What I've Been Up To

Wow, what a past couple of weeks! It's true, when it rains it pours. That usually goes for BAD news in my life but the past week or so has been one awesome thing after another and it couldn't have come at a better time. To start off, my little business is doing so well. I get at least one order in each day and when I am not working on orders I am working on inventory. I am going to be a vendor at two shows in April. I signed up to be a vendor at Moms Market because I thought it would be a good way to get my foot in the door and learn the ropes of these trade shows. Moms Market will be on Sunday, April 3rd at the Pelham Civic Center Arena. I then heard about a HUGE show and, what can I say, I welcomed the challenge! : ) It is the same weekend on that Friday and Saturday, April 1st and 2nd at the old Linen's N Things by the Target on 280. I am incredibly nervous about this show because it is a huge one. They are expecting 6,000 people to come through those doors! All I have thought about for the past couple of days is my booth. I have so many ideas for it and no ideas all at the same time. As a lover of trade shows myself, I know how important it is for booths to be inviting, colorful, and to stand out. I hope to have a rough sketch of my booth within the next few days.

Wednesday night I was laying in bed at 12:30 am and realized I totally missed Tackle It Tuesday this week. I guess next week's Tackle it Tuesday will have to be a big one. ;) Stay tuned...

How low can you go?

For the past 12 months Chris and I have struggled to expand our family. We have hoped, we have prayed, we have never lost faith. We have never cried, we have never wondered, "Why us?!" We have never questioned God's plan for our family. We have stayed strong and hopeful and told ourselves that with every passing month we are one step closer. I have encouraged friends of mine who are going through this same journey. I have tried explain to them that there is a reason for everything and a timetable that may not be the same as ours. I have been able to stay strong through this because I have seen it happen. I have seen a miracle happen in God's time. But to quote one of my favorite songs, "Unsinkable ships sink, unbreakable walls break..." Even the strongest of the strong break down from time to time and this week, my time came. It was not the fact that we are not pregnant. I still believe with my whole heart that the plan for our family has already been determined. I believe with my whole heart that no matter what I do, how many children we have and when has already been decided for us. I believe with my whole heart that if we are blessed with another child it will happen at the most perfect time for our family. What hit me this week is that we were moving on to month twelve. MONTH TWELVE! I have no idea why this month was any different or any more devastating than months eleven, ten, nine, or so on, but month twelve hit me like a ton of bricks. Chris and I have always known that we wanted our children extremely close in age. This was the first day I cried - and I cried all day. I did not cry for myself, I did not cry for Chris. I cried for Walker. I will love ALL of my children with a love that is stronger than anything in the world, but I would be perfectly content with only Walker. If we are meant to only have one child, we will be okay. Walker could not be more adored and loved by Chris and I. However, I know the power of siblings. There are lots of different types of love in this world and one of the strongest that I have experienced is the love I have for both of my sisters. I want Walker to experience this love. I want him to have a friend for life because I know that's what my sisters will be for me. I want him to have someone to always be there for him, even after Chris and I leave this life. With each passing month, I feel like he and his sibling will be less and less close. So, you see, I do not cry for myself, but because I cannot seem to give my child the best gift I could ever give him. We are now on to month twelve and although I had my first breakdown, I don't think one breakdown in twelve months is too bad. I still have my faith, I still have hope, and above all, I still have the love of two amazing guys.

To Walker,
It will be a long time before you read this blog that I have had turned into a book for you. If you are blessed to have siblings, cherish them. Please know that the time goes by too fast. Although they will surely annoy you, know that you will miss them one day. Please know that one day you will appreciate them, and with time, they will become your closest friends. Please know that they were sent here for you. If you are an only child, please know that you are loved beyond imagination. It is hard to understand just how strong a parent's love is until you hold your very own child for the first time. No matter how much we tell you we love you, you will not truly understand it until that moment, but we will still tell you everyday. If you are an only child, it is because that was the plan for our family. Faith brought me you and I love you to the moon.

Tackle It Tuesday

I so look forward to Tuesdays now! Yes, I do know that I can organize and clean on other days besides Tuesdays, but I know I have to do something I have been putting off when Tuesday rolls around. I have taken on two huge projects the past two Tackle It Tuesdays. Today I decided to do something I have been needing to do but was not quite as huge of a project as re-organizing a whole room. Trust me, I have several more rooms to tackle for future Tuesdays.

I have mentioned my friend Lauryn before. She created a group on Facebook called The Domestic Diva's Recipe Exchange. There are 154 people in the group and lots of recipe swapping going on! I have been meaning to go through the posts and write down all the recipes that I like and want to try. I have an empty recipe book that Lauryn gave me a couple of years ago that is now full of recipes just waiting for me to give them a try. This was my project for today's Tackle It Tuesday. Here is a recipe I got from the group on facebook. We cooked this tonight:

Homemade Lasagna
Ingredients:
1lb hamburger meat
1 jar spaghetti sauce (your choice)
6 lasagna noodles
2 packs of cheese (italian blend)
disposable lasagna pan (I use this for the depth)

Brown the meat and set the noodles to boil. Preheat oven to 350
Mix sauce with meat.

Layering:
thin layer of sauce on the bottom
noodles (three)
meat sauce
cheese (one whole pack)
noodles (three)
meat sauce
cheese (one whole pack)

cook on 350 until cheese is melted
****After cooking this recipe tonight I would use 2 jars of sauce and add a layer of ricotta cheese****

Walker 365

Paying It Forward

Last week, Lauryn posted a status that said:"Paying it Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011. This should be fun, shouldn't it??!"

I know Lauryn is super creative so of course I commented on her status and then reposted it as my own. I only had three responses and they were from Lauryn, Annette, and Nicole. I thought about doing candles because I have been making candles recently but I would have to ship them and that would be a headache. I thought about making bath salts but I wanted something more creative. So, after two days of trips to both Hobby Lobby and Michael's, I decided on the perfect present for them! I had planned to keep it a secret mainly because I wanted it to be a surprise. It's always fun to get something in the mail and have absolutely no idea what it is. I had so much fun working on this project and they all turned out so well that I just couldn't wait to share it with you all! Enjoy : A lot of you have been wondering about my cryptic status today about a big announcement. First of all, let me say that it was so funny how many people thought I was pregnant. I hope to be making that announcement very soon but I would not be that obvious about it ; ) My big announcement is that I enjoyed making these so much that I have decided to apply to be a vendor at a local arts and crafts show. Of course, I'd like to know if you like the frames first! Please tell me what you honestly think of them! I will be making other things besides frames such as crosses, mirrors, signs, and other decor. Hope the "big" announcement did not disappoint! : )
Lauryn, Annette, and Nicole - be on the lookout for your package!

Tackle It Tuesday

Our house is lived in to say the least. I try to clean up every day but things always seem to pile up and it doesn't take long for things to get out of control. I thought being a stay at home mom would help me keep the house clean but it seems even harder to keep a clean house. When I think about deep cleaning the house I get VERY overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start and what to do. That's why I am so glad that I am doing Tackle It Tuesdays. Last week we cleaned out the guest bedroom and turned it into an office. I am proud to say it has been a week and the office is still looking great. I think taking it room by room is definitely the best way for me to organize. This week I decided to tackle the laundry room. I have no idea how the laundry room became such a dumping ground since I try to spend as little time in there as possible but as you can see, it looked like a tornado came through there. I can't even blame this one on Walker - this one was ALL Mommy and Daddy.
Just a side note, our next big project in our house will be our laundry room. I am not very good at decorating but I know what I like when I see it. I came across this laundry room makeover and fell in love. Her laundry room is about the same size as mine and I can't wait to put some color in my laundry room and replace those wretched wire shelves. The new, clean laundry room will suffice for now but look for an updated laundry room SOON! In the meantime, check out the inspiration for my laundry room!

Walker 365

This picture, taken this morning, was Walker getting ready to eat a good breakfast! My baby boy had half of an apple, a couple of eggs, and a few bites of yogurt. He has quite the appetite!
Getting good pictures of Walker is becoming harder and harder as he now runs from the camera. It is quickly turning into a fun game for him with lots of laughing and smiling. I enjoy capturing these quick little candid photos like this one!
Saturday January 8th was a great day! We finally got to celebrate Christmas with my side of our family. My sister, Walker's Double A, was in North Carolina visiting her dad for Christmas so we delayed Christmas until she came back in January. This picture is Walker having lots of fun opening more presents!
We visited the McWane Center on Thursday January 6th. Walker had an awesome time playing in the water, looking in the mirrors, seeing the fish, and playing with blocks. This picture is Walker near the slides having more fun with the nets!

Walker's Third Snow

The "snow" has arrived! At our home it's more like a very thick layer of ice that is turning into slush. I was not here for the blizzard of '93. My family and I lived in Sunny Florida where we swam on Christmas Day. For the majority of my life in Alabama, snow flurries have been limited. Predictions of snow were seldom followed by actual snow. For this reason, I adopt the "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude. We went to Walmart to pick up a few things on Friday. We had no plans of getting milk or bread but one quick glance down the bread aisle made us decide to pick up a loaf. There were very few loaves left with the majority of them smushed or open. The storm was not supposed to hit until Sunday but people were panicking all week. Sunday came and we expected to wake to beautiful snow but when we woke up, there was nothing! That night we heard the sleet and within 20 minutes our yard was covered in ice. Schools are closed, roads have been closed, and our cars are frozen but we have yet to use our loaf of bread!

This is Walker's third snow in his very short thirteen months. The first snow he experienced was in February 2010 when he was only three months old. His second snow was on Christmas Day but it did not stick. Here are some pictures from Walker's previous snow experiences.

February 2010



Christmas Day 2010

I WON!

In my previous post I blogged about HollyDays Boutique and raved about their products. It's true - I love them. I have several items I am wanting to order from them and now I will get my chance. FOR FREE! Turns out I won their giveaway I blogged about yesterday - yipppppeee! I cannot remember the last time I literally did a happy dance but yesterday when I read their post announcing myself as the winner, I actually DANCED around the living room with excitement. Thank You, Hollydays! If you haven't checked them out, find them at facebook.com/shophollydays.

HollyDays Giveaway

Hollydays is an awesome company that I discovered years ago. Hollydays specializes in one of a kind cutom invitations, stationary, and gifts. I have made many orders from Hollydays and have always been very pleased with the results and the customer service. Here are some of the items I have ordered from Hollydays:


This was Walker's door hanger when he was born. I loved that I could fill in the information. Holly even customized the colors so they matched W's nursery!



I bought these plates for our niece and nephew for Christmas this year. Hands down, best Christmas present I have ever given. Johnny is two years old and has a ton of toys so I wanted to give him something I knew he would use. Hannah was only six months old at Christmas. Her plate had a beautiful cross on it and I and knew it was the perfect one for her!



Hollydays made these invitations for a couples shower we hosted for our dear friends. They were perfect!

I have also ordered address stamps and waterproof labels for my son's plates and cups. Hollydays takes care of all of my invitation needs! I am blogging about this great boutique because I want you to get in on the fun! Hollydays is hosting a giveaway because they have reached 1000 fans on facebook. Head over to their facebook page, like the page, and post that I sent you. We could both win a $50 gift certificate! facebook.com/shophollydays

Tackle It Tuesday

I want to begin this post by showing Walker's picture from today and admitting that I *almost* forgot to take his picture today. Walker usually takes a nap around 10 am and another nap around 2 pm. These naps don't last long, usually about an hour at most, and I have to hold him the entire time. Today I decided to nap with my bambino and nap we did! We fell asleep about 9:30 am and didn't wake up until about 12:30 pm. I guess he got all his sleep in during that nap because he didn't take his afternoon nap. Around 5 pm he started to get fussy. We barely made it through dinner and he was asleep in my arms shortly after. I put him down in his crib around 7:15. He woke right up, as he usually does. He usually fusses for a few minutes and then lays down and goes right back to sleep. He fussed longer than usual and during this fussing I realized I had forgotten to snap his picture today! Realizing it was still very early, I got him back up and he was ready to play. I snapped this picture as I was going in to get him out of his crib. This is definitely one he will enjoy seeing in the future.



Today is Tackle It Tuesday! One of the great things about having a blog and making the resolution to blog more is that it holds me accountable. There are so many things I have been wanting to tackle around our house and Tackle It Tuesday will give me the opportunity to share what I am working on. Today I decided to tackle what used to be our guest room. We turned it into an office but lately it has become more of a storage area filled with Christmas decorations and much more. This room will also become Walker's bedroom when we have another baby so there are some of his things in there like a toddler bed. It was a giant mess to say the least!!! Here is a picture of what it looked like earlier today:



I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish in this room. It's amazing how moving around the furniture (and cleaning out the junk!) can make the room look so much bigger!







I absolutely LOVE that we moved the DVD's into this room and out of the living room. First of all, it has always irritated me that our DVD holder is black and our furniture is brown. Second of all, Walker's favorite game is pulling all the DVD's out. Over and over and over and over. And finally, the DVD holder was on the side of our entertainment center and it really bugged me that it was off balance and there wasn't something on the other side. Now I do not have to see black and brown together, I do not have to pick up a million DVD's throughout the day, and there is balance! HALLELUJAH!

You may or may not have noticed that a certain little machine finally made it's way out of the closet, out of it's box, and into this room! I am so excited to learn how to sew. I have lots of projects I want to do and I have a feeling she and I will be great friends! And just for fun, I have to show you guys my "sewing table". Maybe the Hubs Dub will get the hint and buy me a sewing table or cart ::hint hint::

Another New Year

Our New Years Eve was spent just the way we wanted it. We enjoyed our night at home just the three of us. This was the first year that we didn't watch the ball drop in Times Square (on television, of course!). We played in the floor with Walker and watched movies. Once he went to bed, Chris and I played Super Mario Brothers on the Wii for hours. Hands down - best New Years Eve so far.

The next day we had our friends and their sweet baby girl over. We cooked a delicious meal - pork chops, corn bread, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and black eyed peas. We finished the night playing the Wii once again - another great night!

This New Years was the very first year I have made New Years Resolutions and boy did I do it big! I made eleven resolutions for 2011:

1. HAVE ANOTHER BABY!
It is no secret that Chris and I have been trying for some time to have another baby. We both have siblings and we know that the greatest gift we can give Walker is a lifelong friend in a sibling. We always knew we wanted our children to be very close in age. We started trying to have another baby when Walker was only a couple of months old. Although it has taken longer than we expected and wanted, we know and understand that there is a plan for our family and we are anxious to see what 2011 brings us!

2. Take a picture of Walker each day of 2011
I could never have enough pictures of my sweet little boy. I can't wait to see how much he changes and grows this year and having a picture from each day of this year will help me see that progression.





3. Learn to sew
This has been a goal of mine for quite some time. Actually, last Christmas my in-laws gave me a sewing machine. That machine is still in the box in the closet and has not been opened yet but I have big plans for it in 2011. Stay tuned.

4. Read more books
Currently reading: A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

5. Blog more and turn the blog into a book at the end of the year for Walker

6. Spend less time on facebook

7. Stop trying to please everyone by inconveniencing myself.
This one is not directed at anyone in particular. What I mean by this resolution is to stop putting everyone else's feelings ahead of my own or my family's. We are going to start doing what we want as a family and the things we do not want to do or events we do not want to attend, we simply will not. We are going to learn to simply say, "No thank you."

8. Find a home church and become involved in that church
This has been a goal of mine for such a long time. Finding a church has been intimidating to both of us. We wanted to visit several churches and find the best suit for us but walking into an established church can be overwhelming. We also did not know how Walker would do in a nursery left alone with several other children. We were referred to Chelsea Creek Community Church and visited them last week for their first service. It is a brand new church so all of our concerns were nonexistant. Everyone was new on Sunday, not just us. Walker did just fine in the nursery with the other child (yes, only one!) I am very excited to visit the church again this Sunday and happy to see this resolution becoming a reality for our family.

9. Catch up on printing pictures, adding them to albums, and scrapbooking

10. Play with my pups more

11. Put forth more effort into certain relationships