with the baby; however, there are always some unforeseen events that could occur with the baby after delivery, so a NICU team was present, just in case. Again, another praise, that Ashlyn looked and sounded great after she was born, her lungs were developed, her breathing was great, and she didn't have any trouble eating. Ashlyn weighed 4lbs 15 ounces but was holding her own. She didn't have to go to the NICU, another praise.

Ashlyn is considered to be what is called a "late-term preemie," but one thing to watch for with preemies is their body temperature. The babies have to regulate and maintain their body temperature without any help from the warmers, so the nurses wrapped the Ashlyn in at least four blankets, they put three hats on her head, a shirt on her as well as a shirt upside down to be used as pants. Ashlyn needed to have a temperature of 98 degrees for 4 hours straight before she could have a bath. She had a little trouble doing this, so it took a while before she could have her first bath.

Wrapped up like a burrito

Upside down shirt as pants (you can kind of see it in this pic)

Ashlyn was doing great so she was able to come home with us! She was almost 4 1/2 pounds so in order for her to leave, the nurses had to perform a car seat test. Ashlyn had to sit in her car seat for 40 minutes with different monitors hooked to her to check her breathing and oxygen levels. She passed!

Here is a pic of Ashlyn during the car seat test.

Now, three months later, Ashlyn continues to do well. She is gaining weight and eats well. She weighs 8 pounds 3 ounces now (some newborns are this size, hehe). I know there will be some developmental delays, she might possibly lag behind on some benchmarks by about a month. She is JUST starting to smile a little, which is WAY different than the other girls who started smiling at six weeks old. She is a little fighter though. Other than a few delays, it doesn't look like there will be any long term affects due to Ashlyn's early arrival. Yet, another praise!

My Heart...

2010-09-13T12:29:00.002-04:00

is overflowing with love! Some days I have little "bursts of happiness" as I like to call them, when I think of how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family.

(not pictured: my amazing husband!)

Chuck E. Cheese Experience

2010-09-10T22:13:00.003-04:00

We decided that tonight would be a great night for a family fun night at Chuck E. Cheese. Wahoo, everyone was excited and the girls couldn't wait to get there.
"Are we there yet?" the girls chimed every two minutes.

The night was filled with games, rides, pizza, you name it. When all of our tokens (Ambria called them "coupons") were used, what else is left, but to go to the Ticket Muncher and see how many tickets we had....

Drumroll please.....800!!

Are you kidding me? 800!!

Do you know what this means?!

This means we can get a cool prize and not some stupid little prize that breaks on the way home.

This means we can get more than a Tootsie Roll!

This means we can get more than a necklace!

I think I was more excited than the girls were.

I have never had 800 tickets before so I was like a kid in a candy shop, my eyes wide with excitement.

Ok, time for the girls to choose a prize. They could get an awesome toy, like a ball with spikey things all over it, a slinky, a purse, some sort of crazy lizard thing...the options were almost endless when you have 800 tickets (ok, so we weren't THAT cool, and didn't have 1000 or 3000 tickets like some other chumps).

I was trying SOOO hard not to persuade them into something they didn't want, but I really didn't want them to choose a crap toy that got lost the next day or broke in an hour. We really don't need any more little crap toys around the house.

This is what Mariah chose: Cotton Candy, a crap necklace, and crap lip gloss.

This is what Ambria chose: Cotton Candy, a crap bracelet, and a crap pack of crayons.

Oh! Ugh! No! Really?! Is that what you REALLY want?!

Yup.

Cotton Candy was a good choice, but everything else I had to cringe.

I had to let the girls be independent.

I had to allow them to choose.

I had to let go.

I had to be ok with them getting crap toys.

The Chuck E. Cheese experience is just the beginning of the girls' independence, like it or not, ready or not, I have to allow them to be individuals.

In a World of Oblivion

2010-09-01T16:09:00.003-04:00

Oblivious
–adjective
1. unmindful; unconscious; unaware
2. forgetful; without remembrance or memory

Sometimes I would like to be as oblivious to the world as a young child...you know, where your biggest concern is what's for lunch or what is for dessert or what show is on television or what color should I paint the butterfly.

I have seen a few pictures of myself lately and I can "see" what I am thinking in each photo. It is usually something like, where are the girls, I have to get dinner started, where did I put the keys, the laundry is getting wrinkled. I am always thinking one step ahead and not living in the present.

I wonder how many wonderful, priceless moments I have missed in the last few years, because I am focusing on the past or thinking about how we are going to get to the future.

What about the present?

One of my favorite times of day is when I go check on each of the girls before I go to bed myself. I silently pray blessings over each one, re-tuck them in, and give them a kiss. They are oblivious.

Sometimes I wish I were oblivious as a young child.

Baby Rant #1

2010-08-29T15:34:00.002-04:00

Ok, I realize that sometimes it is difficult to identify the gender of an infant. Ashlyn has been called a boy more times than I can count on two hands, and sometimes a person will call her a boy even AFTER I have politely corrected them. I find this a little ironic considering Ashlyn's car seat and stroller are PINK and 95% of the time, I have her dressed in pink or purple. Ok, I will politely dismiss this mistake, just figuring and assuming that the person is color blind (I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they cannot see the PINK).

Here is the thing, calling her a boy is one thing, but people have called her an IT. Really?! An IT? Come on. Unacceptable. Uncalled for. I wonder what my facial expression looks like when someone calls her an IT. This has happened multiple times.

And, the latest of the baby gender comments...someone called her a LITTLE HUMAN. I am not sure how I feel about this comment yet, but maybe baby, or baby girl, or infant would be a better fit.

Here is a picture of Ashlyn in her PINK car seat, not to be confused with blue. I know it is difficult to see her cute little, flower sun suit, but then, let's use process of elimination...not a blue car seat, it is PINK so my guess is that the baby is a GIRL. Ding, ding, ding, you are right!

Rant #1 is over.

I am not sure if there will be subsequent rants about other infant things, but I labeled it Rant #1 just in case there are more to come...

Completely Random #1

2010-08-26T20:32:00.004-04:00

*Ambria got upset with Mariah the other day and called her a "diaper head."
*There are hundreds of grasshoppers around and on our house, I feel like it is the plague of the grasshoppers (ironic that I am reading through Exodus right now).
*Oreo Cakesters are amazing, both the vanilla and the chocolate.
*Ashlyn likes to stare at the stripes on our couch and she coos at them like they are her friends.
*I have taken almost 10,000 pictures with my current camera.
*I am pumped that the library rents movies 5 for $1.00.
*My favorite hair mousse is almost gone and Walmart was sold out.
*I wash my feet at least three times a day.
*Cake Boss has become one of my favorite tv shows, but Jerry won't watch it with me.

Ok, that is all for now.

Little Miss Ashlyn

2010-08-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

It's Not Deep

2010-08-18T14:30:00.002-04:00

So, the name of my blog is Sticks and Stones. Remember the childhood saying, "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me?"

For me, that is false and false.

First, I have never had a stick or a stone break one of my bones.

Second, words DO hurt! I care way too much about what people think and say. I really need to work on this, but man, is it hard!

Knots, knots, knots.

I Have Neglected You

2010-08-17T15:23:00.002-04:00

Dear Blog:
It is true that diapers, bottles, three little girls, and a busy summer have gotten in the way of our relationship. I will try to be a better blogger from now on...

Our Hope (the Labor and Delivery Story)

2010-07-11T22:33:00.004-04:00

The past three weeks since Ashlyn has been born, we have been reminded how fragile life is, and we are so grateful for a healthy baby and that I am here to tell about it. I know there are more serious and/or life-threatening labor and delivery stories out there, but this is my story…

I was admitted to the hospital on Thursday, June 17 for high blood pressure, which can be dangerous to me and the baby. I was expecting to be put on bed rest. After multiple tests and the realization that my blood pressure was not dropping, the doctors decided to induce me in the middle of the night on Friday (or early Saturday morning).

Labor was long and I was pretty groggy all day on Saturday.

On Saturday, June 19 at 9:41pm, Ashlyn Hope arrived.

I began to hemorrhage after Ashlyn was delivered and more doctors got called into my room.

The prayer chain was started (and Jerry began to pace).

My placenta could not be delivered because it was lodged inside of me.

I continued to hemorrhage.

Finally after a half hour of the doctors trying to remove the placenta, they had to manually go in and remove it. (Mind you, this was VERY painful and I was screaming my head off).

After this point, I do not remember much. My blood pressure dropped (which is ironic because it was so high in the first place) and I began to lose consciousness.

More prayers (more pacing from Jerry as he called my parents and his parents)

More doctors and nurses were called in and I was given oxygen and more IV’s. (I had four IV’s in one arm, one IV in the other, my epidural, a blood pressure cuff, and oxygen).

I continued to lose more blood.

More prayers (tears and fear from Jerry).

I can remember one doctor asking me to talk to her, squeeze her hand, blink, and/or nod my head.

At some point, the bleeding stopped, and they did an ultrasound to make sure all of the placenta was removed, and I started to regain consciousness.

Prayers of praise and thanksgiving

As I started to come around, I was very weak. I remember looking at Ashlyn and trying to smile. I wanted to hold her so badly, but I wasn’t strong enough (to hold even 5 pounds), and it broke my heart that I couldn’t hold her. (We propped her on some pillows on my lap so I could be close to her).

I had yet to realize what just happened. All I really knew was that Ashlyn had arrived and was healthy.

This whole story seems to be a metaphor for the larger picture of the last few years of our life...pain, trauma, moments of touch and go...and ultimately new birth and new beginnings.

We have been told various times that if this happened 50 years ago, chances are, I would not be around to tell the story. We are so thankful for the doctors, nurses, and technology, but more importantly, the prayers and God’s grace. Welcome to the world Ashlyn Hope…we truly have a Hope.

Ashlyn Hope

2010-06-25T22:26:00.003-04:00

Ashlyn made her surprise arrival four weeks early. She was born on Saturday, June 19 at 9:41pm. She weighed 5 pounds and measured 17 1/4 inches.

Welcome to the world, Ashlyn! We love you more than you know. We are so blessed to have you in our family!

The Nursery

2010-06-01T18:58:00.003-04:00

So, the nursery is now finished, but it will be sooo much cuter with a baby in it! Underneath the crib is stocked with diapers and wipes.

This green couch/pull-out bed is STUCK in the room and we cannot get it out. At least the bedding matches somewhat nicely with it...and it will be nice to lay on during some long nights up with the baby.

All the baby clothes have been washed and are in the dresser and the closet is also all ready to go with baby supplies, blankets, and whatnot.

About six weeks to go...

Random Pictures

2010-05-26T17:03:00.002-04:00

We Aren't in Michigan Anymore...

2010-05-18T20:09:00.001-04:00

About 20 feet from our house, we found a 4 foot black snake. It had just been clipped by a car so it was dead, but STILL...that means there are more right by our house!! I know these kind aren't poisonous, but they are still snakes!! I have never seen a snake this big outside of a zoo before. Yuck!

Snake Video

2010-05-18T20:03:00.001-04:00

Outdoor Fun

2010-05-15T15:17:00.003-04:00

What could be more fun than playing in the sprinkler and eating a picnic on a hot, spring day?

Relaxing under the umbrella (that I snagged at a garage sale for .50)

Running in the sprinkler

Taking a drink from the sprinkler

Trying not to get too wet from the sprinkler

Taking a break with a picnic lunch

Baby Belly---30 Weeks

2010-05-08T19:21:00.000-04:00

Ultrasound Pics

2010-04-20T15:47:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures from my second ultrasound. My due date got moved back almost two weeks so I am bummed about that, but the baby looks healthy so that is all that matters. I can't wait to hold her and kiss her!!

Profile

Foot

She is making pucker lips

Profile with her mouth open

Underside of her nose and lips

Easter

2010-04-13T20:24:00.003-04:00

Easter morning started off with birds chirping and excited girls running into our bedroom with their Easter basket. We followed this with a breakfast of chocolate bunnies and cinnamon rolls. We made our way to church to celebrate the real meaning of Easter and then off to the park for a picnic. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and 75 degrees! It was so nice to not have to wear sweaters over sleeveless dresses.

The Girls on the Swing

2010-04-13T20:18:00.001-04:00

A Country House Calls for a Hand-made Swing

2010-03-31T12:28:00.001-04:00

Florida Vacation

2010-03-20T22:07:00.003-04:00

Visiting with Grandma and Papi

2010-03-20T22:01:00.000-04:00

Mariah and Ambria Playing at the Beach

2010-03-20T21:56:00.001-04:00

Fun Beach Pics

2010-03-20T21:46:00.003-04:00

I Do Not Know This Man

2010-03-20T21:40:00.002-04:00

And now my husband will demonstrate how to dress at the beach after getting a sunburn...

A Big Hat and SPF 50...

Do you see him??

And not sure what this is all about...

Disney World

2010-03-20T21:27:00.003-04:00

We went to Disney World on Mariah's 6th birthday (March 18), and it was such a wonderful day! It truly was one of the best days we have spent as a family and the expressions on the girls' faces were priceless. Everything about the day was so magical and I can definitely see why Disney has gotten the stereotype of one of the happiest places on earth. We arrived at the park at 10:00am and didn't leave until after the night parade and fireworks at 10:30pm. The girls did so well the entire day and Ambria even got a little nap during the afternoon parade. We were able to do everything we wanted to do and the memories that were made will last a lifetime.

Baby Belly---22 weeks

2010-03-07T16:02:00.002-05:00

Tea Party Birthday Party

2010-03-07T15:44:00.003-05:00

We decided to let Mariah have a birthday party this year for her 6th birthday. Her and Ambria always seem to have tea parties so I thought, what better than to have a tea party birthday party! The girls absolutely loved it and sat at the "tea party" for over a half hour talking, eating, and drinking tea and hot chocolate. (I wasn't sure how long the actual tea party would hold their attention, but it worked!) It was pretty cute to see them all dressed up and enjoying themselves. Each girl wore a fancy dress and enjoyed finger foods at the party.

Here is the invitation (Mariah helped to put glitter on them)

Each guest received a porcelain tea set as a prize for playing the games

(drop the clothes pin in a tea pot and toss tea bags into bowls)

I wanted to attempt to make a tea pot cake. See here: I bought two cake mixes just in case it didn't turn out. Mariah wanted chocolate cake with purple frosting.

The finished product.

As a last minute thought, I used some left over cake to make tea cups. They didn't turn out as well, but that is ok.

Mariah enjoying her moment...

More Snow In North Carolina

2010-03-02T20:44:00.003-05:00

We actually got snow today that stayed on the ground rather than melting right away. That means we could play in it and it was good packing snow, so we could build a snowman!

More than a few inches of snow means that everything shuts down. Jerry's boss even offered to put him up in a hotel for the night and pay for his dinner so he didn't have to drive home! The snow wasn't sticking to the streets or the sidewalks so driving wasn't too difficult (at least by our house). The girls were even able to ride their bikes in our driveway, which seems a little weird to me (riding bikes with a clear driveway with snow pants and hats and mittens on).

We are starting to get used to all the freaking out when it snows and we are taking it in stride.

Revolt

2010-02-26T19:04:00.003-05:00

At 21 weeks pregnant with baby number three, I am very grateful, but my body is saying otherwise.

We found out over a week ago that we are expecting our third girl, which is very exciting but we are nervous as well. Three girls will bring a whole new set of joys and challenges. I guess I would be nervous if we were having a boy as well because I don't know what to do with a boy. I have had six years of practice with girls.

So, this pregnancy hasn't been the best. I feel like I am nine months pregnant already and the aches and pains haven't even started yet. It started off with a gallbladder attack before Christmas only to find out that I have gallstones. Not pleasant. From there, contractions started very early (they did with my second pregnancy as well but not THIS early). From about week 12 or so, contractions were coming between 5 and 15 minutes apart pretty much around the clock. I am pretty sure they are Braxton Hicks contractions that aren't doing anything but being a nuisance, but my doc wants to be sure. I am on moderate rest, not bed rest, but I have to take it easy. I have been on multiple antibiotics to fight any infections that aren't coming up on tests, but to no avail, the contractions are still present. Now I am trying some herbal stuff, but I have a feeling my body is just going to keep contracting.

At the ultrasound the baby looked great and very healthy. Praise the Lord! She was hiding her face but we didn't get a peek at her tiny nose. And then, the ultrasound tech found a piece of tissue that shouldn't be there, so who knows what that means and how that is going to get resolved. I have yet to talk to my doc about this to see what she thinks.

I went to the surgeon this week for my gallbladder, and although there isn't anything that can be done now (which I knew) they want to do surgery about six weeks after the baby is born. At the same time, the surgeon found an umbilical hernia. In other words, I have a hole in my belly button. He said he can patch that up when he removes the gallbladder. Humph.

All that to say, my body is REVOLTING against this pregnancy and I am only half way.

I am so excited to meet this new little addition and I can only imagine taking pictures of all three girls. I have bought bedding and I can't stop looking at it and imagining the nursery all put together and having a new little bundle sleeping in it. We are blessed.

This REVOLT will go down in the books. Thanks body.

A Great Day for a Beach Party

2010-02-25T16:18:00.003-05:00

Another snowy day calls for an indoor beach party!! Our party was complete with swim suits, a beach umbrella, towels, music, and a picnic lunch. All that was missing was the sand, but I can do without that mess! (Oh, and the sun and the warm weather was absent too).

Boredom Busters

2010-02-10T16:07:00.002-05:00

With Snow Day #9 today and Snow Day #10 tomorrow (they already cancelled school today at 3:00pm for tomorrow), we have been getting creative around the house.

Big empty boxes have become spaceships and submarines in the living room
Old felt pieces have entertained for hours
Playdoh (some of which is mashed in clothing)
Couches have become boats
Brooms have become horses
Skype on the computer with cousins and grandparents
Water balloons in the bathtub (this is my favorite idea)

We will see what tomorrow brings...

Chatting on the Phone

2010-02-07T19:12:00.001-05:00

Mariah Cut Her Hair!

2010-02-02T20:23:00.001-05:00

Mariah wanted me to put her hair up tonight so I told her to go and get me a comb, after a few minutes when she didn't come back, we went looking for her and found her with scissors and hair ALL over the bathroom. Ugh! Mariah said she wanted to look like one of her classmates with a short bob hair style. She wouldn't let us take any good pictures of her hair, but she cut the front top to about an ince or two long so it stands straight up like a rooster. She also cut the sides but that blends in ok for now. The growing out process will be interesting.

We Got Real Snow in North Carolina

2010-01-30T16:12:00.001-05:00

After a "no-snow" Snow Day and school was cancelled earlier this week (see pics below), we actually got some snow last night. The girls were very excited and were ready to go outside and play by 8:00am

Pillow Fight!!

2010-01-28T17:44:00.001-05:00

If this is as rough as it gets with two little girls, we might be in trouble if our next baby is a boy! I don't know what to do with boys.

A Snow Day in North Carolina

2010-01-26T11:44:00.002-05:00

School was cancelled today.

This is for real...

Not a Typical Thursday

2010-01-14T15:25:00.004-05:00

As I looked out the kitchen window today, I saw an unusual sight. One goat was all by itself while the other goats were nowhere to be found. This never happens, as all 14 goats stay together in a herd. So, as I peered out the window to take a closer look, I noticed TWO BABY GOATS! I was just like a little kid and got all giddy and couldn't wait to walk out to see them. They were just born this morning, they still had the cord attached, could barely walk, and had the cutest high pitched little voices. This was definitely a highlight to my day and something that I normally don't see and didn't get the chance to see back in Michigan. I feel like a little farm girl.

Smoothies

2010-01-01T18:44:00.001-05:00

Jerry made us all smoothies and even put a blackberry on top of each one. A toast to the New Year! Yummy!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T19:52:00.005-05:00

So, despite being in the ER all day on the 16th with GALLSTONES, we decided to make the trek to Michigan on the 17th. We also avoided the blizzard that hit North Carolina the following day that dumped 14 inches of snow. We stayed with my parents for three days and had a great time with the whole family and then headed to Jerry's parent's for a week. We also had a great time surprising everyone with the news of BABY #3 on the way, due middle of July. We got an ice storm on Christmas Eve so we couldn't attend church, and then ended the vacation with me and the girls getting the flu. All in all, no complaints except for the flu. Here are a few pics in random order...

Beach steps at Jerry's parent's house

Christmas morning

Stockings

Mariah looking at the Christmas tree

Ambria opening a present

The DePoy grandkids

Me and Jerry overlooking Lake Michigan

Christmas Tree

Perez Christmas

Grandma and Papi and the grandkids

Another Pic from a Christmas Parade...

2009-12-12T10:52:00.001-05:00

Well, we got all bundled up for yet another Christmas parade, but...

I guess we didn't get the memo that there was no Christmas parade today at 10:00am.

So, we have no pics to share.

Christmas Parade

2009-12-05T17:50:00.002-05:00

The "Disney World" of Mansions

2009-11-25T19:08:00.003-05:00

Jerry took me on a mystery date today to the biggest house in America, The Biltmore House. This is absolutely humongous, with 225 rooms. It is all decorated for Christmas with Christmas trees and lights in each room, breathtaking, but of course you couldn't take pictures inside the house. We took a tour of all four floors and walked around the grounds. It was such a nice day, I can't believe it is the middle of November! The Biltmore House is the big tourist attraction here in Asheville so I am glad we got a chance to see it.

Thanks, Jerry, for a such a wonderful day!

Battery Operated Train Vs. Ambria's Hair

2009-11-21T19:46:00.001-05:00

Putting Up the Christmas Tree

2009-11-21T19:37:00.001-05:00

More Silliness at 6:15am

2009-11-17T21:03:00.001-05:00

Sunrise from This Morning

2009-11-17T21:01:00.000-05:00

Just Being Silly at 6:15am

2009-11-13T09:12:00.001-05:00