i get it

“…and to any woman out there who has ever wanted a baby...whether your dreams came true or not. whether you wanted just one. or just one more.... there is something to be said about the animalistic primal need to love a little. to want one in your arms so bad, it hurts. it is so very real. ...and even though i have one already, there is this instinctual love that already exists for this next one that i want to hold. that want and need to love and nurture...it's real, you know.”  –Kelle Hampton

Mini Cheesecakes

I read a blog called Enjoying the Small Things. It’s written by a mother and photographer, Kelle Hampton.  It’s a beautiful blog with well written stories of her daily life and some really breathtaking photos of her two girls. 

It’s really been inspiring me to take time out to notice the little stuff in life.  I’ve been thinking about how it’s almost April and that makes me feel a little torn.  I’m happy because it’s spring time and summer will be here soon.  I love the warmer weather and all that comes along with that.  But at the same time, I’m kind of sad that the time has gone by so fast.  If I hadn’t been blogging from time to time, I’m not sure I could tell you much about what has happened in the past 3 months.  Sure, I remember the big stuff, but I have not been enjoying the small stuff like I should.  One of my new goals is to soak it all in.  Enjoy life.  I don’t want to just coast day in and day out in the same old routines and forget that life is what we make it.

That is quite a long introduction, but moving on…

I found this recipe (that I made for our date night recently) on Kelle’s blog that I just had to try.  I’m so glad I did. 

Simple, Quick, Delicious! 

Mini Cheesecakes from Mama

2 (8oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

12 vanilla wafers

fruit topping

Preheat oven to 350.  In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla; beat 5 minutes.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups.  Place 1 vanilla wafer in each cup.  Divide cream cheese mix evenly over wafers.  Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Refrigerate.  Serve with fruit topping.

**I did not have vanilla wafers.  I used graham cracker pieces instead, and it still tasted wonderful!!!

welcome me back to the land of the living

All last weekend Justin was in Kansas doing some evangelizing stuff with a group from school.  I knew he would be home Sunday night before dinner and wanted to surprise him.  I cooked a yummy recipe from my lovely Pioneer Woman cookbook. I made a yummy dessert (recipe coming soon!).  And I rented us a movie for the evening, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. 

We had a really nice little “date”.  The food was good and the movie was decent.  It was a little goofy, but it’s supposed to be geared towards children, so I can understand why.

Monday morning rolls around, and I wake up with a sore throat.  I felt okay, though, so off to work I went.  By lunch I was feeling kinda yucky.  I took my temperature, and it was normal.  Two hours later, I was counting down minutes.  I needed those kiddos out of my classroom in a hurry!  I was s.i.c.k.

I made it home and up the stairs.  Justin met me at the door and could tell I was not well.  I handed him my (uneaten) lunch to put away as I curled up on the couch with a blanket.

Fever.  Chills.  Aches.  Pains.  101-102 fever.

It was bad.  And to top it off, I could hardly swallow.  My tonsils got so big that I thought they might burst.  For real. 

I called the clinic that I go to and asked for an appointment.  Nothing available until Thursday!!!  I thought surely I would die before Thursday.  I missed work Tuesday and Wednesday.  I was pretty much useless.  I loaded up on ibuprofin and nyquil and slept til I could sleep no more.  It was miserable.

Today I finally made it to the doctor.  I was feeling much better when I woke up today, but decided to go to my appointment anyway.  Tonsilitis.  I knew it before he said it.  His next words?  “Those need to come out now.”  Yeah, that would be two grand that we don’t have!  So instead I’m taking antibiotics and drinking warm liquids.  Fun, fun!

So… that’s where I have been the last few days in case anyone was wondering!!!

babysitting my favorite girl

Tonight I kept Ava while her mommy and daddy went to a movie.  I adore her and love keeping her.  She kept me busy the whole time with blocks (I would build.  She would knock over.  And laugh like crazy.), books, her baby, drawing with markers, playing with the kitty-kitty and “dogs” (which was only one dog, Bobo).  We even went outside on the balcony for a little bit to look at the cars and the trees.  I snapped a few pictures but forgot to check my settings, so they are all out of focus :(

Oh well, she is precious anyway!

 

Ava is at such a fun age right now.  Just turned two.  I’ve heard so much about terrible twos, and I’ve witnessed a little of that at work.  But Ava is just such a good, sweet girl.  She is hilarious, too.  Tonight she would crack up laughing and put her little hands over her mouth to hide it and then fall backwards acting like she laughed so hard she could no longer sit up.  Her most used word tonight was “please”.  She said please a million times or until I got her whatever she wanted.  She ate a bunch of fruit and each time she ran out, she would walk to the fridge and point to it and say please.

Pure perfection.

Love my Ava girl! 

pixel perfect blog hop

I haven’t posted a before and after in a couple weeks, and since I have all those precious pictures of Hudson still on my laptop, I figured I would join in!

I edited with photoshop cs3!

Check out all the other edits at Pixel Perfect.

Spring Cleaning

I'm getting ready to do some Spring Cleaning, but not in the traditional sense.  I'm going to be cleaning up my "dashboard" which is where I read all of the blogs that I have grown to love.

My hubby has been telling that I spend too much time blogging, but today the Lord spoke to me that I need to cut back on my blog reading time.  And when the Lord tells me, I listen.  I know I should listen to hubby, but sometimes it's just easier said than done.  :(

However, I will still read some, and I will still be posting here for sure!

Anyway, please don't be surprised or offended if I have been following you and suddenly you lose a follower.  It's me.  And it's nothing personal to anyone. It's just something I have to do.  I have over 100 blogs that I'm subscribed to, and at this point in my life that is just too many.

Maybe after this I'll get motivated to Spring Clean my house... but probably not!

New Blog

****link is now fixed****

As I’ve mentioned a few times since starting this blog, Justin and I both feel very strongly about being involved in missions work.  Neither of us feel called to one certain country, but to several areas around the globe including Africa, India, and Central America.  We don’t know exactly what our “ministry” will look like, but we are excited to walk it out.
We have created another blog where we will record all of our happenings with words and pictures.  We want to keep friends, family, and other supporters up to date with what we are doing.  The blog is still very much a work in progress.  We haven’t really come up with an official name or purchased our own domain yet.  Feel free to click over and check it out!
Also I added a little Facebook Fan’s box on the right hand side of my blog.  If you want to follow us on Facebook, just click it!  :)
Thank you in advance for any and all support as we embark on this journey to follow the calling God has placed on our lives!

This is Justin (far left) with the guys from his team that went to El Salvador last week!

spring time

I know it’s not “officially” spring yet, but it sure has been feeling and looking like it around here for the past week or so.  It’s been so nice I didn’t even mind taking the dog out while Justin was out of town.  That is usually one of his duties.  :)

Yesterday I was just glancing out the window and noticed the tree right outside our apartment is starting to bloom.  So, to me, it is  spring.  I sure hope it stays around though.

 

In other news.. I’m so glad to have my husband home.  Hopefully sometime soon I’ll do a post with some pictures from his trip.  Right now I’m just not feeling very well.  I sure hope I’m not coming down with a stomach bug that everyone at my work has been passing around.  

BABYBUMS

I have known about Etsy for a while now.  I just never really had a reason to buy anything.  I love browsing around the little shops whenever I have time to waste.  There is so much cute stuff on there!

When I found out Lacey was having a baby boy, I started trying to find a cute gift for him.  I looked at her registries, but nothing really stood out.  So.. I turned to Etsy, and I found BABYBUMS.

Look at this adorable little outfit that I had made--

 

Too cute!!!  I loved it and so did Lacey.  I cannot wait to see Hudson’s little bottom in those pants.  Haha!

The lady from BABYBUMS was so accommodating and so easy to work with.  The outfit was made and shipped very quickly.  I highly recommend her!

good news or bad news?

I had to run to the store to grab some chocolate chips to make a dessert for when Justin gets home tonight.  I thought I would go to Market Street, but Wal-Mart is just closer.  I am walking up and hear a whole bunch of cheering and yelling.  Who is it? 

Girl Scouts.

I tried to look away.  I was focused.  Chocolate Chips.  In and out.

Quick and easy trip to the store.

But then on my way out.. they caught me.

peanut butter for hubby.  coconut for me.  chocolate for both of us. 

I’m pretty happy with my purchase.

But I think it might be bad news.  There is a very high chance that these cookies will be completely gone by the middle of next week.  Yikes!  The three pounds I have lost are most likely on their way back to find me…

today we reunite!

I haven’t mentioned it on the blog, but Justin has been in El Salvador for the past week doing missions work.  When I left last Thursday, that was the last time I would see him for 9 days.  And it was our first time to spend at least a complete day away from each other.  When I was leaving to head to West Monroe to meet Hudson, I just could not keep the tears from flowing.  We must have said good-bye at least five times.  I would get a couple steps off, then turn around.  Then I would get almost to the stairs, and Justin would call me back.  We seriously did not know how to say good-bye.  It was such a weird feeling. 

I have no clue how people make it with spouses that work off or have spouses overseas or whatnot.  This has been a tough week for me.  I have had so much trouble falling asleep at night and have been so lonely in the mornings while getting ready for work.  It has not been fun. 

But today… TODAY.. he comes home!!!! 

I’m so excited to see him and hug him and hold his hand again!

His team flies into Houston and then will drive back to Irving.  I have no idea what time, but I know by the time I go to bed tonight, my honey will be back home.

:)

more hudson pics!

Check out my other blog here to see more pictures of brand new Hudson!

meeting handsome

After a very tearful good-bye, I left the hubby behind and made the journey to Lousiana.  I just had to meet Hudson and get some quality time in with Lacey.

I went to the hospital earlier today (they are to be discharged tonight) to hang out for a couple hours.  While there I fell in l.o.v.e. with this little guy.  He is absolutely perfect in every way and so gorgeous!

See for yourself…

I cannot wait to go see him and hold him again!  Talk about baby FEVER! haha :)

Hudson Wade

One of my very best friends ever, Lacey, had her first baby boy today.  I’m so thrilled for her and her hubby, Matt.

Hudson weighed 7.5 pounds and was 20 inches long.

I have not seen many pictures yet.  I grabbed this one from facebook :)  I think he is just a perfect little doll!

I will be going to meet this little guy tomorrow night.  I’m so excited about it!

 

Happy Birthday, Hudson!  And Congrats, Lacey and Matt!

I love you guys!!!

happy 2nd birthday, Ava!!!

Ava,

I cannot believe that it has been two  years since you were born. 

 

I remember it like it was yesterday.  You were so tiny and precious.

Last year at your 1st birthday party I thought you were such a BIG girl. 

And now this year I sit in amazement thinking about how much you have changed and all that you can do and say now.  I missed a good bit of your last year because Uncle Bubba and I moved to Texas in June.  We visited occasionally, and every time I saw you again you seemed so much taller and bigger than the time before.

At your second birthday party you had no problem feeding yourself,

 

or opening your own gifts.

It was fun to see you get so excited over the toys that you unwrapped.

 

You have such a cute and sweet little personality with a little touch of sassy.  I definitely found out that you have learned the word “no” and don’t like to pose for my camera as much anymore.

I love you soooooooo much, Ava.  So many people do!  You are a very special little girl, and I’m so glad I get to be your one and only Aunt Lissa :) 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Ava’s party, we took her down to the neighborhood park for a little bit of sunshine.  It was a beautiful day for a beautiful girl!

 

 

And on my way home I had to pull over and capture this gorgeous sunset.  Perfect ending to a wonderful day.

 

 

(Candice, I do have more pictures.. didn’t wanna put them all in this post.  I’ll either print them for you or put them on a CD for you!  Love ya’ll!)