Everything Is Green

The other night I washed a load of laundry. This is nothing new. One of my first chores as a teenager was to learn to wash the clothes. I am a little (others might say a lot) OCD! I love to wash clothes and fold them all neatly and perfectly and put them away in a very organized fashion. Early on in our newlywed days, Jason would try to help me wash or fold the clothes, but to this day, I prefer to do the job alone. I'm just a little controlling that way.

Anyways, the other night I was running a load of laundry in anticipation of our trip to Fall Creek Falls (that we just got back from and LOVED - more on that in another post). When it came time to fold the clothes I noticed some green spots on Jason's shirt and I found it a bit odd. Then I noticed that Joshua's jeans had some green spots on them...Abby Kate's new white sweater was also covered in green dots...Joshua's football jersey...Jason's khaki's...the towels...washcloths...socks...pjs... The mess began to get bigger and bigger and I quickly learned that ALL of my clothes in THAT load were colored GREEN!!!!

I quickly sprayed the clothes with shout and washed the load again. Well, tonight I finally got around to taking that load out and it is still.......


GREEN!!!!!

What's a girl to do? Any success stories on removing crayon from your clothes?

"What Do You Do...

....when you are cold?"

My precious 3 year old gave the answer, "you snuggle".

My Jackson, you melt my heart daily!

My 2010 Year of Savings

Once again, I am grateful to see another year filled with savings! This year's total is almost a couple hundred short of last year's grand savings total, but I am still pleased. I am still a deal seeking momma and I pride myself on saving our family a lot of money when it comes to our grocery shopping. I love shopping the deals and stocking up on the items that go on sale. I love it that the kids are now all about my coupons and they love shopping with me and asking if I have a coupon for whatever it is that we are buying. 

I've also found that I can save big with the department stores when they have a sale. Unfortunately I haven't kept up with that total. I'm sure that would be a pretty impressive number, though. I actually had to go shopping the other day for clothes. I cannot stand shopping for clothes and trying on so many different things. Let me tell you, my hair was all about the static that comes with this season. Anyways, I was really proud of myself for only looking at the clothes that were on sale. I came away with some incredible bargains and the best part was that I got the majority of it for free using a lot of gift cards that I had been given. I also lucked out and found some church clothes and pajamas for next year on clearance for the boys at Kohl's! I walked away with a savings of over $250!!!

Now that I've proven to myself that I am in fact saving our family money by shopping the sales and using coupons, I will no longer keep a grand total on my blog. However, if I ever come across a deal that I just have to share I will certainly do so!

2010 Savings

Coupons - $2.75 

CVS - $228.23 

Kroger - $384.63 

Publix - $1,018.90

Target - $509.08 

Walgreens - $165.26 

Times Where I Saved More Than I Spent - 18

Total Savings for 2010 - $2,308.85

The Biltmore

Back at the beginning of our Fall Break in October, our family took off for a week in the mountains. Jason and I spent our first 3 years of married life in Kingsport, Tennessee. We have fond memories of our time spent there as a newly married couple and of our experience in Youth Ministry. We have many friends that are still there and anytime we head to the mountains, we love going a little further up the road to visit with our friends.

We were able to stay with our friends, Matt and Cecile. Last year over our Labor Day break, we spent a long weekend in the mountains with Matt and Cecile. We decided on a day trip over to Asheville to visit the Biltmore. Jason and I loved visiting Asheville when we were newlyweds. In our early years of marriage, we made several trips over for long weekends. One Christmas we toured the Biltmore and loved it. They really go all out in decorating for Christmas. It had been at least 8 or 9 years since we had been back. I was amazed at how much more of the Biltmore they had opened for the public tour.

The kids loved it and had so much fun spending the day touring the Biltmore! Asheville is one of those towns that holds a special place in our hearts. Its a place that takes me back to our early years of marriage. I loved experiencing the town and the Biltmore again with our children.

The Biltmore 2010

Family Fun Friday

Our party of 5 has decided on a new family activity - Family Fun Fridays! We are all so excited! I love that the kids are at the stage where they can objectively voice their opinions and we can all decide on something fun to do as a family. Last weekend I sat down with the family to plan out our weekly menu. With the threat of snow, I wanted to make sure that we had plenty of food. I also thought that sitting down with the family and deciding on our menu would help with the great debate every night - "What do you want for dinner?". I admit, it is hard to decide what kind of meat you want for dinner first thing in the morning. However, it is equally as hard to decide what to feed our party of 5 each night without complaints and planning ahead. I always have food stocked up, but if I don't have the time during the day to thaw out my meat, then we are out of luck. I love cooking, the stress comes from knowing what to fix each day. I love that everyone voiced their opinion on what they would like for dinner and that we were all able to agree.

Our weekly menu this week. I can't wait to make next week's menu tomorrow!

Jason picked my homemade chicken noodle soup, Joshua picked Spaghetti night, and Abby Kate picked Roast (I love it all). I can't even begin to tell you how excited everyone was for "their night" this week. I gave up on trying to fix dinner on Wednesday nights several years ago. We live too far out for Jason to make it home before church and for us to have dinner fixed and eaten before heading out for Wednesday night church. It kind of bothers me that we don't eat at home on Wednesday nights, but I've just learned to embrace it and accept it. We did go ahead and decide on the place that we would eat because that also always poses a challenge each Wednesday night. I have to admit that it was nice to know ahead of time what we were going to eat. It also helps with Jason's schedule during the week to know what he is going to have for dinner so that he can plan ahead his lunch appointments.

Now, I am not usually one that likes to have a dinner schedule planned for each night. In the past, there were times where we tried to have a dinner calendar and I just didn't want whatever was on the menu that night. We are at a different phase in our family right now and having this weekly dinner schedule is going to be a huge help. I love that we can all give our input and help decide our family's menu. It is very exciting for the kids, but I think that I am more excited. For once, I don't have to be the deciding factor for each meal. I also love hearing what the kids find to be their favorite meal that I make.

We decided to add a little fun each week too. After a long week of school, it is nice to have time out as a family. The kids are really excited about our Family Fun Fridays. Each week we will choose something fun to do as a family. It might be dinner out, a movie, a special treat, a camp out in the living room, pizza night, a ballgame, bowling, a trip to the park, ice cream night, etc. The possibilities are endless and the fun thing is that the kids help decide what we are going to do together. Family Fun Friday is also a great way to keep everyone on track with their behavior. Tonight our plans include dinner at Rosie's and a trip to Krispy Kreme. It is so hard to believe that we already have 6 year old twins and the time that has flown by. I know that in a few short years, they will have other things to do on Friday nights. For now, we want to soak it all up. I hope that the kids will have fond memories of the fun that we have on Friday nights. Whether we spend our time together out doing something or we are under our roof having game night, we will have fun together!

My Love/Hate Relationship

So, I've had my blog private for a few weeks. The reason...I don't have it updated. If you know anything about me, then you know that I don't like to do things halfheartedly. My OCD self is seriously bothered by things being undone and not fully completed. I've always given 110% and if I can't, then I don't even attempt to try until I can give my best. Anyways, I've toyed around with the idea of shutting down my blog for well over a year now. Jason has kept me afloat this last year and half encouraging me to keep at it. I moved my blog to private and now I'm second guessing my decision. I keep thinking of all the things that I can blog about and all the memories that I want to preserve. I have found more time to think of blogs this week with being out all week for snow and ice. So for now, I'm going to see what I can do. I think that I will try and blog the events that have taken place over the last few months and see where that lands me.

Christmas 2010

Picture Joy Christmas

Personalize the christmas season with Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Perspective

I vividly remember this time of year as a child. Our mailman would deliver the JCPenney's catalog to our mailbox and I LOVED going through the catalog and circling all the toys that I was putting on my Christmas list. This year, the kids have really gotten into the catalogs that have come through the mail, too. I think that we've just about gotten them all...Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, Pottery Barn, LL Bean, Hallmark, American Girl, Build A Bear (I just love the little Rudolph and Clarice reindeer that they are featuring), Lifeway, and the list goes on and on. I have found my kids looking at all of the toys in the catalogs, sharing the ones that catch their eyes, and they've even circled some of the toys that they would like to receive as gifts.

Then last week, we received the catalog for World Vision. And this catalog puts everything into perspective. In a season of spending, it takes so little to help someone less fortunate. For instance, $30 will buy a family 5 ducks to provide eggs for years; $100 will give 2 or more families a goat and 2 chickens that will provide eggs, milk, and meat; $18 will cover the cost of a mosquito net for a family to help prevent malaria; and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Gifts of animals, protection for girls and women, comfort and warmth, clean water, food, nutrition, and medical care can impact the lives of so many. And, it only takes so little.  

If you've ever been around our children when they pray, you might hear a prayer for "Shella". Shella is a little girl that has been part of our family since the twins turned five. That summer, Jason had been reading The Hole in Our Gospel by Rich Stearns, the President of World Vision. The book really convicted us to consider what we could do as a family to help a child...which led us to Shella. Shella is a beautiful little Haitian girl who happens to share the same birthday as Joshua and Abby Kate (July 6, 2004). Through World Vision, our family has been taking care of Shella for the past 18 months. Not a day goes by that our children don't pray for her. I doubt we'll ever even meet her this side of heaven, but Shella has made a tremendous difference in our lives. I hope we've been able to make a difference in hers.

I hesitate to post this here for fear that it might come across as boasting. That's definitely not my intention. But I want everyone to know how easy it is to make a difference in the life of a less fortunate child. We believe in the mission of World Vision. This holiday season, I'm looking forward to starting a new tradition with my family. One that involves an entirely different catalog for us to circle. It's things like this that help us keep our perspective during the holiday season.

All Wrapped Up

I love getting a glimpse into the pictures of the past. This is a picture of Jason when he was a little guy right out of the bath tub. I'm not sure how old Jason is in this pic, but he sure is cute all swaddled up in his towel! And how about that wallpaper? Gotta love the 70's!

The other night, Jackson was wrapped up after his bath and I snapped this picture of him. I love the similarities between these two pictures of my little guys!

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Today marks an important milestone in our house. Two years ago today, Jason and I gave our son his first of countless injections for a growth hormone deficiency. Joshua was born 7 weeks prematurely and only weighed 2 pounds, 5 ounces at birth. Praise God that he was only small! We were blessed by the outpouring of love and support from our family and friends, the NICU nurses, and our neonatologists. Joshua came home 31 days later weighing a very small 3 pounds, and 12 ounces. Over the years, he grew and got bigger. He didn't let anything get in his way. He was still on the small side, but he was still growing. We noticed at around age two, that he had stopped growing in height. We were aware of the situation and watched it very closely. When we returned to our doctor's for Joshua's 3 year well child visit, we realized that he had not grown at all during his second year.

We made the first of many trips down to Birmingham in January of 2008. Joshua was so excited about "seeing the BOY" at the office. The "boy" was the doctor and he quickly won over the hearts of all the nurses in the office. At his first visit, he weighed in at 25.9 pounds and measured 35 inches in height. They also took a bone x-ray to see the "age of his bones". At the visit, Joshua was 3 years and 6 months old. His bone age was 2 years and 8 months old. This was a good thing, in that it meant that he still had growing room within his bones. We returned for a visit that July, hoping to see some growth. He had barely grown an inch. Our endocrinologist thought it best to go forward with more testing. Over the next few months, Joshua had a 3 hour IV test where they drew 7 vials of blood looking for a spike in his ISG1, but it only spiked 1 point higher than what they were looking for one time. He failed the test and the doctors told us that he was growth hormone deficient.

In order for Joshua to grow, he now takes a daily injection of medicine. He will continue taking these injections until he reaches an average adult male height. On October 21, 2008, Joshua received his first injection. There were days of anticipation, lots of tears, and lots of hurt feelings. Its been two years now, and we still have days of anticipation, tears, and hurt feelings. There have been times where it has been harder than others and then there are the times where it is not that big of a deal. Throughout all of it, Joshua has been such a trooper!

We are so pleased with the results that we have seen so far. Within 4 months, Joshua had a growth of 1 and 1/2 inches placing him on the growth chart for the first time ever! He was barely on the chart at .8th percentile, but he was on the chart. That day in the doctor's office, I had tears of joy! 6 months later, Joshua had another growth of 1 and 1/2 inches and he measured at 39 inches. He measured at the  1.6th percetile. He also weighed in at 30 pounds. He was in the .42 percentile and it was the first time to be on the growth chart for weight.

Our last couple of visits have shown more growth. When we started this process Joshua was only 35 inches tall. This past August, he measured in at 42.4 inches - the 5th percentile and his weight jumped from 25.9 pounds to 38.1 pounds - the 7th percentile! We couldn't be any prouder of our little big guy! Joshua you are "strong and courageous" and we pray that you will "not be afraid" because our God is with you each and every day.

October 2008

October 2008

We've had our easypod device from day one. Jason and I got a quick how-to lesson from a registered nurse and we were sent on our way. Over our time of use, we've only dropped the pod once (and it broke), we've left it about 3 times when out of town at families or friends houses and had to turn around to go back and get it, completely destroyed a vial of medicine, and had to rescue lots of needles that "messed up" in the device. We have to mix his new vials when they come in, keep up with ordering his medicine and keeping extra batteries, needles, alcohol prep pads and a sharps container on hand at all times. We also keep a pair of tweezers handy for those stray needles that occur ever so often. Due to the amount of detail that goes into his injections, only a few family members know how to administer his injections. The night before my surgery, Jason had to give a quick tutorial to one of our family friends because our plans fell through when Joshua had an asthmatic like attack. She was great and followed the instructions perfectly! This is our nightly routine. We look forward to Saturdays, because that is the night that we have "off". Joshua was happy to let me photo document his nighttime routine.

Our pod is kept in the fridge. We have to get it out and let it sit for about 5 minutes before putting in the needle for injection. 

Cleaning the area with an alcohol wipe. I cleaned the area up after snapping this picture.

Waiting for the green light. I love that he can't see the needle with this device. Unfortunately, he can feel it. 

Almost done!

Trying to put on a brave face for mom, but we're all done!

Just the Two of Us

My Family

My Family ~ 10/10/10

Catching the Cardinals

A few weeks back, we headed over to Atlanta to catch a Cardinal's game. With Atlanta being so close, we always try and head over when the Cardinal's are in town. We enjoyed seeing our friends Corey and Alisha and staying with them through the weekend. Friday night, Jason was able to head out to see the Avett Brothers in concert with two of his friends. I'm really looking forward to seeing them again in concert here in a few weeks.

We were able to get "All You Can Eat" tickets to the game. I really wasn't sure if we would eat our ticket's worth, but I have to say that they probably came out losing money on our party of 5. Joshua, Abby Kate and Jackson kept the place busy with countless drinks, peanuts, nachos, and minute maid ice cream. We had a blast and enjoyed a day at the ballpark. Unfortunately, the Cardinals came out losing, but we still enjoyed catching one last game for the season.

On our way out of the park, I could instantly tell that it was about to come a downpour. We had a bit of a hike ahead of us, and the rain came down! Joshua and I took off running and Jason picked up Abby Kate and Jackson in his arms and carried them while he was running to the van. We all soaked, but what a memory it made!

View of the field from our seats!

Such an intense little baseball fan!

Sneaky Sleeping Swimmers

Over Labor Day weekend, our crew of 5 headed up to Nashville for some family celebrations. We surprised my mom with a birthday party after spending the afternoon at a baby shower for my cousin and his wife. After we all had some cake and we were getting ready for our ride home, I saw Jackson climbing up on the counter. I did what any good mother would do and I got my camera and began snapping pictures of my little guy.

The kids were exhausted from the excitement of the day. I always get a good laugh out of seeing the way our kids fall asleep. They looked so uncomfortable, but were so tired that they slept the whole way home.

Jason was preaching on Sunday, so we drove back up to Nashville on Monday to spend the day with family. We were so excited to swim one last time out at Aunt Pam's house. This was the first time that I actually got in the pool water since my surgery. The wind was really chilly, but we enjoyed our time out at the pool. The kids have come so far this summer in their swimming. I know that they had a lot of time to practice while they stayed with my parents after my surgery. I am amazed that our babies can now swim and jump into the pool all by themselves.

And of course, Joshua always gets so cold when swimming. I always seem to find him bundled up in a towel by the pool....

Flag Football

This year, Joshua wanted to play flag football. If you know Joshua, then you know that he is one ball obsessed kid! He's always had a ball in his hands. He also never stops throwing or hitting ball in the house. He's broken glass with a baseball, one of my coffee tables has a big nick in it from one of his balls knocking over a picture and the picture nicked the table, and of course, if you've been over to our house, then you've probably been hit in the head with one of his balls. I've lost count on the number of times that my son has hit me with a ball..... "Ball throwing, hitting, rolling, tossing, etc." is one rule that we just don't see to eye to eye on.

So when we asked Joshua about playing football, he jumped at the opportunity. We love the Tennessee Vols, Titans, and the Colts (because of Peyton, of course). Joshua is eager to go to any ball game and he has been to quite a few Vols and Titans games over the years. When it came time to request numbers for our football jerseys, he asked to be #5 (in honor of Albert Pujols, of course) and is wearing his #5 proudly.

Joshua is a Mustang and has really enjoyed playing football with his teammates. I love it that Jason is out there with him as one of his coaches. He is one of the smallest guys out there, but he is all heart. He plays on the offensive line and defensive end. He is so proud of his "high knees" drill he learned in practice and is always looking forward to his practices or games. Who would've ever guessed that our little small 2 pounder would be playing on the offensive line and as defensive end? We are so proud of you, Joshua!