My Favorite Posts of 2010

Looking back over my post list for 2010 I noticed that there weren't as many posts as there were in 2009.  I went through several "blogging funks" where I just didn't have much to say or write about.  I would get stuck in a rut and chose not to post.  I also took a step back on spending time on the computer to make sure that I was spending ample time with my husband and children.  They are only going to be young once and I don't want to miss a thing!!

These are my favorite posts of 2010.

Lauren - isms   the link goes to all of them because I couldn't pick just one.  I am amazed by everything that comes out of her mouth.  I will continue these into 2011 and when Colton starts talking we will have Colton-isms!

Cheeseburger Soup I love this stuff.  Seriously...you should try it!

Puerco Pibil another of my all time favorite things to eat!

Mama, I Milked A Cow  if you did not see this video the first time I posted it you should go back and watch it. The very last thing she says is the best! I love how Lauren talks!!!  I can't believe how big she has gotten this past year.

The Window a favorite edit from Jen's Wedding

Introducing Colton's blog debut

Colton's Birth Story

Sibling Love  I am so proud of how Lauren has embraced being a big sister.  She loves Colton so much!

I Finally Get It  an emotional post for me about Colton's Hip Dysplasia

Motherhood

Two Sonyas  I really enjoyed getting to meet Sonya and her husband Kevin

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili great for these cold winter nights

He's Free  my post about Colton getting out of his harness

Santa and the Ruby Slippers a Christmas moment I NEVER want to forget.


I hope that you have enjoyed reading my blog this year.  What were some of your favorite posts??

Final 2010 Goal Update

It is hard to believe that 2010 is coming to a close.  I remember last year at this time when I was reflecting back on 2009 and I am just in awe that another year has gone by. 

I had several goals for 2010.  Some I accomplished and some I didn't.  I wanted to take some time to look back at the goals that I set and update where I now stand on them.

I first posted about 2 goals I had set for 2010.
Finacially we wanted to:

1. Pay off Debt
- Brian’s Car     *** paid off in February with part of our tax return

- Pay off My Car   *** paid off in May...8 MONTHS EARLY
- Credit Card/Personal Loan  ***we are still working on these and making quite the dent.  While working with our coach for the financial makeover she really encouraged me to put the extra money I was putting towards the credit card towards our savings so that we could 1. pay cash for expenses of adding Colton to the family 2. prepare for my maternity leave 3. prepare for 2 children in daycare and really without even knowing it I was preparing for expenses related to Colton's Hip Dysplasia. So this goal will carry over to 2011.

2.  Prepare for the new baby and having two children in day care ***done.  We have successfully worked having 2 children into our budget without much flinching.  :)

3. Save for retirement and build our savings  *** I believe this will always be a "work in progress" and will also get carried over to 2011 and probably every year there after.  :)

My other main goal was to  Meal Plan and stay within budget *** When I take the time to meal plan this works great.  I am trying to get into a groove for setting out frozen items to be ready on the days that I want to make them.  I have done this at least 90% of the year I would say with a few weeks here and there when I have slacked and not meal planned or grocery shopped. 

Next I set a few more goals.  and now as I look back over these I didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked too.  Being pregnant, adding baby #2, going back to work and dealing with lots of medical issues this year kind of put these on a back burner. 

Kitchen goals
- the only one I accomplished was getting rid of the clutter on the countertops...which was then followed by more clutter...being bottles!

Books I want to read
Finished - Sacred Parenting, Sacred Marriage, The Memory Keeper's Daughter.  I also read many photography books this year as I prepared to photograph my friend's wedding back in June.  As for any other "just for fun" books...nope!  :)

I set alot of goals for myself in 2010 and I really need to buckle down and get them accomplished in 2011.  :) 

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!



I hope your day is filled with lots of joy!

Happy 6th Month Birthday Little Man

It is so hard to believe that it has been 6 months already.

 

 

Time has gone so fast.  This little man has brought us so much joy.  We love him to pieces. 

 

He fits perfectly into our little family. Very loved by his big sister who just cannot get enough of "her Colton"

 

not yet rolling over

not yet sitting up by himself but he is getting there

starting cereal

smiles so beautifully!!

We go back to the orthopaedic on Monday for x-rays.  Wish us luck on his hips!!

Santa and the Ruby Slippers

Earlier this month we went with my mom to see a production of the Wizard of Oz.  Lauren was mesmerized and sat through the whole thing.  Afterwards she had to go give Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion a hug.  She loved it!  Since then she has been asking to watch the movie.  She will sit through almost the entire thing. She just doesn’t really like the tornado part so we skip that and go right to the other side of the rainbow.  She watches it pretty much every day and has been saying she wants Ruby Slippers. 

 

She told her teacher all week last week Santa was going to bring them to her.   We were at my grandma’s on Saturday celebrating Christmas with my Dad’s side of the family.  My grandparents had one of their neighbors come down and play Santa for all the kids.  As soon as he walked into the door she started asking him where her ruby slippers were and if he brought them for her. 

 

She would not leave the poor man alone about the slippers.  My grandma asked the guy if he would pass out the gifts and every time he called her name she would ask him if the ruby slippers were in the package.  He kept telling her that maybe they would be under her tree.  Suddenly I had a “I am the best Mommy EVER” moment…I had bought her a pair of Ruby Slippers at Target and had taken them out of the bag and left them in my trunk because I didn’t want her to see them. Even though I had bought them a week before they were still in the trunk.  Every time I went to grab them and take then in the house something said to leave them there.  So I ran out to the car and got the shoes and took them back into the house, secretly handed them to my step mom who was helping Santa and had Santa give them to her at the very end. 

 

She was SO EXCITED.  She gave him a great big hug and starting doing her happy dance and then immediately put them on and went around to everyone saying “see my ruby slippers”. She would stick her foot out and turn it all around too!!

 

 For the last several nights she has went to bed wearing them.  I think it is so cute how much she likes the Wizard of Oz.  I hope that she is a classic movie lover.  :) 

 

She wore them to church on Sunday and fell asleep in the car on the way home...holding her Ruby Slippers. 

 

Lauren - isms

"I can't mark on my Colton because he's Colton"

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“That’s hot stuff!  Like a nickel.”

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"I’ve gotta color now because I have a startburst in my tummy.”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“NO peoples!”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“OH MY COW!”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“I want a purple pumpkin not orange.”

Christmas Photos

A couple of weekends ago we got all dressed up and had our pictures taken.  It was my mom's birthday and that is what she wanted...a family picture. 

My little Family

{don't worry, I have a copyright release}

 

The photographer was strange, very unorganized, wasn't even that good, and his assistants were rude and unprofessional, so I tried my best to get us in and out so I didn't have to deal with them any longer.  I was in a bad mood, this was when my whole sinus infection thing was getting worse and kicking into full gear.  My mom wanted some pictures of the kids by themselves so I did them myself in front of our Christmas tree later on in the day.  I figured the kids were already dolled up I might as well take advantage.

 

 

They both cooperated so well and I got a bunch of great shots.

 

Lauren's Christmas dress!  I love it.  SO CUTE!

 

Look at their smiles.  Colton is such a little man and he looks quite handsome in his Christmas outfit. 

 

Daddy was standing off to the side and making them both laugh. It made for so many really cute shots

William - Newborn Shoot

I had the pleasure of photographing a 4 day old on Monday.  He is so cute and almost makes my uterus ache for another....almost...not quite.  I love the newness, the smells, the sounds.  I was so grateful that Stella's mom asked me to come back and take pictures of her new little bundle of joy. 

Here is William

 

I took this one on their stair way.  We were walking back up to his room and I turned around and she was just gazing at him.  Adorable.  I love that I captured just a little bit of her face with such a sweet expression. 

 

And my personal favorite.  :)  This is a hat that my mom made for Colton.  I love it!

 

I still have several photos left to edit so I am sure that I will have other's that I want to share.  But isn't he cute?!?!?!  :)

I Want To...

Pull MY HAIR OUT!  At least this is Monday and the start of a new week.  Last week was a doosie.  I was so glad to see it end. 

It started off last Monday with me falling down the stairs. Tuesday my cold got even worse and my face swelled up pretty bad.  I was at work and one of my co-workers went to lunch and by the time she got back my right eye was almost swollen shut. 
Wednesday both eyes were swollen but I was supposed to be in training so I went ahead and went to work.  The teacher took one look at me and sent me home and made me promise her I would go to the doctor.  Sometime in that amount of time that I was there I managed to lose one of my wedding bands.  I made a doctor appointment, went in and waited and did the whole routine with the nurse, x-rays and all that junk.  The doctor came in, said "I don't like the way your face looks" and sent me to the ER.  The ER doctor started me on an antibiotic right away and ordered a CT.  When I went for the CT I took out my earrings and gave them to my mom.  Who now can't remember what she did with them. She wrapped them up in a kleenex, she thinks, and she possibly threw them away.  They were very pretty diamond earrings Brian got me for Christmas several years ago.  :(
The CT showed that I had a nasty sinus infection and he was concerned about my face swelling so he admitted me.  This whole time I am thinking to myself...you have GOT TO BE KIDDING!  So I spent all day Wednesday in the ER, spent the night and Thursday I wasn't released until early evening.  My mom was so nice to watch the kids for me and when I talked to her Wednesday night she said Colton was really fussy and not wanting to eat.  I made an appointment for him Thursday and not too long after daycare called and said he was running a fever.  I lost it.  Here I am stuck in a hospital bed while my baby is sick.  I am so lucky my mom is so close and can help out.  She took him to the doctor and he has bronchitis on top of the RSV that hasn't gone away.  POOR LITTLE MAN!

They pumped me full of antibiotics, five bags through my IV, and sent me home on a really strong one for 9 days. That has done a number on my digestive tract.  The swelling my face face finally went away yesterday.  It has never stayed that puffy for that long before so they were right to be concerned. 

Colton is on the road to recovery but he is not wanting to eat.  He will take pedialyte and maybe and ounce or two of formula if I am lucky.

I am pretty sure I have a virus on my computer.  Pretty much everytime I try to bring up the internet it tells me that there has been an error and closes down.  I am lucky if I can get into my inbox let alone any other sites.

This week has GOT TO BE BETTER.  At least that is what I keep telling myself.  PLEASE!  I cannot take anymore!

Things are already looking up.  I did find my ring!  I had dropped in in the room where my class was.  Someone found it and posted it on our message board at work.  I should get it back tomorrow!!!!

A Christmas Karel

I am getting a very late start on Christmas cards.  They may end up being "I hope you had a great Christmas" cards or "Happy New Year" cards.  OH WELL!  I didn't get our pictures taken until last weekend and then this week has been a mess.

Shutterfly has such cute cards.  I am loving pretty much all of their designs and there are SO MANY to choose from.  I have several in my project bin and I just can't decide which ones to order.

 

This is one of the folded cards. I have never ordered one of these before but this year I might since I want to send individual pictures of the kids too.

 

Which card do you like best?

Shutterfly is one of my favorite places to order photo gifts.  SHHH don't tell the grandparents that I already ordered photo calendars!  I did that for gifts the year of Lauren's first Christmas and everyone loved them so much I thought I should do it for Colton's first Christmas too!

{If you would like to do a review for Shutterfly and get 50 free cards click here. AND hurry. today is the last day to get signed up}

Lauren - isms

“Isn’t that amazing when I dance while I brush my teeth?”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“He’s looking at me with his eyeballs.  Stop looking at me with your eyeballs.”

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Me: “What are you doing with Colton’s binkie?”

Lauren: “Just warming it up.”

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Lauren: “Momma you got ridges, what are those ridges?”

Me: “Honey those aren’t ridges, they are stretch marks.”

Santa Baby

Ever since last Thanksgiving when Lauren saw Santa Claus 3 for the very first time, she has been in love with Santa!  She talks about him, pretends to play and talk to him and tells me what she wants from him almost on a daily basis.  Imagine her surprise when we were in Wal-Mart one day and he happened to walk around the corner right by us. 

 

She was so excited she could barely contain herself.  When it was her turn to sit on his lap she climbed right up there, touched his beard and gave him a big ol hug.

 

Colton even liked sitting on his lap.

 

I have mixed feelings about the whole Santa Claus bit.  Brian and I even talked about not playing into it but having an imagination is not such a bad thing. I wanted to make sure that she knows that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas, so I bought her a really great pop up book about the story of Christmas and we have been reading it to her every night.  She even took it to daycare to share with her friends during their circle time. 

Baby It's Cold Outside

It's December and it is COLD!  I am not a huge fan of cold weather.  Never have been.  I like snow but only when I can cuddle up on the couch with a warm blanket and some hot cocoa or apple cider.  :) 

With cold weather comes well...colds.  We have been sick here for the last two weeks.  I started getting a cold the weekend before Thanksgiving and it is still lingering and darn it if I didn't share it with Lauren and Colton.  We have been to the doctor a couple of times in the last week.  First with Colton who was diagnosed with an ear infection and RSV.  Poor little guy.  He has a horrible cough and snot coming out everywhere.  He was pretty miserable for several days until the antbiotic for the ear infection finally kicked in.  We kept him home three days last week.  On Wednesday Lauren started running a fever so we headed to the doctor with her and she has an ear infection on top of her cold too. 

So needless to say I have been tending to and cuddling with my little sicklings.

This past weekend was very busy.  My mom's birthday was Saturday and she wanted us to all get family pictures.  So we did that and then I did a photoshoot of my own with Lauren and Colton in front of our Christmas tree.  They turned out so cute!  I will try and get them posted sometime this week.  Saturday I spent the majority of my afternoon making cookies.  I whipped up two different batches of sugar cookies...trying to see which recipe I like best.  Then a friend of mine came over and we made gingerbread cookies and these delicious Mint Crinkle Cookies.  I have never made gingerbread cookies from scratch so that was very fun and interesting.  Sunday we took the kids to see Santa.  Colton didn't cry at all and Lauren is so infatuated with Santa.  She was hunging on him and touching his beard and made sure to give him a kiss and a high five before we left.  The pictures are so cute.  My mom is going to scan them in for me. 
We had dinner last night for my mom's birthday and I made her favorite Red Velvet Cake. 

My cold is kicking my butt.  That pretty much sums it all up for now.  :)