left ya hanging

ok so I realize that I sorta just left ya'll hanging on the previous post, I meant to come back sooner and clarify just what happened. My registeration with the state is taking longer than expected, I should get a letter this week explaining the rest of the steps that must be taken on the state's end before finalizing the registeration process. I am, scratch that, was, pretty bummed. However, I understand that there is a reason for all things. The little boy's mom decided not to take the job and that is completely understandable. Team that up with the fact that this registeration process is not yet complete, it worked out for the best.

Plus, I decided to do a few changes to the contract and allow myself a few more days off throughout the year =) Jeremy and I really want to go take Macy Grace to go see his grandma sometime soon, and it would just be best to do so before the daycare opens.

So, there ya have it. Like I said, I did mope around here kind down about it because I was really looking forward to the opportunity. Don't get me wrong, I love Macy Grace to death and I wouldn't trade my time with her for the world, but I'm really excited to open my home and love to other kiddos. I'm missing the interaction with other people besides my good husband and daughter. So for now I'm soaking up all the Macy Grace one-on-one time and I'm loving it.

scratch #9 from my 10 on Tuesday

10 on tuesday

1. I have lots of pictures to share!!!

look mom, no hands!




tell me this isn't adorable!!! I dare you!



she's getting SO big!!



and WHO doesn't love drool?



2. I'm working up a playroom for lil love and her lil baby friends, and I NEED this rug, it will be perfect!



3. Sunday was Macy Grace's baby dedication at church it went really well, we celebrated with 3 of lil love's other friends being dedicated and she wore a beautiful cinderella dress!



4. My new speedlite flash is incredible I LOVE it!!! My christmas money was extremely well spent!

5. I got to see Bride Wars last week at it was really cute and the perfect movie to see with my best girlfriend.

6. Gosh, this is tough, not much happens in my boring life!!!!

7. We have snow and I don't like it, I know I've mentioned it many times, but I need nice warm weather year round!

8. I'm making country style boneless ribs for dinner, yum!

9. On Monday I'll start my first day of my daycare, and I have one lil baby boy enrolled =)

10. I talked to one of my old friends on facebook today and we were reminiscing of the days of pagers and hanson parties....lol, we were so cool =)

brutally chilly

Oh it is just too cold here for my liking, way.too.cold. We have snow today and with the wind chill, the temp is somewhere around, oh, 0 degrees. Brrrrrrr....

what a day

The day was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous, a blissful 70 degrees, ah, what a day. I seriously need to move somewhere with a warmer climate like this year round, does that place exist? It was great to get out and take a walk with lil love then head out for a photo shoot with my friends kids, here are a few of my favs from today.

love this

it says "i'm safe"

10 on Tuesday

1. Macy Grace is doing very well sleeping. Last night I fed her at 6:30 and snuggled up on the couch with her until around 9:00, then I gave her a bath and fed her around 10:00 and she slept until 7:30 this morning! Yeah =)
2. Then after she woke up I changed her, fed her, and laid her in her crib and she watched her mobile and put herself back to sleep - just crazy!
3. I'm pretty excited about going to a movie tonight with my friend Katy, we are watching Bride Wars!
4. I'm really itching to get outside and take some pictures. I'm ready for spring. Although I can't complain too much, we've had, like, no snow this year. And the average temp is around 55 degrees this week.
5. I'm really not sure how much I've discussed this, but I'm opening a daycare. And I'm so excited to get it started. The thought of lots of kids stuff neatly organized on shelfs and in clear, labeled containers really makes me happy =)
6. Blogger friend Jennifer has a really cute nursery playroom, it certainly gives me the itch to create a fun place for Macy Grace!
7. Personal opinion, I love history, but the inauguration of Barack Obama is overrated.
8. In accordance with my motto for this year of "just simplify" I am purging my closet. It is much overdue, I have a few things in there from highschool ::shudder:: (at least most of it still fits!)
9. We are still trying to decide what to do with our living situations, it's a never ending circle.
10. And my quote of the year: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simper." - Albert Einstein
Perfect.

she's a happy baby!

She just LOVES her mobile =)



She'll watch it and 'dance' like this for about 20 minutes - isn't it cute??

meet miss drools

Ah, if it's even possible be in love with drool - I am. It's cute because it's her new thing, she blows bubbles with it = )

ugh....

I started this posted to stay that I just don't know why I'm feeling another down day, and that I don't want to get dressed and do my makeup and hair and for once I wished being a nun and only showing my eyeballs would be acceptable; then I remembered, I'm getting ready to go to a funeral. And I don't know anyone who gets excited about that. But even though I'll be fighting the blistering cold temps of single digits before the wind chill, I really want to honor Willa's amazing life, so I'll attend. And I need a kick in the booty because it starts in 40 mintues!!!

10 on Tuesday

1. I'm wanting some avacado, hmmmm, a guacamole dip....any good recipes?
2. So, we are already praying for itty bitty - she is one stubborn lil love, she fights sleep and if doesn't want to do what you are trying to get her to do, she fights it tooth and toe nail, oy, what am I in for?
3. I don't leave the house all too often any more. Sometimes I even forget what day of the week it is - that's awful.
.....ugh, I just typed a ridiculously long list to 10 and it didn't save and I lost it, and I'm not retyping it, NOW I'm crabby....

a tribute to Willa

Willa is a wonderful woman whom I have had the great blessing and priviledge to know. Willa lost her husband in an unfortunate accident years ago and has an adult son with a mental handicap. As hap would have it, in our small town, my dear husband works in the home that her son lives in. He's crazy fun and full of life! Willa and her son attended the same church as Jeremy and I, so we were aquainted on a weekly basis. Willa always showed her appreciation to Jeremy for his work with her son. When Jeremy and I got married Willa and her son attended the wedding and she gave us a nice gift. She was always so kind. As we announced my pregnancy, she was thrilled to hear I was due in November and thought it would be perfect if I had Macy Grace on her birthday - the 11th. I wasn't quite as inclined as I was due on the 1st! Well, as things would go, I didn't quite make it to the 11th, but she was fine with that. She gave Macy Grace a gift card and just loved and loved on her.
That first Sunday we brought Macy Grace to church, she was waiting for us to get a sneek peek at lil love. Everytime she had the opportunity to see Macy Grace she would just smile and make a point to tell Macy Grace how blessed she was to have us as parents. She told Macy Grace over and over how nice her daddy was and how pretty she was. Willa was a very very sweet woman. I mentioned, she was.
Willa passed on Sunday morning extremely unexpectedly in her home. Someone went by to pick her up for church and when she didn't come out, the church was called and my dad with his friend went by to check on her. They found her sitting on the couch, but her spirit was not inside. For whatever reasons, we will never understand, but Willa was ushered into Heaven's gates early Sunday morning, I can only imagine what kind of celebration, praise, and worship service she participated in on that holy morning. Willa was extremely loved and a very happy person. As a matter of fact, Jeremy just commented to me last week on how when I was holding Macy Grace she stared and smiled at her almost the entire service, what love!
I have not spent itty bitty's gift card from Willa yet, but I plan to buy something special. Something that Macy Grace can learn was from Willa and I can tell her the story of faith and love that resided in Willa's life. The coroner reported that although the entire investigation on the cause of death was not complete, he did know this, that Willa died with a smile on her face. What a story! What a challenge - die with a smile on your face. Willa loved life and she loved her Lord.
Please be in prayer for her son, all he is really capable of understanding is that she is now in Heaven with his daddy and she is now his angel. As a matter of fact, I think she is also Macy Grace's new angel too!

a better day...

my prized speedlite arrived today and Jeremy only gave it to me after I promised not to be a crab today....hehehe
Here are some pretty pictures taken just this afternoon =)







Some bumbo time =)



Doesn't she look so little and yet big in her new bumbo?

down day

I've just had a real down day today, not really feeling myself and just sorta down and out. I have about 10 things I could do or needed to do, but didn't, I didn't do a darn thing but hug on Macy Grace and take a bath with her. Ugh, there's always tomorrow...

2 Months

Today marks the 2 month birthday of lil love Macy Grace.
Dear itty bitty,
I can't believe how fast you have grown, you amaze me everyday. Everyday I love you more and more and I'm just fathomed at how much I can love you, just when I think I couldn't possibly love you more, I do.
You are incredibly cute and funny. You love to smile and laugh and kick your legs. It completely warms my heart when you awake in the morning and start cooing - I peek over the edge of your bassinet and you just smile SO big and kick your legs. However, I'm feeling betrayed, like part of your heart is being lent elsewhere - the victim - your new mobile.







You love it and while I appreciate your love for Mozart and rotating goofy looking animals, I would appreciate some love too ;) Seriously though, it is wonderful that you can be entertained so easily.
You have discovered your hands and love to chew on them. You smile brilliantly whenever you are told how adorable and beautiful you are, hmmm, I wonder where that comes from!?!
Your sleeping habits are nice, you sleep about 7 hours at night before awaking for some groceries then usually fall back asleep for about 2 hours. I love you for that!
Overall you are a very good baby, you enjoy your swing and playmat. You like going for rides but usually protest if I buckle you up in your car seat for too long before we get going. You make all sorts of fun noises and I can never tire of your lil yawns and babbles. I also love it when after you eat you press your big, plumpy lips together and barely smile; it's that look that says "hmmm, delicious".
You also currently have the cutest muffin top and double chin. You normally can be found wearing big bows and headbands not to be mistaken for a boy! Everywhere you go you attract people and I hope you keep that vibrance for a long long time.
You had your well baby dr's appointment today and weighed in at 11 lbs 10 oz and are 21 3/4" long. You had your first round of vaccinations and you are quite the trooper. I had to hold your lil arms while the nurse stuck you with 3 different shots and I teared up a bit seeing you scream, it seriously broke my heart. I'm sorry baby.
I love you more than you'll ever understand lil love, xoxoxo, Momma

10 on Tuesday

It's 10 on Tuesday!!!!!

1. Did you notice my new title? "live the life you love" I decided that since I know longer have a bean in belly, the title wasn't fitting. However, I do live the life that I love, so that title seemed right.
2. I'm just loving Macy Grace more and more, she changes everyday. And she has a new love - her mobile!!! It is absolutely adorable and she just kicks her legs and swings her arms and laughs while it spins.
3. Today is clean Tuesday, I have about 9 loads of laundry to do!
4. I'm stocking the mail...I have several packages that should be arriving this week, one of which includes my prized speedlite for my camera - eeee!!!
5. I am seriously one of the most impatient persons when it comes to wanting something and having to wait for it. For example, when I order something, anything, I HATE waiting for it to arrive - hate it. I want it here NOW!!!
6. Macy Grace has her first shots on Thursday and I'm not looking forward to it.
7. I'm really trying to get everything in my life organized and more on a day to day routine and it's hard. Mostly because we are considering moving AGAIN and using this house for my new business - a home daycare. (more on that later!)
8. Here's a picture of lil love





9. Anyone have any advice of how to help my labrador retreiver not shed so much, it's driving me nuts....

10. One word motto for 2009 - SIMPLIFY =) I'm simplifing my life and it's MUCH over due.

MIRANDA!!!!!

I read your blog but you must have your comments locked because I can never comment!?!?

my 2008

I had planned to do a year in review by photos posting a photo of each month of the past year that highlights the year. However, since I'm working off my laptop and most of my pictures are on my desktop, that just won't work right now and really want to get this posted. Maybe I'll edit later with pics. Until then here goes.

January - I set my new year's goals and failed in several, almost all of them. Umph, that's encouraging! But really what stands out is the fact that we were really praying for Jenilee's dad and his battle with cancer.
February - Of course, my BFP!!!! I got pregnant!
March - Morning sickness
April - My birthday; heard Macy Grace's heartbeat for the first time; publicly announced my pregnancy; took a trip to Atlanta that I won with the company I represented
May - We bought our shaved ice business "The Ice Box"
June - Saw Macy Grace for the first time on our u/s, and took a fabulous vacation - cruise and Vegas
July - Camping and my trip to Oregon
August - Bought our new property and worked as a sponsor with our church teen group on a trip to a conference in Oklahoma City
September - Worked the Ice Box =) and began our massive remodel to our new home
October - Jeremy's 27th birthday on the 1st and continued the remodel
November - Moved into our new home and of course Macy Grace's prized enterance on the 8th
December - Christmas =)

Thinking back on the past year brings a mound of several different emotions for me. It has been quite a year, and quick one at that. I suffered disappointments and frustrations but joy and happiness. We prayed and prayed for Bro. O'brien and God allowed a few more weeks out of him before calling him home. Katy's mom was taken into Heaven on October 22nd, a day I'll never forget.

The year was special for Jeremy and I as we realized it was our last year of just us and planned a fabulous vacation for June. We flew to San Diego and cruised the Mexican Baja for 6 days, spent a few days in San Diego, drove the desert to Las Vegas and flew home. It was a very memorable trip. We also bought our shaved ice business and saw our teamed efforts of talent and ingenuity work once again. It was bonding working together those hours and teaching Jeremy just how long to pour the syrup on each sno cone ;)

We bought another house and slaved many long hours to prepare for the arrival of lil love, so that we could bring her home to home finished (and it happened!). I remember the overwhelming desire to provide the very best for my baby and all the tears and work behind it.

It's bittersweet, I never want to forget the times of just me and Jeremy. Our comradery is unmatched. The humor we share that only we get is corny at times but fun - it's called love. It hasn't always been roses but it has always worked. I knew there would come a post that described the feelings of adding the baby and taking away the time of just us and I knew it would be backed with the words she's worth it. And it is.

I cried this year, alot. I cried tears of pain and heartache and tears of joy. But in the end, all I can say is God is good. I am a planner but learned to be flexible, God is in control. Things don't always go as planned just go with how they go. It'll all work out.

I'll close my thoughts of 2008 with a song. I attended a concert in March before my pregnancy was made public, I was probably 7 weeks along or so. I went with my family and touched by the music of Legacy 5. They closed the concert with Tim Parton singing, "God's Been Good". I cried. It sang my song perfectly. The song was not released on cd yet so I couldn't purchase it and had somewhat forgot about it. Until one Sunday when my cousin Tyler sang this song in church. I was touched. I remembered the feelings of everyone of these words as it mirrored my life. I haven't forgot about it since. It's perfect...

God's been good in my life
I feel so blessed beyond my wildest dreams
When I go to sleep each night
And though I've had my share of hard times
I wouldn't change them if I could
Cause through it all
God's been good

Dear Jesus, thank you for your goodness. I am married to a loving man and have been blessed with an amazing Macy Grace. I have a beautiful home complete with a cuddly Jake. I have a church and friends that are my support system. But above all, I have you, and saving grace and that is all I could ever ask for. My life is full and God is good.