Wordless Wednesday!

I'm still here...

Ok, so it has been forever since I have updated! I have been so busy with work and trying to get my house in order. I still have a long way to go on the house but am making pretty good progress. I will have my before pictures up, hopefully today!

I also was recently moved to a new position at work. I am no longer a Midrange Systems Support Specialist. I have moved on to Technical Customer Support. The two are totally opposites of each other but I feel that there is more opportunity where I am at. I started this position on September 1 and I love it! I thought for so long, in my old job, that answering phones was a pain, when really it's not that bad at all. I guess it's true, you never know unless you try!

This past weekend, we hosted a baby shower for my best friend Sarah. She is due in November with a little boy, Joseph Cash. I will also be posting pics from the shower, hopefully today. We went with a hunting theme and I think it turned out super cute!

This week is fair week in Washington County! I am looking forward to taking Avari on Friday night and possibly Saturday morning, to the petting zoo and hopefully she'll be up to riding some rides. All she has been talking about since Sunday was going to the bair (fair) to feed the animals. She said she wanted to feed the tigers and the elephants and the giraffes! It was too cute! I explained to her that there are going to be none of those but there will be goats and pigs and cows! She was ok with that. Looks like I need to plan a trip to the zoo soon!!

Well, I guess I should really get back to work.......

So I've been awol for awhile!! BUSY, BUSY!!

Packing, packing and more packing!!

I know this doesn't look like much but this is just what is in our hallway. Trying to keep most of it hidden in the bedrooms! Most is already in a storage building. I'll have to take a pic to prove that it doesn't take long to acquire a lot of crap, eh, stuff!

I actually just received a call while typing this from the realtor. Closing is still on for August 6. We do another walk through next week so I will be sure and take my camera to get all of my before pics before we start moving in. I will need a lot of help from everyone with decorating ideas in just a few weeks!!

A Sick 2 Year Old

She's finally smiling. After 3 days of a high fever and the doc telling us it's something viral, nothing we can do, she's finally getting back to her old self. As you probably noticed, the orange mouth. Ya, that's m&m's.

See the red spot on her leg? I'm definitely keeping an eye on this. The other thing the doc told us is that Roseola acts a lot like this and after the fever comes a rash that covers the whole body! So far I only noticed this spot on her leg but this could be a reaction to anything, so I sprayed a little benadryl on it and am going to see if it goes away. If not, I guess a call back to the doc is inevitable! No one ever told me before having her that the doc would become my new best friend! Just a heads up would've been nice!! LOL!

So with all of this, plus having to work and be on-call for July, a company picnic and everyday life, I've been pretty busy!!

Here's to hoping things mellow out a bit once we get all moved in!

Hey! A girl can Dream!!

Follow Me Back Tuesday

It's Follow Me Back Tuesday ! ! !

Hosted by Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's, Review Retreat, Boobies, Babies And A Blog & this weeks Guest Host is Dave from Musings of Life

                                                                       

It's a great way to start off your week & get more BF's !!

How it Works

•Follow all 5 Hosts 1 - 5 ( leave us a comment & we will follow u back- only leave a comment if you follow please )

•Make a post about FMBT and add that link

• Follow as many blogs as you would like ( Leave a comment so they can follow you back )

•When you receive a comment from a new follower return the favor & follow them back

( Check back every Tuesday at 12:00 am est to link up at any of the 4 host blogs )

 

Follow Me Back Tuesday- 7/20

Follow Me Back Tuesday is another day of the week that you can gain more followers and find other great blogs to follow on a weekly basis. Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's, Review Retreat and Boobies, Babies & A Blog.




Each week we will choose a random number every week from the blogs linked and add the random blog to the #5 spot to link to the following week ...



This weeks guest host for the #5 spot is Sanity is Overrated.


 



How it Works




1.Follow the 5 hosts, #1 – 5, ( leave us a comment & we will follow you back- only leave a comment if you follow please ).


2.Create a blog post about FMBT (you may copy this post if you wish).


3.Follow as many blogs as you would like ( Leave a comment so they can follow you back).


4.When you receive a comment from a new follower return the favor & follow them back.


***Please link directly to your Follow Me Back Tuesday Post. Links that lead directly to your personal blog hop will not be accepted and will be deleted.***






The code will be available every Tuesday at 12:00 a.m (EST) on all 4 hostesses blogs.

Paperwork for the loan has all been signed. Should only take a couple of weeks to wrap up and then we can close on the house!! I am ecstatic!!


I am looking forward to getting to decorate and begin making all of the projects I have in mind. There will be lots to come within the next month or so.


Does anyone else feel like this week is dragging on? Boy is it! I am looking forward to a semi-relaxing weekend with my baby girl and hubby. Only plans is to get everything packed for the move. We don't have much since we've been staying with my Dad, but it's enough to keep me busy for a while!


May have to make a trip to the lake or plan a picnic and park adventure for Avari. I'll let her decide what she wants to do......


A little update on Avari: She is doing soooo good in school. Her vocabulary has expanded alot since starting a month and a half ago. She's still not quite on the potty training bandwagon yet, but I still think she is a little too young and has no interest in it what-so-ever! It will take time and I think, be easier in our new house. No Carpet downstairs so I can let her run around naked and keep the potty down there. We'll see how it goes. She has also developed this little personality that I can't help but giggle at! I just wish I could catch some of the stuff she says or does on video. She's very vocal about what she wants and what she doesn't like and a little bossy to boot. She tells Daddy all the time "Don't do that" or tells us "Goes right there" when we put something someone "she thinks" it's not supposed to go and moves it. She's a stinker but the light of my life and I couldn't imagine her any other way!!

Check out this awesome giveaway...

Check out this  Scentsy giveaway HERE from Cute as a Fox.

And check out her awesome blog while you are there!!!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

WOOHOO!!! We put an offer in on the house and they accepted!! Next step, bank! We have gotten our pre-approval and just need to go in and get things rolling for the actual loan!! I am over-the-moon happy!! Never did I think it would work out or be half as easy as it has been. There really is light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel!!


Here's a sneak peek at the house. Lot's more to come once we close and I get to start decorating! Can't wait!!!

Keeping My Fingers Crossed

We went today and looked at a house. I absolutely love it!! The realtor emailed me the name of a lady to talk to at Austin County State Bank and I am going to contact her first thing Monday morning. She also stated in her email that their is another showing on the house Monday! My heart sank when I read that. What if they have already gotten pre-approval and can put in an offer on  Monday? I am freaking out over here!! I have high hopes that we will get an approval and can make an offer but I don't want to let myself get too excited. It's just that, this house is perfect for us! Everything we want and more! I am going to keep positive and not let myself stress over it too much. Maybe, just maybe, things will work out for us! Just this once? Maybe? I sure hope so, we sure could use an easy break this time. I guess I will have to wait and see what happens on Monday! If we lose this one, then I am giving up house hunting for a while until I can be sure that we can get one that we love.

Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Avari's Photo Shoot

This was my attempt of a photo shoot for Avari. Being an amatuer, I think they turned out pretty well. Can't wait to do more! I love photography and one day hope to have a nice camera to take pics with.

ENJOY!!!

My BeAuTiFuL bAbY gIrL!!

Quote for today:

"Sometimes you can tell a large story with a tiny subject" - Eliot Porter

Another awesome giveaway

Red Door Home Apron Giveaway




This is another one of my favorite blogs. Enjoy! You don't want to miss this one!

Wedding Album

I received our proof book from our wedding yesterday. It is absolutely perfect. Shannon did such a great job!! I would love to post some pages out of it but will need to get permission from my photographer first.

Check her out, she does an awesome job.

Shannon Buck Photograpy

I still need to post pics from our weekend at Lake Travis along with the mini photo shoot I did of Avari. She also experienced her first boat ride this past weekend while we were visiting family at Lake Somerville. She loved it and I have several pics to post of that also.

All is well here and hope everyone has a blessed day!

No quote for today! Limited on time.

Tatertots and Jello: delightful Scentsy giveaway!!#comment-2778805505020244872

Check out this awesome giveaway from Jen at Tatertots and Jello.

I love reading her blog and I think you would too!!!

Tatertots and Jello: delightful Scentsy giveaway!!#comment-2778805505020244872

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Summertime!

Finally......Pictures

Easter 2010

(Better Late than Never)

Mommy & Avari

Getting Flowers for Avari's Easter Nest

She wasn't too thrilled!

On a mission

Mom...Get me out of here!!

Avari watching Vance build his nest

In the words of Avari....Silly Face, Silly Face!!

Easter at Nan-Nan's!

Jada, Audrie, Avari, McKenzie

Playing with her Kitchen!!

I Love this pic of Jacob and Avari!!

Summer Time!!!

Yayy!!! I got the pics up! More to come! Don't want to overwhelm with too many!!

Stay tuned.....

Oh Tuesday, you are almost as bad as Monday!! Today is one of those blah days. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night with Avari in the bed with us. We are trying to break of of her mimi (binkie) and she did good falling asleep initially. But she has the tendancy to wake up in the middle of the night looking for it and well, last night, we didn't have it. So we tried putting her in our bed until she can get used to not having that as a comfort item. Didn't work. She cried and screamed and eventually, we gave in and gave it to her. Well, we let her fall back asleep in our bed but so did we, so there she stayed all night. I guess after the second or third time she kicked me, I could have gotten up and put her in her own bed but I just wasn't feeling it....even as uncomfortable as I was, I couldn't convince myself to get out of bed! Laziness!! Ha! So low and behold, today started out kinda crummy but really all is well.

Thursday, I will be attending my cousins funeral. She was 35 years old and just gave up on life. I haven't seen her in years but can remember her from when I was little. My thoughts and prayers go to her family during this time. She will be greatly missed and I only wish that things would have been different!

I was able to speak with the Mortgage Company yesterday. Of course not great news but I guess I didn't really expect it to be easy. After purchasing Jacobs truck, my credit score dropped like 20 or 30 points. Crazy! Now I don't have a high enough score to qualify for the loan and need to bring my score up 17 points. That is not going to be easy at all! If I can manage it, she won't be able to run the credit again until the end of July once everything has been reported back to the bureaus! She said we could see if someone would co-sign for us but I do not want to do that. First off, I don't want to put anyone in a bad position. That would be on their credit and what if they needed to get a loan for something? Secondly, I want Jacob and I to do this on our own. We have got to come up with about $3000 dollars to pay down a little debt and it should help my credit score increase! Well, we've got probably half of that covered. So how to come up with the other half before the 22nd of the month, when our normal payments are due. We would have to pay by then, in order to have it reported to the bureau before the next time she pulls our credit. Wonderful! We are having a garage sale but not until the 26th......So now what are we to do? Not sure yet but I'm hoping that I can come up with something.

Now to Avari....She is absolutely loving school! And I am loving all of the art projects that she brings home. I have a binder with sheet protectors in that I am going to put all of her artwork in over the years and give to her later on in her life! Once we get a house, I want to make a sign that I saw on another blog to display her artwork before putting it away for safe keeping. Today we are going to go and take pictures. I have been needing to get pictures done of her but haven't had the time or money and now that everything has kinda greened up from the winter, I think we will just take them ourselves. I have my grandmothers camera that takes awesome pictures so now I just need to pick out the perfect outfit and hope that she is in a good mood this afternoon when I pick her up! It'll be lots of fun doing out first little photoshoot together. I will definitely be posting pics! I have some that I will post this afternoon that I have taken but are by no means professional looking at all, just day to day, around the house type of pics.

We are looking forward to this weekend. Getting to see John and family. Only wishing Elaine and Natalie were coming too. Can't wait to spend time with the whold family later on this year!!!

Pics coming this afternoon......

Quote for today:

'Beware what you set your heart upon. For it shall surely be yours.' - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oh boy! It has been a while since I last updated. Nothing new though. I have been sick for the past week. I had fever for 3 days straight and my doc said that it was just the crud and to take OTC meds. Thanks doc! Big help you were. I could've told myself that and save a hundred bucks. Oh well....that's life. Guess I didn't realize that this weekend was Father's Day. I am so out of touch! We are planning to go to Austin to visit some of Jacob's Family and see his step-dad that is flying in from Missouri to see his dad! I'm looking forward to it! I really enjoy spending time with John and only wish that Elaine would be coming down too. They are the greatest in-laws ever!!!! It probably won't be until after Christmas before we get to see them again! = (

I do have several pictures that I want to post....some as far back as Easter! Like I said, I am out of touch! Time just flys by and the more I say I'll do it tomorrow, the more tomorrow turns into a month or never!

Ok, so my new goal......NO MORE PROCRASTINATING! (well maybe no more but I'll be better, I promise)

I don't have a quote for today.....just couldn't put a finger on one I liked!!

Til tomorrow.....or the next day.....or even the next day......LOL!!

Another busy week behind me but another busy week ahead. I'm trying to slowly build up my supply so that I can start craft making. I have gotten so many great ideas from other wonderful ladies blogs. I can't wait to get started. My house, once we get one, will look great!!!

This week is Avari's last week at Nan-Nan's. She starts school June 1. To say I have anxiety is an understatement! I am having trouble wrapping my head around her not being with Nancy. She is the greatest babysitter around! She is another Grandma for Avari and we consider her and her family a part of ours. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Nancy and value her guidance. She has kept Avari since she was 8 weeks old. These past 2 years, I have watched Avari grow into a cute and bubbly little girl, thanks to Nancy's help. I know Avari is going to miss her soooo much and I hope that she is able to adjust to the new school ok. Friday is going to be a sad day! But it's not goodbye as we will keep in touch forever but a see you later. We will definitely be going to visit a lot!!! I am still trying to come up with a meaningful gift for Nancy but I'm drawing a blank! I want it to incorporate all of the girls somehow so I will have to keep thinking and get it done by Friday!!

So, since Avari starts school on June 1, I have been looking for clothes for her. I just can't seem to find anything that I really like or if I do, it's too expensive! I went to Target Saturday and got a couple of things but their selection was really slim. I guess a trip to the mall is in my near future! Jacob will be soooo thrilled! I was able to get her backpack ordered and it should be delivered today! I will have to post pics when I get it up!



Quote for today:

'One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion.'
- Simone de Beauvoir

A little of this and that...

This week is the last week of Bootcamp. Yes, I did get to go one day last week and will be going today and hopefull everyday for the rest of the week. I haven't decided yet if I will continue or not. As much as I want to, I'm not sure that I can justify spending that money right now. I have learned a lot of good exercises, so I can just do them at home for free!!

Started dabbling a bit in selling on Ebay. So far, one thing has sold but that now has me pumped to get going on that. I have 4 diaper boxes full of clothes and 3 trashbags full of clothes, so I am going to start there. We'll see how it goes. My goal, although high, is to get to $5000. That would be amazing and would really help us pay off the rest of our debt!! Wish me luck!!

Had a good weekend altogether though. Got to spend some time with my bestie and boy have I missed it. We will definitely do that more often. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! A good release from the everyday stresses.

I am feeling good about this week and am looking forward to a great week and weekend ahead!!

Quote for today:

'We don't laugh because we're happy -- we're happy because we laugh.' - William James

And so continues Bootcamp...

Everyone has been doing really good at bootcamp. They work you hard but in the end, it will definitely be worth it. I don't have any new pics yet, that will come at the end of the 4 week session and measurments will also be posted at that time.

I am looking forward to trying the 5:30 am class tomorrow morning. I just don't seem to have the time in the evenings after work to devote to it...BLAH!! This will be interesting! I am not a morning person, ask anyone who knows me! I normally roll out of bed a little before having to be at work, rush to get dressed, get Avari dressed if Jacob hasn't already done so and get out the door. If I have to take Avari to the sitter, that's a whole other story! I usually make it to work by 7:05 or 7:15 or sometimes 7:30. Not too good considering I have to be there at 7:00. What can I say though! I'm not a morning person!!!!!

All in all, I am loving bootcamp. Such a great feeling I get from being out there, in nature, sweating my a** off, on the road to a healthier lifesyle! Yeah right! A girl can dream! I would have to give up everything I eat to do that and then what would be the point because I would starve to death. (*If you didn't get that, I rarely put a healthy thing in my body, it just don't taste good).

Quote for today:

'The first law of dietetics seems to be if it tastes good, its bad for you' - Isaac Asimov

Mother's Day, A Birthday Party and so much more....

This past weekend sure was a busy one. I started out Saturday morning having to work. Blah! But no biggie, got done early enough to get home and get ready for my Aunt's birthday party. Luckily Avari napped during this time and I had to wake her so that we could get going.

The party was great! I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I don't know where I would be without them! I got there early to help out and get my cake made. I set up the kiddie pool for the little ones and Avari and Audrie loved it. They are such hams!! We had great BBQ and a few adult beverages and a nice time was had by all. Couldn't ask for a better way to spend my Saturday evening than with the one's I love the most! I hope Tuttie had the best birthday and I wish her many more.

Mother's day was pretty much a typical Sunday. I got up and cleaned, did a little laundry and spent time with Avari. She's really starting to want to be outside more than in now and that's great! Not as much TV watching going on and she's getting some other sort of stimulation. All we need now is a swingset or something more for her to do outside and we'll be set. Jacob went to town to clean my car since we were selling it and came back with cards from him and Avari, a picture frame and flowers for mother's day for me. Total shock! I really wasn't expecting anything at all, just to spend the day with them. Dad BBQ'd chicken and sausage and I made a few sides and finally made it to the bedroom for Army Wives.

All in all it was a great weekend. Really couldn't have gone better. Looking forward to what this next weekend will hold.....

Quote for today:

'God could not be everywhere and therefore he made Mothers.' - Anon

The First Year

This past Sunday, we celebrated out one year anniversary. I really can't believe that it has already been a year. Seems like just yesterday I was planning and getting ready for the greatest day of our lives. This year has had it's ups and downs and has been quite the struggle but looking back now, it was worth every moment. It has brought us to where we are today and that is such a great place. I have more love and a growing respect for Jacob every day. As we move forward on this journey, I look forward to a lifetime of love and happiness along the way. Here's to many more wonderful years together, hoping to find our home and possibly expanding our family.

Oh and I forgot to add that the year old frozen cake was still YUMMY!!!

Quote for today:

'I will remember always that marriage, like life, is a journey - not a destination - and that its treasures are found not just at the end but all along the way.' - Anon.

Before Pics

Finally, I am able to get the before pics added......

Tricia                   

Tuttie                  

Beverly                  

April (me)                   

You can't tell from this picture really but the bathing suit is too tight and there for my fat bulges over the side. And I didn't show the back view, which is really where I need the work. I would also like to have some abs!