Missing Out On All The Fun

(Grandma & Grandpa,
here's a ridiculous quantity of pics...enjoy!)

Today was a perfect-weather day. It was below the 90* temps we endured daily for months, it didn't rain, and there was no sharp, crisp breeze to send chills through my kiddos. It was juuuuust right!

My poor kids have been stuck in our house for a couple weeks. With all the rain we had on a daily basis, there was no outdoor play opportunity. Once that stopped, I got a sinus infection. I followed that up with bronchitis. Throw in my hubby's impossible work schedule (he's not home 'til almost 2 hrs past kiddie bedtime), and there ya go--little fun to be had. Until today! My husband was off work so it was a perfect perfect-weather day for everyone. Except for me. I still feel 'under the weather'.

I didn't feel up to going out, but I didn't want to miss out on all the fun, so I opened up the playroom window and snapped some pics! They all had a good time running, swinging, and eating grass (to each their own!).

{Speaking of grass, don't mind the seemingly tall grass in these pics...1) the yard is on a hill, and from my view everyone looked to be buried in the grass but they weren't! 2) Chris is off work tomorrow & will mow it---today he had to chose between mowing and playing with his kids, and the kids won hands-down!}

I adore this pic of my guys! ↑ They look so alike!

A New Direction

Remember this recent prayer request?

Well, things are happening around here and I'd like to tell you some news (if you're a Facebook friend, you may have read the info below on my note)...

My husband is a hard worker and loving provider for our family. In whatever he does, he tries to do his best. In his job, he had worked his way up with great success, but the reward was empty as he knew he was called to do so much more with his life than work as much as 70+...even up to 80...hrs per week at times, including nights and weekends. So he stepped down from working the crazy hours of the jewelry store management position he held in BG to accept a standard sales associate position here in TN. This has allowed him to work no more than 40 hrs per week since we moved back this Summer, but still it's the schedule of nights and weekends along with a $20K pay cut (that's a significant difference since we weren't livin' high on the hog beforehand!), so all along my hubby's been applying for alternative opportunities. At times he started feeling discouraged, but with the encouragement of mentors and God's Word he kept his chin up and pressed on.

In the past couple of weeks Chris was presented with 3 opportunities by 3 different companies, and was able to select the one that best fit his goals and our family's needs. Today he accepted the upcoming opportunity and gave a two-week notice at his current job. So it's official, Chris has a new career!

Only a handful of you knew this specific chance was in the works, as we had to work through this process quietly, but now it's done and it's true and we're excited! From the depths of my heart I thank those of you who've been praying for our family, as well as those of you rejoicing with us now!

What's he going to be doing, you ask? He will be in the banking industry. Are you thinking that's random??? Not at all! When I met Chris he was the Assistant Manager of a jewelry store. Then he worked a short while as a loan officer at a bank before becoming a Property Manager and Realtor (which is what he was doing the first few years we were married). He then returned to the jewelry biz over the past couple years as an Assistant Mngr and then Manager, but it's not been the right fit for our family goals. So...my handsome, geeked out, number-crunching hubby is back in banking! And for the first time since having children he'll have a "normal" schedule! I'm thrilled he'll get to enjoy more of his life--there will be family time, campus outreach/Bible studies, and he'll even get to socialize with our friends again! Ha!

God is HUGE! And this job is a HUGE gift for which we are certainly grateful to a God much bigger than ourselves. He knows our desires, and He knows our needs, and He knows His plan for our lives! He made this possible for my hubby and our family, and we are so humbled by this favorable circumstance and hope to use this freedom in ways that bring Honor to Him (though I'll confess now that there's a great likelihood we'll be lazy on Saturdays, watching OSU football together from now on--a treat we haven't shared together in a long time, and I'm sure God will understand! Besides, Buckeye football IS truth! hehe).

Now that Chris will be working a "normal" day job, we'll actually get to eat some meals together...like a real family, sitting around a table and everything! So I guess my next prayer request will be about my need to improve my cooking skills! ;)

Preparing For Winter

In preparing for winter, the first thing that comes to mind is warm clothing--especially coats. I'm not a fan of cold weather, and certainly don't want to see my kids freezing!

I found these three coats for a total of $25! All three are different brands, from Gap, Old Navy, and Walmart.

(2 pics below are cell phone quality)

The darkest two are for Siah. He already has a light-weight hoodie, but this green one is a warmer fleece that should certainly get him through the pumpkin-picking days of Autumn, and then the dark blue coat will be for any real cold weather we may (or may not) experience here in Middle TN later in the year. Kyleigh already has a couple of hoodies for the crisp breezes of Fall, so she needed a heavy winter coat and this fab neutral find can coordinate with many outfits and is feminine enough with its trim to suite our girlie girl!

She can't wait for the temps to drop to wear her new coat!

My Son Is A Bucket-Head

Yeah, I realize that name-calling isn't nice...especially when it's about my own kids! But seriously, "bucket-head" was all I could think when Josiah was running around the house with a blue pale on his cutie noggin'!



My kids are so silly, so independent, and just so very sweet!

They like to:

dance in their underpants,

































get on/off chairs by themselves,

















hang their own laundry,

















wear buckets on their heads,

















play tea party,













smile from ear to ear,













teach grown-ups to jump rope,

















read books,

















brush their own teeth,





























snuggle & smooch,
































play football,

















and decide for themselves how many squares of TP are needed when pottying (though perhaps sometimes Kyleigh can be just a smidgen too liberal with her 2-ply supply!)

















If it helps to know, I call myself something, too--BLESSED!

"Cleaning Gets Old" (a parody)

This You Tube video made me LAUGH! Hilarious! I think most moms can relate to some degree. Honestly, it's not exactly my life...my kids do pick up after themselves and have clean rooms, but since we've been living in a smaller house I have stepped on a hairbrush before (??? random) and I do feel like the dishes crowd the kitchen and paperwork/mail/etc clutters up tabletops, countertops, desktops (basically all surfaces!) way too fast! But the dancing while cleaning--that's so totally me, we dance during all chores around here! So, for hard-workin' moms out there, this video is dedicated to you:

This is HUGE!

(This has nothing to do w/ previous post...just so ya know. But more on that prayer request in the coming days!)

We experienced a "first" in our household today!
MY KIDS ATE CEREAL!
Ok, y'all may think I'm nuts...and that's okay! But nothing can squelch my excitement about this occasion!

My kids are NOT picky eaters--that's not what this is about. Kyleigh struggles with many severe food allergies, so she eats a lot of fruits, veggies, some grains, and some meats. While it's the dream of most parents to get their kids to eat fruits and vegetables, my kids LOVE 'em! Instead, it's my dream that my kids just get to experience "normal". My kids don't get to eat cookies or peanut butter sandwiches or Happy Meals. Josiah's not shown any sign of allergic reaction to foods as of yet, but we've been warned by pediatricians, allergists, and nutritionists to proceed with caution, as there's a high likelihood our son will have similar allergies to our daughter's. We hope this is not the case, but there's truly fear within me after seeing my daughter's sufferings.

The boxes of cereal you buy are probably $3 for 12-14 oz of sugary sweetness, right? Or maybe they're even in the "healthy" category. But neither of those are options for us because even the "healthy" ones are typically categorized as such because they have wheat--KyKy's worst enemy! And boxes of cereal in certain health food stores can be closer to $12 for only about 6-8oz of cardboard-esque nutrition! That's not an option for us either, so our kids eat fresh fruit for breakfast daily.

I'm not much of a breakfast-eater, but my hubby LOVES cereal! He'll eat it for breakfast, he'll eat it for dessert--
he just loves cereal! So Kyleigh has always watched him enjoy dipping his spoon into the bowl and scooping out some milk-covered yumminess, and she finally got to put into practice the skills she's so faithfully observed! Josiah also got to try cereal, but just as a dry snack because he'd already eaten fruit earlier. They both LOVED it!

Rice Chex and Corn Chex have a new gluten-free style, which Chris has tried multiple times, and multiple times has tried to coax me into serving to our daughter! But, truly, I hesitate giving her anything new these days, as it typically results in a trip to the ER. But after much reading of the box's ingredients (today and on countless days prior to our cereal adventure) and realizing the perfect timing since my man was off work (he could help keep an eye out for any signs of allergic reaction, and it helps to have a second parent in case of ER trip!), I finally conceded to sharing the cereal with our kids!

Josiah enjoyed pouring his dry Rice Chex from a snack bowl onto his highchair tray and eating them up that way. Kyleigh enjoyed her cereal just as her daddy does, with milk and a spoon (hers was soy milk, of course)! She ate cereal like a pro! This is probably an unappreciated everyday occurrence in most households across the country--I get that. But it's new to us. And it's appreciated! And it's amazing! Amazing to see my daughter sit at the table and do something as "normal" as eat cereal! As much as I've wanted "normal" for Kyleigh, I know that "normal" is not always possible, so I'm very protective with my kids' foods. Sometimes we want to expand KyKy's options, but then she hurts from the consequences of the allergic reactions, and I feel mommy-guilt and then I don't want to let her try anything new so she won't have to suffer again! I'm so glad that I stepped outside my fears and took this calculated risk for her to try a new breakfast food! Both kids were soooo happy, and that made my heart happy, too! Oh, and what's best...
after a full day of observations, no allergic reactions!

I got a video of both kids eating cereal and still pics of Kyleigh (for whom this is the greatest surprise). The video won't cooperate to post, but here's some pics of our girl enjoying her cereal!

Top Secret Tuesday

For many people, I suppose Tuesday is ordinary and boring. It typically carries little excitement in our day-to-day lives. But this Tuesday--today--is important for my family, so I'm asking you to cover us in prayer. I mean that...whatever time of day you read this, be it morning, noon, or night, our Heavenly Father has no curfew!

Truly, I hate to be so mysterious about it all, but I'm honestly not at liberty to share details right now. {And NO, I'm NOT pregnant...why is that everyone's first thought?!?!} What I do know is that the outcome of today's events could go one of two ways. Either way, to God be the Glory.

I look forward to sharing what this day is all about. Soon. Until then, please know we covet your prayers and appreciate your hearts. And with all my heart, I thank you.

It's Game Day!

It's opening day for the '09 OSU Football Season! What else would my family be doing today besides watching football?
(Well, Chris is working, but he wore his gray shirt and OSU tie, and the game's on DVR so he can watch it tonight!)
Yay, it's game day!

Kyleigh was so excited to wear her scarlet/gray hairbow
from her Godparents, John & Sarah!

Hairbow, scarlet pants, buckeye necklace, football...
yeah, she's a true Buckeye!

You can't see my awesome OSU earrings in this pic,
but just know I was decked out for my team! We're #1!
Josiah wanted to play ball with Daddy before work!
Look at my sweet Siah--
he's a Buckeye, no doubt!