My boy is growing up

My little man is officially crawling. Not just army crawling, but crawling crawling. It is the cutest thing ever. Wish you could see it. He gets up on his knees and hands and rocks back and forth every time, like he is trying to get up his momentum before he takes off to his next point of destination. Soon my little guy will pull up, start walking, and then go off to college. I know I still have a while before the college part, but that is how fast I feel his life is going. He used to be content just sitting in my arms all day snuggling. Now all he wants to do all the time is go exploring.

It is amazing to me to watch him as he figures out the world around him. One of his favorite things to do is bang his hand on any surface it can reach. He has figured out that different surfaces make different sounds. Unfortunately, his least favorite place to bang his hand is on the carpet. So he is constantly going into the kitchen or going by the front door to bang his hand, or whatever he can find, on the ground to make a lot of noise. Maybe he is going to be a drummer someday and is already practicing.

Isaiah is also fascinated by his toys, especially the ones that make a lot of noise. He figures out what buttons to press, wheels to turn, or knobs to pull to make sure that the noises kees coming. Aren't we lucky? Never a quiet moment in this house.

Another thing he loves is mirrors. He has a book with mirrors in it and goes crazy whenever he sees it. His little face lights up and he "talks" to his own image looking back at him.

If you are reading this and have kids, cherish the time you have with them. The dishes and laundry will always be there, but your kid(s) won't. They will remember the "quality" time with mommy and daddy, not how clean their house was as a kid.

~Melissa

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Not Me Monday

Not Me Monday was started by MckMama. Not Me Monday is the day to share the things you have done that you are not that proud of, or rather things that you didn't do.

I did not let Isaiah have two snacks in a row so that I could get some things done. He already has a big appetite so I would never do anything to make it worse.

I did not dry off Isaiah with Jazlyn's pink towel with flowers on it just because I didn't feel like going downstairs to get one of his towels out of the dryer. I know that pink is for girls and blue is for boys, right?

Feel free to join in and share anything that you didn't do. Have a great week!

~Melissa

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Single parents

I tip my hat to single parents, especially those with young kids. My husband has been working some overtime lately, so I have gotten a taste of what it is like to be the only parent in the home. I don't work, so I can only imagine doing everything in the home, while taking care of children and still going to work everyday. There should be some sort of single parent holiday for them.

I also don't see how people work all the time when they have a family at home. To me, no amount of money in the world would be worth not getting to spend time with my family. I guess that is why the divorce rate is so high in America. There are way too many workaholics.

My husband is off to work again so I can't type anymore right now. Yay for no overtime next weekend! God bless and enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

~Melissa

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The spaceship

Many people build things for their kids to play in, like a treehouse, a swingset, or a spaceship. Yes, I said spaceship. One of our friends is building a spaceship in his backyard for their kids. And not just a small model spaceship for them to look at. No, this spaceship is big enough for their kids to climb in and feel like they are really on an adventure in outer space. It is even going to have electronics on board.

You can go here to see pictures of the work in progress. There are still many more things they would like to add to the spaceship, so they are accepting donations to help out. Melivin(dad) and Toya(mom) are freinds of ours and I can testify to their integrity of accepting money for this project. It will be used solely for the spaceship.

I can't wait for it to be done so I can play in it! I mean, let Jazlyn play in it. Happy Saturday!

~Melissa

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Thankful on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the day that we are to give thanks. I am thankful that I live in a country where I am free to live my life as I please and that I can type whatever I want on this blog without fear for my life. Many on this earth do not have that option. I am also thankful for a great family who loves me no matter what. Last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for God's unconditional love, kindness, and mercy.

Oh yeah, I am also thankful for the great turkey, ham, dressing, corn, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, and ice cream that I ate today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Melissa

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Sure, I will clean my room

I asked Jazlyn to clean her room today. She cleaned her room alright. By cleaning, I mean she picked up all of her toys off the floor and put them on her bed. Then, when she got tired, instead of putting the toys away, she just laid down on the floor and went to sleep.

Yep, that is definitely my daughter.



Everyone have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

~Melissa

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Silly Dad

We are having lunch at my parent's house on Thanksgiving, so my Dad sent us an invitation. What, you don't do that for Thanksgiving? Yeah, I didn't think so. I thought it was pretty funny. Sharon is my mom's name. My dad is the "cook's helper." The scribbling is where I scribbled out their phone number. You know, so no crazies who might read this will start calling them. The "duo entertainment" is my nephew Colby and you already know who Jazlyn is.



Please remember to pray for those who might be alone on Thanksgiving or not have the means to provide a meal for their family. The holidays are hard for many people.

~Melissa

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Ball of energy

I bet you thought that I was talking about one of my kids. Nope. Today that ball of energy is me!! My husband actually ended up not working last night so he got up with Isaiah every time he woke up last night. I forgot what it felt like to sleep all night uninterrupted. Maybe it was also the rest that I got last night. I am very proud of myself. I did not touch the basket of laundry last night. So maybe my energy this morning is partly due to me resting last night.

On a much darker note, Isaiah has to get a shot this morning. He would very much appreciate prayers.

I am off to put this energy to good use. I finally get to put up my clean laundry. Enjoy your Tuesday. Only two more days.....

~Melissa

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My sweet boy

See this cute boy? It is just he and I this evening. It is not too often that it is just the two of us so I am going to enjoy this time with him. I've made up my mind that I'm am going to have a relaxing evening.

Sometimes I have to force myself to just rest at home. Usually if I am home then there are a million things going through my mind that I need to do. I often have to remind myself that I also need to rest. God rested, so surely we need to rest too right?

So I am going to spend my evening not doing any laundry or cleaning (I hope). It is just Isaiah and me spending quality time together. I am getting anxious just typing this because there is a laundry basket of clean clothes sitting right next to me that needs to be put up. I will not touch the laundry. I will not touch the laundry. I will not touch the laundry.

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Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me Monday. Not Me Monday was started by MckMama. You can find her blog here. Do you ever do things that you would rather not share with anyone, like not feeding your dog all day just because you didn't feel like it? Not Me Monday is the place to share those things that you "didn't do." MckMama describes it as therapeutic. Here we go!

I did not leave Isaiah in his swing in front of the TV on Friday so that I could get ready. You know from my last post that I would totally be against that.

Yesterday I most certainly did not let Jazlyn have pancakes and two cinnamon rolls (with icing) for breakfast, because that would be way to much sugar for her to have for breakfast. We always eat balanced meals in this house.

If you would like to join me in Not Me Monday, you can share anything that you "didn't do" in the comments section. Happy Monday!

~Melissa

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Too much TV

Is your TV on right now? I bet if you are at home there is a good chance your TV is on, even though you are on the computer. I know this because my TV is on right now even though no one is really watching it. I believe there is not enough communication in families these days, many times because the TV has our attention.

Don't get me wrong. I do watch TV. There are some shows that I watch with my husband every week and I enjoy that time with him. However, having the TV on constantly when you are at home is not a good habit to have. It is too much of a distraction. There has to be balance in this area, which I am still working on.

If a family's eyes are always on the screen, then there is no focus on one another. I have begun to purposely make sure that I am turning the TV off and sitting down with Jazlyn to just talk with her. If you never give your family your complete attention then you will not find out what is truly on their hearts and what is going on in their minds.

On another note, this was the conversation my daughter and I had this morning.

Me: "What movie are going to watch?"
Jazlyn: "It is not a movie."
Me: "Yes that is a movie. What movie is it?"
Jazlyn: "Mommy, it is a video tape, not a movie."

It was a VHS tape instead of a DVD. I tried to explain to her that they are both movies, but she was not hearing it.

~Melissa

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Randomness

I thought that I was going to have some consistency with my topics on this blog. My plans have changed. I was going to have a certain topic for each day, but I would rather go with complete randomness. My life is very unpredictable at this time so I believe limiting myself to one topic each day is not the way to go.

Now is your chance to let me know if there is anything that you would like to hear about (or not hear about). Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Let the randomness begin.

~Melissa

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Only in Alabama....

will you see holiday lights of a barn and a tractor.


Here are a few of my favorites from the "Galaxy of Lights."



Here is a pic of the cutest baby that was there.

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Intro - Numero Cinco

This is my last introduction of our family. I saved the best for last, myself. J/K. There are so many exciting things about me that I really don't know where to begin. No really, I am a pretty simple person. I love my family and keeping them happy. I also love God with all my heart. He came into my life a few years ago and drastically changed me. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! This scripture is so true. Anyone who knew me five or six years ago and knows me now (which isn't a lot of people)can tell you. You used to could find me in the bar or club, but now you can find me at home with the fam. I have never been happier though. There is a joy that comes from experiencing God's love that you cannot find anywhere else. My pastor always says that once you really experience God's love, you will never be the same. This is so true. You can't help but want to be pleasing to Him when you understand his mercy.

Ok that is all of my Jesus talk for the day. Back to filling you in about me. Actually, I guess there isn't a whole lot more to me. I love to read, which I rediscovered last year while I was pregnant. I am slowly learning how to cook. There has been a lot of trial and error but I do think I am improving (sometimes). I do plan on sharing some recipes with y'all of the stuff we eat. I am always open to new recipes that anyone might have. Don't take for granted that I probably already know how to cook something, because most likely I don't. I actually had to call my mom not too long ago to make sure that I knew how to boil an egg. Embarassingly (is that a word?), true story.

One more thing about me. I got my hair cut and highlighted yesterday! Woohooo! It really needed it.

The End.

~Melissa

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Intro - Numero cuatro

This would be my husband and me. Those people behind us are some fellow Alabamians. My hubby's name is Charles, but some people call him Chuck. I call him both. He is a very silly person, which I love about him. He makes me smile and helps keep me balanced. God knew I would need some laughter in my life. Charles is also the best dad ever (besides my dad). He loves his kids dearly and would do anything for them. I know I am blessed to have such a great family man as a husband. You can usually find us during our free time at home watching movies. Most people would call us boring, but we love our lives. Our lives have changed dramatically since we met. Sometimes change is better though. I will share more of that with you at a later date.

So there is your small peek at my immediate family. You will hear more about our exciting lives in the future.

In the meantime, I have some exciting news for you! Kroger has their boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.59/ lb. until tomorrow. I told you I would talk about money on this blog too. Being a stay at home mom, I am all about saving money whenever I can. What I usually do when there is a sale on chicken like this, is I will buy quite a few packages of it at once. That way we never need chicken. We just always have a constant supply. So there is your first money tip. More to come. I haven't figured it all out, but I have learned a few things in the past few months. Enjoy your Tuesday!

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Intro - Numero Tres

This cutie pie is Isaiah. I usually call him Zae, or Zae Zae. He is a happy baby, as long as he is fed and well rested. He already loves food. I will gladly accept any donations to his food fund. He is at that stage where he is discovering the world around him, so he is getting into everything. I do love watching him explore though. He has perfected his army crawl but has yet to figure out that he can raise up on his knees to get around. He is also my little cuddle bug. Jazlyn wasn't big on cuddling so I am thoroughly enjoying this time with him. I know it won't last too much longer. My little cuddle bug, however, does not like to sleep at night. If anyone has any tips on making my nights with him better, I am all ears.

So there you have it. That is our second born, Isaiah. I guess next in line is my hubby, Charles. Enjoy your Monday!

~Melissa

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Intro - Numero Dos

This beautiful girl is my daughter, Jazlyn. She is four and is a joy to be around. She is a complete girly girl, which is the complete opposite of me. She loves to wear dresses, dance, have her nails painted, and wear makeup (no we don't let her wear makeup out of the house at 4). At her age I think I was playing in dirt with the boys. Jazlyn is also very silly, like her Daddy, and she has an endless amount of energy. She is (usually) a very sweet, loving, and giving girl. And she is the best big sister. She shows her brother nothing but love, which I am very thankful for. Tomorrow you will meet her brother, Isaiah.

We are off to see Christmas lights. Can you you believe it is already that time of the year? Hope everyone has a blessed Sunday.

~Melissa

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Intro - Numero Uno

Hi! Hello! Hey! Welcome! In case you haven't already figured it out, this is my first post. Yay! This blog is going to be all about my life. I know, exciting right?! I am going to share whatever is on my heart. I do plan to have some kind of consistency with my topics, but I haven't quite figured all that out yet. My topics will include (but are not limited to) family, food, and money. You know, all the exciting things in the life of a stay at home mom. I will also talk (type) about my life as a Christian. So be ready for some Jesus talk sometimes. :)

My first few posts are basically going to be an introduction of myself and my family. We are a very exciting bunch so I know you can't wait! Tune in soon for my next post, Intro - Numero Dos.

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