Life as Melissa

Still Alive

2010-06-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am still here.

I needed a break from blogging. I've actually been trying to decide if I really want to keep blogging at all.

I am starting grad school soon so free time will no longer be an enjoyed luxury around these parts. If I do keep blogging it will have to be very limited, so I'm not sure if I want to put the time into it at all.

If only I could teach Isaiah to take over my blog for me....

When I Grow Up.....

2010-05-20T19:18:00.000-05:00

Jazlyn has informed us that she wants to be an acrobat when she grows up.

Her reason?

Because they wear pretty clothes.

Maybe in the next fifteen years I can change her priorities in life.

Bye Bye Stress

2010-05-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

You get the joy today of reading a stress reliever post from me. Lucky you!

I've been keeping in a secret for a week now. The secret is a decision that my husband and I have been contemplating. This decison could have caused some change in our lives. It has been stressing me out. I've been dreaming about it, waking up from my sleep thinking about it.

I've only told one other person (besides my husband) about it. We've learned to seek God for our decision making before running to everyone else. Psalm 3:6 says In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. He knows which way we should go. So we've been waiting on an answer. Just waiting and waiting. And waiting some more. It seems like it's been weeks since my husband came to me with this. But it's only been one week. Did I mention I've been stressing over this?

I think we are finally seeing from God which path He wants us to take. We are still waiting on a definite confirmation, but we think we know the answer. I'm so relieved. It was driving me crazy not knowing. I'm probably driving you crazy by not telling you what this big decision was about. I'm not ready to reveal it on here yet. Sorry. If you email me I might tell you.

We Have A Problem

2010-05-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

This is our snack/cereal cabinet.....

Someone has discovered it....

I think it is time to move it a little higher where the hands of certain hungry ones can't reach.

Momentous Monday

2010-05-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

I am currently in my moment.

The house is quiet. The only sounds are light rainfall and birds chirping outside.

Jazlyn is asleep in her room taking a nap.

Chuck is in the backyard finishing up planting the grass seed (yes, in the rain, yes, he is crazy).

I am in the recliner with Isaiah laying on me peacefully taking a nap.

Quiet moments like this with my baby boy sleeping in my arms don't come often.

I have to get back to my tranquil moment now.

You can read other great moments like this here.

She Loves Him

2010-05-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

She is Jazlyn.

Him is God.

Jazlyn has a devotional that we do everyday (or when I remember). If you have little ones I highly recommend getting The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers. There's some good stuff in it. Jazlyn calls it her Bible. This morning she said, "I want to read my Bible everyday because I love God."

At least I know I'm doing something right.

Have your kids said anything lately to make you smile?

Freedom

2010-05-05T07:48:00.001-05:00

I decided to stop nursing Isaiah. Isaiah has done fine with it. I have not. It hurts awfully bad. When I quit nursing Jazlyn it wasn't that big of a deal because I had to stop due to being sick. Since I couldn't keep any food down and was not eating or drinking much, I guess I didn't have much milk.

This time is the complete opposite. It has been torture so far. Just the slightest movement causes excruciating pain. If my milk doesn't dry up soon I think I just might have to go to the hospital and demand their removal. Only, that might produce a slight problem if we have another baby.

I thought that I would be happy about this new freedom. No more worrying about being away from him for too long. And no more worry about pumping. Not that I had to pump that often, but it is still one of my least favorite things to do. Instead, this new freedom has only been one more reminder that my baby is not so much a baby anymore. I might as well send him off to school this fall with his sister.

Momentous Monday

2010-05-03T08:40:00.000-05:00

We had Isaiah's birthday party this past weekend. I love how as he gets older his little personality is becoming more evident. He was shy while we sang Happy Birthday. He was excited while he opened his presents. I think his favorite part of the day was his cake.

Head on over to A Moment Cherished to read more Momentous Mondays.

Randomness

2010-04-29T07:52:00.000-05:00

I am on a decluttering mission. I despise clutter.

I am going to clean our windows today.

Isaiah has had a fever since Tuesday. His birthday party is Saturday (yes, two weeks after his birthday). Fever and birthday party are not a good combination.

Jazlyn's best friend, who lives across the street, is moving to Tennessee today.

It's been over a week since I have worked out and I can tell. My energy level has depleted.

I haven't let Junior out this morning and he is not whining. I wonder if he is still alive.

I love my husband.

Momentous Monday

2010-04-26T08:13:00.000-05:00

We spent our Sunday morning a lot different than most probably did. We were having roller coaster rides......in our house.

Saturday we had the threat for tornados, so we had a crib mattress downstairs to cover up with, just in case. I guess while my husband was taking the mattress back upstairs he had the bright idea of riding it down the stairs.

I was enjoying a cup of coffee before we had to leave for church, and I see my daughter fly down the stairs on the mattress. Yes, my husband was holding onto the mattress to make sure it didn't get out of control. My mother-in-law was at our house. She didn't like it too much. She thinks my husband does too many dangerous things with our kids. Jazlyn sure did like it though.

Dangerous or not, it was fun. I rode it down once with Jazlyn. My husband rode it down once or twice too. If you have stairs that have carpet on them, and they are set up so you could pull it off safely, you should try it. I think we might have to ride the roller coaster again today.

Head on over to A Moment Cherished to read more Momentous Mondays from others.

God's Friend

2010-04-22T08:33:00.000-05:00

I mentioned being out of town this past weekend. We visited my mother-in-law in Atlanta. While there, we went to her church on Sunday. The message was about friendship. He was mainly talking about friendship in regards to marriage. The text came from Song of Solomon (which I recommend you read if you never have, or if you have, read it again. Can I put this much in parentheses?). What I got out of the message, however, was a little different. God used that man to inform me where our relationship stands (with God, not the man). Ouch. It hurt.

I thought I had it all together. I pray. I read my Bible. I go to church every week. All the right things can be done, but if the motive for doing those things is not right, then they are done in vain. I honestly didn't realize my motives weren't right.

I was doing all of these things so that I can please God, so that He will be happy with me and give me a good life. I often picture God sitting in heaven waiting for me to mess up so that He can strike me down with lightning. You can laugh at me, but I am just being honest.

I learned that although we should have a reverential fear and respect for God, He really just wants to be our friend. When someone is your friend, you spend time with them because you like to be around them, not because of what they can do for you. And you don't hang out because you are scared of what will happen if you don't, unless you are in the mob.

So I am on a mission to make God my best friend. I'm going to pray and do all of the right things, and not because it is what I am supposed to do or because of what it can get me. I'm going to do the right things so that I can enjoy my friend.

Is God your friend? If not, you should make Him your friend. He's super cool.

Happy Birthday, Isaiah!

2010-04-20T09:16:00.002-05:00

I'm a little late on this. His birthday was last Friday. In my defense, we have been out of town.

This is him playing at Chuck E. Cheese.

I can't believe my little Zae Zae (that's what I call him) is a year old. Happy (belated) Birthday, little buddy.

My Mom is Superwoman

2010-04-14T06:01:00.002-05:00

Or maybe she is just healthy.

Once I became a mom I thought my mom was Superwoman. While I was growing up, she worked a full time job, cooked our meals, and kept the house neat and tidy, while running me to and from multiple practices and games during the week. Once I had Jazlyn I always wondered how in the world she had the energy to do everything she did.

Now I finally understand. She takes care of herself. She is not a health nut (no offense to health nuts), but she exercises and drinks water. Very basic things that have a great effect on the way you feel. The better you feel, the more you can do.

I started exercising last year. I have in no way been consistent with it. I sometimes go a week (or a month) with no exercise, but so far I have picked it back up again every time. I have mostly been doing Wii Active. On average I probably do it once or twice a week. I know there is room for improvement, but my kids don't mind me not doing it everyday.

I also started drinking more water. The only beverage that I buy for our house is fruit juice. Sometimes on the weekend I will pick up a two liter of some kind of coke. (In case you're not from the south, coke means any carbonated beverage.) When we are out I will also drink a coke, but water is the main liquid going down my throat.

The last change I made is I started taking a multi-vitamin everyday. Or maybe not everyday. I have a hard time remembering it sometimes.

In the past year I have lost around forty pounds. I have not changed my eating habits very much. I do eat a little more fruits and vegetables than I used to, but I still eat a lot of unhealthy stuff. For the most part, exercising sometimes and drinking water has done the trick. I have more energy and feel so much better than I have in years.

I'm so glad I figured out how to be Superwoman.

Momentous Monday

2010-04-12T11:02:00.000-05:00

Today I am joining a new blog hop that I am excited about, hosted by A Moment Cherished. Here are a couple of my cherished moments from last week.

We are doing a project in our backyard. We are putting in patio stone so we can have a nice place to relax back there without having to worry about bugs attacking us. Right now there is only a little tiny concrete slab. Soon that will be transformed into a nice patio. We are also redoing our grass, for the second time. Our nice dog likes to dig and tear up the grass. Thanks, Junior.

My sweet husband has been working hard on this, with the help of some great family members (Love you, Dad!) and friends. The best helper has been Isaiah. He has been loving getting dirty while "helping" his daddy and I have enjoyed watching him "work." He even tastes the tools to make sure they are ok to use.

While we were looking at the stuff we needed to buy at Home Depot, Jazlyn informed us (and everyone around us) that she had peanut butter in her ear. Yes, it was ear wax. Just lovely.

Thankful

2010-04-08T10:32:00.001-05:00

I am feeling very thankful today.

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

God chooses not to remember my sins. Every action and thought (past, present, and future) that is not pleasing to Him, He doesn't hold against me. Jesus took on all my sins so that I can be in right standing with my heavenly Father.

I don't have to sacrifice an animal so that my sins are covered. The Ultimate Sacrifice not only covers my sins, but He cleanses me of my sins.

For this I am so very thankful.

Before and After

2010-04-07T21:15:00.001-05:00

Here are the before and after pictures that I promised yesterday. Before and after what, you ask? My baby boy got his first haircut.

This first picture is from Easter.

Getting ready......

Bye bye hair.

He is eating crumbs off his arm. We had to bribe him with food to get him to sit still, of course.

His hair now goes straight as soon as it dries. No more curls, but he is still the cutest baby ever. Don't ya think?

Our Life at the Moment

2010-04-06T08:44:00.000-05:00

I haven't been posting as much lately, so I wanted to give an update of what's been going on here lately. I've been trying to enjoy this time with my kids as much as possible. Soon I won't have all day with the two of them.

Isaiah is now walking. He has been walking for about a month, but I never got around to telling you. Forgive me. Life is a lot easier now that I don't have to carry around a twenty-five pound baby everywhere. He kind of looks like an old man wobbling around everywhere with his big stomach.

Isaiah is also now talking. He has his own language of course. He has yet to use a word correctly, but he babbles all the time in his new found language. He babbles in complete sentences while pointing at things and often changing his tone. It is the cutest thing ever. If only he would teach us his language.

Jazlyn is acting more and more each day like a "big kid." I didn't think it was possible, but she is becoming more independent. My baby girl is becoming a big girl before my eyes. She is ready for kindergarden this year, but I am not.

We have a busy month planned that I am looking forward to. I love that spring is here and we can finally get outdoors on a regular basis.

Look forward tomorrow to some special before and after pictures.

Dear April,

2010-04-01T08:28:00.000-05:00

Go away. You are not welcome is this household. Although we do enjoy the beautiful weather you bring, my sweet Isaiah is not ready to turn one. He wishes to remain a baby a little longer.

So you may kindly leave. Now. Thanks.

Yours truly,

I've Missed You Barbecue

2010-03-30T12:40:00.000-05:00

I love spring and summer.

I love that spring and summer are barbecue season.

We don't barbecue like normal people.

We go overboard. Way overboard.

Example: Saturday we cooked 16 hamburgers, 6 chicken breasts, and 8 hot dogs. Plus, baked beans.

No, we didn't have any company.

Yes, we are going to eat it all.

Yes, we will eat barbecue for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days.

No, I don't have to cook for half the week.

I love barbecue.

How We Survive Marriage - Part 2

2010-03-29T08:23:00.000-05:00

If you missed part one you can read that here.

This week's survival tip is an easy one, yet I believe it is one that many people need to hear.

Don't take your spouse for granted.

My husband and I had a blow out last week. I should have known. I start a marriage series here, and all of my ideas of our happy, strong marriage are thrown out the window. We are fine now, but things were ugly in these parts for a couple days. I'm not going to share any details of our spat, but I am going to tell what I learned from it.

I learned I've been taking my husband for granted. Taking your spouse for granted is not a good thing for a marriage. It only has negative outcomes and should be avoided. The small things that I used to do to show my love and affection had stopped. How I treated my husband was not a thought on my mind because I was too busy with everything else. His feelings were not a priority in my life because I had the mindset that he would always be here and I have the rest of my life to show him my love. Poor guy.

Something that can lead to taking someone for granted is letting negative thoughts consume your mind. It is so easy to get caught up in life and only think about the negative things about one's spouse. I am so very guilty of this. Any married person can think of things he/she doesn't like about his/her spouse. Any married person can also think (I hope) of things he/she does like about his/her spouse. Always focusing on the negative will result in taking that person for granted. Imagine your life without your spouse. Let your mind go there. Think of all the things your spouse does for you and your family. Imagine that suddenly being taken away. It makes you appreciate your spouse a little bit more, huh?

Our little (big?) spat was good for us. It put all of our feelings about every little thing on the table. It made us stronger. A little fight every now and then can do some good, as long as it doesn't break you.

Do something special for your husband (or wife) and let him (or her) know how much he/she is loved and appreciated.

Busy Mom's Bible

2010-03-26T09:17:00.004-05:00

Zondervan recently sent me a copy of their Busy Mom's Bible. I absolutely love it. It truly is perfect for busy moms. What mom isn't busy? Plus, it is also the custest bible ever, which doesn't hurt either. Jazlyn calls it my pretty Bible.

The Bible has thirteen colored pages throughout. On each of these colored pages are four sections about one topic. There are fifty-two sections so you can do one a week. Each section starts with a devotional, which it lists as taking one minute of your time. Then there is a reflect and pray part that should take about five minutes. After that it points you to the study index in the back of the Bible, which lists additional scriptures pertaining to the topic. The study section should take about ten minutes.

Some of the different topics discussed on the pretty colored pages are marriage, raising your kids, emotions, and God's love for you. There is also a concordance. My last Bible didn't have a concordance so it is nice to have one again. Wait, there's even more! After the study index in the back, there are two pages titled 5 Minutes Reading About Jesus and 5 Minutes Reading About the Women of the Bibile. It lists different topics about both on each page and goes through all of the scriptures related to each topic. I love how this Bible breaks down how many minutes each part will take. There are even some maps included. I told you it was a great Bible!

My only itsy bitsy complaint is that it is the NIV translation. I personally like the New King James. I'm not sure if the Busy Mom's Bible is available in different versions or not. I would still buy one if it is only available in the NIV, because I can always reference back to my other Bible if I wanted to. The way this Bible is broken down makes it totally worth it. The Busy Mom's Bible makes it so easy to not just read the Bible, but study it, even if all I have is a few minutes.

Today....

2010-03-24T22:38:00.001-05:00

I played Guess Who with Jazlyn.

Then we played Candyland.

I spent some time with my hubby before he went to work.

I chased Isaiah around the living room savoring the sound of his laugh.

I enjoyed the beautiful day while watching the kids play in the front yard.

I am learning not to take for granted this special time of being home all day with two small kids.

High School Reunion

2010-03-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

It is time for it. My first high school reunion. I'm sure everyone says this, but it is hard to believe that it has been ten years. I'm am completely torn as to whether or not I want to go. There are many reasons I can think of as to why we shouldn't go.

First off, the price is $100. That includes my whole family going to a catered picnic at a park and then a cocktail party/dinner that night for my husband and me. I'm a frugal person now and that seems like a lot for one day's events.

Second con: I've kept in touch with about one person all these years. I played sports and was part of the "in crowd," but I got too wild for a lot of my friends, then I became too tame for the ones that were left. I am a completely different person than I was in high school, and I think it might be wierd to be around all of them again.

Third con: Cocktail party means alcohol. I'm sure if we went we would be one of a handful of couples not partaking in the alcoholic beverages. Being the only sober person around a lot of drunk people is not always enjoyable.

Did I mention the cost is one hundred dollars?

Now the one reason I do want to go is regret. I'm scared I will regret it if I don't go. I will look on Facebook and see all the pictures and wonder if I made the right decision.

A date night with my hubby wouldn't be so bad either.

Can someone please flip a coin for me and tell me whether or not I should go? Thanks.

Also, please leave a comment and let me know your experiences (or lack thereof) of your high school reunion and why you chose to go or not. I would love to hear what you have to say!

Five Question Friday on this Special Day

2010-03-19T11:12:00.002-05:00

This special day is.........my birthday! Woohooo! I am twenty-eight, one more year closer to thirty. Thirty sounds so old to me (sorry to those of you over thirty). On a lighter note, I woke up this morning to a clean house (thanks to myself for staying up late cleaning) and it is going to be a beautiful sunny day. The high today is seventy. Couldn't ask for more perfect weather. I'm looking forward to a day outside with my kiddos.

Head on over to Mama M.'s to read others' answers. On to the questions.....

1. Have you ever had a celeb sighting?

Negative. I don't understand the going crazy over celebrities thing. That drives me crazy when people lose their minds when they see a celebrity, whom they don't even know.

2. What temperature do you keep your house?

I like my house cold. I like it between 65 and 70 degrees. Everyone who comes to my house always says that it is freezing here.

3. Do you notice dust at other peoples homes?

Yes. This just started recently. Not sure why I have this new obsession with dust.

4. What's the worst job you ever had?

Working in customer service for then Cingular. Worst job ever. I think I took calls only for a couple weeks after the training. Talking to rude people all day is not for me.

5. What is your most sentimental possession?

Probably my grandmother's earrings. She left this earth my freshman year of high school. I miss her.

Flesh vs Spirit

2010-03-18T22:56:00.007-05:00

Galatians 5:19-21 tells us that the works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.

Am I guilty of some of these sometimes? Yes.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Do these words describe how I always act? No.

How do I stay away from the works of the flesh and make the fruit of the Spirit evident in my life? I need to watch what is going on in my mind.

Romans 8:5-6 says For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

When I wake up in the morning am I thanking God for another day or am I worrying about what I'm going to eat for breakfast?

When it is the end of a busy day will I choose to watch television or will I read my Bible and pray?

If I never spiritually feed my mind, then it will be evident in my actions. If I notice Chuck (my hubby) still hasn't taken out the trash like I asked him to, and I just got done praying, then I am more likely to respond with a kind and gentle word instead of an outburst of wrath.

Balance is they key here. I can't go a whole day without a single thought of God and expect to treat others the way I should. Being out of balance in this area has a negative effect on my relationships. Balance is what I need because God has let some special people be a part of my life.

Just in case you didn't know the exciting news, tomorrow is my birthday! Therefore, I am open to any love or kind words you might have for me. :-)

Do you have Swag?

2010-03-17T14:10:00.001-05:00

Swag Bucks that is. I just recently signed up with Swag Bucks. I've been hearing about them in the past year, but for some reason I never signed up until now. I didn't realize how awesome they were. I heart them. If you are not signed up with them, click on the banner you see above and sign up. Now. No really, do it. Now.

Swag Bucks is a search engine (you know, like Google). Every few times you do a search on their site, you earn points, or Swag Bucks. Then you can exchange those Swag Bucks for something in their Swag Store. Everyone uses an internet search engine from time to time. Why not get free stuff for doing it?

Race Talk

2010-03-16T08:13:00.003-05:00

I registered Jazlyn for school the other day. I almost cried. I didn't think it would be this hard sending her to school. If I could stop time I would, but I can't. So forward we must go.

Just in case you aren't familiar with us, if you look at our pictures I'm sure you will notice the difference in the color of skin among our family members. My husband is (let me use PC terms here) African-American and I am Caucasian. As far as I know, nobody has ever made a big deal about this to Jazlyn. I don't want to make a big deal about it either, but I do think we need to have a talk with her so she has an understanding of things, just in case someone at her school does make a big deal about it.

We live in Alabama. When I was in school, people made a very big deal about any kid whose parents weren't both of the same race. There were maybe a handful of these kids during my school days, and I went to a large school. I know things are not the same as they were ten to fifteen years ago, but there might still be some ignorant parents out there raising ignorant kids. In Jazlyn's dance class of about fifteen kids there are four other biracial children, so I don't think I have to worry about her feeling out of place. I still want her to be prepared and have and understanding of who she is, just in case someone does say something to her. Although I don't think she will ever have a problem with her confidence or self-esteem.

I would love to hear any comments or experiences anyone might have regarding this, good or bad.

How We Survive Marriage - Part 1

2010-03-15T06:06:00.004-05:00

I'm going to start a couple series here on my blog. There are some things I have been wanting to post about but the topics cover too much for just one post.

Can you guess what this series is about? Marriage you say? Why how did you guess that? You're just so stinkin' smart. :)

So here we go. I was looking through our wedding photos the other day. It made me realize just how far my husband and I have come in the past few years regarding our relationship. We were pitiful in the beginning. We used to fight all the time. Even before we got married, while we were going through pre-marriage counseling, I called numerous times to cancel the counseling sessions because we were calling off the wedding. I look back and laugh now, but at the time it wasn't fun. We have learned so much through this marriage process. We are by no means anywhere near being experts at marriage, but I do feel like we have either learned or been taught by others many things that are essential to a lasting marriage. Marriage is one of satan's favorite things to attack, because it is symbolic of Jesus and His Church. Divorce has a negative effect on all of those involved, but it takes work and compromise to avoid it. In this series I am going to share what we have learned to keep us away from divorce.

Let me start by saying that I do believe there are times when divorce is the best answer. I do believe that God can change anyone to make a marriage last, but sometimes people don't want to change. If a man is abusing his wife and children, mentally or physically, with no remorse or attempt to change, then unfortunately divorce is the solution to protect the wife and kids' well being.

The first thing that I believe is essential to a lasting marriage is making God a priority. Psalm 127:1 says "Unless the Lord builds the house,They labor in vain who build it." I've learned that God has to be at the center of our marriage for it to work. Any time there is discontentment between my husband and me, I try to take a step back and examine my relationship with Jesus, and nine times out of ten, it is not our marriage relationship that needs work. If my relationship with God is where it should be, then usually all my other relationships easily fall into place. I don't mean that there won't ever be any problems, but if I am in proper relationship with God, then when those problems do arise, they don't have a lasting negative effect.

Ephesians 6:12 says "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Most people don't realize how real the spiritual world around us is. I've learned the more we pray together, the better we get along. I firmly believe our spiritual lives effect every other aspect of our lives. If we take care of our spiritual needs first, then the other areas of our lives will more easily fall into proper alingnment.

More to come.........

Five Question Friday

2010-03-12T08:01:00.002-06:00

One two three. Here is some stuff about me. Like my mad rhyming skills?

1. How much time do you spend on the computer a day?

This varies greatly from day to day. If I don't have a lot to do and my kids go to bed early, I might spend a few hours. On busy days I'm on here for about 30 minutes. Usually on the weekends I'm not on the computer at all unless I need to look up something.

2. Will you pay for your children's college or raise them to pay for their own way?

We will help our kids financially as much as we can, while making sure they are financially smart. I don't want them finishing college with a lot of debt. My parents did a good job of making sure I wasn't too dumb when it came to my finances and I want to make sure we do the same for our kids. Credit cards are evil. I will teach that to my kids just like my parents taught me.

3. Have you ever been in a car accident?

I've been in too many. In one when I was young I earned my first ambulance ride thanks to a bump on the head. When I was fifteen I was in a bad wreck where we ran over a brick mailbox and flipped quite a few times. There were four of us in the car and nobody was over fifteen. Not smart. My parents were notified (don't remember how) and when they tried to come to where the wreck happened the road was blocked off and the police didn't want to let them come to us. I think they panicked a little. God had His hand on us because we were all ok. Literally minutes before we wrecked something told me to put on my seatbelt and I made the driver put on his. Only bumps, bruises, staples, and stitches were the end result. I've been in a few other minor accidents. I'm a pro. Not by choice.

4. What is your favorite book?

Green Eggs and Ham......or did you mean a more grown up book? I can't pick one. Yes, I am a fan of the Twilight series but I wouldn't say it is my fave. Right now I am loving Karen Kingsbury's books.

5. Do you make your bed everyday?

My bed has to be made before I go to bed, but sometimes that doesn't happen until right before bed time. I don't sleep good unless my bed is just right. I'm wierd like that.

Notice something different?

2010-03-11T23:01:00.002-06:00

I bet you do notice something different, unless it is your first time visiting. If you are a first timer, welcome. If you are an "old friend," let me know if you like the new look.

I think I'll be happy with the design of my blog for a while. I'm done playing with it for the night. Goodnight all.

The Point of No Return

2010-03-11T07:30:00.001-06:00

Hi blog world. I have missed you.

I said I wasn't posting this week. I guess I lied. I am somewhat caught up with everything. Maybe that's another lie, but it is raining here today so I will have time to get everything caught up.

Tomorrow is the day I have to register Jazlyn for kindergarten. We considered homeschooling, but anyone who knows her knows she would do much better in a class with other kids. Jazlyn is very social, maybe a little too social at times. I think she might get bored and resent school time if she is at home everyday with only her brother and me.

So tomorrow is the point of no return. I am going to get her blue card in the morning, then we are heading to the school. I didn't think it would be this hard. I don't want Jazlyn's world to change. Right now in her world she is the princess and people are nice to her. She hasn't been around too many people that are just plain ole mean, like some of the kids she might encounter in the classroom. Right now I always know what she is doing and who she comes in contact with. In five months her life will be out of my control. Boo to losing control.

Blogging Vacation

2010-03-08T14:46:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to do any blogging this week. The weather has been nice, so we have been spending a lot of time outside. We have had a lot of fun, but my house has been neglected. I also have some stuff I need to get done this week for church. I don't think blogging will fit into the picture if I am going to do what needs to be done.

I'm so sorry to disappoint you. Hopefully next week you will get the privilege of reading my interesting posts. :)

Five Question Friday

2010-03-05T07:45:00.002-06:00

Ready. Set. Go.

1. What's your guilty pleasure?

Right now I would have to say Coke. I have been steering clear of the calorie loaded drinks. Sometimes. And just in case you're not from the south, Coke is Sprite, Sunkist, Coca-Cola, Mt. Dew, root beer, etc. Coke in the south is anything carbonated. My husband calls it pop still sometimes and it drives me crazy, just like I probably drive him crazy calling it coke. My other weakness at the moment is Oreos. Yummmm.

I know I probably have the lamest answer. I'm a boring person nowadays.

2. What is your favorite TV series?

Really just one? How about I pick five and we pretend I picked just one? Ok.

Big Bang Theory (funniest show ever!), Criminal Minds, CSI(all of them), Biggest Loser, real life crime shows like Dateline, 48 Hours Mystery.

3. Can you speak any foreign languages?

Hola. Como Estas? That's as far as my foreign language abilities go.

4. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Is there really a woman who can give an accurate answer to this question?

5. What's your favorite kind of M&M's...peanut, almond, straight up regular, etc.?

Peanut or peanut butter, depending on my mood.

I Don't Feel Like It

2010-03-04T10:26:00.002-06:00

I feel like I'm in a rut. I'm not sure how to get out. Actually I do know how to get out, but I don't feel like it.

I don't feel like cleaning my house.

I don't feel like teaching Jazlyn anything.

I don't feel like doing the dishes.

I don't feel like cooking.

I don't feel like picking up toys.

I don't feel like praying.

I don't feel like reading spiritual stuff.

I don't feel like spending time with God.

That last sentence is my real problem, letting my feelings dictate what I do. I need God in my life. If he's not a priority in my life then I get in a rut. I need that fellowship with him to be a good wife and mother. Sometimes it seems like it is just easier not to take the time to read my Bible. Sometimes it seems like it is easier not to to take the time to pray, and instead just go about my day.

That's when the rut comes. Every time I begin to feel this way, it is the same reason behind the cause of it. God speaks to us everyday. If we are too "busy," or just don't feel like hearing from Him, we become more and more distant from the One we need most. This results in the rut. So....

I don't feel like praying, but I'm going to.

I don't feel like reading the Word, but I'm going to.

I don't feel like communing with God, but I'm going to.

Nehemiah 8:10 says "For the joy of the Lord is your strength." Fellowship with God brings joy. Joy brings strength. If I spend time with Him, even though I don't feel like it, He will give me strength to get through the day.

Is there anyone else that can relate to being in this rut?

Kids' Passions

2010-03-03T16:12:00.001-06:00

If you are a long time reader of my blog, then you are cool, and you know that Jazlyn loves to dance. Jazlyn also loves to run, so this year we are going to let her try soccer. She is a very prissy girly girl, so I'm not quite sure how that will turn out. She might go to one practice, get a smudge of dirt on her, and decide that outdoor sports are not for her. We are going to let her try as many things as we can think of to help her figure out what her passions are. I know one of Jazlyn's passions is dance, but we want to find out if there are any others.

Isaiah is still young, but I think he might have a thing for music. Any time he hears music he stops whatever he is doing and starts clapping his hands. He is much more aware of music than Jazlyn was at his age. We'll see if it is something that keeps his interest or not.

I believe that God puts a desire or passion is us for the things that we are supposed to do in life. Some love to sing. Some love to dance. Some love sports, and some love music. My husband and I have made the decision that we are going to do everything we can to give our children the tools they need to find their passions and be successful in them, whatever those passions may be.

What's up with all these blizzards?

2010-03-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

A light dusting on the ground is considered a blizzard here in Alabama. We have much more than a light dusting now, so the blizzard has probably been here for hours. And it is still coming down. I'm sure we have seen more snow this winter than the past five years combined.

In Alabama snow doesn't mean the same thing as it does in the northern states. Our state goes into complete panic mode when the "s" word is mentioned. Panic mode means the grocery stores are wiped out clean. If we are expecting more than half an inch, eggs, milk, and bread will not be found in any stores. Panic mode also means the kids get to stay home from school, even if there is no snow or ice on the roads. Frost bite sets in quicker in Alabama than anywhere else so we can't take the chance of the kids having to walk from their house to the bus through the snow. *Yes, that was sarcasm.*

It is Tuesday and there is a blizzard today. This past Sunday we had to turn on the air conditioner in the car. This weekend the high is 67 degrees. Gotta love this unpredictable Alabama weather.

My Sweet Kids (pictures)

2010-03-01T08:02:00.001-06:00

It's been a while since I have posted any pictures on here. My camera is still doing the funny line thing. I need to check on the warranty for it. I have something exciting for you today, because you have been deprived long enough. Pictures!

Friends who are photographers are great, especially when they take pictures of your son at a birthday party and send them to you. The pictures of Jazlyn are older ones taken by my dad. Enjoy.

Five Question Friday

2010-02-26T07:09:00.003-06:00

I'm joining in again on Mama M.'s Five Question Friday, just because I know everyone is eager to find out everything about me. So here you go.

1. Do you sing karaoke? If so, what is your go to song?

I can honestly say I don't think I have ever sang karaoke. I've watched many other people, but thankfully I have always stayed away from the mic.

2. What is your favorite coffee drink?

Starbucks white chocolate mocha please.

3. If you could choose your own name, what would it be?

I'll keep my own name. Thanks.

4. Were you ever bullied?

Don't remember that ever happening to me. I was very tomboyish so they were probably scared of me. I do remember being picked on for making good grades, if that counts.

5. How often do you eat fast food?

We go through fast food spurts. We will eat it a couple times in a week then we won't eat it again for another month. Now that I'm not working we don't really have any reason to eat fast food. My waistline says thank you. Although McD's does sound good right about now.....

Seasons of Life

2010-02-24T22:34:00.000-06:00

Everyone goes through different seasons during their lifetime. Some are in grade school, some in college. Some are expecting their first child, some have already raised theirs. Some are just starting their first job, while others are retired. The list could go on and on.

I'm loving this season in my life. There is never a dull moment with two small children in the house. Something I'm learning with two small children though is that a tidy house at all times is just not going to happen. I'm slowly learning to get balanced in this area. I have always freaked out if someone unexpectedly came over and there were toys all strewn out throughout the house. I'm learning to accept the fact that during this season in my life, there are going to be toys everywhere. If I picked up Isaiah's blocks every time he dumped them out, my family would starve. Ok maybe it wouldn't go quite that far, but you get my point. So if I know you in "real life" and you plan on paying me a visit any time soon, you have been forewarned. If their are toys everywhere when I find out you are coming, the toys are still going to be there when you arrive.

Another thing I am learning about this season of my life is that I need to enjoy and cherish it more. Jazlyn is starting school this fall so pretty soon we won't be able to spend the whole day together. *Sniff, sniff.* Before I know it, Isaiah will be the one going off to school. I know I need to spend more quality time with them while I can. In honor of quality time I might not post as much anymore. I know you are disappointed, but I am giving myself a rule. I am not getting on the computer anymore unless it is bedtime or naptime. If my kids are awake then I want them to have my attention. Someday they might not want my attention as much as they do now.

Works For Me Wednesday

2010-02-24T06:03:00.000-06:00

I know many people who read this are just going to say Duh! Well, I am hoping there will be at least one, maybe two people who won't have that reaction and will be encouraged to make this a norm in their life. My tip is.............

Menu planning!!!

I have never done this completely. I would usually figure out some stuff we could have for dinner while I was making my grocery list, but that was as far as I got with it. I am officially in week three of menu planning and I can't believe I didn't start it sooner. I started doing a menu when we started our new budget (more on that later). This is what works for me: I figure out all three meals for every day of the week, plus snacks. Then, *Pay attention! This is the important part!* I hang the menu up on the fridge. Normally when I would go grocery shopping, my half done menu would go in the garbage once I got back from the store. Everyday when my husband would ask what was for dinner, I would go digging in the cabinets and freezer trying to remember what I bought. Then two months later I would find that frozen chicken buried in the bottom of the freezer that we should have already eaten.

Menu planning saves time and money. Don't believe me? I'll prove it!

Anyone who wants to know what is for dinner can look at the list (if they can read).
You won't have to try to dig through your fridge and pantry to know what you have to eat.
What you buy at the grocery store won't get wasted because it didn't get eaten in time.
You won't waste money on buying dinner when you already had a meal at home waiting to be cooked.

So if you haven't already, GO MAKE A MENU!!

Note To Self

2010-02-23T11:55:00.001-06:00

When it is 10:30 at night and you are putting the kids in the car to head home, make sure you don't set your keys on the seat, lock the door, and shut it. That will result in you being locked out of your car. Just so you know, that is not a good thing.

Sincerely,
Melissa

I bet you can already guess what I did last night. We had a meeting for church and I did the above as we were getting ready to leave. Don't ask. I was tired. The funny thing is that right before we got ready to leave I was joking around about just sleeping on their couch because I didn't want to have to go out in the cold and drive home (even though I was literally two minutes away from my house). I had both of my kids with me and my husband was working until 6:00 the next morning. Thankfully we were at someone's house I trust and their precious son let the kids and me sleep in his bed until my hubby could bring the extra key to me.

Hope everyone had a better night than me.

Why God Why?

2010-02-21T22:29:00.001-06:00

My heart is heavy tonight. We visited a couple who have been married for almost three years. Last year their first child, a son, only lived for a few hours before going to heaven. This is a loving, sweet couple who love the Lord. They desperately want kids. It's not fair that children are born everyday to parents who don't even want them. Then this couple, who ~~would have been~~ are going to be great parents, had such a small amount of time with their son. It doesn't make sense.

I don't think I have ever shared this on my blog. Before Isaiah was born, we lost a baby when I was ten weeks pregnant. That was one of the most painful things I have ever gone through. Even as I look back now I don't understand why God let that happen to us. I do know, however, that there was a reason for our suffering. Maybe we will know what that reason was before we die. Maybe not. I questioned God then more than I ever have. I still trusted Him and believed in Him, but I wanted answers. I wanted God to tell me why He let that happen. He never did tell me. All He told me was to trust Him.

I know that God's ways are incomprehensible to us, and I know that Jeremiah 29:11 is true. I know that God always wants what is best for us. What we think is best isn't always what He thinks is best at the time. I don't understand why God won't give this couple a baby now. I guess it's not my place to know. It's my place to pray and trust Him.

Awesome Diaper Deal

2010-02-19T12:03:00.000-06:00

If you have a little one in diapers and can set up a new account at diapers.com head on over here to see how you can get a great deal on some diapers. I just ordered 207 Pampers diapers for $44.48 with free shipping. As if that wasn't good enough, there is also a $14.97 mail-in-rebate that I am going to send in. Yay for saving money!

We have a busy weekend. My MIL is supposed to come into town tomorrow. Then on Sunday it is my nephew's fourth birthday! Maybe my camera will cooperate with me and let me share some pictures of our fun weekend. Until next time...

I can't do it all by myself

2010-02-18T21:36:00.002-06:00

No, I'm not talking about my husband not helping me around the house. He does help me out when I ~~demand~~ ask him to. I'm talking about me trying to live my life without God's help.

God had to get me to this point in my life for me to realize just how much I need Him. Sure, during tragedies and disappointments, I've needed Him. It's easy to see how much I need Him during those times. What I'm learning now is how much I need Him everyday.

Leading up to my last days on my job I thought that I was about to have it made. No more getting up at 5:30 every morning. No more feeling rushed to get dinner fed to my family before starting the cycle over again the next day. I thought now that I was going to be a stay at home mom, my life was going to be easy.

Lately it was seeming as though I was struggling with everything. Every time I had to do the dishes or laundry I felt like I was having to put forth all of my effort just to do a simple five minute task. It was taking everything I had just to make it through each day. During one of my woe is me pity parties, I realized that I'm not letting God truly lead my life. I'm not supposed to do all this on my own. In John 15:5 Jesus says "for without Me you can do nothing." 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that God's grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. I was trying to do everything in my own strength instead of relying on God's strength for me each day. I need Him everyday in everything I do in order to be a good wife and mother.

I'm learning a lot during this time in my life. I feel like I've grown more spiritually in the past six months than I have in the past few years. Now that I'm not so busy, I've been able to do a lot of self examining and I'm more open to hearing what God has to say about me. His lessons are not fun during the learning process, but I'm thankful that He loves me enough to keep teaching me.

What do you value?

2010-02-17T09:13:00.000-06:00

When I took Jazlyn to dance the other day I noticed this little boy in her dance class (yes she has a boy in her dance class) while we were waiting for her class to start. We will call him Sam. Sam was reading while we were waiting. They were small words, but he was still reading. Everyone in her dance class is about four or five. Sam looks four.

Some would look at Sam and think poor kid. Sam isn't always dressed in the nicest clothes and his hair isn't always the neatest. Sam's family looks like they're not the richest. One thing I have noticed about Sam though is that he is very well behaved. When his mom asks him to do something, he does it. He doesn't run around the waiting room with his mom having to get onto him every two seconds. Someone has spent time with Sam teaching him how to behave. And come on, the kid can read. Someone has had to spend a lot of time with the boy for him to be able to read at four. I know some kids are just naturally hyper (Jazlyn), but we all know that you can tell the kids who have not had any boundaries put into their lives. These misbehaving kids are sometimes dressed in the best clothes with the freshest haircuts.

It's all about what we value when it comes to our kids. Some value the way their kids look. Some value the way their kids behave. Some parents consider their children's education to be most important. Some parents value their kids' spirituality. What we value as adults trickles down to what we value in our kids. Whether we value money, family, intellect, or spirituality, that value will be evident in our children.

I'm reevaluating what is important in my life and how those values are effecting my children. What do you value?

Book Review - This Little Prayer of Mine

2010-02-16T08:47:00.001-06:00

I know it's been a few days since we've "talked." I've been enjoying some much needed family time at home. We celebrated Valentine's Day by cooking a meal together, complete with dessert. It was a good day.

Now on to other things. I recently received the book This Little Prayer of Mine from the author, Anthony DeStefano. The book is endorsed by The National Day of Prayer, Danae Dobson (daughter of Dr. James Dobson), and Bernice King (daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.). This is a new favorite in our house.

First off, the illustrations are awesome. I love a beautifully illustrated book, and this book is beautiful. More importantly, the book is all about teaching children to pray. The book goes through many different things that a child might pray about: asking God for comfort when sad or scared, being dependant on God for direction down the right path, asking for forgiveness for doing wrong, being thankful for all that God has given, asking God to help us show His love to others, knowing that through trusting God we can do anything, and the assurance of God's love.

Teaching children to have their own relationship with God is important. Prayer is how they develop that relationship. This book is a great example to kids of how to maintain that relationship at a young age through prayer.

Guess what?! The book goes on sale today! I highly recommend you adding this to your library.

Five Question Friday

2010-02-12T10:42:00.001-06:00

I am starting something new on Friday here. I'm joining in on Mama M's Five Question Friday. Head on over to her blog to read others' answers. So here we go!

1. What is the one thing your love does for you that you can't live without?

This is a tricky one. Right now I would have to say that he lets me sleep in sometimes. My nine month old son still does not sleep through the night so that extra sleep is a life saver. If you asked me a year from now I would probably say the fact that he is a good dad. I don't ever have to worry about him disappointing our kids. I also love that he doesn't complain. If I cook a less than tasteful meal he doesn't make a big deal about it. Wait, was I supposed to only say one thing?

2. When did you know your love was "the one"?

Probably the first time (yes there were many times) that we broke up (I feel like I am in high school saying that). This was after we were dating for only a couple months. I've always been not the nicest to guys I've dated and my meaness never bothered me much. With him it did bother me. I felt like I couldn't survive without him in my life when we split up, which was a first for me. That's how I knew our relationship was different.

3. Does your love have a special ringtone on your cell?

No I've never taken the time to mess with my ringtones. I probably have had the same ringtone for the past couple years.

4. What are you attracted to most in your special someone?

Don't laugh at me, but the first thing I noticed about him was his voice. He is from the north and he doesn't talk like your typical southern boy, like I am used to. Now I've gotten used to it so I don't notice it too much anymore. I also like his eyes. They are a pretty light brown. I also love that he looks like this mean tough guy, but then once you get to know him you find out that he is really sweet and silly. Wait, that was more than one thing again wasn't it?

5. Did you know when/where he/she was going to pop the big question?

No, we had already decided that we were getting married, but when he did officially pop the question I didn't know. He tied the ring box around my dog's collar. It was cute.

You know that snotty nose kid?

2010-02-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

That would be my son. I do wipe his nose. I really do. Every five minutes. I don't like that he is going out in public this way, but every time I wipe his nose the flood gates open again. It's a neverending cycle.

I used to work at a daycare before I had the privilege of being a mom. I can remember being appalled at the kids who would come in with snot pouring out of their noses. I would want to walk up to the moms and say Umm, hello? Do you not see all of that crust and nastiness on your kid's nose?

Now I understand. No matter how many times you wipe it, the nose still looks nasty. All of the moms who I accused of neglecting your kids, please forgive me.

Total Money Makeover

2010-02-09T22:26:00.001-06:00

I've always known that God wants to use this time of me not working for us to get our finances in check. I've been avoiding God talking to me about this issue, mostly because of the simple fact that I haven't wanted to do it. There are always too many things that I need to buy. I think that my kids would rather have stress free parents than be the best dressed kids on the block.

When it comes to our finances, we have never really done a budget. We have just always spent how much we wanted on what we wanted. I've just always made sure that our money is not depleted. I have gotten a lot better in the past couple years about not spending money erratically (I'm a sucker for cute kids' clothes), but I know making a real budget and sticking to it is the only true way for us to be good stewards over our money.

We are somewhat doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. We don't have any debt besides our student loans and house, so that part I'm not as worried about. The main thing is that I want us to start a strict budget and stick to it so that we can learn to save money and not have to take on anymore debt. The first part of Dave's plan is to save up a thousand dollar emergency fund, so that is our first goal. I'm making our financial goals realistic. I'm not giving a time limit, but every week we do have to put some money towards this fund.

I'll go into more detail next time of how we are doing our budget and I'll share a little more about the Total Money Makeover, in case anyone is not fimiliar with it.

Not Me Monday

2010-02-08T07:26:00.001-06:00

Not Me Monday, the day moms all around share what they haven't been doing lately, was started by MckMama. Feel free to join in!

When Isaiah dumped out a bag of cheerios onto the living room floor, my whole family did not play in the spilled cheerios. We did not roll around on the floor in them and throw them at each other. My family has more class than that.

It was not me who ate a big bowl of ice cream every night after I exercised. I know that would just completely defeat the purpose.

I did not let Isaiah eat some cereal off the floor that fell from his high chair. I would never do anything like that just to keep him occupied for two extra minutes.

I did not ~~make~~ let Jazlyn vacuum the whole living room. Nope, not me!

Randomness

2010-02-04T17:05:00.002-06:00

Jazlyn has gone to the circus with my parents (yes, I am jealous).

We are having a marriage fellowship at my house on Saturday.

People are coming over who have never been to my house before.

I need to clean my house.

Now would be the perfect time to get on that cleaning because Isaiah is asleep.

I'm not going to clean right now.

I am enjoying this alone time in my quiet house listening to the rain outside.

My dog's name is Junior.

Your Baby Can Read

2010-02-03T07:16:00.000-06:00

In case you don't have a television, I am talking about the Your Baby Can Read learning program. It is supposed to do just as the title says, teach your baby to read. The commercial shows babies clapping when the word clap is shown to them and so on. Then it shows toddlers reading.

Jazlyn knows her letters and most sounds. She can't read. As this commercial came on today I wondered how it makes her feel. She knows that she can't read yet so when she sees a baby reading I wonder if that is a blow to her self esteem. Maybe she doesn't comprehend it. I'm not sure, but I don't want to bring it up to find out. Anyone else with an older child who can't read ever thought about this?

If anyone has ever tried Your Baby Can Read or if your best friend's mom's cousin's daughter has tried it please let me know if it is legit or not.

Drama Girl

2010-02-01T19:36:00.003-06:00

I am sitting here on the floor on the computer (don't ask me why I am on the floor) and I ask Jazlyn if she finished cleaning up her room. She starts walking toward the stairs (her room is upstairs), but stops when she gets directly in front of me. She leans back, dramatically stretches, and lets out the longest drawn out yawn. Then she goes on to tell me that she is getting really tired and needs to go to bed.

Did I mention that she is four? I think we need to look into putting her in some commercials.

This was not part of my original post, but I just had to add it. We've been trying to teach Jazlyn to eat her food when it is given to her. She is bad about eating two bites of something, then tell us she is hungry thirty minutes later. This evening she ate two bites of a sandwich and said she was full. An hour later when she was hungry again I told her she would have to wait to eat again. She waits a while then comes up to me and asks me in the sweetest voice ever, "Mommy do you love me?" I tell her of course I love her. Then she says, again in the sweet voice, "I was wondering if I could have something to eat?" If I love her I have to feed her upon demand right?

If she acts like this now, how is it going to be when she is a teenager?

Praying Like Breathing

2010-01-29T06:56:00.005-06:00

My husband and I are reading a book right now called The Power of a Simple Prayer by Joyce Meyer. We have only read a couple chapters, but I have already seen a change in my life after implementing what we've read.

Ephesians 6:18 says to "pray always" and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray without ceasing." I've known these verses for a long time but I have never truly put them into practice. I've always had the mindset that I don't have enough time to pray all day. I've learned from this book just how powerful a simple prayer is (hence the name of the book). Prayer is not only effective if a person is on his/her knees with his/her eyes closed spending at least fifteen minutes in prayer. This season in my life that is usually not possible anyway. A person can say an effective five word prayer while standing with his/her eyes wide open. God looks at the heart of the one praying. When we speak from the heart, whether it is fifteen or five thousand words, God hears us.

Instead of waiting to pray when I have time, I have been spending my whole day praying. While I am making the kids' breakfast I thank God for another day with my family. As I go throughout the rest of the day, while folding laundry, picking up toys, etc., I let God know that I am dependant on Him to be a good wife and a good mother and I am constantly thanking Him and asking Him for help as I go from one task to another. Just a simple I love you Lord means a lot more to Him than I think we realize.

The whole atmosphere in my house has changed since I began saying these short simple prayers all day. I've been getting more accomplished than before. I believe that keeping this constant communication with God makes me more sensitive His promptings, letting me know what I should or should not do as I go throughout the day.

If you are constantly struggling just to make it through the day everyday, try this. It works.

Maybe not

2010-01-28T07:48:00.001-06:00

Remember my post the other day about wanting more kids now? I am so completely and totally over that. I might want one more, just not right at this moment.

Isaiah had a cold last week. Isaiah could not sleep while he had this cold. His poor little nose would get too stuffy when he laid down, therefore he refused to lay down all night for a few nights in a row.

No sleep for Isaiah = No sleep for me.

I forgot what it felt like to go a couple nights in a row with only three or four hours of sleep a night. I'm not so sure I want to go through that again so soon. If God has other plans for us I will take it, but it's not what I would choose for the time being.

Good bye baby fever......probably until I see another newborn.

I Love Him

2010-01-27T07:10:00.004-06:00

I woke up this morning to empty laundry hampers. And not because all of the dirty clothes are thrown about the floor. Every article of clothing in our house (besides what we are currently wearing) is washed, folded, and put away.

Monday morning mounds of clothes came flying down the stairwell. With all the sickness in our house last week, the laundry was neglected. Al the dirty clothes in our house were thrown down the stairs and separated into piles.....in the living room. I wanted to scream. My husband chose to help out and do all the laundry in one day, or that is what he claimed he was going to do. When he does laundry he brings it all downstairs at the same time instead of separating the clothes upstairs and bringing down one pile at a time when it is ready to be washed, like it is supposed to be done. I kept telling him there was no way he was going to get all the laundry done in one day. Plus, he was doing it all wrong. Keeping piles of clothes in the living room all day is not the correct way to do it. But I kept my mouth shut and went grocery shopping while he tackled the ten piles.....that were in our living room. Can you tell the clothes in the living room were bothering me?

By Monday night all the clothes were washed. I thought to myself, Sure he can wash the clothes in a day, but not all of them are put up. I told him so. Just in case you didn't know, laundry is not complete until it is folded and put away in its proper place. I still kept my mouth shut and let him do his thing.

Before my dear husband left for work on Tuesday, all of the laundry was washed and put away. I have to say I was completely shocked. I think he was just trying to show me up. Maybe his way is more efficient, but my way makes the house look neater.

Mop Head

2010-01-26T09:06:00.001-06:00

Dear Mop Head,

Please come back. Wherever you found yourself after leaving the washing machine is not your home. You will never be happy away from your handle. Your true destiny cannot be fulfilled without it. When you do decide to come home there will be a fresh bucket of water waiting just for you. I do miss you dearly.

Yours truly,
Mopheadless Housekeeper

Picture above of runaway mop head. There is a $10.00 reward for any information that leads to its recovery.

Only A Moment's Time

2010-01-25T06:23:00.002-06:00

I have too much on my mind today for Not Me Monday. It seems like for the past week or so every time I turn around there has been a reminder of how it only takes a moment's time for an event to happen that causes a person's life to change forever.

There was the earthquake in Haiti. That day people were just going about their everyday lives not knowing that they were about to experience a dramatic life changing event. I've seen footage of the aftermath that I would rather have not seen. There are so many people there who need medical attention but can't get it, so they are just having to suffer day in and day out. We take so many things for granted, like being able to pop some Tylenol for our minor aches and pains. Imagine losing your arm, and due to the lack of medical help, an infection sets in where your arm once was. All day you experience excruciating pain but have no pain medication to help ease your suffering. This is what many in Haiti are going through right now. Similar stories happen everyday all around the world in third world countries.

One night last week my husband came home from work early because he couldn't get in touch with me and thought the worst. When I quit working we disconnected our home phone so we rely solely on our cell phones for communication. This particular night my cell phone died and I forgot to plug it up. We were fine, but everyday someone has an experience like this where their loved one is not fine,..

We had a tornado last week where I live. It wasn't bad and there weren't any serious injuries, but there have been many tornados here that did result in the worst outcome possible. This tornado the other day was very unexpected. There was not much warning resulting in many being unprepared. My brother, like many others, was stuck in traffic right next to the tornado. I thank God that he was not harmed, but it was another reminder that it only takes a moment.

A girl that I went to school with and played basketball with just died a couple days ago of cancer. She was only a year younger than me. I just saw her last August. If it wasn't for her not having any hair, there was no way to tell that she was sick. She looked as healthy and happy as can be. After seeing her in person I just knew the cancer wouldn't take her life and she would be healthy again soon. God's plan was for her to be with Him sooner than those who were close to her would have chosen.

In a moment's time an earthquake, a tornado, a car accident, or an unexpected sickness can occur and change the course of a person't life forever. We don't always see or understand everything that God allows to happen. We just have to trust Him in everything. I am seeing now more than ever the importance of that personal relationship with the only One who will always be there to comfort those in need during hard times.

Another baby

2010-01-22T07:12:00.002-06:00

No, I'm not pregnant, but I am contemplating the idea of adding another baby to our family. There are so many things running through my head concerning this I really don't know where to start.

I am supposed to start grad school this fall. Grad school and pregnancy don't seem like a good mix. I'm not working right now and I don't want any of our kids in daycare, so on the other hand now would be a good time to have another one. Then there is the medical bills that would come from having the baby. Those wouldn't fit into our one income budget. I always wanted to have our children close in age so they can be best friends, but being pregnant while chasing around a very active toddler doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Especially while I am studying, cleaning house, taking Jazlyn to and from school, and taking care of my husband. God would have to give me the grace to handle all of that if another baby is what He wants for our family.

Babies are a blessing. I know that because the Bible tells me so. My husband wants twelve kids. No really, twelve. I'm not too fond of that idea. I've always said that three is my absolute limit. I know I'm not really the one that controls whether or not we have more kids, but I can at least know what I want. We were talking with some friends one night about how God probably laughs at us when we make "our" plans concerning how many children we have and when.

I do have the desire right now to have another child though. That desire could have come from God because it is His will, or it could just be my own desire that is a million miles away from what God wants for us right now. Maybe I should talk to the One who created the earth and find out what He thinks. I'll let ya'll know what He says.

My New Job is Hard

2010-01-20T23:03:00.002-06:00

In case you are new here, my job is being a stay at home mom to my two kids, while at the same time making sure my husband is happy.

Let me clarify, to begin with, that I am not in the least bit complaining about my new job. I do still love the fact that I get to stay home with my two kids, but this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I literally have not sat down all day except when I was nursing Isaiah and when we did Jazlyn's schoolwork. When I stopped working, I thought this was going to be a breeze. I thought it would be just like every Saturday was when I was working. Wrong.

There is an endless amount of dishes now because I cook pretty much everything we eat. I run the dishwasher at least twice a day. I know I could make that less if I would handwash something, but I do refuse. I don't want my dishwasher to think that I don't like it anymore. At least, that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

There is also an endless amount of toys. Everywhere. I find them in every space imaginable in our house. When we were away from the house five days a week, the house didn't get as messy. When I was working, if I could have the house clean by Sunday afternoon then I knew it wouldn't get too messed up during the week. Now I have to clean up the house daily.

Isaiah is spoiled. Rotten. He screams if I leave his sight. Sometimes he screams if he is not being held (like right now). If he is in a good mood I can at least put him down to do something, as long as it is in the same room. If I leave the room, he sounds like he is being tortured. Someone came over the other day and parked in the street in front of our house. She said she could hear him crying before she even got out of the car. Have I mentioned how ridiculously close the houses are in my neighborhood? So yeah, I'm pretty sure the neighbors do think he is being tortured. I'm glad they don't care.

Jazlyn is officially a teenager. That's all I have to say about that.

I do feel like I am finally getting into the groove of being a stay at home mom. The holidays messed up my routine, but I have it back now. Staying home is helping me lose weight. Booyah fat! Instead of sitting at a desk all day I am up chasing two kids around all day. It is great exercise. I might just start exercising for real and watching what I eat to get the last little bit of this weight off. The beach this summer is a good motivation for me to go ahead and start that. I'll have to check with my son first and make sure he approves since he runs things around here.

Although this life is a lot harder than I expected, I wouldn't change it for anything. Who wouldn't want to spend the whole day looking at this precious face?

I love cooking three meals a day. Ok, maybe some days it is only one meal.

I love washing dishes numerous times a day. Ok, all I do is load and unload the dishwasher.

I love picking up two hundred sixteen toys a day. Ok, maybe only fifty-six.

I love holding Isaiah all day, while cooking, doing dishes, picking up toys, and everything else my day pertains of.

I love the conversations I have with my new teenage daughter.

I love playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders twelve times a day.

I do love my new hard, but fun life as a stay at home mom!

On a totally unrelated note, if you notice in the pic there are lines (or whatever they are). My camera does that, but only sometimes. Anyone know what could cause that?

Convo with Jazlyn

2010-01-19T16:49:00.001-06:00

Me: Why are you crying?

Jazlyn: I'm not crying.

Me: Yes, there are tears running down your face. Why are you crying?

Jazlyn: I'm not crying. My eyes are sweating.

Apparently, she was drinking something too fast and it made her eyes water. I love our conversations......sometimes.

You Know You're a Parent When....

2010-01-18T15:29:00.002-06:00

You know you're a parent when...

You wake up in the morning with a cheerio stuck to your forehead.

You use the phrase "I have to go potty," even when speaking to other adults.

There is no need to buy paint for your walls because they are already colorfully painted with crayons and markers.

The floor in your car is never seen due to the mounds of toys and cheerios.

You find stickers stuck to your socks all the time.

There are five different types of fruit juices in your refrigerator at one time.

You are too busy to think, but too full of love to care.

A smile on a sweet baby's face makes two hours of sleep in one night okay.

A simple "I love you, Mommy" can make any problem go away.

Bloggers Uniting for Haiti

2010-01-15T08:57:00.004-06:00

I know I just blogged about Haiti yesterday, but Crystal at Money Saving Mom is calling people into action and I had to join in. She is calling anyone who has a blog and has done anything for Haiti to blog about what you have done and link up at her blog. Her family is donating $10 for every person who links up there.Crystal is also donating $.30 for every comment left. Others are also donating for every link or comment on their blog.

My husband and I were given some money for Christmas that we haven't yet spent. When I asked him about donating to Haiti he didn't hesitate to donate all of his Christmas money (I love him!). We both donated our unspent Christmas money to Compassion.

I know everyone doesn't have extra money to donate, but everyone can pray for them. Whatever you can do, go here and leave a comment, or if you blog about what you have done leave your link. You can donate through Compassion by clicking on the banner above. If a lot of people do a little it turns into something big.

Help Haiti

2010-01-14T16:46:00.001-06:00

My heart is aching for those in Haiti. I'm sitting in my house with the heat on so that I can stay warm while it is cold outside. I have plenty of food to eat. I have clean water to drink. I have clean clothes to wear. These things that we consider a necessity are considered a luxury to most in Haiti.

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Throw in a natural disaster and the people there must think there is no hope. My biggest worry is getting my baby to sleep through the night. Most mothers in Haiti are wondering where their baby's next meal will come from. Will you help them during this catastrophic time?

You can click on the banner at the top of my blog to give through Compassion, a reputable Christian organization. You can also give through the Red Cross. If you do donate, go to Kelly's Korner and leave a comment letting her know you have done so. She is donating $1 for every comment up to $1,000.

If you can't give, then please pray.

Selfish

2010-01-14T07:19:00.001-06:00

I just discovered something about myself last week. I am was selfish. I've kind of always known this, but I've just now acknowledged it. In Dr. Phil's words (love me some Dr. Phil!), you can't change what you don't acknowledge. This selfishness has always been talking to me in the back of my mind, but I never wanted to really admit it, because then I would have to do something about it.

Last week I heard someone say something along these lines. God will not let you be happy if you are not doing what He wants you to do. When I heard that, it hit home. Hard. I know that little voice in the back of my mind about me being selfish has been God talking to me. I have been choosing to ignore Him. I haven't been too happy here lately. Think that is a coincidence? Not a chance.

I'm the most important so whatever I want I should get, right? WRONG.

My poor husband can easily tell you that I ~~nag~~ used to nag him. A lot. I finally realized the nagging was coming because of my selfishness. So I've been not giving in to my selfish ways. Instead of nagging him about what I think he should do all the time, I've been focusing on what I can do to make his life easier. It hasn't been easy, but it is getting easier. If I think he should spend time with me instead doing something else, instead of nagging him about it, I give him a sweet smile and ask if there is anything I can get for him. I've acutally been happier not getting my way. I've been doing what God wants me to do, so He has been keeping me satisfied and joyful.

I quit acting selfish. Life has been good. Everyone is happy. Coincidence? Not a chance.

Poison Control Call #1

2010-01-12T21:24:00.001-06:00

Boys sure are different. I never had to call Poison Control for Jazlyn. Never. Isaiah is now 8 months old and I have made my first call to them. I say first not because I am trying to speak anything over my son, but future behavior is best predicted by past behavior.

The boy puts everything in his mouth. Everything. He also gets into everything. I mean everything. We never had any problems with Jazlyn getting into stuff. We never even completely baby proofed our house. There was no need for it. She didn't get into stuff. Isaiah is definitely making up for her lack in this department.

Isaiah got into a bin that was on the floor. This bin had a jar of vaseline in it. He managed to open the jar and put the top in his mouth. I looked down at him and he had vaseline all over his mouth. Great. I checked the labeling and sure enough it read Call Poison Control immediatley if swallowed.

Poison Control told me that I needed to keep a better eye on my son so that nothing like this happens again. Really they didn't. They did tell me that he would be fine.

Boys will be boys. I underestimated the meaning of this saying. Boys really are a lot different than girls.

I just rubbed my eye and guess what's in my eye now. Vaseline. I cleaned up Isaiah but failed to wash my own hands. Labeling reads Keep out of eyes. We're two for two for the warnings listed on the label. We're on a roll.

Truthful Tuesday

2010-01-12T14:24:00.007-06:00

Today I am joining in on Truthful Tuesday. This is my first time playing along. Truthful Tuesday is hosted by Elizabeth over at Confessions From a Working Mom. Each Tuesday she has a different question to bring out the honesty in people. Today's question is......

What talent do you wish you have...but don't?

A few years ago my answer would have been a lot different. However, now that I have become Susie Homemaker, my answer is cooking. You know how some people can just throw anything together and it tastes good? Yeah, well that is so not me. I have to go strictly by recipes, or else the food is just a disaster. I even mess up recipes sometimes. I'm sure my family would appreciate if cooking was a talent of mine too. Especially on those disaster days.

~Melissa

Not Me Monday

2010-01-11T06:36:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Not Me Monday, the day I let you in on what I haven't been doing. This weekly therapy session was started by MckMama.

I did not eat Oreos for breakfast yesterday. If I did do something like that then I would at least have had milk with it too. You know, to balance things out.

I did not give Isaiah his first Oreo yesterday morning as part of his breakfast. Who eats Oreos for breakfast?

I did not let Isaiah try to drink out of one of his sister's baby doll's bottles for about ten minutes. I did not also let Jazlyn sleep on the floor at the same time. Nor did I take a picture of them.

Sorry about the quality of this picture. My camera apparently doesn't like the cold.

Happy Monday!

~Melissa

Queen for a Week

2010-01-10T09:04:00.000-06:00

I usually wouldn't blog on Sunday morning while I should be getting ready to leave for church (shhh don't tell my husband), but today is a special occasion. Remember my suspenseful news about my awesome year? Well, I would like to introduce you to the Queen of the week.....ME!!! I was chosen by Elizabeth over at Confessions From a Working Mom to be Queen this week, because she thinks I'm awesome.

Thanks to me being Queen for the week, I am taking the week off. No cleaning, washing clothes, or cooking......or maybe not. A girl can dream right?

I am excited about my reign. I'm going to have to think of some way to celebrate this special occasion. Hope everyone else's week is as awesome as mine will be. Although it probably won't be since you're not Queen.

~Melissa

Friday's Fact

2010-01-08T15:45:00.001-06:00

Friday's Fact is the day I share with you a fact about myself. Most Fridays, like today, will be completely random.

Today's fact is that I am a wierdo about the covers on my bed. They have to be perfect or else I can't sleep. I can't stand for the covers to get all bunched up around my face. They have to stay tucked in at the end of the bed to keep that from happening. Speaking of that, I am wierd about my pillow too. I can't sleep in the middle of the pillow. I have to sleep on the end, so that nothing is directly in front of my face.

I will get up in the middle of the night to fix unperfect (Is that a word?) covers. My husband thinks I am crazy because of this. You might too, but oh well. That's who I am. Just trying to be real.

Have a good weekend! Try to stay warm.

~Melissa

Separation Anxiety

2010-01-07T11:25:00.002-06:00

Here is the definition of separation anxiety according to the dictionairy:

The normal fear and apprehension expressed by infants when removed from their mothers.

Here is the definition of separation anxiety according to me:

The normal fear and apprehension expressed by mothers when removed from their infants.

One day this week I had a busy day. While I was at home during the day I was busy getting some things ready for a meeting I had that evening. Then I had to go to the bank. Then it was the grocery store. Then it was the meeting, which kept me away from the house for about four hours. Just so no one calls the people on me, my husband was off work. I didn't leave my four year old daughter to take care of her brother. I wouldn't do that for the whole day!

Once I did get home for the night, both kids were asleep. Then it hit me. That is what was bothering me all day. You know how you have the feeling when you leave the house that you are forgetting something, but you can't figure out what it is. That is kind of how I felt all day, like something was missing or wrong, only I couldn't put my finger on what it was......until I got home.

I missed my kids. Bad. Really bad.

Since I quit working I haven't been away from them that much. I didn't realize how much I actually enjoy my days with them until I was away from them for almost an entire day. Isaiah of course was his faithful wake-up-every-couple-hours self, so I did get at least a little time with him that night, which kept me from going into complete panic mode. We all woke up bright and early the next morning. Since I was MIA (missing in action, in case you didn't know) the day before, there were dishes in the sink and dirty laundry waiting on me. We, however, spent the morning playing. Everything else had to wait until I had my Jazlyn and Isaiah fix.

~Melissa

Done!

2010-01-06T23:58:00.000-06:00

Unless this is your first time visiting, then you notice that things look a little different here. I wanted a three column template (yeah, I'm down with the blog lingo) because that's what all the cool kids are doing. Well things didn't work out the way I planned. I couldn't get everything to fit right. I guess I'm not that cool. So I had to change the background. I couldn't find any to fit right. Then problems with the banner. Then more problems with the banner. Then banner wouldn't work so I had to find a different background and do a different banner. I couldn't find any free ones that I liked so this is what I had to settle with.

So when I said Done! I didn't mean it like "Good, I'm done." No, I meant it like I'm not fooling with this anymore so "I'M DONE WITH IT!"

Ok I feel better now that I got that off my chest. If anyone knows of a place to get free blog stuff, please do tell. I want my blog to be something that I like to look, but I really don't want to dish out any money.

It is almost midnight and Isaiah just woke up. No sleep for me tonight. O Happy Day! (Maybe if I really sing that song I will feel better.)

~Melissa

Awesome Year

2010-01-06T06:58:00.003-06:00

Yes, I know it is only a few days into the new year, but I have to say that I am having an awesome year so far. I won a giveaway during the end of last year from From My Kitchen To Yours. It was some Mrs. Meyers cleaning spray. I just used it for the first time the other day and I have to say that I am hooked. My house has been smelling so clean and fresh. Click on the link above and go show Brandi some love. She has some good recipes! I also went shopping the other day to get my kids some summer clothes. I love shopping for them! That was a good day. I just found out that we are going to the beach this summer for a whole week with my whole family, including my parents and my brother's family. Jazlyn has never been to the beach so I am overly excited about that. The day I told Jazlyn about it she asked me approximately 42 times if it was summer yet. I think she is a little excited too. One last thing is that I was picked to participate in something next week, but you will have to wait until then to find out what it is. I love suspense. :)

My first week of the new year so far has been great and I am excited about the rest of the year. Last year we went through many changes in our family. Our sweet Isaiah was born. I quit my job. We joined a new church. All of these were life changing events. I believe all of these changes had to be made to prepare us for the current year, and I am excited to see how the year unfolds. I hope everyone else's new year is going as well as mine. If not I will pass some of my new year awesomeness your way!

~Melissa

He Knows

2010-01-05T07:13:00.005-06:00

I had a "revelation" recently. It came from a scripture that I have heard many, many times. It is something that I already knew, but I just didn't "get" yet. Does that make sense? Good. I thought it did. It is a very simple scripture, but it just recently took on new meaning in my life.

1 Samuel 16:7 says that "man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” I have always known that God knows everything about us, because He knows everything in the world, etc., but it really hit me that He knows everything. He knows every little thought that goes through my mind and every word that I speak, even when no one else is around. When my husband leaves his dirty clothes in the middle of the floor, and I want to knock him upside his head (not that I would really think that or anything), He knows. When Jazlyn knocks her drink over at the table, and I get upset with her for doing that again, He knows. When our neighbor knocks over our trash can, and I think of ways for revenge, He knows. When a friend gets the nice house that I've been wanting, and I get jealous instead of being happy for her, He knows. If I do something nice for someone just so that someone else will notice how nice I am, instead of doing it out of pure love, He knows. God. Knows. Everything.

So I have been doing some heart examining, since I am now realizing that God know what's in there. If you want to know what is in your heart, then listen to what you are saying. Matthew 12:34 says "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Sometimes I am not as patient with my family as I should be, and I say things that aren't exactly pleasant. This day and going forward I am paying attention to what is in my heart. I want a pure heart that is pleasing to God, all the time. I want my thoughts and the words that come out of my mouth to please Him. I'm thankful that with His help my heart can improve. I'm even more thankful that when I fall short, he is still there with open arms to get me back on track.

~Melissa

New Schedule

2010-01-04T08:11:00.005-06:00

Sorry, no Not Me Monday post today. I have too many other things on my plate right now. This is the first week I am attempting our schedule. I thought it might be better if we waited until after the holidays, just in case there are two certain little ones who give me a fight. This week we are only doing sleep/nap and eating times on schedule. After we have those down, I am going to do a more detailed schedule of our whole day. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully our go-with-the-flow family will adjust well.

I also have another new adventure this week. Isaiah has been sleeping in the bed with us. I know, I know. That is the worst thing I could've done....I am never going to be able to get him out of our bed....Blah, blah, blah. Well, he has been sleeping with us so it's too late for all that now.What can I say? I am a sucker for cuddling. I would let Isaiah keep sleeping with me if he slept good. I think he gets hot and that causes him to wake up through the night. At least, that is what I am hoping for so he will sleep better by himself. We did put his crib in our room, so he won't be too far just in case I do have to get up multiple times during the night.

I am excited about our new schedule and sleeping arrangements. I think it will help me to manage my time better and make sure I am getting all the important things done (like blogging). Hopefully next week at this time I will do a post as a well rested Mom with a successful new schedule. :)

One more thing. Perdue's boneless skinless chicken breasts are on sale right now for $1.99/ lb at Kroger. Go stock up!

~Melissa

Friday's Fact

2010-01-01T07:22:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!

Friday's Fact is the day you get to hear an exciting fact about me. So that I don't keep you on the edge of your seat....here we go!

Today's Friday Fact is that my favorite color is green. It is Isaiah's favorite color too. He just doesn't know it yet. I painted his room green so that it would become his favorite color. Just don't tell him, ok? I don't want that plan to backfire on me.

~Melissa

New Year's Eve

2009-12-31T16:14:00.007-06:00

It is New Year's Eve. Want to know what I am doing tonight? I am staying home with my two kids (the hubby is at work). Want to know what I think about that? I am quite happy about it.

Any time there is a big "party" night, I can't help but to think about how much my life has changed in the past few years. The way my life is today is nothing like they way I had it planned out. My life is proof that our plans are not always God's plans.

Years ago I was a college student, living the college student life. I spent more time than I should have partying and staying up too late, but I was a college student, so what else did I have to worry about? I had my life planned out. I was getting my degree in accounting because that was a degree that I could use anywhere. As soon as I graduated I was getting away from my boring hometown. I had my mind made up that I probably wouldn't marry until I was well beyond thirty, because I had a life to live before I settled down. Once I did settle down, I knew that in our family both parents would work. I didn't want to be stuck in a house all day. Who would want to live that type of life? I also wouldn't have to learn to cook. Why learn to cook when the big city I was going to live in would have wonderful take out?

Then just a few months before I graduated from college, I met my husband. It wasn't a "he swept me off my feet" romance. No, I just felt myself wanting to be honest with him about everything, which wasn't like me. Every time we broke up (yeah, we had issues in the beginning) I just had to have him back in my life, which also wasn't like me. Then God found and changed both of us. By the next year we were married. So much for waiting for thirty.

Fast forward to today. I am still not thirty, and I am the stay at home mom that I vowed I would never become. I like to cook, although I am still learning when it comes to that department. I'm thankful that I have a husband who doesn't mind being my taste tester. I enjoy my life. I like being here for my kids everyday. I like making sure my family is fed and has clean clothes to wear. I like being able to spend quality time with them everyday. I like getting to witness all of the silly things they do and say, even if the silliness does come with whining sometimes.

So as I sit here on New Year's Eve, just my two kids and me, I am thankful that I am content to sit here on New Year's Eve, just my two kids and me. As many others are getting ready to bring in the New Year with a party, I will be at home folding clothes, playing with my new toys....I mean my kids' new toys, and making sure that my house is the home that my family deserves. My life is not anything like I planned for it to be, but my life is the way it is supposed to be, which is much better than I planned. I thank God that He made me realize that this type of life isn't so bad after all.

Happy New Year!

~Melissa

2010

2009-12-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

So we are coming up on year 2010. What do we call it? Are we supposed to say two thousand ten or twenty ten?? I have always heard people call the past years of this century two thousand whatever. Will we continue to say two thousand whatever or will it become twenty whatever? Someone please help me with this dillema.

What will you call 2010? Two thousand ten or twenty ten? Or am I the only one who thinks about these kinds of things?

~Melissa

You Failed Me

2009-12-30T07:00:00.004-06:00

See this swing?

We used to be friends, best buds. It used to be there for me late at night/early in the morning when Isaiah would wake up and not want to go back to sleep. It was always there, happy to put my sweet baby back to sleep by softly singing sweet lullabies to him as he swung gently. The soft swinging motion used to whisk Isaiah back to sleep every time. Now all the swing wants to do is sing. No swinging coming from this swing anymore. I think the swing forgot that it is called a swing. Swings are supposed to swing. The swing and I are no longer amigos.

Maybe these things have a weight limit. I know my son is big, but you would think that at eight months, the swing could still swing him.

It is time to say goodbye swing. Tomorrow you are getting put up since you are no longer needed....until next time. :)

~Melissa

My Diet

2009-12-29T08:38:00.002-06:00

No, I am not going on a diet. Diets don't work for me. I have figured out that if I go on a diet, then once I lose the weight I want to lose, I eat worse than I normally do for a period of time, making the previous diet not worth it. Was that last sentence long enough for you?

When I said(typed) My Diet, I was talking about what I have been eating lately.

Apple pie.

Blueberry pie.

Peanut butter pie.

Pumpkin pie.

Candy.

Cookies.

More cookies.

Even more cookies.

Needless to say, my dessert only diet and nonexistent exercise routine have to change, ummm, next week. I'll let you know how that goes for me.

~Melissa

Not Me Monday

2009-12-28T08:37:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Not Me Monday, the day that I share the things I have not been doing lately. This therapy session was started by MckMama.

I did not stay up until two o'clock in the morning one night/morning last week. I always go to bed at a reasonable time.

I did not leave out one ingredient of a pie that I made last week. The pie only had four ingredients so I certainly wouldn't leave one of those ingredients out.

I did not wait until today to make some Christmas cookies with Jazlyn. I know Christmas was last Friday.

I did not type this as I was cooking breakfast and burn the sausage, because I am a way better multitasker than that.

Enjoy your week!

~Melissa

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T21:14:00.003-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I am enjoying time with family today and the rest of the weekend. Don't forget the reason we celebrate this holiday, our Lord Jesus coming to redeem us!

~Melissa

Those Parents

2009-12-23T00:04:00.007-06:00

It's Christmas time again. Time for celebrating the birth of Christ, putting up Christmas lights, decorating the tree, spending time with family, and Santa bringing everyone gifts.....or maybe not. Well at least not the last part, not in our house.

Yep, we are those parents. When Jazlyn goes to school next year, her friends will tell her she's wrong, those friends' parents won't like us, and we will become those parents.

I don't believe our kids are missing out on anything by us not doing Santa. Jazlyn is just as excited about Christmas as any other kid. She is still getting gifts. She just knows that they are from us, not Santa.

Jazlyn has seen Santa and she knows the story of Saint Nick. She understands that the Santa she sees out during Christmas time is only pretend. She knows that he is just a man dressed up in a suit.

Let me share why we are choosing not to have our kids believe that Santa is bringing them presents every year. Our reasoning is that we don't want there to be any confusion later in life for them over whether Jesus is real. We don't want to tell our kids for years that Santa is bringing them presents, then have them find out that it isn't true, causing them to possibly question other things that they have been taught by us. I know some kids could understand without it being an issue, but this is still the decision that we have made for our family.

Let me say(type) that I have nothing against people that do Santa. Actually, I hardly know anyone who doesn't do Santa. Even though we might not do everything exactly the same, we can still be friends, right? I don't think that my family is any better than other families that do Santa. I'm only sharing my life.

We have already told Jazlyn that she shouldn't tell kids who do believe in Santa that he isn't real. So please don't come after us for being those parents.

Merry Christmas!

~Melissa

Celebrating the King

2009-12-22T08:25:00.008-06:00

Last weekend we had our first annual "Celebrating the King" Christmas Banquet with our church family. We all got dressed up and enjoyed good fellowship and tasty food. When I say tasty, I mean tasty. Here are a few pics from our night.

My silly boys.

Are you as unprepared for Christmas as I am?

~Melissa

Not Me Monday

2009-12-21T08:03:00.001-06:00

Not Me Monday is my weekly therapy session to share with you the things that I would never do. It was started by MckMama. Feel free to share what you haven't been doing.

I did not hang up our stockings on our wall with tacks, because that would just look tacky (no pun intended).

I did not let my husband feed Isaiah some jelly from a packet when we went to eat yesterday. Isaiah would never pitch a fit in a restaurant about being hungry, leaving us so desperate that we feed him jelly.

I did not just type restaurant five times trying to figure out how to spell it, because I do know how to spell.

I did not cook dinner last night after 9:00 while my husband was at work. I wasn't the only one who ate that dinner. Only crazly people cook a whole meal all for themselves.

~Melissa

Disciplining Children

2009-12-17T20:09:00.026-06:00

I did it. I tapped Isaiah on the leg, kinda hard. He is crawling around everywhere and getting into everything. Anytime I tell him no he just smiles and laughs at me. Usually I just take away whatever he has, but tonight I took it one step further. I hurt his feelings and now my feeling are hurt too. :(

Disciplining my children is something I often struggle with. I know they need discipline, but it hurts me to hurt them. I'm sure many people can relate to that. I know our kids need boundaries, but it is still hard for me. My husband will easily tell you that he does most of the disciplining around here. Now that I am home with our kids all the time I need to toughen up. God tells us that if we love our children we should discipline them promptly (Proverbs 13:24).

Believe it or not, I have learned a lot from Supernanny. See, reality television is productive sometimes. One thing Supernanny helped me with in regards to Jazlyn is to make sure she is listening. Most of the time she is in her own little world and doesn't hear what we say to her. Time outs usually work very well for her. She is not too much of a problem, as long as she is not sleepy. Then she turns into some other child whom I would rather not speak of.

So I know how to discipline Jazlyn (sometimes), but I'm not too sure what to do with Isaiah right now. He needs some form of discipline. He has tried to scratch and bite me already. I'm not really sure if he realizes what he is doing or not, but either way he needs to know that it is unacceptable. As big as he is, he will be able to overpower me at two years old. That tapping on the leg tore me to pieces, and I don't know if I want to go that route again. He cried and cried and cried and cried some more. I'm not sure, however, if he would understand time out. I don't think he would. So what do I do?

Maybe I will call Supernanny and see what she suggests. I will let you know what she says.

~Melissa

Dance Away

2009-12-15T18:03:00.009-06:00

Jazlyn is in her second year of dance. Every year they have a visitors' week where we can come in during class time and observe. Jazlyn was one of the best ones out there, and I am not saying that only because she is my daughter. I'm sure every other parent didn't say that too right?

Jazlyn truly does love dancing. She dances around the house all the time. I am glad she has found something at her young age that she loves to do. There is a joy that I see in her when she dances, and I pray that she doesn't let anything take that joy away from her. Dance away, Jazlyn!

Saving money on groceries

2009-12-15T09:24:00.003-06:00

I have had a few people ask me about saving money. I have only been trying to save money for a few months, but I have learned a bit in those few months. We were spending way too much money on groceries. Once I quit working I knew that had to change. Here are some rules that I believe are essential for saving money on groceries.

Rule #1: Know your prices. If you don't know what a good price for something is, then you won't know if a sales price is really good or not. For example, Publix will have their chicken breasts "on sale" for $3.50/lb. This actually is not a good price on chicken breasts. Kroger often has theirs on sale for $1.99/lb. I believe Publix and Kroger have the best priced sale items. You just have to know that the best is. If there is something you need but can't find on sale, then Wal-Mart or Target is your best bet.

Rule #2: Stockpiling. Our old way of grocery shopping is that we would go each week and buy one of everything that we needed, at Wal-Mart (my least favorite store). Our way of grocery shopping has changed dramatically. Now we stockpile. To build up your stockpile it will take probably a couple months. Once you have your stockpile, however, you will see your grocery bill decrease dramatically.

How do you build a stockpile you ask? This does take a little bit of time and effort. First thing you have to do is scan the sale ads each week. You don't neccesarily have to buy the newspaper, because every store will have their sale ads online. You do want to buy the newspaper if you want to get the coupons though (more on coupons later). The store with the overall best sales, in my opinion, is Publix. They have buy one get one free sales every week. Their sales run from Wed. to Tues., unlike most stores, which run Sun. to Sat. The way to get your stockpile is when you see something on sale that your family would eat, buy it. Don't just buy one or two. I would suggest buying at least three or four. If the item is buy one get one free then you are getting it for half price anyway.

Rule #3: Don't shop at one store for everything. This is time consuming, but I believe it is worth it if you can make it work. For example, each week I will usually go to Publix to get their buy one get one free items and milk and bread. Then if there is still more that we need, I will go to Target for those things. I probably go to Kroger once or twice month, when they are having good sales.

Rule #4: Make a weekly menu. Go through your cabinets and see what you already have. Then base your menu off of that. Be creative with what you already have at home. It is ok sometimes to have grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. If you have bread and cheese (maybe some lunch meat) and a side, then you have one dinner already taken care of. Search the internet for meals. I have been surprised at how many meals I have been able to make with stuff that we normally keep on hand at our house.

Rule #5: Make a list. Know what you are going to buy before you go to the store. If you go in and just buy what you see then you will spend too much money. Only buy what is on your list. You can make exceptions if you see a good sale on something that you didn't previously see in the sales ad. Other than that, stick to your list.

Rule #6: If you are just starting out in trying to budget, don't try to do too much at once. Take baby steps, or else you will burn yourself out and give up.

Coupons will have to wait until tomorrow. A certain baby is demanding my attention. Here are some websites I frequently visit:

www.iheartpublix.com
www.couponsavinggame.com
www.southernsavers.com
www.moneysavingmom.com
www.twothriftysisters.blogpot.com (This website will have local deals bc they are in Athens)

~Melissa

Giveaway

2009-12-14T20:37:00.001-06:00

Want to enter a giveaway? Then go to Money Saving Mom. I won't be mad if you choose not to do so, because I really want to win.

~Melissa

Not Me Monday

2009-12-14T08:41:00.003-06:00

Not Me Monday was started by MckMama, as a therapy session for moms all over.

I did not play Super Mario Bros. yesterday for two, three, or maybe four hours. If I did play, I probably would have lost track of time. At least if I did play for a long time, I probably would have beat a world. I didn't though, because my family would not be okay with me MIA for a long period of time like that.

I did not give Isaiah his cute Glo-Worm, which was supposed to be a Christmas present. Since I didn't give it to him, I didn't have to use our new schedule as an excuse.

I did not grab the camera to take a picture of Isaiah when he fell off his rocking horse. If Isaiah fell off his rocking horse the first thing I would do is make sure he was ok, because I am the best mom. :)

~Melissa

Perfect

2009-12-13T18:52:00.006-06:00

Christmas music playing.

Jazlyn dancing.

Isaiah laughing.

Everyone happy.

Everyone healthy.

The.

Perfect.

Evening.

Homeschooling

2009-12-12T16:56:00.002-06:00

I am seriously thinking about homeschooling. Jazlyn is supposed to start school next fall, but the closer it gets to that time, the more I think about homeschooling. I have looked into it a little today (googled it) and there are so many things to consider. There are a lot of different curriculums and teaching methods out there. If anyone reading this knows a thing or two about homeschooling I would greatly appreciate some input. I'm not sure where to start.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

~Melissa

Leap Frog Tag coupon

2009-12-12T11:27:00.006-06:00

There is a Leap Frog coupon here for $10 off the Leap Frog Tag reading system or $5 off Tag Junior. Toys R Us has the Tag on sale right now for $34.99. That means you would get it in the end for half off (regular price is $49.99). I think we just might get this for Jazlyn now.

Friday's Fact

2009-12-11T06:53:00.002-06:00

Happy Friday! Today's fact about myself is that I love to read. This is something that I just rediscovered recently. I used to read a lot when I was younger, but I stopped during middle school and high school because I didn't want people to think I was a geek. I was already being made fun of for making good grades. I didn't want to give them more fire.

Right now I am reading This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury. This is the first book I have read by her. I think I am going to like her stuff.

So there you have it, another exciting thing about me! Have a fantastic weekend. I have a mommy-daughter date today. We are going to see the Princess and the Frog. :)

~Melissa

Trusting God

2009-12-09T16:34:00.009-06:00

Last night it stormed bad here. All night Jazlyn was worried about her Daddy, since he was at work. She didn't just say something about it once. She went on and on and on all night about if her Daddy would be ok out in the storm. Can you tell she loves her Daddy?

Jazlyn went through something last year where she was constantly saying she was scared. We taught her when she was scared to say "God, protect me." So last night I let her know that God would protect her Daddy during the storm.

My conversation with her got me thinking. God doesn't always do what we want him to do. Small children die. Parents with small children die. We don't always understand why some things happen. What we do know is that God's ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). What He does might not always make sense to us, but He tells us to trust Him and lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). While we are worried about our own little world, God's plans concern far more.

The prime example of this is Jesus. Jesus tried to tell his disciples about what was going to happen to him, but they were not trying to hear it. They did not believe that this man, who they saw perform countless miracles, would be killed. They did not understand God's plan.

Is God able to protect us? Of course. That, however, might not always be His plan. God protected Daniel from the lions, but Job lost almost everything he had. God did end up giving Job back twice as much as he had before, but Job couldn't have made it while everything around him was fading away, unless he trusted God.

I believe that all of this was brought to my attention for a reason. My new goal for Jazlyn is to teach her to trust and to love God no matter what. The earlier she learns that in life, the easier her life will be. Life might not always make sense, but God tells us that all things work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). That verse says all things. Not just the good things or the bad things in life, but all things.

~Melissa

Sweet smell

2009-12-09T08:25:00.008-06:00

Before
After

Our Christmas tree is up and decorated, as you can see. Our living room is also now crowded, as you can see.

Every year we go to the Christmas tree farm (Is it called a farm?) and cut down our tree. This is something that we always did growing up and we will probably continue to do until we are just too old. We also always get snacks while we decorate the tree (my favorite part).

My favorite thing (besides the snacks) about having a real Christmas tree is the smell. Aahhhh, the sweet Christmas tree smell. Can you smell it? I guess not unless you have your own real tree. Well, if you don't have a real Christmas tree, you should get one.

Now does anyone want to come help me wrap presents?

~Melissa

Slow Down

2009-12-08T09:08:00.004-06:00

Yes, this is Isaiah standing up. Yes, he pulled up all by himself. Yes, he also got his first two teeth last week. Yes, this makes me happy. Yes, this makes me sad. Yes, my baby will soon no longer be a baby.

Son, I won't be mad at you if you slow down your growing process just a little. Though I am proud of your milestones, I do enjoy my baby still being a baby. Thanks, Mommy.

~Melissa

Not Me Monday

2009-12-07T00:05:00.004-06:00

I am so sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have anything for Not Me Monday. If you really want to read some things people "haven't" been doing you can go here. You should be able to find some there, but I'm not making any promises.

Later I will let you in on what has been keeping us busy here in our household.

~Melissa

Hallmark coupon

2009-12-05T16:10:00.009-06:00

Do you plan on buying any Christmas cards or ornaments from a Hallmark store this year? If so you need to go here to print a $5 coupon off a purchase of $5 or more. That's sure to get you at least one free card! I like free stuff.

For more hot coupons and deals go to Money Saving Mom.

~Melissa

Friday's Fact

2009-12-04T16:34:00.004-06:00

Why didn't y'all tell me that it was Friday? For some reason I have had my days all messed up this week. It is probably from Thanksgiving last week.

I am starting something here on Fridays. It is called Friday's Fact. Bet you didn't see that one coming did you?

Friday's Fact is where I will share with you on every Friday a fact about myself, because I know that you are just dying to know more about me. I'm just exciting like that. These facts will more than likely be completely random things about me.

The first Friday Fact is that I throw away everything. My hubby calls me the Throw Away Queen. He calls me that all the time actually. I guess I am the opposite of a hoarder. Not sure if there is a name for it. I can't stand clutter, like a lot of papers piled up in one place. If something sits there for too long you can bet it will get thrown away. This can be a bad thing so I am getting better, but even as I am typing this I am seeing things that I think could have a better home in the trash.

Have a great weekend!

~Melissa