Thankful for Thursday

I am always thankful for Thursday, because it means tomorrow is Friday...and I always LOVE Friday!! :) I have convinced myself to forget about my speeding ticket from this morning, and I'm trying to avoid mirrors so I don't have to see my bad hair day, and I'm going to enjoy this rather cold Thursday! So, for this weeks Thursday Thirteen I think I'm just going to do 13 random things that are running through my mind right now!

1. I still can't believe I got a speeding ticket this morning...I mean I know I was speeding, I guess I can't believe I got caught! LOL
2. I need to go back to Ingles to see if they have ever gotten any soy creamer in...I have been at least twice when they have been out, and Food Lion doesn't carry it. :(
3. I just don't understand why my office is always freezing...no matter how much we ask them to change the temperature it's always freezing. I guess I should be thankful I'm not working outside!
4. What am I going to wear to work tomorrow...and then on my date tomorrow night...hmm. Lots of obviously important decisions there!! :) I'm so excited! Maybe I can try to pick up a new shirt tonight after class.
5. I can't wait for Lindsey to have children so Stephanie and I can repay all the "favors" she has done us by teaching Alexa and Perrin any number of things to try and get their mothers to pull their hair out! :) Lindsey...I would like to remind you of what they say about payback!
6. I wish I had a venti soy caramel macchiato to drink right now...it would help me warm up, and they are super YUMMY! It's a good thing Starbucks isn't convenient, and I'm always late because I could definitely see myself forming that habit in a hurry!! :) It's a nice treat, but it would cost way too much to do it every day!
7. I am so glad Alexa is feeling better...her poor mouth has been giving her fits! She didn't get her first tooth until she was almost a year old, and then slowly added others, well within the last week we have seen 5 new teeth begin to emerge. She has been in so much pain, and she just hasn't been herself! I know that if we can see 5 of them there are probably more we can't see, so it's been a lot for her to deal with! I don't like it when my baby doesn't feel good!
8. I need to set up a time with Jodi to take the babies to have their pictures made again. We took them for the first time together last year when they were 6 months old...we were supposed to go again at a year, but the time just slipped away from us. Not to mention that since they were both mobile at that point it would've been hard to get them to cooperate!
9. I am excited about my date tomorrow night...have I already mentioned that?? :)
10. I need to get a new mat for my cricut...the one I have is totally shot! I am on the verge of withdrawals because I can't use it until I get a new one. Mer, we would both love to craft with you again soon...let us know when you are going to be in town and have time to get together. I know how busy weekends are, especially when you're only here for a few days!
11. I am really ready for spring...this cold weather is driving me crazy! I used to think I wanted to live in NYC at some point in my life...I have recently decided against that! I can't stand being cold, and while I would like having lots of cute coats, hats, and gloves for the weather I would hate going out every day! It drives me crazy here and it's not even that cold! Not to mention that I have some really cute sandals I'm DYING to wear!! :)
12. I am doing really well with my no dairy thing...and there are really only two things bugging me...the first one is pizza. I got a pizza from Sidestreet a couple of weeks ago and it was GREAT...but all of the girls in my office have been ordering personal pans from Pizza Hut, and I and I can tell it wouldn't be the same without the cheese! The second thing is milk, and it really only gets to me when there are cookies involved! On Sunday I made chocolate chip cookies from scratch, and when they were done all I could think about was how yummy it would be to dip one into a really cold glass of milk. Oh well for that one!
13. I am so ready for tomorrow...this should be a great weekend! :) I think I might have both babies Saturday morning, which is always so much fun! I love watching Alexa and Walker play together, and I hope they will always be close. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures this weekend...I've been kind of slack on that lately!

I hope you all have a great Thursday...and an even better weekend! :)

**UPDATE** I wrote this earlier, and forgot to post it...LOL! Anyway, when I got home from school tonight Alexa wasn't feeling well again. You can tell it's her teeth, but I would ask you to pray for her. Clearly cutting so many teeth at one time is very painful!

Bad Hair Day!!

Do you ever have one of those days when you wonder why you got out of bed. Well, today is one of those for me! It all started this morning when my hair would do absolutely NOTHING! I guess that's not completely true, it didn't fall out so that was a good thing! :) Then, because I am habitually late, I got a speeding ticket on my way to work.

AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! What a frustrating day! I'm over the ticket at this point...no sense in getting too worked up over it, it's not going to make it go away! LOL! My hair on the other hand, will bother me all day long...WHY? I absolutely believe that my attitude dictates what kind of day I am going to have...so on a day like this is it just that I want to have a bad day? Do we just need days to be in a bad mood?

I'm not really sure...(deep breath)...I'm going to have a good day regardless of everything that has happened. I'll just think about my date tomorrow and that will make me smile!! :)

I hope you all have a fabulous Thursday...if I can think of 13 things to post I might do that later!

It's been a long time...

Most of you know that I ended a long relationship with Alexa's daddy after Thanksgiving this year, and I have been doing the single mom, and single girl thing since then. I can honestly say it hasn't been easy the whole time. I had forgotten what it felt like to be single! I knew that I didn't want to rush into another relationship because I needed some time to just be me. I won't go into lots of details here, but I needed time to heal some wounds. Since that time I really haven't been looking for anyone, mainly because I am super busy, but also because I felt when the time was right I would know it.

Well, two weeks ago one of the girls I work with decided to play Cupid! LOL! Anyway, long story short, she introduced me to a guy and we have been talking ever since. We are going on our first date this Friday, and I am really nervous! We have talked on the phone and in person multiple times, but something about a first date just makes me anxious! Again I'm not going to go into lots of detail here, because you never know who might be reading...LOL! Yes...he reads my blog! I did want to share this with all of my readers because I am not just nervous, I am really excited too!

It's been a long time since I've been on a first date...I'll let you know how it goes!! :)

:)

I am SO ready for tomorrow!! :) I know someone else who is excited about it too!

Just for Lou Lou

I received an email today that made me think of a conversation Lindsey and I had when I was last in Columbia. We were talking about Alexa and her teeth (or lack of...LOL) and I said she didn't get her first tooth until 11 months. Lindsey proceeded to tell me that it drives her crazy and she doesn't understand why parents feel it's necessary to refer to everything in months. She said why don't you just say a year or almost a year. I said...ok so when Alexa was 3 months I should've said she was nothing, or almost a year?? LOL!

She said she could understand it up to a year, but after that she just didn't get it. I told her I think it's partially because that's how doctors refer to it, and also due to clothing sizes. Take for instance 24 months, and 2T. Before I had a child I often wondered...why do we have two sizes for basically the same thing. Now I know...with 2T the pants are longer. I think the sizes are crazy anyway, and we all know they aren't consistent...but regardless they are still done in months! LOL!

She went on to say that she was going to start referring to herself in months to see what people say! So, Lindsey here it is...you are 295 months old!!! LOL! Just had to throw that out for you, so you can give the accurate count when people ask how old you are! Love ya chick!! :)

...And that makes 3!

Last night was not a fun night to go to school. I typically don't mind going (ok that's probably a stretch, I don't DREAD going) but last night with the weather so rainy and cold I really didn't want to go. Especially to my cisco class because it is always so trying! Anyway, my P&S professor let us out early and I really wanted some coffee to warm me up so I decided to run to Starbucks. Normally I wouldn't do that, but since I've given up dairy I needed something with soy in it instead...and you can't get that just anywhere! I treated myself to a soy venti caramel macchiato, and it was so yummy! I can totally see how you could get addicted to going by there every morning! Obviously it would be a bit expensive, but I can tell you as I drink my regular coffee with rice creamer that it was definitely worth it! I wouldn't do it every day, but it would be a nice treat once in a while!

Speaking of soy...I am really enjoying the lack of dairy in my life...minus the cheese of course. That seems to be the one thing I REALLY miss! LOL...oh well! I have my rice milk, and all my soy products, it's great. Not to mention that I'm losing a few extra pounds as a result! YIPPEE!

On to the reason for today's post...I finished another scrapbook page last night. I have tried to work on a couple lately, and they just won't come together for me. I have a lack of inspiration where some of the pictures are concerned. That's not to say that I don't love the pictures, some of them are my favorite pictures...and maybe that's the problem! I want to make sure they have the perfect title and colors, so I'm trying too hard and therefore I just can't get started. Anyway, the spread I did last night is just too sweet! When you see it you will know exactly why I was so inspired to work on it. It makes me smile when I think of all the special people Alexa has in her life. So many people love that little girl, and it makes a mommy very happy!

Anyone who sees these two together can tell immediately how much he loves her! You can't help but smile when you watch them play...it is just too sweet! I am so glad she has her Uncle Jerry to spend time with her, they definitely share something special. Jerry was probably one of the first people to hold Alexa after she was born...after me, her daddy, and Mimi of course! He always gives Mimi a hard time and says that she didn't even want to hold her own children that much! LOL...and of course we both say, that's because when they are yours you have them all night! He held Alexa every minute he could at the hospital...I honestly believe that until I had been home for a week by myself with Alexa that he had spent more time holding her than I had. He is truly a blessing in our lives, and we are so thankful to have him! I don't think anyone could disagree with the title of this page...she definitely has his heart!

It's Thursday!!

For some reason I am really happy today is Thursday...I'm not sure if it's because that means tomorrow is Friday and I get to leave early or what, but I am in the best mood today! :) It's been a while since I've done a Thursday Thirteen, but I wanted to do one this week. So, here are 13 things I am excited about!

1. The weekend...it's always way too short for me, but I always have the best time with Alexa and the rest of our family. Not to mention that the weather is supposed to be nice, so that just makes it better!
2. As I mentioned before...I'm leaving early tomorrow! I really look forward to leaving early on Fridays, and when I have to stay until 4 or 5 on Friday it seems like the day lasts FOREVER! LOL!
3. I hope I'll have some time to scrap this weekend, and I am definitley looking forward to that!
4. Finding cute Easter outfits for Alexa & Walker! Mimi might be making them...but we haven't decided yet.
5. Seeing Lindsey if she gets to come home this weekend.
6. Hanging out with some of the girls from work on Saturday night (if I have a babysitter!)
7. Tuesday
8. Hopefully getting my hair cut tomorrow...don't know for sure yet, but it definitely needs it!
9. A little shopping...I'm always excited about shopping! :)
10. Making new friends
11. I'm excited that warm weather is just around the corner...I'm ready for short sleeves and cute capri pants!! :)
12. I am even more excited about wearing sandals again!! I think a pedicure is definitely in order...hmm...maybe tomorrow!
13. Speaking of sandals...I have seen some really cute new sandals for the upcoming season...you all know how much I love new shoes...might have to pick up a pair this weekend! :)

I hope you all are having a great week...I know I am! I am definitely looking forward to this weekend, I hope you all have a great one!

Two in a row

Last night I got out of class surprisingly early...I was home just a few minutes after 7. Mimi and Pop went to see Walker, and Alexa stayed with Aunt Sylvia, so when I got home I had the house to myself for a little while. I made something to eat and then relaxed just a little before getting my scrap stuff back out. I really didn't think I would have time last night, so I was really excited when we got out early!

I didn't want to pick Alexa up too early because I know how much fun she has with Sylvia, and last night they were having visitors! My Aunt Cathy and Uncle JT are in town so they stopped by for supper and to play with Alexa so I wanted to make sure they got plenty of time with her. I finally went to get her about 8, and I could tell she was sleepy when I got there. So, we came home and changed clothes so she was ready for bedtime. She played just a few minute and then I put her down about 8:30. She went straight to sleep, and after I did a few chores I headed straight to scrap!

I always have an abundance of pictures to choose from, but the hard part for me is deciding on a title. Sometimes even when I come up with one it won't be while I'm working on that spread, so by the time I get back to it I have totally forgotten! LOL...big surprise right? Last night I decided to sit down and group and label all of my pictures with the title I want to use so when I "feel inspired" to work on that spread I will already know what to call it! After I finished with that, or at least partially finished, I started on a spread. I think it's a really cute spread, and it really shows Alexa's personality! She is such a silly girl! :)

Alexa has always loved playing peek-a-boo...even when she was much smaller she would just giggle when we put something over her head and said "where's Lexa" and then pulled it away. Well, now she does it all herself! It's so cute...and as always, she claps for herself when she pulls the blanket off her head. She is a mess! :)

Look at what I did last night!

In an effort to try and catch up on last year, and not get any further behind on this year I am trying to do a little bit of work on Alexa's scrapbook every night. Some nights I do better than others, and some nights I don't get anything done because of everything else going on. Tonight will probably be one of those nights because I have school, which means by the time I get home I have just a few minutes with Alexa before bedtime and then I have to get everything ready for the next day. The other problem I run into is that I don't have a dedicated space to use, so I have to pull everything out and put it all back when I'm done...this gets old quickly!

However, last night Alexa went down early so I had 2 hours that I could use for scrapping. I was really excited to have some time that I didn't feel like there was something else I should've been doing! I got all of my stuff out and got to work. My main goal last night was to use my new cricut cart, All Mixed Up. This is the second cart I have gotten recently, and I have been dying to use it! :) So last night I got my chance...and I have to say I LOVE it! I have heard people on the message board say they weren't crazy about AMU because some of the letters cut funny. So, I opened Design Studio up and typed out some letters to get an idea of what they would look like. Needless to say, I figured out what people were talking about. The lowercase e is HUGE! I ended up cutting all of my other letters at 2" and the e at 1.5". That seemed to work rather well, so I will continue to use that trick in the future!

I was super pleased with how the spread turned out. Alexa is playing with the little pumpkin she picked out at Niven's in October! She was so cute rolling it around on the floor!

Friday night Walker came to spend the night with us, so he and Alexa got to play together

They both had a great supper!

You can tell by his face he LOVED the mashed potatoes...they were EVERYWHERE!

Obviously Alexa loved them too...then again what doesn't she love? She is the best eater!

Here is Alexa sitting on the potty she got for Valentine's Day. We are just letting her see it right now and trying to get her to tell us when she needs to go. Unfortunately the potty doesn't work right, so I'm going to have to take it back and get another one. So far she likes sitting on it though...LOL! Oh, and as far as the red boots go, please believe I did not put those on her since they do not match. She loves her red boots, so anytime she sees them she just has to put them on...Friday was one of those times, so they made it in the picture too!

Notice all of the books in the floor...hmm...imagine that! :) Walker and Alexa both love books...but sometimes they like pulling them off the shelf better than reading! LOL!

Happy SAD!

I was listening to the radio on my way to work this morning and they were talking about today...as SAD (Singles Awareness Day)...LOL! I had totally forgotten we used to call Valentine's day that. It really made me laugh, because although I am single, I don't see it as any big deal. I hope those of you who have a special someone have a wonderful day with them...for the rest of us we will just have a wonderful day being us. Actually for me that's not entirely true, I have the best Valentine ever...Alexa!

Last night was super busy, we went straight to church after we picked Alexa up from daycare. We had a nice supper and then went to our small group of Experiencing God. I am really enjoying the study, but I can see God showing me I need to make more time for Him every day! After we finished there Mimi had orchestra practice, and Alexa and I needed to pick a few things up at the store for Vday. We went back and got Mimi and then headed home to prepare for today.

Alexa took cookies to daycare today, and HANDMADE valentines for her classmates and teachers. Are you impressed? Well you should be! LOL! I did bake her cookies, but they weren't "homemade"...they came right out of the package and onto the baking sheet...I figure I can get away with those at least for a few more years! :) Then I had to make stuff to bring to work today. My ice cream delight was requested, so even though I have given up dairy I told the girls I would bring it anyway...I just won't eat any. Then I made some ranch chicken bites...they are super yummy and with panko instead of regular bread crumbs on the outside it gives them a little different twist!

After all of the food was finished I started working on the cards. Thank goodness she has a small class or I would've been up all night **note to self: when Alexa gets older and has larger classes make sure you start on valentines at least one week ahead of time!** I was really pleased with the way they turned out!


I hope you all have a wonderful day today...and a great weekend as it is quickly approaching! Here are some pictures from the last week...Enjoy!

Alexa was sitting in Pop's lap and he was giving her fishies as she calls them, but it wouldn't do for him to just hand them to her! He had to put it in her cup and then she would turn the cup up and get the goldfish that way!

Clapping for herself for eating the fishies...too cute!

Here is Alexa trying to climb into the kitchen chair

Pop making sure she doesn't fall!

She made it!

and got to the applesauce which was what she really wanted!

Alexa and Sevy have become great friends! She loves playing with him!

Here is the spread I did of Mimi and Pop with Alexa and Walker...it's called "Moments with Mimi and Playtime with Pop" if you can't read the titles!

and then two spreads of Alexa and Mommy...she is such a sweet girl!

Pretty in Pink

So, while I realize tomorrow is Valentine's Day...and I'll be spending the majority of my day at work and school, I decided to change my background to reflect the festivities anyway. Seemed like time for a change. I would tell you that I'll change it to something different on Friday, but with all of the work involved with the different widgets, that's probably not going to happen either! LOL!

I hope those of you with Valentines enjoy your day...and those of you who are like me, just treat it like any other Thursday and you'll do just fine! KISSES!

Does anything stay the same?

I've been doing some thinking about change, and how lots of time change is a good thing, but sometimes it's just change for the sake of change. I think we all like things to stay relatively the same, but I just have to wonder why? Let me explain.

This weekend Lindsey and Sev came over to the house for a little bit, and while they were there Lindsey noticed a sketch of a house plan. She asked if I had done it and I told her no, daddy did it...and it's the plan for mama and daddy's new house. Lindsey immediately looked at daddy and said, "NO!!! You can't move, I mean mama and daddy moved, but I always said well, at least Diane and Jimbo are still there." Of course daddy looked at her and said that he had never lived in Hawaii so he would move where he pleased, and we all laughed and joked about it, but honestly I know what she means.

I remember when Anne redid the bathroom Lindsey used growing up, and the ducks were gone. We were both heartbroken because that was what we were used to. Now, every time I drive by their old house it takes me a minute to realize it's not theirs anymore! I think their new house is gorgeous, and I love visiting there, but it's just not the same. I know that our children (b/c I know Lindsey is going to have one SOMETIME) won't get to play in the creek like we did, or run through the pasture like wild Indians! Now I have the same feeling about the land behind our house...Alexa won't get to play out in the woods like I did, or climb those same trees.

I know there will be great memories made wherever we are, but it's hard to leave all of the great memories we already have! That is the house I grew up in, and the only place I lived until I went off to college. It's where Josh and I used to play in the woods, cutting down trees and building forts. It's home.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am excited about the thought of living in a new house (should we still be living there when it is completed), but I will always think of 407 Fairwinds as home! I know Lindsey will agree with me, but I'm wondering if anyone else feels the same way.

Why is it that once we become adults that we expect our parents to stay in the same place forever just so we can have our safe place? Is what Lindsey said really true? If they are always there does it mean that nothing has really changed? I am happy for mama, she gets the house she has always wanted, and I know that I will love it too, but for some strange reason it still makes me sad that 407 Fairwinds will be someone else's home after they move. I guess I have answered my own question...no, nothing stays the same!

Weekend at home

We had a very relaxing weekend, which after last weekend was definitely welcomed! I love the weekends we travel, but the next week just seems crazy because of it. Saturday Alexa, Mimi and I started our day at the Inman Quilt cottage to pick out the backing for Mimi's quilt. I still haven't finished mine...I've just been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to focus on it. After that we ate lunch at Bronco's...which seems to be our favorite spot lately! LOL! Then we made a quick stop at Westgate before heading to Gaffney.

We found some great deals at Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor for Mimi and Mommy, and then we found some great deals for Alexa and Walker at Carters and Children's Place. At Children's Place they had long sleeved onesies for $0.99! We got several for each of them, and then some for Jodi to keep in her embroidery stash. They were the cutest colors and prints too...I was amazed!

After that we headed home to see what Pop and Uncle Jerry where doing. We ordered pizza from Side Street for supper, and I got mine without cheese! I am extremely proud of myself that I have been without dairy since Thursday! I didn't even eat a poppyseed roll at Fatz yesterday because they are made with butter! Impressed? I was, I love those things! After my cheeseless pizza I got out my scrapbooking stuff and Mimi started working on her quilt. Between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, I got 4 pages done...I am so excited! I have really fallen into a slump lately, and I'm not sure why. I think part of it deals with the thought of having to drag everything out and then having to put it all back since we don't have a craft room. I'm going to try and do better this week.

I have a few pictures from this weekend...not many, but I will try and post those tomorrow. I hope you all are having a wonderful Monday, and I hope it leads into a wonderful week! I can't believe Thursday is Valentine's Day! I got an early valentine from my sweetie yesterday, she is just too cute!

Fantastic Friday!!

Well, it's Friday again...and I am so glad! I had a great time in Columbia last weekend, but I need to get some stuff done at home. Lindsey is planning on coming here this weekend, so we are supposed to spend some time scrapbooking...and I am definitely behind. I am not, however, looking forward to my dentist appointment today, but such is life! I'm glad it will be taken care of after today!

I hope the weather is going to continue to be nice...I am loving the sunshine, I just wish I could spend some time out in it during the day! Well bloggers, I can't wait for my weekend to begin. I get off today at 1:30, but I won't officially count it until I leave the dentist around 5 or so. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Soy

After my weekend with Lindsey I decided to give soy a try. Now, don't get me wrong, I haven't jumped in with both feet...I have my baby toe in the pool! Last night I went to the grocery store, and among other things I bought some soy creamer for my coffee. I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the variety they had, but I found some french vanilla so that was better than nothing. Well, this morning I gave it a shot...I have to say I could taste a difference, but I'm not sure if it was really the soy or just the difference in flavor. All in all it wasn't bad, so I'll probably continue to use it...at least until this carton runs out. I am seriously considering contacting International Delight and asking why they don't have any soy creamers, because they have all kinds of flavors that I just love!

I am also officially back to my healthy eating...that isn't to say that I have gained any weight back, or that I have been eating a lot of bad stuff, it's just that I haven't been doing as well as I could. I still have a few pounds I would like to lose, and they certainly aren't going anywhere with my current trend. So, I had to make a change!

Last night I purchased several lean cuisines to have for lunch, and I am going to pair those with a yummy salad. Unfortunately today I forgot to bring a lean cuisine so I will be having just a salad...LOL! I am also trying something new for breakfast. When we first started on low carb I brought one egg and one egg white for breakfast every morning along with a piece of ww toast. After several months that started to bore me, so I switched to deviled eggs. Until recently that was working, and then at some point I just needed a change.

Sondra (the girl who sits next to me) told me she has been making omelets in the morning...but the technique is different. So, I decided to give it a try. You take a freezer bag and add to it anything you want in your omelet. I used fresh spinach and then sautéed onions, mushrooms, and garlic. I also put in just a bit of cracked pepper, garlic salt, and seasoning salt. Then you beat up your eggs just like you are going to cook them and pour them into the bag. Mix all your ingredients together, then seal your bag and place in the fridge. When I got up this morning I put a pot of water on to boil and after it came to a boil I turned the heat down and dropped my bag in the water. Then all you have to do is wait a few minutes until your eggs are cooked through. Instant omelet!

I took it out of the bag when I got to work and had an egg sandwich for breakfast. Super easy!  Hopefully my new venture will turn into lasting habits, and it will help me lose these last couple of pounds. Now, I just need to find a way to get some exercise in and I will be good to go!

I hope you all are having a WONDERFUL week!!

It's not all about me??

Ok, so seriously I already know that...but isn't it easy to forget? This morning as I was doing my study for the day in Experiencing God I was totally convicted by this statement, "The focus should be on God, it's not about your life." WOW! I had to take a minute to think about that one because I know I stay wrapped up in my own life a good bit of the time. I am trying to rework my focus so it doesn't include my life...so it is totally focused on His will. Definitely not an easy thing to do.

Just wanted to share my inspiration for the day...hope you all have an equally wonderful Tuesday!

Weekend Adventure

I always love going somewhere on the weekends...at least until I get home! Not because I don't love being home, but because I feel like everything is out of order. I never seem to get caught up on everything until the next weekend...so that means all week I feel behind! Alexa and I went to Columbia this weekend to hang out with Lindsey and Severyn...and we had a great time. I have to say that I try to be a very prepared mother, but there are lots of times when I fall just short of the mark. This weekend would be a perfect example.



Shortly after reaching Columbia, Sev decides to play horsey with Alexa. So, being the good little mama that I am I run for my camera. Only to realize after I pull it out that the battery is almost dead. So, I got some really cute pictures of them playing horsey, but that was the extent of my picture taking this weekend. I think part of the problem is that my old camera operated on 2 AA batteries, so I always knew if it died I could go buy some...that wouldn't be the case with my lithium battery! Oh well. Then the second case was when I went to change Alexa's diaper...mama and I had the discussion before I left that if I didn't take enough diapers I could always get some in Columbia. Well, I had plenty of those, but magically no wipes to go with them. Alexa really enjoys emptying her diaper bag and then taking the contents all over the house. So on Thursday night when I was packing I thought of everything else I should take...but I never checked on the wipes. So Saturday morning we went to the drug store and bought some wipes. Not a big deal, but a reminder that it really is hard to think of EVERYTHING!



We had a nice relaxing weekend with Linds and Sev, and got home last night just in time to watch the Giants score the winning touchdown of the Super Bowl!!! Now, I am not a Giants fan, but I very much dislike the Patriots, so I was pulling for the Giants last night. I also like Peyton Manning, and since Eli is his brother, I guess I like him too. I was super glad for him that he got his ring last night. Besides, Tom Brady has 3 already...he needs to learn to share! :) Alexa could teach him about sharing because she is learning how to do it more and more every day!



Saturday night we got to hang out with Jessie while she was babysitting for a friend of hers...so Alexa got to play with Riley, who is a month older than she is. Then last night we went back to their house for a Super Bowl party so they got to play again. Alexa and Riley got along great...we had a few sharing lessons while we were there...but for the most part they were both really sweet to each other.



Here are the pictures...enjoy!

Lindsey tried to get Alexa to hold onto Sev so she wouldn't have to keep running around behind them...but Alexa didn't quite understand!

Being silly on the floor...

I love how she crosses her feet!! :) She does it every night when I put her in bed!

Is it just ME?

I can't believe today is February 1st! Am I the only one that feels like January flew right past them? I am really excited about 2008; the thought of starting a new year and all the possibilities that it may hold just gives me chills! Let's recap 2007 just a little bit and then look forward to 2008.

Events of 2007, Alexa and I moved back home...definitely not the most exciting of events (for any involved...except that Mimi and Pop get to see Alexa every day which they love). It was a big decision for me, and one that meant lots of different things. One of the biggest reasons we moved home was because I felt God calling me out of our current living arrangement. At some point it occurred to me that it was next to impossible for me to try and raise Alexa with God as the center of her life when her mother was "living in sin". Clearly we are all sinners, and I am not saying that I am perfect now that I am living at home, but it was a choice that I made for all of us. It was a hard decision. I am sure there are those who have judged me for lots of things that I have done, and that's ok.

I also started back to school in 2007, and it has been a trying year at times because of that. I can't take the conventional route with anything I do, so instead I get to be a mommy, work, and go to school full time. It is certainly a balancing act, and one that I don't always have down, but we make it work somehow! I don't feel like I'm any closer to finishing school than I was a year ago, but I guess I am. Forward progress seems to be very slow!

Then in September we celebrated Alexa and Walker's first birthdays! I don't think any of us could believe it had been a year since they were born. It was certainly a crazy year, and lots of things changed during that year, but it was a wonderful year nonetheless, and we were glad to be able to celebrate their birthdays together! I am so excited to see what the future holds for Walker and Alexa, and I hope they will remain close growing up.

Then we finished up the year with two of my favorite holidays...Thanksgiving where we all get to reflect on the things we are thankful for and spend some time with family we don't otherwise get to see very often. Then we have Christmas where we focus on the birth of our Savior and what that means to us as Christians. I want to make sure that as Alexa gets older she understands why we celebrate this holiday. That it's not because we need an excuse to give presents, but that we celebrate because of our love for Jesus. I don't ever want to stray from the real meaning of Christmas!

I have to say Christmas this year was very different for me. For the first time in 3 years Anthony and I didn't celebrate Christmas together. It was hard for me, but I also felt relieved. I was very excited to see Alexa and how she reacted to everything, but it was just different. We broke up shortly after Thanksgiving, and it has been an adjustment for all of us.

That brings us back to 2008. I know this is going to be a great year for lots of reasons. The first reason is that we are again blessed to be able to spend time with friends and family as Alexa grows and that is very important to me. Then as the year goes by I will be a few steps closer to graduation and I am definitely looking forward to that. I won't graduate in 2008, but I will be closer than I was last year!

As always I am looking forward to watching Alexa grow and play as a happy little girl! She is already getting so big, and she talks non-stop! She amazes me at the things she says at 16 months. Who knows what tomorrow holds for her! I can't wait for her 2nd birthday...another great milestone in her life.

I am also looking forward to financial freedom in 2008. I know that may seem strange, but it is one of my biggest goals! By this time next I should be totally and completely debt free! HALLELUJAH! I can't wait! That means I will be saving to buy a house as well, and I am definitely looking forward to that. I hope I don't ever have to rent again! I HATE renting! Especially after my last rental experience I am looking forward to having my own house that I can do whatever I want to it!

Please don't take this the wrong way, I am by no means trying to say that living at home is horrible. It's just different! Once you have had your own space and freedom, it's just hard to go back. I am thankful that I had somewhere to come back to and that mama and daddy have been able to help me out during this hard time...but most importantly I am thankful that they want me to move on as well. They don't want me to live at home forever...and neither do I! Too many times a hand up is taken as a hand out and what was meant as help is actually enabling someone to stay in their circumstances...that is not the case here! I am ready to move on...when the time is right!

Most importantly I am looking forward to growing my relationship with God during 2008! We have just started Experiencing God as a small group on Wednesday night at church and I am really excited about it. We have never done small groups before, so this is certainly a step of faith for lots of people. I can't wait to see what I learn from this Bible study, and I hope to form some lasting relationships within our group as well.

2008 promises to be a great year, not without trials, but a great year nonetheless! I hope you all are looking forward to what this year may hold for you, and thanking God for the years He has given you in the past. I know I am...because without the trials I have already been through, I wouldn't be here today. I want to make the most of today, worry less about tomorrow, and look to God for everything I do!