tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88962487266518593402024-03-13T20:46:31.119-06:00320 Days of SunshineRamblings of a loving mom making the most of every day.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-8901841468398517202014-01-03T14:56:00.000-07:002014-01-03T14:56:25.130-07:00Silly is Her Middle Name...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yT0_1qFIDs0/UrSs-YwkC7I/AAAAAAAAB8M/lxduTbTiQqo/s1600/DSC_0069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yT0_1qFIDs0/UrSs-YwkC7I/AAAAAAAAB8M/lxduTbTiQqo/s640/DSC_0069.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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But boy is she cute!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-6796905403560683272013-12-25T06:00:00.000-07:002013-12-25T06:00:00.327-07:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VYry60Vitpk/UrSMzBrWo8I/AAAAAAAAB5k/J1ITRqSMHWk/s1600/Family+Christmas+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VYry60Vitpk/UrSMzBrWo8I/AAAAAAAAB5k/J1ITRqSMHWk/s640/Family+Christmas+Card.jpg" width="458" /> </a></div>
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Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We pray that you have a blessed holiday and remember to keep Christ first!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-73262316608542514872013-12-21T09:10:00.000-07:002013-12-21T09:10:34.541-07:00A Christmas Gift for Nana!<div style="text-align: center;">
If this little girl calls you Nana, quit reading...NOW!</div>
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Today I wanted to share what my sweet little girl made for her Nana for Christmas! I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of her and this little project. She worked so hard on it and I honestly didn't even know she was capable of creating something so beautiful!</div>
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Nick and I have been teaching Addison about Christ's birth this year and so I wanted to have her color a nativity scene. I found the perfect one <a href="http://www.kimmitzothompson.com/2012/12/free-christmas-craft-from-my-easy-to-make-bible-crafts-book/">here</a>. </div>
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I was so impressed with how hard she tried to stay in the lines. There were a few times when she let her crayon go a little wild but most of the time, she was trying her darndest to stay in those lines! I did guide her a little when it came to choosing some of the colors for the skin and hair tones but other than that, she did it all by herself!</div>
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After she had finished coloring it, I cut them out and taped them together for her. She was so excited to see the finished product and kept saying "I give it to Nana." </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k6FK3Z1KaUs/UrSQS-7ObsI/AAAAAAAAB6w/U-MHBNNh9V4/s1600/DSC_0194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k6FK3Z1KaUs/UrSQS-7ObsI/AAAAAAAAB6w/U-MHBNNh9V4/s640/DSC_0194.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We set it up on the table together so that she could see exactly what it should look like. She loved moving each piece around to the perfect spot.</div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05JpakvTPNM/UrSQCdeDK8I/AAAAAAAAB6k/QRbl3kSgaGA/s1600/DSC_0192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05JpakvTPNM/UrSQCdeDK8I/AAAAAAAAB6k/QRbl3kSgaGA/s640/DSC_0192.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Isn't it beautiful? I am so very proud of her! I actually wish I could keep it for myself but I won't be selfish! :) I have kept it up on display until it comes time to wrap it though. There's no reason it should sit in a dark box until Christmas when we can be enjoying it too!</div>
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**If you want to create something similar like this with your children, I have a few recommendations. First of all, print them out onto card stock. We just used regular computer paper and I've found that just the slightest movement of air will send them all tumbling down. To fix this problem, I actually taped popsicle sticks to the back and added some alligator clips to the seams. That has kept them standing!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-12224723416866315452013-12-20T13:44:00.000-07:002013-12-20T13:44:00.411-07:005 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8pW0sl_6aY/UrSgovDbQBI/AAAAAAAAB70/fVlW-2gHhnU/s1600/DSC_0103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t8pW0sl_6aY/UrSgovDbQBI/AAAAAAAAB70/fVlW-2gHhnU/s640/DSC_0103.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This sweet girl is 5 months. Man that month flew by fast! She actually crossed the 5 month mark a little over a week ago but better late than never!<br />
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Here's a little bit about Cora's developments and experiences over the last month. It has honestly been pretty uneventful as far as accomplishments are concerned. <br />
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At 5 months, Coralee:<br />
-Had her first baby shower<br />
-Celebrated her first Thanksgiving and met TONS of people <br />
-Puts EVERYTHING in her mouth<br />
-Started cutting teeth (one started to break through the only to disappear again) <br />
-Wears only 6-9 month clothing<br />
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-Has discovered her feet (and is always taking off her socks)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rd99TM8GuXk/UrSfq9uL0FI/AAAAAAAAB7A/40k1OgPwbG0/s1600/DSC_0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rd99TM8GuXk/UrSfq9uL0FI/AAAAAAAAB7A/40k1OgPwbG0/s640/DSC_0018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
-Is still exclusively breastfed (woohoo!) <br />
-Loves pulling her sister's hair<br />
-Usually takes about three 2-3 hour naps a day<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7PxKR0T7pk/UrSgLMvXGyI/AAAAAAAAB7c/5CpdHvLuP5c/s1600/DSC_0060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7PxKR0T7pk/UrSgLMvXGyI/AAAAAAAAB7c/5CpdHvLuP5c/s640/DSC_0060.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
-Is starting to sit up by herself<br />
-Has yet to figure out how to use the jumper correctly<br />
-Still HATES tummy time <br />
-Will ALMOST roll over (that's how much she hates being on her tummy)<br />
-Has discovered that she can make all sorts of noises with her mouth<br />
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She is such a happy baby and our love for her grows deeper every single day!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-8657606675028404362013-12-19T11:23:00.000-07:002013-12-20T13:44:27.024-07:00Our Funky Homemade Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8li-7yaTVg4/UqeHtcourUI/AAAAAAAAB3k/BWZ4LhpGQ9U/s1600/2013-11-26+10.14.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8li-7yaTVg4/UqeHtcourUI/AAAAAAAAB3k/BWZ4LhpGQ9U/s400/2013-11-26+10.14.44.jpg" width="285" /> </a></div>
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Addison and I have been spending a lot of time doing crafty things this holiday season. It was something I always loved doing with my mom so I want Addie to have those same experiences! I plan on blogging about a few of the them so I hope you don't mind reading about it! :) </div>
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I always love unique Christmas tree ornaments so when I saw <a href="http://www.wooz.dk/?p=4522">this blog post</a> a couple of years ago, I've been wanting to try it! </div>
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The directions are actually in Danish and I did things a little bit differently so I will tell you how we made them! </div>
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First of all, you will need metal or silicone (make sure they are oven safe) cookie cutters. You will also need some Perler beads (you can usually find them in the craft section of most stores), cooking spray or vegetable oil, parchment paper, a cookie sheet, and a bowl of lukewarm water.</div>
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To get started, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay parchment paper on a cookie sheet and oil down the inside of your cookie cutter. There are two different ways to do this. You can either spray the inside of the cookie cutter with cooking spray, or you can rub vegetable oil all along the inside. </div>
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**A side note: The cooking spray actually seems to work better but it does discolor the outer beads a tad. We ended up using olive oil but it took a little bit more force to get the beads out of the cookie cutter after they were cooled. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jH2478Ejwu0/UrSI56zDqrI/AAAAAAAAB44/hhRy1aVMBDk/s1600/2013-11-20+17.20.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jH2478Ejwu0/UrSI56zDqrI/AAAAAAAAB44/hhRy1aVMBDk/s400/2013-11-20+17.20.59.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next, create a single layer of beads inside the cookie cutters. Make sure to get them into the nooks and crannies or your ornament will look a little wonky. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hk6WdiM0W04/UrSJmELNZoI/AAAAAAAAB5A/GiUEUTvKF0U/s1600/2013-11-20+17.22.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hk6WdiM0W04/UrSJmELNZoI/AAAAAAAAB5A/GiUEUTvKF0U/s400/2013-11-20+17.22.00.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Place the cookie sheet in the oven and wait about 10 minutes. You will want to check them around 7 minutes or so to see how they look. The longer you leave them in, the more they will melt so it depends a lot what you want the final ornaments to look like! </div>
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We liked the bumpy look with lots of holes so we chose not to leave them in too long. It's all a matter of preference though! :)</div>
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Once they are done melting, take them out of the oven and let them cool for a minute or so. Then, using kitchen tongs, carefully peel them off of the parchment paper and drop them into a bowl of lukewarm water. This part is very important if you plan on removing the beads easily! </div>
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After a few seconds of them sitting in the water you may remove them and pop them right out of the cookie cutters. Easy peasy! :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w6m47t3nmEc/UrSJzjJp_pI/AAAAAAAAB5I/5jIyd1bKziY/s1600/2013-11-26+10.17.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w6m47t3nmEc/UrSJzjJp_pI/AAAAAAAAB5I/5jIyd1bKziY/s400/2013-11-26+10.17.45.jpg" width="368" /></a></div>
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String some bakers twine through one of the holes and you have yourself an ornament! :)</div>
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You can also turn these into sun catchers...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-47fSzUGtd0g/UrSKSMJSy3I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/JIZgX_C0elo/s1600/2013-11-26+10.06.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-47fSzUGtd0g/UrSKSMJSy3I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/JIZgX_C0elo/s320/2013-11-26+10.06.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Or even fridge magnets!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SmSjVZuUwNQ/UrSKfYCAaEI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/sQ0OnTiRQRc/s1600/2013-11-26+10.19.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SmSjVZuUwNQ/UrSKfYCAaEI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/sQ0OnTiRQRc/s320/2013-11-26+10.19.22.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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We also made some Christmas gift toppers that I will try to show later!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-539629818722759412013-12-03T13:08:00.001-07:002013-12-03T13:09:40.626-07:00A DIY Kid Friendly Nativity!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VT_eg2n7A3U/Up4uDXHmv7I/AAAAAAAAB3A/zdkzqAvYXm4/s1600/DSCF2065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VT_eg2n7A3U/Up4uDXHmv7I/AAAAAAAAB3A/zdkzqAvYXm4/s640/DSCF2065.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
A few years back, Nick and I decided to make Addison her very own nativity set to play with so that she wouldn't be as tempted to play with my pretty, fragile set! I never had a chance to share it with you here on my blog so I am going to do that today!<br />
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I had seen some ideas around the blogging world but nothing really stood out to me, so Nick and I put our heads together and came up with our own version. Obviously we didn't want to complicate things too much so we decided to create a block nativity set!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1pinu-g0Kw/Up4t-AYehtI/AAAAAAAAB28/mfn229_sPfU/s1600/DSCF2075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--1pinu-g0Kw/Up4t-AYehtI/AAAAAAAAB28/mfn229_sPfU/s640/DSCF2075.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
To create the nativity, we found a bunch of adorable clip art pictures online. I printed each picture in the size that I wanted and then wrote down the dimensions for Nick so that he could cut a block for each. After he cut them, he sanded down the rough edges (and rounded the corners but that is not necessary), and then spray painted them white.<br />
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I then cut around each picture so that they would fit onto the front of the blocks and I used a thin layer of Mod Podge to attach them. After they dried, I then added two more coats of Mod Podge to the top of the blocks so that they could withstand lots of play time! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8wR1QcA0Uo/Up4t6sbwvmI/AAAAAAAAB2w/YZYVddYaO-I/s1600/DSCF2101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o8wR1QcA0Uo/Up4t6sbwvmI/AAAAAAAAB2w/YZYVddYaO-I/s640/DSCF2101.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
In order to keep the blocks from getting lost or separated, I also sewed a cute little drawstring bag using burlap, muslin, and cotton fabric pieces. You can find the pattern for the bag, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/260153315944610658/">here</a>. I changed the dimensions on the bag so that it would be large enough for all of the pieces. I also wanted to make sure it was obvious what the bag was so I printed the nativity picture on a piece of iron transfer paper, and ironed it onto a small scrap of muslin fabric and then sewed it to the front of the bag. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOq4FjcbyRE/Up4tTEL2ytI/AAAAAAAAB2U/DLq68XVN_9s/s1600/2013-11-26+10.32.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOq4FjcbyRE/Up4tTEL2ytI/AAAAAAAAB2U/DLq68XVN_9s/s640/2013-11-26+10.32.24.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Addison absolutely LOVES playing with her nativity. She loves when we break it out every year and she literally will play with it every day until it's time to put it back. The great thing about it being in block form is that not only can she set it up like an actual nativity but she can also stack them up to create a tower, or line them up to form a "choo choo train". The possibilities are endless! <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eeheQYlRWPY/Up4tbfpa-2I/AAAAAAAAB2o/4X2-qNdqQVw/s1600/2013-11-26+10.35.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eeheQYlRWPY/Up4tbfpa-2I/AAAAAAAAB2o/4X2-qNdqQVw/s640/2013-11-26+10.35.10.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
I can't find the exact website where I found our printables but <a href="http://happyhomefairy.com/2012/12/11/the-12-days-of-christmas-a-celebration-of-the-nativity-free-printables/">here is a source</a> that has most of the same clip art pictures. The only difference is that the animals (except the camel) are different. I found them from <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/PreschoolPacksNativity.html">this source</a>. I really love the idea from <a href="http://happyhomefairy.com/2012/12/11/the-12-days-of-christmas-a-celebration-of-the-nativity-free-printables/">Happy Home Fairy</a> of introducing each part of the nativity every day. It's a great way to tell the story of Christ's birth to your children! I think I may try to create my own version of it and introduce it to her that way next year.<br />
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With Christmas as commercialized so focused on materialistic things as it is, we've really tried to make sure to teach Addison what Christmas is really all about this year. She's definitely at the age where she can understand it and we don't want to give her the impression that it's about presents and Christmas trees and pretty lights. <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-68953560611800296432013-11-20T16:27:00.002-07:002013-11-20T16:27:58.176-07:004 Months!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT_HN4UgtYg/Uo0Ah7wyftI/AAAAAAAAB0g/btaPWceKXmU/s1600/IMAG1056-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT_HN4UgtYg/Uo0Ah7wyftI/AAAAAAAAB0g/btaPWceKXmU/s640/IMAG1056-1-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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My baby is 4 months. When did that happen? I promised myself that I would try to embrace every moment with Coralee when she was born. After watching Addison grow into the beautiful (almost 3 year old) girl that she is, I realize that I spent a lot of time trying to rush into the next stage of her life because I couldn't wait to experience it. Please tell me I'm not the only one who did this! Looking back, I feel really guilty about this. I feel like I didn't focus on enjoying the stage she was in. I hurried to get her to enjoy solids, I couldn't wait for her to crawl, and walking was something I felt would NEVER happen. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibbqCVfPe5Q/Uo1B2KkNUeI/AAAAAAAAB10/hVk70fJ-064/s1600/2013-10-14+16.42.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ibbqCVfPe5Q/Uo1B2KkNUeI/AAAAAAAAB10/hVk70fJ-064/s640/2013-10-14+16.42.24.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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If you are a first time mom reading this, my advice to you is to cherish every single stage of your baby's life. Don't rush it. Wait to try new things until THEY are ready, not when YOU are ready.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbQRQK_tzOQ/Uo0CVkUvkwI/AAAAAAAAB00/BaJBdmAG3Xs/s1600/IMAG1060-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbQRQK_tzOQ/Uo0CVkUvkwI/AAAAAAAAB00/BaJBdmAG3Xs/s640/IMAG1060-1-1.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Moving on to the here and now!
Since I've tried to embrace every moment, I have really been able to fully enjoy this stage. I forgot how much fun 4 months is! Coralee is such a happy and expressive baby. Unless she's really hungry, tired, or doing tummy time, she is always smiling and babbling. It melts my heart. Every. Single. Time.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Amcou5zIjY0/Uo0E3X8KxDI/AAAAAAAAB1I/EsUEk3QpBuc/s1600/2013-10-14+16.40.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Amcou5zIjY0/Uo0E3X8KxDI/AAAAAAAAB1I/EsUEk3QpBuc/s640/2013-10-14+16.40.46.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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I'm amazed at how much her personality is already starting to show. She truly is a very laid back baby and is already so different from her big sister! I am starting to think that she is going to be a lot like mommy while Addison is a lot like daddy.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eun-dPnRsHw/Uo0_fJJdxwI/AAAAAAAAB1g/Mkz4L0oTob0/s1600/IMAG1067-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eun-dPnRsHw/Uo0_fJJdxwI/AAAAAAAAB1g/Mkz4L0oTob0/s640/IMAG1067-1.jpg" width="360" /> </a></div>
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At 4 months:</div>
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-She weighs 13lbs 8oz (48th percentile)</div>
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-She's 25 1/2" long (91st percentile)</div>
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-She has outgrown most of her 3-6 month clothing</div>
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-She has a contagious, deep belly laugh, but she will make you work for it</div>
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-One of her favorite things is to watch her big sister</div>
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-She won't take a pacifier but has discovered her thumbs</div>
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-Her hands are always in her mouth</div>
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-She is reaching and grabbing for things</div>
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-She hates tummy time (it becomes an instant scream fest)</div>
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-When she's on her belly, she can push herself up </div>
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-She still loves to swing</div>
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-As long as she's awake, she never quits moving</div>
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-When she's laying on her back, her feet are in the air</div>
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-She is perfectly content being by herself for long periods of time </div>
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-She refuses to sleep if she is
being held </div>
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-We've discovered that this baby girl is NOT a cuddler
like Addison was (and still is)</div>
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-She is bothered by a lot of stimulation,
whether it be noise, light, or touch</div>
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-Bedtime is a piece of cake for her</div>
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-She has slept through the night many times </div>
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-She is solely nursing (and we hope to keep it that way)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1bGmfyt6Oug/Uo1EyogpGaI/AAAAAAAAB2A/7PcrQc0M410/s1600/IMAG1062-2-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1bGmfyt6Oug/Uo1EyogpGaI/AAAAAAAAB2A/7PcrQc0M410/s640/IMAG1062-2-1.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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She brings so much joy to our lives and we are excited to see what this next month brings, but we are definitely not rushing it! </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-26627734792159358132013-11-18T13:52:00.001-07:002013-11-18T13:53:39.645-07:00Weekend Trip to Denver<div style="text-align: left;">
We made a last minute decision to spend part of our weekend in Denver and we ended up feeling like royalty! It's a 3 hour drive so going to Denver is always a huge ordeal and we like to make the trip worth it. We had big plans to watch a friend compete in a MMA competition but those plans fell through for various reasons so the trip ended up being solely about family time. Thankfully, our hotel more than made up for it! </div>
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We have recently started using Priceline express deals to book our hotels and have gotten some really great rooms at really great prices. This weekend was no exception.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k9Tm62RJCbs/UopyC7EVRSI/AAAAAAAABzQ/zAbcgudkFuE/s1600/2013-11-15+20.25.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k9Tm62RJCbs/UopyC7EVRSI/AAAAAAAABzQ/zAbcgudkFuE/s640/2013-11-15+20.25.50.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Our hotel ended up being a Renaissance hotel and it was quite the impressive building. Our room was on the 9th floor and Addison loved riding up and down in the glass elevator. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5B1s3tGlENc/Uop2igTX5SI/AAAAAAAABzc/2yoNF57PjRQ/s1600/2013-11-16+10.30.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5B1s3tGlENc/Uop2igTX5SI/AAAAAAAABzc/2yoNF57PjRQ/s640/2013-11-16+10.30.10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I'm normally not too bothered by heights but I will admit that the view from the balcony made me quite dizzy and my protective momma instincts kicked into high gear whenever we walked along the railing! </div>
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However, being that high up means fabulous views of the city!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZU5LsyB_Bo/Uop3W2MTXxI/AAAAAAAABzk/d7R8sJsd3O0/s1600/2013-11-16+00.50.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZU5LsyB_Bo/Uop3W2MTXxI/AAAAAAAABzk/d7R8sJsd3O0/s640/2013-11-16+00.50.01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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No matter the time of day!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YH_QiDDLLUk/Uop3eGlhAXI/AAAAAAAABzs/quVd13Tur-I/s1600/2013-10-16+10.54.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YH_QiDDLLUk/Uop3eGlhAXI/AAAAAAAABzs/quVd13Tur-I/s640/2013-10-16+10.54.22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just check out that downtown skyline view with the gorgeous Front Range Mountains in the background!</div>
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Even though we were disappointed that things didn't go as planned for our time there, we really did have a great trip. Our good friends ended up in the same hotel as us so we were able to hang out with them for a short while and afterward, we enjoyed a movie in our room as a family. </div>
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Addie always loves when we stay in a "ho-towel" and this time was special because she was able to bring her very own suitcase that we picked up for her at Goodwill not too long ago!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c23Tu-Q8pSE/Uop3_gWbD0I/AAAAAAAABz8/cHJg-8UNcWc/s1600/2013-11-16+10.51.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c23Tu-Q8pSE/Uop3_gWbD0I/AAAAAAAABz8/cHJg-8UNcWc/s640/2013-11-16+10.51.15.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O8y4l3rsCjs/Uop4AJTVMjI/AAAAAAAAB0A/hb6KUtiuemM/s1600/2013-11-16+10.51.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O8y4l3rsCjs/Uop4AJTVMjI/AAAAAAAAB0A/hb6KUtiuemM/s640/2013-11-16+10.51.05.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Seriously, how cute is she?</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMriutL2yy4/Uop5hFOJuXI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/MP4WvSBUYGc/s1600/2013-10-14+16.42.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMriutL2yy4/Uop5hFOJuXI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/MP4WvSBUYGc/s640/2013-10-14+16.42.35.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
And as a side note, how is it possible that this little girl turned 4 months old last week? Time is getting away from me! I will post more about that later this week!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-86147236330820435422013-11-14T10:14:00.000-07:002013-11-14T10:22:54.903-07:00The Consequences of Having an Older Sister<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCqNcrLA7Ew/UoT3w_NKAhI/AAAAAAAABwU/v-1T2u-6SOk/s1600/2013-11-13+21.09.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCqNcrLA7Ew/UoT3w_NKAhI/AAAAAAAABwU/v-1T2u-6SOk/s640/2013-11-13+21.09.23.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This is what I turned around to the other day. A sweet baby covered in price tags. At first my instinct was to scold older sister for doing this but then I realized she didn't do it to be mean. In fact, she probably did it because of how much she loves her little sister. Let me explain.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5wOHnNemgKU/UoT31WV3W9I/AAAAAAAABwg/IX7yeAQ9Xt8/s1600/2013-11-13+21.09.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5wOHnNemgKU/UoT31WV3W9I/AAAAAAAABwg/IX7yeAQ9Xt8/s640/2013-11-13+21.09.41.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Addison has an obsession with stickers. I think all 2 year olds do. So when she saw the price tags on mommy's new project, she thought they were fun stickers that she could play with. Now normally when she finds a sticker, she sticks them on herself, but this time she decided Coralee would like to have some stickers too. So where did she put them? On baby sissy's face, of course!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OnUOHC_0GyE/UoT349eJMzI/AAAAAAAABwo/U_qb2nbBU1w/s1600/2013-11-13+21.09.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OnUOHC_0GyE/UoT349eJMzI/AAAAAAAABwo/U_qb2nbBU1w/s640/2013-11-13+21.09.08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lately, the Lord has been teaching me how to "deal" with my oldest child in a patient and loving matter. She is very strong willed (like her father) and I am quickly learning just how different we are. I think that is partly why I struggle to know how to always react with her. I find myself getting frustrated with things that she does when I really need to step back and look at the whole picture. I am thankful that I was able to do that yesterday when I saw the "horrifying" thing she'd done to her sister. I was able to step back, look at the situation, and then laugh at how cute it really was! And let's be honest, was it really hurting her sister? Nope, not at all! In fact, I think Cora was actually enjoying the extra attention! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--P6Zp9JwYCU/UoUACsgHWpI/AAAAAAAABw8/XrvNME9nFQY/s1600/IMAG1009-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--P6Zp9JwYCU/UoUACsgHWpI/AAAAAAAABw8/XrvNME9nFQY/s640/IMAG1009-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The reality is, Addison truly adores her little sister. She is constantly loving on her and even though it may not be in the way that I think she should, it's the way that she best knows how. Whether it be through rough hugs and kisses or putting stickers on her face, it's how she shows her deep love for her sister. That realization fills me with so much joy! </div>
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Seeing my two girls together really makes me recognize what a blessing it is to have a sister. A blessing I never experienced (because I was blessed with a brother), and one I am so thankful that my daughters get to have! I know this is not the first (nor will it be the last) you have heard this, but I am so excited to watch their relationship grow and develop! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-10883167490660999292013-11-09T07:00:00.000-07:002013-11-09T07:00:00.262-07:00The Pumpkin Patch<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wnAwS9Admo/UnwZbdcX_SI/AAAAAAAABvo/WkExi1lrnbY/s1600/DSCF4659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wnAwS9Admo/UnwZbdcX_SI/AAAAAAAABvo/WkExi1lrnbY/s640/DSCF4659.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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We took Addison and Coralee to the pumpkin patch in early October and we had so much fun. We've gone to the same place for the past 3 years and every year we are impressed with it. This was the first year that Addison was able to fully understand and enjoy it though. She was so excited about getting to pick out a pumpkin and take it home. It was all she could talk about on our way there!
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Addison absolutely loved the tube slides that they had this year. </div>
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She was a little bit cautious when it came to the tall one but decided to try it out anyway. Let's just say, she didn't want to try it again! </div>
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It must have scared her quite a bit because she immediately headed back for the small slide and refused to even look at the tall one! </div>
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She always loves to check out the animals and this year was no exception.</div>
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She probably could have spent the entire length of time just watching the baby chicks run around! </div>
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We also played the duck racing game. Basically you pump water down the pipe and race rubber ducks to the bottom. </div>
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We took a little hay ride to the pumpkin patch and then mommy and daddy helped Addison pick out a couple of pumpkins. She really enjoyed helping us cut them off the vines but due to mommy and daddy's pickiness, she quickly grew bored with the process. </div>
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Cora obviously cared less about the pumpkin patch but was cuddled up against mommy so she was perfectly content being there! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eTJzpCjSng/UnwWa8EoFfI/AAAAAAAABu4/aCipQzTXe8s/s1600/DSCF4674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7eTJzpCjSng/UnwWa8EoFfI/AAAAAAAABu4/aCipQzTXe8s/s640/DSCF4674.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Walking through the tall corn was something that Addison talked about for days. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EY4LQUn3L4/UnwNsEyOjII/AAAAAAAABuE/DGTjKZReCrM/s1600/DSCF4693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EY4LQUn3L4/UnwNsEyOjII/AAAAAAAABuE/DGTjKZReCrM/s640/DSCF4693.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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But I think her absolute favorite part of the whole experience was the giant corn bin! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lkN6G-wo9uc/UnwOm-_2HhI/AAAAAAAABus/MpNlzqCB-uI/s1600/DSCF4735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lkN6G-wo9uc/UnwOm-_2HhI/AAAAAAAABus/MpNlzqCB-uI/s640/DSCF4735.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We attempted to get a decent picture of the girls together but neither of them were really up for the task. Addie was exhausted and wanted to go back to the corn bin and Cora was getting hungry. I decided to just be happy with what we got! Some battles just aren't worth it and they are such cutie and can make any picture look pretty stinkin' adorable.</div>
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Take 1.</div>
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Take 2.</div>
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Take 3.</div>
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Yup, we give up!</div>
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We really had a great time at the pumpkin patch this year and we look forward to taking our girls again next year!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-39717123291567927372013-11-07T12:12:00.000-07:002013-11-07T15:54:18.052-07:00Coralee's Birth Story<div style="text-align: left;">
I officially want you all to meet our newest addition, Coralee.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cVURuPWG5nI/Unl79Ac8X6I/AAAAAAAABqU/QnfREAel08k/s1600/Cora+Midst+the+Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cVURuPWG5nI/Unl79Ac8X6I/AAAAAAAABqU/QnfREAel08k/s640/Cora+Midst+the+Flowers.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
Since she will be 4 months in less than 2 weeks, I figured now is better than never! <br />
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It all started on July 13th. It was a Saturday and Nick actually happened to be home that day. He had promised me the day to work on projects for the nursery since my c-section was scheduled for the 22nd and we had a ton to do still. We went about our morning and afternoon working on various things here and there. Nick had just finished painting a shelf for the nursery when he decided to go outside and mow for a bit. I was feeling a little strange so I decided to lie down and rest for a bit.<br />
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Around 5:00 p.m. I got my first painful contraction and it lasted for about 30 seconds. I thought it to be a bit strange but decided to just wait and see if it happened again. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later, I had another one. And then they just kept coming about every 4-5 minutes. I didn't want to alert Nick just yet so I got up and walked around to see if they would stop. When they didn't, I decided it was time to start packing a bag for Addison. I had, thankfully, just finished packing our hospital bag the night before but hadn't had a chance to pack anything for Addie since we weren't planning on me actually going into labor before my mom arrived from Iowa.<br />
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Nick then came into the house and I said "I'm not sure yet but I think I may be in labor." He of course brushed it off since I had never felt actual labor before (Addison had been a scheduled c-section as well) and assumed I was just getting myself worked up over nothing. He then decided to take Addie for a 4-wheeler ride over to the neighbors house and said he'd be home shortly. I, however, was getting more anxious since the contractions were starting to get much stronger.<br />
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It was around 6:30 and I was to the point that I had to stop and breathe through them so I decided to page the OB that was on call. It wasn't long before the OB called me and so I explained to him that I had been having strong painful contractions lasting about a minute every 4 to 5 minutes. I then told him that we lived an hour from the hospital and I wasn't sure what to do. He said I needed to head there immediately. Of course, this put me into panic mode because Nick wasn't home and I wasn't finished packing. I could see Nick was outside at the neighbor's house so I yelled at him and said it was time. He then frantically grabbed Addie and came back home.<br />
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We called some friends to see if they would be able to watch Addison for the night and began loading up the car with everything we thought we might need. We dropped Addie off and began heading down the mountain around 7:30. The next hour seemed to drag on forever since the contractions were getting very painful and were occurring about every 3-4 minutes.<br />
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Of course, once we got to the hospital, the valet parking had closed and Nick dropped me off at the ER while he went to park the car. Talk about frustrating! I got myself checked in and since no one offered to give me a ride up to the third floor, I had to stop walking every 3 minutes while I had a contraction. Finally, Nick caught up with me and was able to help me up to the OB ward but it was a little bit irritating that no one offered to help me before that. Thankfully, that was the worst of our experience there. From then on, we actually had a great staff to deal with.<br />
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Around 8:40 I was dressed and hooked up to the monitors so that they could see how things were going and if I was actually in labor. I was definitely having very strong contractions and they were 2-3 minutes apart at this point but my cervix was completely thick and closed. All that work for nothing!<br />
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Since I was supposed to be having a c-section, they legally had to try to stop the labor since I wasn't yet 39 weeks along so they hooked me up to an IV and pumped two bags of fluids into me for the next hour. They told us the likelihood that we were going to have a baby was pretty slim since things hadn't happened with my cervix in the 3 1/2 hours I'd been in labor. This was frustrating to hear since I was in a lot of pain. The contractions did start to slow down a little but they weren't weakening any. In fact, they were getting much worse. Nick enjoyed watching the contraction monitor so he could see just how strong they were and, according to him, they were bad (like I really needed to be told that).<br />
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2 hours passed and my OB arrived to see how things were going. He talked to me a bit about how I was feeling and decided to check to make sure things hadn't progressed. We were shocked when he said my cervix was 100% thinned and at 3 cm! The next few minutes were a whirlwind as he explained that there was not stopping the labor and they were going to start preparing me for a c-section. We called our families and the nurses came to prep me.<br />
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In less than 30 minutes, I was prepped, ready, and headed for the operating room! They sat me on the operating table and began to give me the spinal. Since I was having so many contractions it was very difficult for me to relax enough for them to get it in correctly so they literally had to stick me in three different spots. I won't lie, it was extremely painful! Once they got it though, the pain was gone and was able to FINALLY relax. They began the operation and at 11:35 p.m. Coralee Nicole was born!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nH8QNCFciHY/Unl9O_9FohI/AAAAAAAABqk/TL98fMcgGDA/s1600/2013-07-13+23.40.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nH8QNCFciHY/Unl9O_9FohI/AAAAAAAABqk/TL98fMcgGDA/s640/2013-07-13+23.40.27.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Hearing her cry was such a joyous moment. I can't even explain what I was feeling at that moment. She was finally here and she was completely healthy!
They brought her over to me and I was able to hold and kiss my baby girl for the very first time.
She was so tiny. She weighed 6lbs, 1 oz and was 19" long.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xGnVFOoCDcI/Unl8vWUcgmI/AAAAAAAABqc/_uRSHAE_rhM/s1600/2013-07-13+23.41.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xGnVFOoCDcI/Unl8vWUcgmI/AAAAAAAABqc/_uRSHAE_rhM/s640/2013-07-13+23.41.41.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
I was exhausted but still had a long night ahead of me since I had to spend an hour in recovery and then get settled into my own room where I could finally get some rest. I was still filled with so much joy though that none of this really bothered me.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NRt37-eTAzA/UnvluBCU1lI/AAAAAAAABrM/BWulExrCXY4/s1600/2013-07-14+00.24.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NRt37-eTAzA/UnvluBCU1lI/AAAAAAAABrM/BWulExrCXY4/s640/2013-07-14+00.24.47.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Overall, the experience was an amazing one and I wouldn't change any of it! I am thankful that I was actually able to experience real labor. It was something I feared I would never be able to do. I still hope to have a natural childbirth with my next baby (if we are blessed with one) but I am just thankful that I have 2 beautiful healthy girls either way!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43IDzfmp8Js/Unvgs51DR8I/AAAAAAAABq8/xVTb9S06P4Y/s1600/2013-07-14+13.41.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43IDzfmp8Js/Unvgs51DR8I/AAAAAAAABq8/xVTb9S06P4Y/s640/2013-07-14+13.41.25.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And I put together a little picture and video montage in honor of our sweet baby girl!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pkv3hCC8R6c" width="700"></iframe>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-73417298310756333002013-11-01T19:02:00.001-06:002013-11-07T15:55:09.278-07:00Halloween Twenty Thirteen!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Well, another Halloween has come and gone. It's hard to believe how fast time is flying by. I mean, I had my baby over 3 months ago! What? I haven't mentioned that on here yet? Sorry...I will have to tell you that story at a later date! </div>
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Anyway, this year for Halloween we decided to dress the girls as cute little cows! </div>
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One of the fun parts about having two girls is that I get to dress them alike so of course they had to have matching costumes! Coralee didn't appreciate her costume too much but Addison absolutely loved being a cow!</div>
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We took the girls trick-or-treating on Main Street yesterday evening and Addison had a blast! It was so fun to watch her independently walk up to every store and politely ask for candy (with mom or dad by her side, of course). Her favorite part was picking pieces of candy out of their bowls and putting them in her little pumpkin. She refused to let me carry her pumpkin for her even though it was leaving red marks on her hand once it got pretty full. Now, when she asks for a piece of candy, she wants to choose it on her own and she is always so excited about her selection! I love to see the look of joy on her face when she tears the wrapper open. She doesn't get candy very often so this is a special treat for her!</div>
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It's hard to believe that we have celebrated three Halloweens with Addison. Our little girl is growing up so quickly! We are really excited to watch these two girls grow up together and see how their relationship develops. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-78156318265571021682013-06-20T07:00:00.000-06:002013-06-20T07:00:00.999-06:00Our Addison Joy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today's post is going to be a quick one. I hope you don't mind! My mom is such a talented photographer and took some awesome pictures of Addie while they were out here this weekend so I thought I'd share them here with you! :) </div>
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My dad actually took this picture while Addie and my mom were laying down for a nap one afternoon. She looks so sweet and innocent in this picture! Don't let her fool you though! :)<br />
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These next few photos were taken one afternoon while Addie, my mom, and I were outside playing. I love that Addison's hair is a complete disaster and she has a messy face. That is totally my girl! :) </div>
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And finally, this photo was taken after she had gone swimming for a little bit. She got out of the pool and decided she needed to lounge on our deck swing. She is just too cute! </div>
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We did enjoy a nice relaxing lunch with my parents before they had to head home though and then that evening, Nick decided he wanted to head down the mountain for a little family time! :)<br />
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One of our favorite things to do as a family is walk along the river in our nearest city. It is such a beautiful area and there are always neat things to do there! Now that it's getting hot, we try to do it in the evenings, and the weather on Sunday was PERFECT! </div>
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I love this man so much and am so proud to call him the father of my children! He loves us unconditionally and always puts us before himself. He works so hard to provide for us and even after putting in so many hours at work, he makes sure to spend some quality time with Addison before she has to go to bed...and that usually includes a very energizing play session which she literally looks forward to all day long!<br />
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The best thing about my husband is his love for the Lord. It is apparent to all those around him! His heart of worship is so beautiful and I absolutely love hearing him lead the worship on Sunday mornings because it is so genuine. His devotion to God is what makes him such a spectacular husband and father!<br />
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I am so blessed to have found this man and oftentimes take him for granted. He really is my rock and I don't know what I'd do without him. I love and adore him so much!<br />
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Thanks for allowing me to brag on him a little! I don't do it enough. </div>
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Well since Father's Day was this past weekend, I figured I'd better blog about my Mother's Day first! :) This year marks my third year of being a mommy (which seems so surreal still) and I love it! I am not sure I can squeeze any more love out of this heart but I keep hearing that with each child, your love somehow manages to multiply! <br />
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I had such a fantastic Mother's Day! My husband pampered me all day long and I felt so incredibly special! :) I literally did not have to change a single diaper. It was AWESOME! He asked me what I wanted to do after church and, besides taking a nap, I said I wanted to do something outside with my family. So, since this was before the fire ban, we decided it would be fun to have a picnic and campfire up on our property in the mountains!<br />
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Addie loved sitting around the campfire in her "big girl camp chair". She thought the fire was pretty neat!<br />
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I loved watching my handsome husband start the fire and keep it going. What is it about a mountain man that is so attractive??? :)<br />
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We even brought our ornery dog with us since he is part of the family! He loved running all over the place and smelling out new things!<br />
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He and Addie had so much fun playing together. She would throw him some rocks and he would chase them...for some reason he never had an interest in returning them to her though!<br />
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I love our little family of 3 (4 counting our dog) so much but I know these next few years are going to be even more precious as we gain another sweet little girl!<br />
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Stay tuned tomorrow to hear about how we spent our Father's Day! :)<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/?action=view&current=jpg-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/jpg-3.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-26071851689470919132013-06-12T12:49:00.000-06:002013-06-12T12:49:52.273-06:00So Much Has Happened...Don't ask me why it has been so long since I've posted. I guess things got a little hectic and then I just plain ol' forgot about my poor blog! Anyway, I really don't have a good excuse as to why I haven't blogged but I seriously didn't think it had been that long until I realized my last post was about Halloween. SERIOUSLY??? Sorry about that! I guess I had better get you all caught up on what's been going on since then!<br />
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So a few of you have been asking about my weight loss journey. Yeah. That had to stop back in November because...I found out I was pregnant! :) <br />
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We were beyond thrilled to find out we were expecting another baby! :) We also found out while visiting our families in Iowa so we were actually able to tell them in person instead of over the phone. It was amazing! We did find out that we are going to be having another girl and we are so excited about that! I am really thankful that Addison gets to have a sister because that is an experience that I never had and always wished I had. Don't get me wrong, I love having a brother, but there was always a part of me that was jealous of my friends who had sisters too! :)<br />
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So here I am, 33 weeks pregnant and am going to be having this little one via c-section on July 22! That is crazy close! We've been bustin' our behinds trying to get ready for her arrival this past month because I feel like it has kind of snuck up on us! We almost have the nursery ready, there are just a few decorative pieces we need to finish and hang. We also have purchased most of her clothing by either shopping the sales racks or second hand stores. Once Upon a Child had a 70% off sale this past weekend so we seriously stocked up! Unless it's something that is so cute I can't pass it up, I will hardly ever pay full price for baby clothing!<br />
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Moving on to other areas of life. A lot has happened there too!<br />
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In January, our little Addie turned 2! That was quite the surreal moment for me. I never thought I'd see the day when I had a two year old and yet, here we are! We were able to have a birthday party for her back in Iowa so we got to celebrate with our entire family! <br />
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We have a little diva on our hands! She LOVES to be at the center of attention so this birthday party was a lot of fun for her! :) She's grown up so much and gets more beautiful every day!</div>
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Moving on a few months. In March, we gained a new member of our family because my little brother got married! He definitely found his true match because she can out argue him! :) I love that about her! She's seriously perfect for him in so many ways though and I love having her as my sister-in-law!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-euOsQCjzC_o/Ubi9KtdXo7I/AAAAAAAABhU/k_olsypeogQ/s1600/534855_10151595535256388_1778835380_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-euOsQCjzC_o/Ubi9KtdXo7I/AAAAAAAABhU/k_olsypeogQ/s1600/534855_10151595535256388_1778835380_n.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XulIVxqc_mI/Ubi_hCTwYHI/AAAAAAAABhs/kbOaijB5bak/s1600/20816_10151597344461388_778743355_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XulIVxqc_mI/Ubi_hCTwYHI/AAAAAAAABhs/kbOaijB5bak/s1600/20816_10151597344461388_778743355_n.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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The wedding was in Georgia so we traveled down there since all three of us were part of the wedding party! </div>
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We then traveled to Alabama to visit some of our dear friends who will soon be moving to Costa Rica! It was so great being able to spend time with them again!</div>
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Well, obviously that's not all that's been going on, after all, it has been 8 months since I posted anything! However, I'm going to cut this short so it doesn't take you 8 months to read! :) I have tons of pictures that I'm excited to share throughout the next couple of weeks though so I will be back soon!</div>
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To those of you who are still around, thanks for stickin' with me! :) </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>
<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/?action=view&current=jpg-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/jpg-3.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-46097533614557246872012-11-01T09:20:00.003-06:002012-11-01T09:22:28.657-06:00Halloween RecapSeriously? How is it already November? This year is just flying by. Thanksgiving is in three weeks, then it will be Christmas, and before I know it, my baby will be two! I'm not sure I'm ready for that! :)<br />
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Anyway, as promised, here are the pictures from our Halloween! We had so much fun taking Addie trick-or-treating around town. Last year, she was too little and since it was FREEZING, we skipped the trick-or-treating. So that made this her very first experience and she loved every minute of it! We have a little girl who is addicted to sugar, (that's probably not something I should admit to, but it's true) therefore, she was over the moon excited every time someone put a piece of candy into her bucket!<br />
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Originally, Nick and I weren't going to dress up for Halloween but then he remembered that I had these ladybug wings so he thought it would be fun for me to be a ladybug since Addie was going to be a butterfly. Then he could call himself "the bug catcher"! I wasn't actually fond of the idea of dressing up but he was insistent upon it, so I did! I felt silly, but it was fun!<br />
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I'm not sure how other towns do trick-or-treating but I happen to love the way ours does it! First of all, it starts as soon as the kiddos get out of school. That way, they can wear their costumes for the last few hours of the school day and have their Halloween party. Then, as soon as school is out, they are already dressed and ready to go! All of the business stay open late to give out candy too which makes it a fun and safe evening for the kids to get candy. It's light out still and the parents don't have to take the kids door-to-door if they don't want to (although that is always still an option)! :) </div>
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Since we live at a high elevation, I knew it was probably going to be pretty chilly on Halloween so I found this warm costume at Goodwill and knew it would be perfect. However, it actually ended up being a really nice evening (although it did get pretty chilly towards the end of it).<br />
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We went home afterwards and Addie couldn't wait to dive into her candy. </div>
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Of course we had to sneak in a few pictures first though!<br />
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The back of her costume was the best part though! Her wings were really pretty and sparkly!<br />
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And just for kicks and giggles, here is her costume from last year!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2xZTCm64YQ/UJKS7XrW3DI/AAAAAAAABcI/8VfxUeF44Go/s1600/DSC06764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2xZTCm64YQ/UJKS7XrW3DI/AAAAAAAABcI/8VfxUeF44Go/s640/DSC06764.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>
<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/?action=view&current=jpg-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/jpg-3.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-20802662069877810072012-10-31T21:36:00.002-06:002012-10-31T21:48:37.362-06:00My Weight Loss Journey: The Rest of OctoberHappy Halloween! Well that month flew by! I apologize for the lack of updates. It wasn't because I abandoned my weight loss plan, trust me! Actually, this month just got really crazy and I couldn't seem to find time to blog (surprise, surprise)! I did keep track of my weight though so I will try and give you a quick update on what has happened this month.<br />
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Also, I hit a major milestone this week! I had to buy some new pants and when I went to try some on, I soon realized that I am down to a size 6! I never imagined that would happen! I haven't been a size 6 since college! Anyway, I just had to share that awesome discovery with you! I was literally doing a quiet scream in the dressing room (please tell me I'm not the only one that does the quiet scream when other people are around)! :)<br />
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So the last time I told you my weight, I was at 154. As predicted, my weight loss slowed down drastically. I am getting to the point where my body is beginning to reach it's normal weight so the pounds aren't falling off as easily. I've only been losing about a pound a week and, as frustrating as it is, I know it's completely normal. So, without further ado, here are this week's results!<br />
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Beginning Weight (August 22, 2012): 181<br />
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Last Week's Weight (October 24): 151<br />
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This Week's Weight (October 31): 150<br />
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Weight Gain/Loss: -1 this week (-31 total)<br />
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Exercise This Week: I joined our local club this month and they have a pool and gym so I have been trying to go there as much as I can. I haven't been able to find a babysitter for Addison in town yet so it has proved to be difficult but I do take her swimming there every once in awhile. I also try to sneak over when Nick gets home from work and on Friday evenings, I enjoy an hour of Zumba. On the days that I don't make it over there though, I have been running (yes, in the cold). I'm able to run up to 2 miles which is saying a lot for me at this altitude and considering I am literally running uphill the entire first mile! Also, my sweet husband picked me up an ab machine and a cross trainer (for free) so I have been using those as well!<br />
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Overall Health: I feel so great! I have so much energy and I just feel so much more rested when I wake up in the mornings.
Hardest Thing This Week: Sweets! I have quickly discovered that Halloween sucks when you are trying to lose weight! We also had all of Nick's family visiting over the week so the sweets were laying around like crazy!<br />
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Overall Thoughts: I am honestly so proud of myself and how far I have come! I feel great in my clothes and enjoy dressing up! I even wore a cute skirt and top to church on Sunday!<br />
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This Coming Week: I am really going to be careful about what I eat. I've not been doing a very good job of keeping track of my calories so I need to get back on track with that. I'm to the point where I am pretty good at estimating how much I've had, but sometimes I tend to go over.<br />
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And, since we still haven't been great about taking pictures, I don't have many to share so instead, I will share a photo we took tonight after we went trick-or-treating. Stay tuned for more pictures tomorrow!<br />
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Thanks again for your support and please let me know if you would like to take this journey with me!
Again, check out my friend <a href="http://megkeith.blogspot.com/">Megan's blog</a> to keep up with <a href="http://megkeith.blogspot.com/search/label/exercise">her progres</a>s as well!<br />
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<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/?action=view&current=jpg-3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/jpg-3.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KeN8HnVp8aQ/UJHr8yFs8pI/AAAAAAAABXs/7ElevfOpA7k/s1600/DSCF4006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-4601510968849866132012-10-03T10:33:00.001-06:002012-10-31T21:45:38.560-06:00My Weightloss Journey: September 27-October 3Read about my weight loss story <a href="http://320daysofsunshine.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-most-embarrasing-post-ever.html">HERE</a>. <br />
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First of all, I have to say that I am wearing skinny jeans for the first time in my entire life and I feel like a million bucks in them! :) I picked some up at the thrift store just to see how I would like them, and well, I will definitely be buying more in the near future!<br />
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This was a rough week. It's actually been a rough 2 weeks. We all got sick with a terrible respiratory virus and so I wasn't able to do anything strenuous that entire time. That meant, absolutely no running. I really couldn't even go on a walk because we live in the mountains and all of the roads around our house have a steep incline at some point. All I could really do were floor exercises and even those ran me short of breath! Needless to say, I was worried that this week's weigh in.<br />
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However, this ended up being a GREAT week!<br />
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<b>Beginning Weight (August 22, 2012):</b> 181<br />
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<b>Last Week's Weight (September 26):</b> 161<br />
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<b>This Week's Weight (October 3):</b> 154<br />
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<b>Weight Gain/Loss:</b> -7 this week (-27 total)!!!!!<br />
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<b>Exercise This Week:</b> Like I said, it was a bad week as far as exercising is concerned. I was restricted to floor exercises only and SOME walking. I do floor exercises every day either first thing in the morning, or right before bed (depending on when I have a chance to fit them in). I continued to focus on my abs and arms this week. Working on my abs has really flattened out my baby pooch and my arms don't have quite the jiggle that they used to! :) <br />
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<b>Overall Health: </b>It is hard to really judge how I felt this week since I was so sick. I really felt like crap most of the time! Haha! So, using how I have felt from previous weeks, I can definitely tell a difference from before I started exercising. I am not near as tired and have much more motivation and stamina throughout the day. It's wonderful! I can't wait until I am over this sickness and can feel that again!<br />
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<b>Hardest Thing This Week:</b> Oh my, besides being sick, the hardest thing about this week was having self-control when it came to sweets. My husband requested I make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies for him and they were so yummy that it was all I could do to not inhale them! I did have a few, probably more than I should have, but overall I'm proud of myself for showing some restraint! :) <br />
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<b>Overall Thoughts:</b> I am actually really glad this week is over and I am finally starting to feel better. I am longing to go running again but I know that it is going to be a kick in the pants! I am so relieved that I did not gain any weight back and actually continued to lose but I know that this trend will not continue if I do not get back out there and get my cardio going!<br />
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<b>This Coming Week:</b> I hope to run, run, run! I am going to try Zumba for the first time on Friday and I am really looking forward to it! I know I probably won't produce the same results that I did this week, so I am going to mentally prepare myself for next week's weigh in. Hopefully it won't disappoint too much though!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SK1KSbfRzVw/UJHwDnfdGiI/AAAAAAAABZE/5qbJra2Zpto/s1600/IMAG0480(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SK1KSbfRzVw/UJHwDnfdGiI/AAAAAAAABZE/5qbJra2Zpto/s640/IMAG0480(1).jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<i>Photo Taken on October 3, 2012</i></div>
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Thanks again for your support and please let me know if you would like to take this journey with me!<br />
<br />
Again, check out my friend <a href="http://megkeith.blogspot.com/">Megan's blog</a> to keep up with <a href="http://megkeith.blogspot.com/search/label/exercise">her progress</a> as well! <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>
<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/?action=view&current=jpg-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/jpg-3.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-64533066250597831452012-10-03T10:04:00.001-06:002012-10-03T10:41:52.068-06:00My Most Embarrasing Post, EverSo this is going to be one of those brutally honest posts. One like I've never done before. One where I share something really humiliating about myself. Because it's time. Because it's something I NEED to share.<br />
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Here I go. 181. That number makes me sick. It was the number that I saw when I stepped onto the scale for the first time since I had Addison. It was the number that gave me a severe reality check. So why even try out the scale in the first place? Because of my little (if you can call 25 little) brother and my wonderful momma (who has recently lost 75 lbs...more about that later). So what did my brother do? He literally told me I was getting too fat. Yeah, he said it just like that. It hurt. LIKE CRAZY. I cried...A LOT. But you know what, he was being honest, because he loves me! And to tell you the truth, I needed to hear it from someone other than my husband or myself. I love my brother for telling me that. More than I can even express. It brings tears to my eyes because I know how hard it was for him to say it to my face. For him to be willing to lay it out there knowing that it would upset me and make me angry! I mean, obviously I knew that I was getting too fat but it was like I was living this dream that no one else would notice my rapid weight gain. What a lie I had fed myself!<br />
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Now I am not going to tell you that I changed my habits right after he told me that. Because I didn't. I was still angry so why would I give him the gratitude of being right by trying to lose weight right away? That would just be silly! DUH. What a moron I can be sometimes. Instead, I went home and continued on with my unhealthy habits. Then, a few days later, I came across a pin on Pinterest that caught my attention and, if it hadn't been for my brother, I would have passed it by but his words were still ringing in my head. Anyway, the pin was a diet that is used in the military to help those in training lose weight fast. Lose up to 10 pounds in 3 days?!?! That sounds easy enough, right? Basically it is this strict diet regimine where you can only eat certain things for the firs 3 days of the week and then you go back to your normal diet routine for the last 4 days (rinse, repeat). So I printed it out and told Nick I was going to try it. To monitor my weight, I decided to step on the dreaded scale and that's when I saw what my weight was. Wow. I literally sucked in my breath when I saw it. That was when I decided that I COULD DO THIS. So, the next day, I started the diet. IT SUCKED. I was hungry all of the time and the food was pretty gross. There were times when I really wanted to give up, but I was determined to not fail at another diet. I had my doubts about it but, it worked! I literally lost 10 lbs in 3 days! Now, I am sure a lot of what I lost was probably water weight but it was just what I needed to give me a boost of confidence! For the next 4 days, I did all I could to not gain any of that weight back. I ran, and ran, and ran. I did sit-ups, push-ups, and other exercises. I started counting calories. And by the time the end of those 4 days were up, I stepped on that scale again to discover I hadn't gained one pound back. In fact, I had lost 1 more pound! Woohoo! I then decided to try the 3 day diet again. Let me tell you, it sucked the second time around too. Only this time, I lost nothing. I felt like I had put myself through pure torture for nothing. So...the last 4 days of that week, I did the same. I ran, I exercised, I counted calories. I lost 3 lbs! Once the 3 day diet came back around, I tried it one last time, and lost NOTHING again. At this point, I was done with that diet. It was a great diet to give me the boost I needed initially, but it was not fun, and not at all healthy. Being hungry all of the time is NOT HEALTHY.<br />
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So what am I doing now? I am continuing to exercise. I do ab
exercises and arm exercises every day because those are the areas of my
body that I feel the least confident in. I run/walk when I get the
chance (meaning, when Nick is home to watch Addison) too! I am watching
my caloric intake. I can't tell you how much this has helped my diet
out. Once I started counting my calories, I realized just how much I was
actually ingesting on a daily basis. I was probably consuming over 1000
calories in drinks alone! Now I only drink water (or vitamin enhanced water), tea, and milk. Cutting soda out of my life was a challenge in itself but I can happily say that I haven't had a soda (aside from the diet soda here and there that I like to have when we are at a restaurant) in a month and a half! I am continuing to try to stay within the
1000-1200 calorie mark every day. It can be a challenge, but it is
actually much easier than I could have ever imagined! <br />
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So, 5 weeks have passed and here I am 27 pounds lighter and so much more confident in myself. My family has been my biggest cheerleaders. My husband is continuously telling me how proud he is of me and encouraging me. My parents have been pushing me to stay strong and are so very proud of me as well. I was able to see my dad and brother for a short while a few weeks ago and they went home raving to my mom about how great I looked (talk about a confidence boost)! My brother texts me encouraging things all of the time and loves when I send him updates!<br />
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Losing this weight has helped more than my self-esteem though. It has helped my marriage, tremendously. I didn't mention it before, but that was something else that my brother said to me. My weight was affecting our marriage, big time. That seems silly, but it truly was. Sex was not something that I looked forward to because I hated the way I looked. (Sorry if that is TMI but I warned you that I was going to be brutally honest!) And for all of you women out there that think men don't really need sex, you are wrong. God made them that way. It's a part of life. Kind of like we, as women, need to be loved, men need to have sex. It's just the way they are programmed and it is wrong of us, as wives (myself included), to not give them what they need. <br />
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This experience has also helped my walk with the Lord. I am denying self by not eating what I want and not laying around like I would like. Therefore, I am more in tune with what the Lord wants for my life. As my friend <a href="http://megkeith.blogspot.com/">Megan</a> mentioned on her blog, the Lord has called us to take care of our bodies. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says it like this: <br />
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<i><b>1 Corinthians 6:19-20 </b></i><br />
<i> <span class="text 1Cor-6-19" id="en-NIV-28487"><sup class="versenum">19 </sup>Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;</span> <span class="text 1Cor-6-20" id="en-NIV-28488"><sup class="versenum">20 </sup>you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.</span></i><br />
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So why do I tell you all of this? Because I'm not done yet. I need to continue with this healthy lifestyle and not let myself fall back to my old ways. I am much healthier, yes, but not as much as I should be. So that's where I need your help. My friend <a href="http://megkeith.blogspot.com/">Megan</a> is monitoring her progress on her blog every Wednesday, (<a href="http://megkeith.blogspot.com/search/label/exercise">Check her progress out</a>. She's amazing, I tell ya.) and I want to do the same. It will be beneficial for me to share my results with the world so that 1. I will be more motivated to continue. and 2. I may be able to help someone else who is struggling with the same things. So, from now, until I determine I'm ready to lay it aside, I will be checking in on Wednesdays with a look at my week. I hope you will take this journey with me and I would love for you to help me along the way. Also, if you hope to start out on your own weight loss journey and would like some support, please let me know and I would love to help you as well!<br />
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Before I end this, I want to share some photos of what I looked like before I started this weight loss journey. These were all taken over the summer so they are fairly recent. I am sharing these so you can have some sort of idea as to where I was when I started out. I hope to continue to take pictures of myself so that I can actually see the progress I am making and share it with all of you as well. I will try to post one soon!<br />
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So stay tuned for this week's stats! <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/67/FC94A76569A83563A71D26B3B89381B1.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" /></a>
<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/?action=view&current=jpg-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/dejongsd/jpg-3.jpg" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-39467440203238229002012-09-28T14:25:00.001-06:002012-09-28T14:29:11.278-06:00Instagram Friday<div><p>Here is a little peek at our week via Instagram! <font color ="#000000">Enjoy!</font></p>
<br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2x-6IxjugdU/UGYIfCs8YLI/AAAAAAAABTc/Y0dPu_Cj2UA/IMG_20120927_152808.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-O6bP0zuxmOk/UGYIQsVYgNI/AAAAAAAABTU/Pmvb26lcVHk/IMG_20120926_211059.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UEyRwrVQSo4/UGYIgEfjT1I/AAAAAAAABTk/D5ZcDFkoBVs/IMG_20120928_142421.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-f-7TJjSWjwA/UGYIB9mJPYI/AAAAAAAABTM/AFfEaiIguVg/IMG_20120918_132328.png' /><br/><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pW7afIWWOWc/UGYIhJC6aNI/AAAAAAAABTs/qGKOuCkYFWs/IMG_20120927_200247.png' /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-60888735937381321892012-05-18T06:00:00.000-06:002012-05-18T06:00:04.234-06:00Our first campfire of the year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xT1x7H6PRs/T7XVvXxL59I/AAAAAAAABQk/OqENz7Qq3uY/s1600/DSCF2996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3xT1x7H6PRs/T7XVvXxL59I/AAAAAAAABQk/OqENz7Qq3uY/s640/DSCF2996.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We love everything about the area we live in except for the lack of moisture. I suppose when you have a lot of sunshine that means you have to give up the precipitation that comes with clouds. However, since we've been getting an unusual amount of rain/snow these past few weeks, our fire danger is low! That being said, we decided to take advantage of it and have our first camp fire this week...in our front yard! </div>
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Last year, Nick had to cut down a pine tree that was near our deck because it was destroyed by bugs (sad). Since then, we've had this perfectly round spot with no grass and it worked perfectly for us to put a fire pit there! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgH4CvQ0bFU/T7XV-7aHj4I/AAAAAAAABQs/EPRhLga9jhA/s1600/DSCF3003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgH4CvQ0bFU/T7XV-7aHj4I/AAAAAAAABQs/EPRhLga9jhA/s640/DSCF3003.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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This was Addison's first campfire and she loved it. For the longest time, she was just mesmerized by it! We were a little worried that she might want to get close to it but she was content as can be sitting in the chair.<br />
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She would hardly even look at the camera so that mommy could get a picture with her! I must say that I rather enjoyed having her sit still on my lap though. We got to cuddle under the blanket together and let daddy do all the work!<br />
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Having a campfire was completely his idea and he even ran into town (which is a 15 minute drive by the way) just so we could roast some marshmallows!<br />
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YUMMY!<br />
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It really was very relaxing to just sit out there as a family and enjoy each other's company. I hope the fire danger remains low so that we can do it again soon!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-27049718003304717182012-05-17T09:03:00.000-06:002012-05-17T09:04:06.700-06:00Homemade Playdough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Would you believe me if I said I had never made homemade playdough until this week? It's true! I may have made it with my mom when I was a little girl but I don't remember it if I did. Anyway, I decided it was time for Addison to be introduced to playdough and what better way to do that then by making it together?</div>
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The recipe I used was found on the <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/03/homemade-playdough-from-homemade-by-jill/">Skip to My Lou blog</a>. </div>
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I set her on the counter (with her light up Easter bunny) and we set to work!</div>
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She liked to help me dump out the ingredients. She discovered that the best way is by using her fingers to scoop it out. What fun!<br />
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She then took it upon herself to help me stir. It was really cute to watch her try!<br />
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I chose not to add the food coloring in with the rest of the ingredients because I wanted a variety of colors. Instead, I cooked all of the main ingredients and after it had cooled, I took out the dough, divided it into sections and then (using rubber gloves and wax paper to cover the counter) I added drops of food coloring. </div>
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To make it even more fun, we added some pretty sparkles! I have some fine colored sparkles and they worked perfect for this project!</div>
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Here are four of the colors that we made. We used neon food coloring and regular food coloring and created our own combination of colors. </div>
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To store the play-dough, I bought these cute little containers that came in a set of 10 from the dollar store.<br />
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Now let's see if she approves!</div>
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I think she likes it!</div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C78XFMnRLqQ/T7SHAFmbZjI/AAAAAAAABPw/-k--6QT_cxg/s1600/DSCF2972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C78XFMnRLqQ/T7SHAFmbZjI/AAAAAAAABPw/-k--6QT_cxg/s640/DSCF2972.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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We will definitely be playing with playdough all summer long!<br />
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One thing I do want to mention, Jill's recipe only calls for 1 tsp of oil and I have seen others that call for at least 1 T. I kind of feel like this playdough is drying out faster than I would like and so next time I am going to try adding more oil. I'll let ya know if I do!<br />
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Thanks for joining us!<br />
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One thing is for certain, we have a little girl who is a thrill seeker! She absolutely loves being tossed in the air, held upside down, and twirled around so we knew she would love the park too!
We have been to our local park numerous times but it's always fun to check out a new park. That's what we did the other day!<br />
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Obviously she really enjoys the swings.<br />
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She could literally spend hours in them!
Her favorite thing is when daddy pretends she kicked him. He throws himself back and makes an "oof" noise and she thinks it's hysterical!<br />
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Just check out this video and you will understand what I mean!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OBRlaE4M85w" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Addie does love a good slide too though.<br />
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Her problem with them is that she can never seem to keep her balance!<br />
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Whoops! Let's try again!</div>
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Much better!<br />
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It's also fun to go down the really big twisty slide with daddy!</div>
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I think one of her absolute favorite things about the park though, is playing in the rocks!</div>
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I know there will be many more trips to the park this summer...</div>
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because who can resist this sweet face?</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02116806944303840943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8896248726651859340.post-36335692942348879142012-05-15T06:00:00.000-06:002012-05-15T06:00:07.872-06:00"Dee!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The weather has been extremely crazy here lately! On Mother's Day we had gorgeous weather in the morning and by afternoon we had marble sized hail, rain, thunder, tornado warnings, and then finally, more snow! It's nuts I tell ya! That being said, when a nice day rolls around, we take advantage of it and head outdoors!</div>
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Addison has taken quite the interest in the wildlife recently and one of her newest words is 'deer' only her version sounds more like "dee". It's adorable! We constantly have gobs of deer either in our yard or the neighbor's yard and so every time she seems them she gets really excited and yells "Dee! Dee!", making sure we have heard her so that we will pick her up and let her get a better look. </div>
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We really love to watch her grow and develop. Every time she learns a new word, we are just so proud! I wish this growing process would slow down just a bit though because it feels as if it's going way too fast! </div>
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