Featuring 'Julia'!

One of the blogs I follow regularly is Totally Tots. It was started recently by a group of Christian blogging moms who wanted to pool their ideas and resources to benefit moms of tots (12-47months), especially those interested in homeschooling, but also all moms of tots. They have a wealth of inspiration and information in many areas and it's very easy to find what you're looking for.

One of their regular features is a 'Meet my tot' where they share the favorites of a particular tot and links to their mom's blogs. Julia was actually chosen to be featured this week. What a great early birthday present!

So click on the picture below to hop on over and check it out! You will also find links in their side bar of the contributing moms- an inspiring bunch to say the least. So take a minute to look around while you're there :)

NEW BLOG!!

Okay, I've finally done it!

I've been recipe sharing with family, friends, and the internet for many years. How many times do you say, "email me that recipe" or "I'll have to get that recipe" and then when you want to make something you have to dig through papers and emails to find it, not effective.

So, I am starting to compile my favorite recipes onto a blog. They have come from all over. If I have a source I will give credit. If you have a fav you want to add post a comment :)

There are 40 in there so far. You can search by labels (there's a list on the side), recipe name from the archives, or type a search word at the top.

This will be a work in progress as I go through all my compiled cookbooks and emails. Whenever I try something new and we love it, I'll add it, too.

SO........ check out the new link ----->>>>>>>
(on the sidebar)

We're still here!!!

I know many of you think we've fallen of the face of the earth. I promise we didn't. Some of us may have considered jumping at times (but only for a split second), but we're all here and doing fine. It's been unpredictably CRAZY around here. The past month has been travel, Easter, rain rain and more rain, cold snaps and frost, cabin fever, new flowers, glimpses of spring, some soccer, lots of pint-sized guests in our house, quite a few days of bodily functions all over the house, Julia learning to really talk and Carter learning to read!, a trip to the ER, a fabulous new camera, and lots of time with friends.

But don't worry I'll catch you up on everything real soon! Stay tuned...

Where to start...

So how do you start one of these? Do you backtrack and catch everyone up? Or do you just jump right in. I think I'll go with something in the middle. Being a stay at home mom is such an amazing gift, but unique in that no one really sees it. It's just me, the kids, and God hearing the commentary running through my head...
I have two wonderful kids. My son Carter, the oldest, is everything I ever imagined a son to be. Who could resist a kid who asks daily, "Don't you want to cuddle your favorite boy?" He is compassionate, empathetic, intelligent, inquisitive, a leader, loves sports, and is growing closer to God with each passing day. He is the best brother his sister could ask for! And she is the loving light in our lives. Julia has always been content, happy, joyful, and loving. She strives to do everything her brother does and more often than not succeeds. I've wondered if she'd be something of a tomboy, but she's proven me wrong. One of her favorite rewards is to visit the shoes at Target and carefully try on and put back each pair. Her love for clothes is the same. I've learned to check the cart before leaving a store because she has usually "shopped" for clothes for herself. I love getting her out of her bed in the morning to hear her say "bow" and point to the wall hanging- such a girl- gotta have the right accessories. She can already dress and undress herself (and I'm hoping she'll teach her brother). She loves cars, trains, legos, balls, and the Wii. But we can now add baby dolls to the list. She met me at the door to leave today with her stroller, baby, diaper bag, clothes, and baby bed. She's mastered the best of both worlds :)
It's a new day around here. We had settled in to a routine this school year with music, preschool, gymnastics, church, awana, family, and friends. (And adjusting to Carter starting to give up napping...) This January we struggled with illness and issues with school and made the decision to quit. I have visions of bringing this up at his college graduation, "...after quitting preschool..." It has already proven to be the right decision for all of us. We have more time to focus on each other and our friends. We have the freedom to live at a less hurried pace and to choose our own daily activities. We don't have to get up so early in the morning. We spent our first day of freedom visiting friends we hadn't seen in so long, leisurely eating lunch together, reading books, playing games, and of course cuddling my favorite boy. It's so reassuring knowing he is happy, healthy, and thriving. This has taught me yet again to trust my mother's instinct and not listen to popular opinion and pressures when God is so clearly laying the answer on my heart.