Big Boy Underwear!!!!

Yes...That's right!!!! Riley is wearing big boy underwear. We have officially started potty training! Riley's been ready for a while now, but I have not. I was not ready to put the time and effort that it takes into the process quite yet. Well this week is the week. Monday afternoon we went to Target so Riley could pick out some new underwear. He picked Thomas the Train. He is modeling them in the picture above. (I'm sure one day Riley will be mortified that I posted this picture on my blog. I happen to think his little backside is so cute!!!!) He's doing REALLY well. He has only had two accidents in two days. Both times it was just a little bit and he was able to stop himself and run to the bathroom. We haven't had any big messes...yet. He even went poopy on the potty (maybe that's too much info!?!) The hard thing about potty training is you become glued to your house. For the first few days, it's really hard to go anywhere. We set the timer for every 20 minutes and when the timer goes off we go potty. The first day this worked great. The second day I could tell that I didn't have to depend so much on the timer, because he was able to let me know when he needed to go. Every time he goes he gets an M&M as a reward. This is really working for us. I am just so proud of him. You should see Corban and I after Riley goes to the bathroom. You would think we won the lottery the way we are jumping up and down cheering for him. It's amazing how excited you get over your child learning how to use the bathroom. I know most moms can relate to the joy we are experiencing these past few days. I think Riley is really proud of himself too.

Playdate!

So...Friday a few of my friends from church came over with their kids for a fun play date. I love these ladies so much and enjoy spending time with them. My boys always have so much fun with their kids when we get together. It was a beautiful spring day so we got to hang out and play in the backyard. The kids played on the swing set and in the sand box while us girls got a chance to just chat. We then had a picnic lunch. I think a great time was had by all!!!

I've been tagged...

I've been tagged by my dear friend Kristin to list the Top Ten Things I Love About My Husband.

Rules: 1) Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules. 2) List the top ten things you love about your husband. 3) Tag 4 people and link to their blogs at the end of your post. 4) Let the people know they are tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

Top Ten Reasons I Love My Husband:

1. He is VERY handsome!

2. He LOVES to surprise me with gifts. He has surprised me with a trip to N.Y. city and a spa weekend get away. He had childcare lined up and had packed for me! He has even surprised me with a new car! It's not always big things though. It's the little things too; like cards, picking up one of my favorite movies, or bringing me my favorite candy when he runs to the store!

3. He works very hard to provide for us so I can stay home with our boys!

4. He is so silly sometimes and loves to make me laugh!

5. He strives to be a godly husband and to honor the Lord in all he does. He wants to leave a godly legacy for our children to follow.

6. He LOVES our boys so much. It is VERY important to him that our boys hear their daddy tell them that he loves them everyday. This is something he did not hear growing up so it is so important to him that our boys hear those words from him everyday.

7. He comes home in the evenings and jumps in and helps me with the boys. He cleans up the kitchen after dinner and enjoys giving the boys their bath each night.

8. He sees me with all my imperfections and still tells me I'm beautiful!

9. He opens the car door for me and always treats me like a princess!

10. He wants me to be happy and will do almost anything to make that happen!

Shane is my dream come true. I am so grateful to the Lord for blessing me with such a wonderful man to spend my life with!!!!!!

I am going to tag... Susan, Dawn, Beth and Kate

Mother/Daughter Social

Tonight I went to the Mother/Daughter social that was held at our church. All of my sisters were there along with my mom, grandma, and aunt. We had salad, lasagna, french bread and chocolate cake for dessert. Everything was yummy. The room was decorated in red roses. It looked beautiful!! The evenings theme was all about leaving a godly legacy. The speaker made me really think about the legacy I am leaving with my children. I was encouraged to make every moment count with my boys. I desire nothing more than to have my children live a life sold out for Jesus. If this is my desire for my boys than I need to be living that life myself boldly before them everyday. Lord...help me to do just that!!!

Here are a few pics from this evening...

My sister Allison, my mom, and Pamela ( a friend from church)

Me with my sisters

My sisters and me with my mom and grandma

The nursery

Well...I have finished the nursery! The new cushions for the rocker were delivered this morning. I am very pleased with how it all turned out. I am just thrilled that I now have a pink room in my house!!!! Each countless hour I spent painting and decorating the room, I also spent praying for the little one who's room this will one day be. I painted Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future!) to go above her crib. This verse serves as a reminder to me each time I peek in the room that God has a plan for me and the little one He has chosen to be a part of our family.
Please pray that we will get to meet her soon!!!!!

Balloon Volleyball

So... Shane and I started serving in the college group at church. After church on Sunday nights the college group stays and plays volleyball in the gym. We stayed after church on Sunday evening to play with them. The boys were very excited; however, that excitement quickly faded when they realized they were too little to play with the "big kids" They were very disappointed that they had to sit on the sidelines while their daddy got to play. To ease their disappointment Shane promised he would teach them how to play volleyball one night this week at home. So the other night we played "balloon volleyball"!!! Shane laid out a blanket on the floor and the boys picked sides. We also had to choose team names. Riley and I were the Wildcats and Shane and Corban were the Bobcats. We had so much fun hitting the balloon back and forth. It was such a simple game, but the boys enjoyed it so much! They have begged everyday for us to play it again. Today when I went upstairs Corban and Riley were playing it again. This time I grabbed my camera.

Look at what we did!

This weekend Shane went out of town on a men's retreat with our church. My little sister, Allison, came and spent the weekend with the boys and I to keep us company while Shane was away. Well, while she was here I took advantage of her sewing expertise and she and I went to town on projects for Sophie's room. We got curtains and a table cover made. I have been trying to get the curtains done for weeks now, but couldn't seem to find the time. The biggest problem was that I was having a REALLY hard time finding a fabric that I liked for the curtains. Allison had a great idea. She encouraged me to take apart the quilt that went with the crib set and make that into the curtains. I was a little nervous about the idea, but I decided to give it a try. So we did just that. I think they turned out REALLY cute!
I am excited to show you the rest of the room, but there are still a few finishing touches that need to be made. Maybe I'll have it all done by the end of the week!

Easy Preschool Craft

I am always looking for easy craft ideas to do with my boys. Today we pulled out one that we have done many times before, but the boys always LOVE it. I'm sure many of you who have small children have even tried it.
It's painting with balls.
There is really no mess- no clean up- but lots of fun!!

All you need is a shoe box (with a lid), washable paint, paper, and marbles (or small balls)...

Cut a small hole in the side of the box so you are able to push the balls through it. (Not really necessary, but makes the craft more fun for the kids!)
Place your paper in the box.
Drop a few drops of paint on the paper. (We like to use two or three colors!!)
Close the lid!

Push the balls through the hole.

Have your kids SHAKE and SHAKE the box while holding the lid on tight!
They will LOVE this part.

Open the box and TA DA... your have your beautiful artwork.

Take it out of the box and let it dry.

If you make a ton of them like we do, I sometimes mount them onto construction paper and use them as cards for the boys to write on and send.

They are always so proud of their creations!!!

Worth thinking about...

This was forwarded to me from one of the pastor’s wives at our church. I thought it was worth putting it up on my blog. I hope it encourages you as much as it did me!!

Do you ever have days when nothing goes right? When everything you do or touch ends up being a total failure? Days when you feel like crawling back in to the bed and starting over?

The times I experience "these days" are when my days are focused on ME! Constant complaining that I'm not good at this, or I don't look good in that, or I wish I were like her, or that my hair could look like so-and-so....ever feel like that?

After my bible study yesterday, I opened the book to my devotional and there it was. It slapped me in the face...

I've found that when I'm down, a door opens to my mind and I begin thinking down too. It's the perfect opportunity for Satan to step in and do some damage. It begins with the "I'm nots."

I'm not as good of a mother as so-and-so...I'm not very dependable...I'm not on time...I'm not as good of a cook as my family deserves...I'm not a good friend...I'm not as good at speaking or singing as so-and-so...I'm not a good homemaker...I'm not doing enough at church. I'm not as thin as I should be...I'm not organized...

We even bring our family into our depressing thoughts...

My kids are not turning out the way I imagined. My husband is not in tune with my feelings...my friends are not interested in me....

Thankfully, I am not defined by what I'm not. The "I'm nots" of life aren't true. They are lies that the enemy wants me to believe.

For every "I'm not" Satan plants in my head, God says, "I Am." What I'm not, He is.

I Am the unconditional love you are able to give your kids. I Am your Redeemer. I forgive you; forgive yourself. I Am your provider. I Am there for your friends. You aren't supposed to fix everyone. I Am living in you; therefore, you have great things to say and write. I Am your audience, not the world. The hole that your husband, kids, and friends can't fill in your heart, I can. I Am your Creator. Love the body you were given and take care of it.

Satan's attacks may be strong, but God is stronger. He is always here for us..."I will never leave you nor forsake you".

The next time you find yourself thinking of all you are not, remember all that God is. He is the great I Am. He loves you dearly.

Riley and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

My sweet Riley had a pretty rough weekend. It all began Friday morning when we headed to Mary Jo's Fabric store in Gastonia. While we were there Riley tripped and fell onto the store's hard concrete floor. He managed to get a pretty good size goose egg right in the middle of his little forehead. Then on Saturday morning, for reasons unknown to me, Riley tried to carry my heavy, ceramic, umbrella holder from the foyer into the dining room. Well, in the process, he dropped the holder onto the hardwood floor and it shattered everywhere. I was upstairs getting ready at the time and thought he was in the playroom playing. Shane and Corban were not home when this happened. I didn't hear the crash but I did hear him start crying. I went running to find him and by the time I did he was on his way up the stairs and blood was dripping down his hand onto his arm. Now, I am not very good in these situations. I have a very hard time remaining calm!! I panic at the sight of blood! I became frantic because one; he was screaming and crying and I didn't know what had happened and two; with the blood dripping down his arm it was hard to find the source of the wound. He did end up leading me to the shattered umbrella holder and it ended up just being his ring finger that was cut open. Praise the Lord--- no need for stitches!! I was able to get the bleeding to stop pretty quickly. A little ointment and band aid did the trick.
And if that wasn't enough for the little guy, while we were at a birthday party that same afternoon, Riley fell down their stairs!!!! Not all the way down, but the last few stairs near the bottom. They were carpeted so when it happened I thought he would be okay. When I got to him and picked him up he was screaming "MY EAR HURTS!", "MY EAR HURTS!". The thing was though, there was nothing on his ear. No bump, not cut, no blood, not even a red spot! He was inconsolable though!!!!! He was crying and crying which is normally not like him when he falls down. He is pretty good about just getting up and shaking it off, so the way he was acting really concerned me. I tried ice and cool clothes but nothing worked. I decided that I needed to take him to urgent care. So we left the party and met Shane at the urgent care. We arrived at the office and when I told them what had happened they rushed us right back. Riley was still hysterical at this point! I think because he fell down the stairs and the way he was holding his ear, they were worried about head trauma. We saw the doctor right away and guess what!?! He had an EAR INFECTION!!!!! Yes, an ear infection. The doctors' only explanation was that when he fell he must have just jarred his ear enough to bring on the pain. Go figure!?! They wrote us a prescription, gave him some Motrin, told me to just keep a close eye on him, and sent us on our way. We were literally in and out in about 30 minutes!!!!!
Rileys doing much better today. Thank goodness! No more boo boo's. His goose egg is now just a small bruise, his finger is healing nicely, and his ear infection is being treated with antibiotics!!!
I am considering wrapping him in bubble wrap from now on though=)!!!

Sleep issues

Okay... so Riley has made the transition to his big boy bed. He has done pretty well with the change. A few times he got out of bed when he was supposed to be napping, but I was quick to discipline, and that stopped right away. The main issues we are dealing with now are he is waking up much earlier than he used too in the morning, and is not napping very long in the afternoon. When he was in a crib he would usually sleep until 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. This past week he has been getting up around 6:15am!!!! And his naps would usually last at least 2 hours in the afternoon. This week I've been lucky to get an hour. I think the problem is that when he wakes up he just jumps right out of bed because he knows he can. When he was in his crib he might wake up but would doze back off. I have tried explaining to him that he needs to call me when he wakes up and I will come get him, but I don't think he gets it. The morning time change I can handle. It's really not that big of a deal, but the naps...I need him to nap!!!!! I need those few hours in the afternoon to get things done. That's the only time in the day where I can focus and do Corban's school! I really need those quiet two hours back!!!! I'm not ready to give them up just yet!!!

Baking Fun!

For those of you who know me well, you know that I really don't like to cook. I cook out of necessity to feed my family, but if it was up to me I would eat oatmeal or cereal every night for dinner and be quite content. My husband though is a meat a potato kind of guy. He enjoys a good home cooked meal. I don't blame him, I enjoy a good home cooked meal too--just one I didn't have to cook!!! The whole menu planning, coupon cutting, grocery shopping, budget watching, food preparing, stuff that is involved with cooking is no fun for me. Then after all that work my family will look at what I have spent time preparing and say..."do I have to eat it all?", or "how many more bites!"
Baking on the other hand is something I do enjoy. Baking is different than cooking because it usually involves something that everyone will enjoy like cookies, breads, cakes, or pies. It's definitely not healthy though!! I enjoy baking goodies and passing it out to our neighbors, or sending it to work with Shane so he can share it with his co-workers. The boys LOVE to help me bake too. They love to measure, pour, stir, and of course taste.
Today, Riley helped me make chocolate chip cookies. We had so much fun together! I'm not sure which one Riley enjoyed more though
--baking or cleaning up!?!

I'm an AUNT!!!

This morning, around 8:00, Shane's sister Sallie had her baby girl. They named her Makayla Dianne. She weighed 6lbs. 9oz and was 18inches long! She is so beautiful!
Sallie called us around 4:50am to let us know that they were on their way to the hospital. When they got to the hospital they discovered that Makayla had turned over the past week and was no longer in the head down position. She was breech. They were going to try and turn her, but there was some risk that the cord may get wrapped around her little neck. Sallie opted for a c-section. I didn't get to be in the delivery room liked planned, but that was fine. I am just so happy that both Sallie and Makayla are doing GREAT! I took the boys up to visit their new cousin this afternoon. Corban was so worried about his Aunt Sallie because she was in the hospital. He was very concerned about her and wanted to know that she was okay. I'm not sure what he was thinking in his little mind, but he was very relieved when he saw her and knew that she was fine!
We had a short visit, but we each got to hold Makayla. She is so sweet and tiny!

God Knows!

I wrote a few days ago about my miscarriages and the how hard it is knowing my due date for my last pregnancy that I lost is approaching. God has been so near to me as I walk through this difficult time of remembering. My friend Kristin emailed me this and told me that I should read it. I was so encouraged as I read her blog and realized there were other mommies who felt the same hurt I am experiencing. Then today, I was sent this little poem. As I read it my eyes were filled with tears as I was reminded that God truly knows my pain!

And God Said

I said, "God, I hurt." And God said, "I know."
I said, "God, I cry a lot." And God said, "That is why I gave you tears."
I said, "God, I am so depressed." And God said, "That is why I gave you Sunshine."
I said, "God, life is so hard." And God said, "That is why I gave you loved ones."
I said, "God, my child died." And God said, "So did mine."
I said, "God, it is such a loss." And God said, "I saw my son nailed to a cross."
I said, "God, but your son lives." And God said, "So does yours."
I said, "God, where are they now?" And God said, "Mine is on My right and Yours is in the Light."
I said, "God, it hurts." And God said, "I know."

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy."- Psalm 126:5

not much going on...

I'm kind of in a blog rut this week. We've been busy, but nothing really new or exciting going on- just the normal stuff. Nothing worth blogging about. It's been raining a lot this week, which has been GREAT we need the rain, however, we've been stuck inside. We do have a busy weekend coming up. We have dinner at church tonight. After dinner, Corban and Riley will be spending the night at my parents house because Shane and I are going to an adoption seminar all day Saturday.
On a side not, my sister-in-law Sallie is due today with her first baby. No news yet! I wonder what percentage of babies actually come on there due date!?! Anyway, Sallie has invited me to be with her and Tuan ( her husband) at the hospital during the birth. I am so excited and can hardly wait for the arrival of little Makayla. Since we are going to be at the seminar tomorrow I've asked Sallie if she could wait until Sunday of even Monday to go into labor. Either of those days work better for me. lol=) I know Sallie is definitely feeling ready to have this baby. Shane and I are excited to be an Uncle and Aunt for the first time!
Well... we're off to a play date!
Have a great weekend!!!