Well, hello there long lost friend. *an introduction*

It seems the last few months got away from me and blogging and photography took the hits. 

When I'm down, I tend to run away from the things I enjoy... weird I know, but hey. let's be real. It's just who I am.

So... we are FINALLY in a new house.  We are still in the organizing and unpacking phase, but we are here. And we couldn't be happier.

Our kids are growing like crazy. 

And this little beauty who was meant just for us, graced us with her presence. 

(she's 2 weeks old in this picture)

She arrived on October 25th at 3:05 pm. Weighing in at 8 lb 12 oz and 19 1/4 inches long.

She is the sweetest baby, and the big kids just adore her. 

To say we are in love, would not even suffice.

I'm looking forward to getting into 'normal' again. I am craving routine and things I love, so hopefully you'll see more of me around here soon. 

What's new in the world of our kids.

I feel like I haven't updated on how our kids are doing in a LONG time. So I want to document here, where they have grown and  how much fun they are having!

Kyley is now a THIRD GRADER!  She finished her very first chapter book and is almost done with the next. I knew it was just a matter of figuring out it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. 
She told us after she was almost done with the first that reading was FUN!   If you have followed the blog for any length of time, you KNOW this is huge for my girl, and I'm so excited for the opportunities this will open up for her to flourish and learn at her own rate now!
She finished her 5th year of dance and her 1st year of softball this past month, and she had a blast. She made a lot of new friends this year, that I think will stick around for a long time and for that I am grateful.
She had a great time at camp already this summer, and came home excited that she feels called into children's ministry as she gets older!  I'm so glad to know she's listening to the voice of God and hearing His plan for her life!
Some of her favorite things right now are:
Making crafts, any and everything, especially jewelry.
Writing her own songs.
Reading.
Shopping.
Driving her brothers crazy :)

Elijah just finished preschool and is now officially a KINDERGARTENER!
He is growing and learning so much about life right now.
He just finished his first year of t-ball, and while he had a hard time paying attention sometimes, he did a great job and had a great time! I can't wait to see how he does in the next few years as his attention span extends and he learns the game.
Elijah has grown so much over the last year and I'm constantly amazed at the things he is learning.
Some of his favorite things right now:
Singing praise and worship.
Playing with his superheros.
Playing his leappad.
Playing on the Kindle.
Playing in the pool.

Asher is 2 & 1/2 and thinks he's 12. The kid cracks me up daily.
He thinks he's as grown as the other two and can do anything they do.
His vocabulary has grown leaps and bounds over the last few months. He tells me full stories, and can hold an entire conversation with you.
He recently gave up his paci, which I'm sure helped the speech, but also he's been working on potty training.  We haven't gotten the hang of it yet, but it won't be long, I'm sure!
 Asher went through a few months recently where he was TERRIFIED of water. It was so bad that just to give the kid a bath I'd have to pretty much throw him in, hold him down, bathe him while he tried to climb out and immediately get him out. All while he screamed.  I'm happy to say that he is finally over that and loves the splashpad and our kiddie pool to no end. He still isn't as happy in the bath as he is outside in the water, but it's no longer a how fast can I climb out act.
Some of his favorite things are:
Singing oh happy day (over and over and over again)
Playing the guitar or drums
Hanging out with Matt Matt
Playing Elijah's Leappad
Eating peanut butter with graham crackers
Making a mess with EVERYTHING.


I cannot believe how fast they are all growing. I cannot wait to see what the next few months hold in store for them all. 

Daddy.

My kids seriously have the most awesome daddy in the world. I couldn't do my job as mommy without him and we are so thankful for HIM. So in honor of him today... here's a whole lot of fun pictures of him over the last few months. We love you Daddy! Happy Father's Day!

Free/Cheap Summer Outings with the kids!

Well, as you all my know by now, we are staying with family for a bit until we close on the new house, so it's been so important to find things to do with my kids OUTSIDE of the house. This keeps everyone sane. It keeps the kids from getting bored and terrorizing the house, and it keeps mommy from having to constantly stress over whether we are making a mess or getting in the way.

With that said, I thought I'd compile a little list of the fun things we have planned so far this summer. 

We are saving as much money as possible, so cheap/free is a MUST, and yet we are still having a blast!

Our favorite so far has to visit the local splash pad.   It's just a few miles from here, and it's absolutely free (unless you have to park at a meter). We like to take snacks or lunch and make it a fun time with any friends that care to join us.

Next up, are these awesome programs we just discovered this year. 

www.kidsskatefree.com

www.kidsbowlfree.com

These are simple to register for, and every week I get coupons in my email to print and the kids can skate twice a week, or bowl 2 games any day for FREE!

The one thing you need to know about these, is there is a rental fee for skates ($1) and for bowling shoes if they don't have their own.

Another freebie we love is the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. 

They have a great art selection for the adults to browse through if you like that kind of thing, but they also have an amazing, hands on kids area. You can spend hours in there at a time and the kids can't get bored!

Of course, there are SO many parks in the area that we love to visit.  My personal favorite is a fenced, wooden park downtown that is great for all of my kids, but I'm sure that any park would entertain a kid just as easily!

We also love to have playdates for ice cream at Chick Fil A or Burger King because they have indoor play places.  These are great on super hot, or rainy days!

These next two are free building clinics, they are usually on a Saturday morning (every 1st Sat at Home Depot, and several Saturday's a month at Lowe's)


Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic

Home Depot Kids Clinic

  And here are a few more we enjoy, though they aren't totally free, they are cheap and a fun time.

We love to visit  Nancy's Italian Ice with the kids on a hot day.  Cheap cold treats, and always a good time. 

We also enjoy taking the kids out for donuts (not near as cheap as italian ice!), and they love watching the donuts be made through the big window at Krispy Kreme.

And one final thing that is great around here... the minor league baseball team.

Montgomery Biscuits Baseball

This one is a little bit more costly than the rest, but if you are looking for some good fun, this is certainly a good time!

There are of course random events that go on through the summer, such as the Dragon Boat Races, and 2nd Saturday events by the river, but those are things that you have to watch for and know when they'll be held. We enjoy doing things like that as often as we can though!

Do you have any other great ideas for getting kids out of the house during the summer?

Old Navy Activewear!!!

I recently got to go shopping with one of my bestest friends and pick up some more Old Navy Activewear.

It's turning into summer around here quickly so I went in looking for something cool and comfortable to keep me motivated to stay in shape.

The selection in store this year was great. I loved all the bright color combinations and I loved almost everything I tried on. 

Ultimately, I picked out a black short with pink trim and a matching pink shirt, and I'm thrilled with my choice.

 The shirt is a relaxed but fitted shape and I love how it doesn't show too many bulges without being too loose to comfortably work out in.

 The shorts and shirt both have these mesh panels for ultimate comfort. It lets the air flow freely as you work out and keeps you cool. Definitely a plus!

The color in these pictures doesn't do it justice either. I love the colors together! Such a great combination.

As a bonus feature, Old Navy's shorts have these cute little pockets inside the waistband. They are big enough to fit some change or a key to a locker in, just perfect for keeping up with it without feeling tied down.

The shorts are so comfy I've slept in them and I love them. I think I need some more!

Overall, I loved the quality of these products and I'm so glad I got to pick these out because I am loving them!

*full disclosure:  I was given coupons for me and a friend to pick out one top and one bottom from Old Navy's Activewear line, by Crowdtap.  All opinions are my own.

Raw.

Some days I just need to be raw here, and today I guess is one of those days.

Things with the new house are moving along, but not nearly fast enough for my liking.

I'm tired of not having my own space. I'm tired of living out of boxes and in someone else's home.

I'm doing the best I can to enjoy this time and to make it memorable for my kids, but it's hard some days.  

Some days are amazing, and we have a great day and all seems right in the world. And others, I just want to crawl in a hole and cry for a good while.

 I know that all of this is nessecary, yet some days I wonder why.

I trust God, and yet I often question where this is all leading.   What he is teaching me.

 I find that I often don't wonder WHY it is happening, just what it is he wants me to learn, and then when I don't get answers to that, I get frustrated.

Anyhow, friends, if you could just lift our family up over the next few weeks as this finishes up.  Pray for good attitudes, for more great days than frustrating days, for peace for our kids hearts.

Homeless.

Wow, the last month has been a whirlwind. I'm exhausted just thinking back on everything we've done.  

So, for a short recap... we packed up our house and put it in storage, and are staying with family for the time being.  

The kids aren't doing too badly with the change, and closing on the new house is set for 2 weeks from now. Pray with us that things work out smoothly!!!

We've been super busy with ball, the kids are loving it and we're loving watching them have fun!

The kids are doing great, and growing so fast! Hopefully we can update soon with pictures of the new house!!!

I have SO much to be doing.

I have so much to be working on, and I felt the need to blog. Go figure. :)

So my tiny turned TWO earlier this month. I cannot believe how fast that went.  The boys had a great party and Elijah turns 5 this week!  Everything turned out awesome and they had a great time.

We agreed on a contract on a house. Waiting on final paperwork and then we'll submit our binder and proceed toward closing!

I can't say I'm not a little nervous and I'm definitely stressed over this, but I'm learning to let go and just let God work.

We are gearing up for a huge Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow with Lakewood Kids, and I can't wait to see how that turns out.

With that being said, enjoy the weekend with your family, and celebrate our Risen King.  

Baseball, Softball, Moving

When I say that I knew this spring would be crazy, I had NO idea just how crazy it would be!!! 

We officially signed both older kids up to play ball. 2 practice a week for now, which will turn into 1 practice and 2 games a week. EACH.   That makes 2 practices and 4 games a week.

As it looks right now, we'll be at the ball field Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for sure.

Add into that, Wed night church, Friday night small group, and Sunday church.  I'm tired just thinking about it! haha Oh and don't forget dance!

Thankfully, this first week, went well. We will have a lot of adjustment to do to our daily schedules to make everything work and get the school work done and the rest we need, but I have no doubt it's going to be a lot of fun! I look forward to warm days at the field, hanging out with friends and family.

This week, my baby turns TWO. Next weekend we are having a party for both boys combined... should be fun. The following week will be our HUGE Easter egg hunt, and of course Easter itself.  That week is Elijah's 5th birthday! I cannot believe it's been FIVE years!

After that, the rest of April will be spent preparing for Derek's big birthday bash (he turns 30!) and packing, packing, and packing some more! We're MOVING at the end of April!!!! I cannot believe how fast that's coming up. I'm looking forward to it, and nervous all the same. Pray for us, for guidance and wisdom, and for patience.

Amber and Hazelwood. (PRODUCT REVIEW)

Have you ever lived through a teething baby screaming at night?

If you have, many hugs, because I know your pain.

I can only wish I had known about Baltic Amber way before my third was born.

I received this beautiful necklace from Teething tots. And the difference it has made in our lives is tremendous.

When we first put the amber necklace on Asher, he went from waking more than five times a night and swollen gums and all, to sleeping through the night, being a much happier baby and his gums were no longer swollen and his teeth came through almost immediately.

I can't imagine living life without it now.

This is a little of what her site says about Baltic Amber.

 Amber is fossilized sap which contains trace amounts of succinic acid, a known anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. The warmth from the skin releases the active ingredient in the amber. The active ingredient is quickly absorbed into the blood stream, when worn against the skin, soothing a baby naturally while he or she struggles with the pain of cutting brand new teeth. By having your baby wear the necklace everyday, it will help to reduce the common symptoms related to teething such as; redness in the cheeks, swollen gums, diaper rashes and fevers.

 

The necklace is so well made, and adorable at that.  It is knotted between each bead so that even if he broke the necklace, there would be little to no chance of a choking hazard because none of the beads would fall off! Not only that, it's made to break with force so if he got caught on something, it'd break almost instantly.

I seriously will continue to have our kids wear these because I've seen the benefits first hand, and they are worth every penny.

The customer service is AMAZING. Corie is so easy to work with and so kind and quick to respond. 

I also got to try out one of these Hazelwood necklaces for myself.

I have horrible eczema and the Hazelwood is supposed to help with that. I was a little skeptical at first, but I've really enjoyed wearing it AND it seems to be working. I've slept better than I used to because I'm not waking up to itch all night which is a HUGE plus.

 This necklaces is beaded with hazelwood, lapis lazuli, and hematite to offset the others.  I love the way it looks. It's so fun but practical and I can wear it with almost anything and not worry about it clashing.

Here's a little about what her website has to say about these:

Hazelwood provides a natural alternative to many of the more expensive, intensive, and messy treatments. Hazelwood is an alkaline wood and has the natural property of absorbing and neutralizing the body's acidity through contact with the skin. Acidity in the body during teething often leads to symptoms such as diaper rash, diarrhea, teething rash, runny nose, increased reflux episodes and inflammation of the cheeks. Hazelwood aids in relieving or preventing many of the symptoms caused by this unbalanced acidity.

Overall, I think this one is great as well. It's strong and durable which is important with 3 young kids and it's not too heavy even with the wood and hematite. I thought that would make it heavy, but it doesn't.


If you have little ones with eczema, or have eczema yourself, this may be the way to go. I'm a natural kinda girl, so I'd pick this before I tried any steroid cream or anything like that to treat eczema for sure!!

** In full disclosure, I was given these products to review at no cost to me. All opinions stated here are my own**

23 months.

Yall, I cannot believe my baby will be TWO next month.

He's the sweetest thing, and so fiesty too.   Not much has changed since last month, he's still talking like crazy, and loving running and jumping and climbing and falling down :) 

He loves to sing about Jesus, and he loves to pray for you. So stinkin cute. 

His favorite song is Hallelujah. Though recently he's picked up "I want candy" from the kids watching HOP.

He's becoming so independent and continues to amaze me with how smart he is.

I can't believe how fast it goes.

Chaos!

The past few weeks have been insane.   We got home from CLR and found out we need to MOVE by the end of April.

Our landlord wants to put our house on the market and our lease is up in April.

So, this began the process of applying for loans, and looking for houses etc.  

We found a house we love, though that is subject to change, and now we're just waiting on loan officers to finish working things out and see what we qualify for etc.

This is a scary time, but we're loving it too, we're excited to finally move!!

And I'll leave you with a few pictures from the last few weeks. There aren't many because my phone went down the proverbial toilet.   However, getting a new phone was a highlight of the month. :)

CLR 2013

We got the amazing privilege to spend a few days in Tennessee this past week.

Favorite comment of the week:   As we were pulling through Knoxville, we began to see some snow on the banks of the Interstate... Kyley looks up and says MOM!!! What's the white stuff???   Awesome.

We drove up on Wednesday, checked in and got everything situated, and headed to our first 'session'.

We were so blessed to be able to spend this time with about 50 other people who are where we are.  Other children's pastors in our denomination from Alabama. It was pretty awesome to get to network some and pick brain about ideas.

Our kids were amazing. For the most part they were still and quiet and entertained themselves while we were in group sessions and they had so much fun during the other times as well.

Thursday morning, we had a session which we followed by some free time.   We ended up taking the kids to look at a rock mining site we'd seen, and the indian trade post.  We also visited a huge Christian book clearance store, and a few souvenir shops.

Finally we ended up at Fudruckers for lunch. We've obviously never been but it was great and we plan on going back when we are in the area again.

We finished up Thursday evening with another group session and ended up hanging out downstairs (even with our kids) until well after midnight chatting and getting to know the other couples there.

Friday was a 'free day' that we intended to spend playing putt putt or seeing some sites, however there was a cold front that pushed through and everything was frozen.

We took the kids to Gatti's (an arcade/pizza buffet/etc) and enjoyed the afternoon seeing sites and visiting a few more souvenir shops just for fun.

The main event of the day though, was the Dixie Stampede.  If you've never been, it's worth going at least once.

The whole experience was neat, and my kids were wide eyed and just taking in the whole experience most of the time.

We spent our evening watching some 'rodeo' type entertainment, but it was really neat!

Saturday it was time to pack up and head home, so we headed for Chick Fil A for lunch before we hit the road and made the long journey home (and it was LONGER than expected due to some crazy events that won't be mentioned here haha)

We had one last fun stop before we made it home, and that was to have dinner with some sweet friends in the Birmingham area.  AND we finally got to meet sweet Gia.   The kids were so excited to see her, and of course Derek and I were stoked to get to spend some time with Malerie and Kevin. 

We came home exhausted but it was a great, refreshing time away, and we're so glad we had the opportunity to go.