me and lil love

So the processing is a little different (okay, quite a bit different) than I normally do, but I'm drawn to this. Is it too out there? What do you think?

backtracking Day 2

Onto Day 2 of our fabulous vacation. We woke up Sunday morning to a cloudy San Diego after sleeping because of the late night. We ate breakfast and headed out for Sea World.
He man offered to take our pics for us while waiting in line for the 3d show to open.



We watched the whales and saw Shamu





Some dolphins





And we got to hold a live starfish





I have been to this Sea World twice. The last time I was 9 years old. I have been to the Sea World in San Antonio one time. I prefer the San Antonio Sea World much more. It was bigger and newer. But this Sea World was nice. We didn't spend any money in the park, except maybe a big drink with free refills. I figure once Macy is older we'll fall into the trap of buying over priced stuffed animals and souvenirs, while we can avoid it, we did! We spent about 6 hours at the park and were starving when we left so we hit up a Taco Bell next door to our hotel and rested and changed for our night out at Oceanside.






We ate dinner at the yummo Ruby's Diner out on the pier, the weather was gorgeous! We had a nice walk, ate strawberry sundae at Dairy Queen and headed back to our hotel. In the morning, we would be boarding the Elation!

backtracking

One of my highlights of 2008 (besides of course lil love's enterance into the world) was our fabulous vacation. It was so long and fun. I'm going to do my best to recap it so I can remember this vacation for lots of years!

We wanted to plan a great vacation because we me being pregnant we really had no idea how a baby would potentially change our lives and when we would be able to travel again. This seemed like the opportune time. I received the okay from my dr and we planned. We looked at all different cruises and decided that we would do a 5 day cruising the Mexican Baja from San Diego. We cruised the Carnival Elation stopping in Cabo San Lucas Mexico and Ensenada Mexico. We added a few days to our trip by exploring San Deigo and then driving over to Las Vegas to fly home.

Our vacation started on Saturday June 7th, as we packed our car and drove south to Oklahoma City to catch our afternoon flight to San Diego. We arrived in the city, worked out car arrangements with my brother and ate lunch at the yummy On the Border restaurant. I needed to make a last minute run to Walmart(remember - the swimsuit drama? well, I needed some bottoms!)and we caught our flight in perfect time. Here we are in the terminal waiting!



Our flight stopped in Dallas then on to San Diego, we arrived around 11:30pm. We rented our car which worked out to be pretty nice and found our hotel by around 2am. Driving in San Diego was new for me and thankfully we had our GPS. We did get lost because the address of our hotel was on E street, well, I thought that represented East street so it took us to the ghetto and I was freaking out! I called the hotel and realized it was E street and we made it there alive - thank God! We have come to understand that in our few short years of marriage, that I am the better driver. Kind of. Jeremy just gets ridiculous road rage and freaks out. I get really nervous in the big cities but I just listen to him to tell me where to go and it works better that way. To each their own right?

I'm going to recap each day separately. This was day 1.

vacations

I love to travel, I do. Always have. There is something purely exhilirating about boarding an airplane, checkin into a hotel, the laid back feeling of vacationing. My family took a vacation nearly every summer growing up. I've had the priviledge of traveling alot with school and church activities. I've seen the pacific, gulf coast, and the atlantic (kind of, probably shouldn't count that one since it was in Miami and there is a fine line between the caribbean and atlantic right there). I have been to many different states, mexico twice, and the bahamas. I consider myself blessed to have had these opportunities. Jeremy never did alot of traveling growing, actually, he basically never traveled; so traveling together has been adventurous.

I love all sorts of vacations and traveling. From overnighters to a fabulous vacation (I went looking for my link to our fabulous vacation last summer and realized I NEVER posted it - how did that happen, that's my next post!!), I'm game. So, when we headed down the the city last week for Sid's college graduation, I realized it had been 9 months since I had been there!!! 9 months, wow. I'm TOTALLY craving a weekend getaway. Badly. I just want to leave on a Friday evening, go somewhere and come home Sunday night. I'm going to get to work on this asap =) Back to the topic at hand, I booked a cruise. This cruise. And if you know anything about cruising, it was a wonderful deal, just wonderful. The only drawback. The only reason I'm not obsessing for shore excursions. The only reason I haven't mentioned this thus far? I'm leaving Macy behind.

We talked and talked about this. We considered taking her, the airfare is free, but she costs to take her aboard. And the cost is the same as an adult! She will not remember it. She would not be able to do anything but crawl (maybe walk) around and that makes me nervous. We also entertained the thought of taking along someone (Jeremy's mom) to help with Macy Grace, but then the cost is even more and truly Macy doesn't need to go. I would rather take her when she is old enough to be excited about it and can remember it.

I have until July 26th to fully make my decision and I can get my deposit back if we change our mind. The cruise isn't until October and I desparately need a getaway with J and rolie polie, so I'll focus on that and get excited later for the cruise.

Peace.

another one

i'm back

Sorry i've been away for over a week now! I have several posts to publish, we'll see how much I get done today! Just wanted to check in a leave you with a pic

PS - if you don't just melt when you look at her eyes, you have a problem! hehehe

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to every mom out there. It's mommies who make the world go round. Macy and I went to our first Mother Daughter Banquet together on Friday night, it was great, the pictures, not so much!!
This is the best we got....

So, I took the spoon away, and

every woman in the place gasped that I could be so mean so I gave it back

and it really just didn't matter. Haha. Sorry baby.

PS. I would write more but I have an upset lil one cause she wants to be looking around not sitting on my lap! She's hard to please sometimes.

half a year baby, half a year

My Macy Grace,
Oh sweet baby, I would like to start by just telling you how much I love you. That seems to be a reoccuring theme lately but I love you more and more each day. I have been quite emotional lately when talking about you and what you mean to me, but I can't help it, you are just that wonderful.

Today marks 6 months since you have been born and I have loved every second of it. It is so cliche but I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Before we know it, we will be having your 1 year birthday bash (it is going to be so stinkin' fun!!) and my itty bitty lil love will be not be so itty bitty anymore.

You are certainly changing and have an amazing personality. You are very generous with your smiles and are so observant of everything going on around you. You'll just sit back and watch it all. However, if too many people start gathering around you and getting in your space, you fuss and want them to go away.

You love to play with your fingers and toes. And of course everything goes straight into your mouth. One thing you really enjoy is long drawstrings. You'll take my drawstring and wrap it through your fingers and just suck on it and if I take it away your get upset. You have this cute lil stuffed weiner dog and love to suck on his tail. You also love your lil pony. When we take baths together you love to suck on the washcloth it is so cute. Sometimes you'll be playing with that washcloth and just look up at me with those big brown eyes and the washcloth will be hanging from your mouth, it is so cute! You have really noticed Jake in the last month. The way your eye just light up right when you see him is amazing. I love it. You'll just watch him and want to pet on him, I think you will be best friends with him.

You are at a very fun age. You roll around but are not mobile enough yet that it's a problem ;) You are learning to sit up and but don't quite have it down yet. When you are laying on your tummy, you will flap your arms and kicking your feet like you are swimming! And you love to be outside.

I have started giving you veggies and so far you like them. Of the green beans, carrots, peas, squash and sweet potatoes, squash is your least favorite. I made it to my short term goal of breastfeeding for 6 months and I'm so pleased that it worked for us. You eat like a champ but still will not take a bottle! I've given you a sippy cup a few times but you don't exactly have that down nor do you enjoy it.

By far, my most favorite thing about you my dear, is your laugh. If I could bottle that up along with the look in your eyes, I would, and I would keep it for life. It is the most amazing sound in the world. You are a mommy's girl, but LOVE your daddy, and that's okay we'll share you!

Sweetie, you are the light of me life, and I am blessed to have you. You make my days brighter and more meaningful. Your daddy and I love you more than we could have ever imagined and that love just grows and grows. I say it often, but it's a love you will not understand until you are a mommy yourself. I love you my sweet baby girl, I love you.

With all my love,
Momma
xoxoxoxo

touch of summer

I love summer. I do. As a matter of fact the other night I mentioned it was my favorite season and J reminded me that I say that about every season and usually boast that autumn is my favorite. What can I say, I love life. Seriously though, summer is my favorite. I like autumn because it is a nice change to summer, definitely don't care for winter AT ALL, and here in the hole of America, we have no spring. And I do love christmas, but all in all, there is something INCREDIBLY drawing about summer. It's just so wonderful.

I love the barbeques, the late nights, swimming pools and chlorine, coconut suntan oil and spf sunscreen. I love shaved ice sno cones and vacations. Summer is just fabulous to me. You don't have to worry about coats and being cold. And it is so much easier to cool off in the summer then to warm up in the winter. I just enjoy the warm/hot weather, always have.

Here are a few of my favorite "touches of summer":

image from here


fruit pizza recipe here



Check out this outdoor space:

from bryn

Seriously, how cool is this?



And I'll take an outdoor bedroom please, thank you.


via flickr

You like this one?


You can find more info here. It's located in friendly Colorado, and is available for the friendly price of $2,100 a NIGHT with a 4 night minimum - no problem. Excuse me why I go through up please.

Okay all better. So, what's your favorite season? And your touch of summer? Let me know i'm dying to read about it!!

one year ago

I was just thinking about how much my life has changed in the last year. I looked through my blog posts and one year ago today I was blogging about finishing my 14th week of pregnancy and had JUST started feeling lil love move within. Oh, the joy. I read through my thoughts on the subject and how it made me feel at the time, and I couldn't help but smile. I loved being pregnant. And I love holding the bean in my arms now. Despite my craziness, I really really do enjoy my life.

Also, one year ago tonight Linds, Tif, and I went to the bigger little city and ate some amazing steak, ate ice cream and had a very difficult time finding me some clothes.

Oh the difference a year can make. I'll be back later. Blessings.

bad mommy

I am so upset at myself right now. Last night I very stupidly drank almost a full 32oz of diet coke. Which means, I can't sleep with diet coke running through my veins. I have had SO much on my mind lately and I suppose I'm just not handling everything really well right now. Last night was the first night in quite awhile that I had nothing scheduled to do, although I had alot I needed to do. I just simply couldn't find the motivation to do it and was crabby. Since I couldn't sleep, I popped 2 benydrals, hoping to snooze away the night and wake up refreshed. Well, I did. I slept too good. I heard Macy crying, and I guess I just tooned it out, thought she would just fall back to sleep, whatever, I don't know. Well, I woke back up a little after 6 to realize she's still crying and I didn't go get her. Crap. I go in there so sleepy and see my little baby screaming because she had pulled the bumper pad over her face and was lodged between the bumber pad and the railing of the crib - she couldn't pull herself out. I started crying, she's crying. I felt and still feel so bad. I grabbed her and just hugged and kissed her and fed her. My poor baby.

10 on Tuesday

1. I'm entering a contest to win THIS



It's a giveaway at the Lettered Cottage, a blog I so faithfully follow and adore. It is from Grace at Coastline.
Check it out, you'll be glad you did =)

2. It's Tuesday. Ah. Time is flying by and I have a bunch of things I want to complete before my grandma and grandpa come next week.

3. To help with number 2 (well, not entirely but it works) I'm going to Hobby Lobby tonight. Yeah! But it is a 90 mile drive ONE WAY to get there. So, I make my trips worth it!

4. Macy Grace will be 6 months old this week. Wow.

5. I need some help with bamboo shades. I bought some for an incredible deal. I suppose I just didn't realize they were see through. And I have an issue with that. I just don't like people always being able to see in my house. So basically I would need to have my curtains closed anytime I don't want people peering in, right? But I don't like my curtain closed all the time. I just can't make a decision. I love the look. Maybe I should just give it a try.

6. We were blessed with a new washer and dryer. My motto "good things come to those who wait" once again paid off. A lady we know bought a new washer and dryer in January and unfortunately passed away just right after. So, it is basically new. We are getting it at half of what she paid for it. I'm so excited, because we have a really old washer and dryer right now. It will be wonderful to have a new one.

7. For how incredibly busy I am right now and how much I have encompassing my thoughts on a daily basis, I'm surprisingly not all that stressed.

8. Which is why I don't make lists very often. It overwhelms me. Sorry, I just can't help it!

9. I love the way Macy Grace laughs. Oh, it just brightens my day.

10. I have roughly $150 of my birthday money I can spend. Any ideas of what to spend it on? I know it stuff to spice up my home, but how?

weekend recap

I had a busy and productive weekend but would have it no other way because I hate boring weekends!
Friday night immediately after the last kiddo vacated the premises I bundled lil love up and we headed to Alltel for a new cellphone. Mine had been slowly breaking over the past few months and I was wanting a new one. The plan was to get in and out in record time to make it to my friend Beth's candle home party by 7:00. It was alrady 6:30 so I knew I was pushing it but thought I would try! Well, I didn't make it to the party, I actually spent my Friday night at Alltel for 2 HOURS! Yup, I wasn't in my car headed home until 8:30, grr. Oh well, I got a brand new phone in the process and I loooooove it (so far!). I sort of had a difficult time deciding because it's such a commitment. I don't like paying for a new phone so I'm usually stuck with the same one for 2 years unless I need to make an insurance claim. I made it home, nursed a fussy baby, ate a yummy pizza J was able to cook up real quick in the oven, and I was in bed by 11:00 =)
Saturday morning Macy Grace and I laid around a bit and were somewhat lazy until J got off work and then it was on my agenda to clean house. I've been switching out lil love's winter clothes and the new sizes (she's wearing 6-9 months now), and it has taken quite some time. Worked on that, worked on cleaning the house, then needed to meet at the church to get some supplies ready for the Mother Daughter Banquet this Friday. My friend Katy and I had to make a short trip to get fitted for her wedding and while away I hit up an Alco store and scored an amazing deal on some rollup bamboo shades. I've been eyeing some for a while because I'm wanting a new look for our living room giant size window. After our trip we ran a few quick errands stopping by my dad's house for a few minutes and picking up some gringas (quesedillas) at the taco shack.
We enjoyed our normal Sunday routine with church and made up all of our shaved ice flavor concentrates making my hands very rainbow stained! I worked on a few photography projects and surprisingly this morning when I wokeup (early!) I'm not that tired. Maybe I'm finally getting used to my new life!?
Have a blessed day =)

the greatest of these is charity

"Faith, hope, charity, but the greatest of these is charity". It's the first thing that came to my mind when I started reading this story. Several months ago I posted a link to this dear mom's blog Brooke and the loss of her sweet girlies Carynne and Sydney. I offered everyone the chance to sign a petition for Congress to allow more money to go into finding a cure for Werdnig-Hoffman Disease also known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 1. I had revisited the blog since the day her babies died, but had thought she hadn't updated it, I was not looking at it right. I was wrong. She had pages and pages of updates and I started reading through some of it. And it is very heavy stuff. Heavy. Intense. It's not for light reading. I sat down here and have just cried my eye's out literally (and I don't do that often!) and ran into the other room and grabbed Macy and just held her and cried and told her how much I love her. I tell her that anyway, but I needed to again today more.
I want to challenge you to make your way over to her blog and start reading (when you feel that maybe you can emotionally!). I only got through about 3 posts, it's all I could handle for this morning. But if her story touches your heart, leave her a comment and let her know. Pray for her and her husband. My philosophy is you never know when you will need a band of prayer warriors on your side, so do what you can now.

And if you have a little one to love, love them extra much today. And tomorrow. And the next day. We all have someone to love, so reach out and show it. Don't get so wrapped up in the petty things, just the little things everyday things and love. The biblical truth is so true, the greatest of these is love.

Blessings!

morbid?

I have no problem talking about death. And actually some might refer to me as having a morbid view of death. I'm not sure that I would describe myself as morbid, but maybe. I suppose I wanted to mention this aspect about me because I think about death alot. And I have no problem preparing for death and discussing it. I think it's because I understand that it's envitable and while I don't enjoy the thought of dying nor the topic in general, I'm comfortable discussing my feelings about it.
I have had very close and personal experiences with death. I've sung the song and danced the dance more times than I care to recall.
I was visiting with my inlaws when I mentioned their will and I wasn't aware that they don't have one. I casually asked what they would desire of their estate when they die and to my surprise they didn't have it written out anywhere. Which is fine. But what sorta weirded me out was the fact that my MIL said she doesn't like to think of death so she won't. While I understand that most people don't enjoy thinking or speaking of death, in my opinion it's a fact of life. And it will happen, so be as prepared as you can.
While on the subject, we don't have a will - yet. We are working on it. We really need one especially with all of our investments and of course, Macy Grace. We have decided on her godparents, but we still need to ask them! But in general we are working on the whole thing.
Like I mentioned, I don't just get all warm and fuzzy with the idea of dying, but I think about it. I don't think of myself dying that often, but other people.
In the next couple of weeks, I may be writing on this very subject of death. For several of reasons, it is a topic that encompasses my thoughts on a regular basis this time of year.
After reading this you may agree that I have a morbid view of death. And I'm okay with that.

want another piece of dirty laundry?

Just cause I feel like opening up.
I have a ridiculous habit of forgetting that I washed a load of laundry, for like 3 days. Notice I said wash, not dry. So, they sit in my washing machine for like 3 days until I go and wash another load and realize I left a load in. So, then it's all nasty and musty and smelly. So, I have to wash AGAIN, this time with some vinegar to rid the nasty smell and start all over. Why oh why can't I remember about the load in the washer? Why???