Basement Update

3/19/12

Here's an update on our basement!

Before Paint

To the right of that wall...the left is brown. Start of wood flooring and paint drying.

More flooring down! Half way there. Finishing tomorrow then trim Wednesday!!! Then carpet!

Fun project I finished today. Found this piece on the side of the road that someone was throwing away...can you believe it?! I snatched it up :) It was all white and I painted it black. The 2 shelves at the top have slots to put wine glasses on. The bottom has slots for wine bottles. We don't really drink any but have one from Argentina and a bottle of sparkling grape juice from our wedding.

I'll have to post a picture of it finished and in the basement!!!

Spring Things

3/8/12

It feels like Spring is here for the last few days! Abigail and I have enjoyed playing outside pretty much all day the last couple days. Such a blessing. We are tired of being cooped up in the house now.

So what have we been up to? Well, a BUNCH of things. I have been the busiest with work since before Abby was born. It was a little difficult the first week, but seriously, I'm only gone for an hour or two at a time. So it really isn't a big deal. And right now it is worth it for me to bring in a couple grand in a month for less than 10 hours a week....God picked the perfect job for me :)

Our basement is coming along and is ALMOST DONE!!!! This is very exciting for us. Kyle is working with a construction company (marketing) and they are doing a trade. So someone has come out a couple times to do finishing touches. What a difference. The guy is coming tomorrow to finish it up then we paint and put flooring in. They come back soon and do the trim and then the carpet guys come. Seriously, I can taste it! ha.

I threw a surprise birthday party for Kyle a couple weeks ago and it turned out great! I think I got him. Besides that, Kyle has been working hard with his brother on their marketing business and are doing great. I am so proud of all Kyle's work (and Erik but I'm not his wife). He is going to be starting to work outside again. It is a little hard since he has been working at home all winter but I am excited about Abby and I going outside. I just love that my hubby is reaching and surpassing his goals. His hard work is paying off and will continue in the future.

As for Abigail, she has been sick the last week or so but is coming out of it. We all have gotten a gross cold and it hasn't been pleasant. I don't even know the last I got sick and this is the first time Abby has really gotten sick for more than a day. Other than that she is just continuing to learn and grow. She has gotten very good at communicating. She says a new word everyday. The words she has been saying for a while are getting more clear. We continue to have fun together.

Abby and Daddy :)

Holding a doll and reading a book...while sitting in a basket...this encompasses most of our days

16 Months

2/15/12

Abigail is 16 months. Getting close to a year and half. Wow! I love this age. She continues to say new words each day and learn more things. It's so amazing how smart kids are! I am just trying to keep up with her and help her reach a fraction of her potential.

Abby has a new cousin...Natalie Ruth. She is precious. Sadly, I've only seen her once. Craziness but I can't wait till I see her next! Here she is...

Abigail is so spunky! She LOVES books still. She also loves to talk. A. LOT. But I love that about her too. Here is a touch of her personality.

This dress is so cute on her...her Maw Maw and Paw Paw got her that dress for Christmas :)

Playing in her closet (ignore her eyes)...she likes to go in corners and read books or her closet and have fun going through her basket of stuffed animals and toys.

She looks older here but her hair is all down. It gets in her face so much but I don't want bangs on her and I just put it up. Notice her necklace? She loves jewelry and puts a necklace on just about everyday. So glad I bought the pack of them for about a dollar!

Here she is at her new table eating some food. She likes her table. Such a big girl! Hair is a little messy...ha.

Playing with her favorite educational toy. Oh yeah, she loves to learn. Like I said, books are one of her favorite things. Along with that goes reading words. I show her flash cards with pictures and she can read. I have been showing her words since she was born, actually. It's so beneficial for kids development. It helps create more pathways in the brain and encourages learning like crazy...that's just one benefit. But here are the words she can say or act out by reading without any help by me.

Wave, hi, dog, touch your toes, touch your ears, touch your head, ball, nose, feet, hands, sitting, mouth, teeth, duck, tongue, fingers, arms up, and I know there are more but I can't remember. It's amazing to see her look at the word then smile and do the motion, point to her body, or say the word. Kids are smart!

We also work on Bible verses. She knows John 3:16 and Jeremiah 33:3. We just started working on the books of the Bible in order. It's exciting because I am memorizing these things too. haha. You know how you forget things. I am excited to continue re-learning them. Also, I am involving her with cooking. I keep showing her things I do and let her help as much as she can. She enjoys helping me. We do lots of things together honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We don't watch TV during the day so we just trot along and continue working/learning new things.

What a little bundle of joy! I love being her mommy. Look at her "reading" her book to teddy bear, and both minnie mouses :)

Abby Update

1/22/12

My precious girl is over 15 months now. We have so much fun. Each day is filled with new things. Here are some ways she has grown lately.

• Communication is getting easier. She is saying more words and is able to tell me what she wants.
• She still loves reading books. Now she tries to read them to me. She only goes about 5 minutes without having a book in her hands :)
• Potty training is going well. Still taking it slow and trying not to worry about it too much since she is young. She goes 4-5 times a day on it and keeps a pretty dry diaper. It's going great!
• She can read words from cards with My Baby Can Read. Recognizes nose, clap, wave, dog, touch your toes, ear, etc. This is her favorite thing to do.
• Eating is pretty great. She is a good eater. Loves fruit, eats vegetables, and other healthy foods. She is currently eating almond slivers. Haha. She also LOVES to DIP...ketchup and salsa. This is a trait from her father.
• New carseat! She is finally in a convertible carseat instead of infant. She likes being able to face forward. It was time.
• No more bottle! I've been weaning her down to 1 or 2 a day and the pediatrician said no more now. So she is done as of yesterday. Growing up!

These are only a few of the new things she is doing.

She loves sitting on the couch. Here she is with Daddy :)

Playing piano on the iPad with Daddy

Sitting in her rocker reading me books and rocking herself. She sat in it for about 20 minutes!

Being a mom is wonderful...I just love spending time with her :)

Winter Food Ideas

1/21/12

Winter is definitely here, isn't it? Oh the snow. Makes me want to have warm "comfort foods." Anyone else feel the same way? I am assuming so. Well, comfort food usually means "fattier" foods. Summer is a time of fresh fruits and vegetables on sale at the store and the warm weather just makes you feel like eating a lot of lighter foods. We like to look good in bathing suits, go out to more events, and run around with our kids. The winter brings the cold, dreary days where all we want to do is order a pizza and cuddle on the couch (which we did last night, not going to lie!). But we opt for more pasta, bread, warm cookies, hot chocolate, etc. I have some comfort food ideas that I have been eating lately and they are delish! Hopefully my tips and tricks can help you but keep you from adding 10 pounds this winter ;)

Egg, sautéed spinach, onion, and colby cheese. Cook spinach and onion in a tsp olive oil, then add whisked egg. Flip and add cheese. Let melt and serve on a whole grain bread, toasted, with banana. YUMMY breakfast.

Breakfast burrito. Egg, sausage, mushroom, onion, a little bit of cheese. Sauté veggies, add whisked egg, mix together and add onto warm tortilla.

Serve with fruit. Great breakfast idea again.

Not have much money for Organic fruits and vegetables this time of year? Well, I haven't had as much and have been eating less (and suffering, ha). I started shopping at Aldi the other week to save more money. I still do not buy processed items but I have been surprised at some healthy choices that are significantly cheaper than Walmart. Such as FROZEN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. Yes please! I got this big bag of fruit for $2.49. 32 oz bag. I got green beans for like $.85. Wow. What a way to save on money. Plus, keep it in the freezer and just pull out a little bit to thaw or cook. No wasting anything extra!

For lunch today we had tomato soup, grilled cheese, and fruit. I used this tomato soup instead of the regular Campbells, which is flooded with high fructose corn syrup. What's the point of eating it?? Well, no fear, this kind tastes amazing and doesn't contain that crap sugar :)

I made my hubby a classic grilled cheese but I altered mine. Turkey, sautéd spinach and onion, topped with cheese on a whole grain bread is how I made mine. It was fantastic. They I took some fruit out the bag I showed above. Thawed in the microwave close to a minute, and presto, comfort food for winter but healthier!

Hopefully this gives you ideas and satisfies your comfort food wants without adding pounds.

Remember, you don't get a great body on accident.

Be intentional.

Do what fit people do!

A story of God's Hand in our lives...

1/17/12

A week ago at this time, Kyle and I were clinging to God's promises because we weren't totally sure how this months money situation was going to work out. You see, my husband's main income is landscaping but that is not all year because of the snow. He plows during the winter but there's only been 3 days of needing it. Which has put us in a hard place for over a month with little to no income. All of our extra efforts have not been working and we just had our hands tied. But I see the fingerprints of God in so many ways through this...

Without God in the equation, things would have seemed destitute. What a burden we would have had on our shoulders! But this kept ringing through my head the last week or two, "therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body, more than clothing? " The verses after this talk about how much more important we are than the animals and the ground. It also says we should not worry. God has just given us a peace about everything, even when our extra efforts fell flat on the floor. I just kept thinking that God must have something big in store for us because there is not really any other explanation.

With a day before our mortgage being due, and not enough funds to pay for it, we were still relying on God. We were at church and Kyle had some cash in his wallet from money he received over the weekend. Well, he looked at me, took some out for tithe, and symbolically walked over and put it in the box. We both had an understanding that this money is not ours and even if we don't see the big picture, God does. We now had even "less" logically, but we didn't care.

The next morning I was supposed to train 2 clients and get paid for the month from them, but one came down with the flu and the other had several expenses come up and couldn't train the rest of the month. Really?! Well, again, I just thought, "Man, what is God doing? What's He up to?" Also, the check we were supposed to get in the mail didn't come and that was supposed to pay our mortgage. Yikes. Alright, so we were out driving and some how God orchestrated our thoughts and conversations. We got home and ate lunch, then Kyle decided to call his boss and talk to him. He told him everything and proposed a solution of salary pay so he could continue working for him. Well, GOD DID SOMETHING BIG. His boss agreed wholeheartedly! Kyle proposed a number and his boss said he'd think about it and would call back. Well, half an hour later he calls back. He says that kyle's number was fair and he told him to come get a check TONIGHT for the next 2 weeks!!! Praise the Lord! This also means a raise and stability...something we have yet to experience. Wow.

What a whirlwind! There are so many other things that happened and didn't happen in the past week or two that just showed God's divine hand. I share all of this because I cannot deny the working power of God. How can I not tell about the things God is doing in us? A couple years ago we said absolutely no credit cards or loans. We have been on a journey of reading and obeying what the scriptures say about finances. It's tough. But we have everything paid off except student loans and our house now! We are still learning and need to learn a lot about what to spend our money on and how to distinguish wants from needs. This is only one example of God's provision in our lives. It's amazing how God works when you INVITE HIM in every area of your life. He has yet to disappoint us and I know we won't ever see it from Him.

God is good. All the time

Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Hello 2012!

1/1/12

This is nuts; another year gone by! There are so many things underway for this year already and I don't have much motivation to blog right now. I need to get things accomplished so I'm not sure how much I will be keeping up with this. Priorities, got them, this is not top of the list. Ha.

Here are a few things I need to get done....

- finish my Exercise Therapy Certification and become and Elite Trainer

- speaking at MOPS January 11th

- focus on being a mom to my girl

- signed a new client so more training

- focus my attention on helping my hubby knock out debt with budgeting and meal planning

- possibly going through financial peace as a family (with Kyle's fam)

- finish a secret project I'm working on (maybe I'll post later when it's not secret anymore)

- work on a wedding shower for my soon-to-be sis AND getting them to move here ;)

SO there are quite a few things I'm working and most are within the first 2 months of this year. I will hopefully be posting pics of my girl though...cause she's so stinking precious ;)

Here's a pic of my girl yesterday when she was sick. Praise the Lord she is pretty much normal today!