New Year's Resolution

WOW!! 2011 sure did fly by fast! It was a good year for me! I got a nephew, found out I was going to have another little girl, and graduated from college! But as this new year started to role around, I began thinking about what I wanted my resolution to be.

I've made resolutions every year since I can remember. Sometimes I just make one resolution so I can focus on it and try hard not to break it. (I probably lasted a few weeks at the most) I've made lists, put my resolutions in colorful writing on my bedroom wall, etc. But I NEVER keep my resolutions.

I guess my resolutions are never a big deal to keep either which is why I can't seem to keep them. I want to lose weight, work out more, do daily devotionals, actually try to put effort in school, keep up with my journal, not hit the snooze button in the morning, etc. All these seem like good resolutions, but they also have something in common...they focus on ME...that and I can never keep them.

Last night I was praying about this new year and how I was excited to see what God had in store. In the back of my mind I realized I still needed to make my resolution. That's when God spoke to me! Not audibly, which might have given me a heart attack, but I heard in my heart "why do you keep focusing on things such as resolutions, why don't you try focusing on me instead?" WOW!

That's when this years "resolution" came to my mind. Instead of focusing on pointless resolutions and my ability not to keep them, I am going to focus on God. After hearing God speak to me, my mind immediatly went to Colossians 3:2 which says: "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."

Colossians 3:2 is my "new year's resolution." I want to set my mind on God and grow in His wisdom. I want to learn everything He has to say to me. I want to show Brooklyn and Addison what a true relationship with God looks like and what a parent who has that kind of relationship looks like. I want the world to see a difference in me and know that it could only come from God.

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What do you choose?

Lately I feel so whiny!! And that is not the kind of person I like to be. To most people I'm not, but to those I feel are close enough to listen (Luke and my mom) I can sure whine about things.

I had a VERY easy pregnacy with Brooklyn!!...but this one has turned out not to be so easy. I spent the first 13 weeks naucious (I never once got this way the first time, and I don't throw up unless I'm super sick!). I tried crackers and even getting medicine from my doctor but even those made me naucious. I already have indegestion (I'm so sorry for all the people who suffer this all the time!) and it made me walk hunched over like an old man! My back hurts all the time, I've had a lot of pain in my stomach, and I. AM. SO. TIRED!!!!!!! I can't get enough sleep. And the more sleep I get, the more tired I am!

After listening to me whine, I'm sure you're wondering when I'm going to get to the point...Well here it is: I. Am. Blessed. Beyond. Belief!!!

*I am able to get pregnant!
*Both of my children are healthy (though one does have a double ear infection right now and the other is just now forming ears)
*I have a husband who loves me, supports me, and takes care of me
*My daughter thinks I'm the greatest person alive!
*I've had no complications during this pregnancy

After having a miscarriage earlier this year, I feel as though I am blessed beyond belief to have this new baby! I can remember praying that if God lets me have another child I wouldn't care how sick I was or how much I hurt because I would give Him all the glory for blessing me with another child.

So, that is what I am going to do! When I'm too tired to stay up and do homework, when I just have to sit down to teach because I'm too dizzy to stand up, when I have to make frequent trips to the bathroom, I am going to praise God! I can choose to let the devil cripple me or I can choose to live for God, allow myself to be blessed by Him, and praise Him constantly for all that He has given me. I choose the latter! What do you choose?

It's Been FOREVER!

Lately I've been so busy! I worked full time at the bank this summer...but last Friday was my last day. It was very bitter-sweet! I've worked there for 3 1/2 years. These people (my work family) have seen me through so much: going to college, dating Luke, getting married to Luke, having Brooklyn, ...pretty much everything in the last 3 1/2 years! I will definatly miss them!

I thought I would start going to my school to get ready for student teaching this week, but luckily I got a break and don't start until next week. A whole week off! Just me and Brooklyn! You would think I could have gotten SO. MUCH. DONE! Wrong!!! All I've done is slept!! haha and that is so not like me! I've taken a nap every day (except today because I am refusing one!) and then gone to bed by 9! I don't like being lazy. I prefer to be doing something. But I can only clean my house for so long without getting absolutly. bored. out. of. my. mind!

I did get one thing done this week! I finally scrapbooked!!! I've been wanting to print all the pictures I've taken of Brooklyn to make a cute scrapbook out of it! I wanted to get it all done before the new baby comes...we'll see if I can manage enough creativity by then. I've done 40+ pages and have only really captured the last year of Brooklyn's life. I've got quite a bit more to do but I have to take another break since school is starting...and I have to be in the mood to get anything accomplished.

This is the only page the new baby has yet (I'm getting a jump start on him/her):

Here's Brooklyn's stack:

While I was being creative, I thought I'd get ready for school. Here's my binder for student teaching:


Brooklyn was the only kid to come to our AOL back in July, so she got to eat cookies and got all the attention:

She loves Mommy's glasses! They make her so smart!

She's pretending to be scared of the flash! She's such a ham!

Brooklyn Stories

* The other day, Brooklyn wanted a brownie. I'm trying to teach her to use her manners and say please. So I said "say please and you can have a brownie." She said "brownie" and then pushed me! Yes! My sweet little angel didn't get her way so she resorted to pushing! What did I do? Spank her! She had this awful look on her face like I hurt her feelings, she pouted around the floor for like 5 minutes, then she came up to me and said "brownie please." I of course gave her a brownie then. We may have a little temper to tame!

*While I had to work one day, Aunt Mush and Bepah kept Brooklyn. Brooklyn loves her little cousin Dylan. She got to play with him all day. At lunch I got a message from Mush saying "B just got her pretend phone and held it up to Dylan and said 'cheese'! lol think shes had a few pics taken of her?" I thought this was so funny!

*Today, Luke was changing Brooklyn's clothes. He would pick out a shirt and Brooklyn would say "I don't like it" (i yount yike it). She did this for EVERY shirt he picked out! In the end, he had to hold her down while she cried to put on a shirt she didn't "like". She's already a drama queen!


I have so many other funny stories to tell about Brooklyn, but these are all recent so I had to share before I forgot them.

Branson Vacation

This year for vacation, we went to Branson. Usually we go to the beach, but an 8 hour drive to Florida would not be fun with a 22 month old and a 2 month old. So we opted-out this year and went to Branson instead. I definatly missed the beach! But I enjoyed shopping and swimming in the pool.

I didn't take many pictures on vacation. All the ones I did take are of Brooklyn (of course!). Here are some that I actually snapped...

My child is a fish!! She absolutly LOVES the water (or "dader" as she would say)

These floaties only stayed on the first day. After that she became a "big girl" and refused to wear them.

Nana let Brooklyn build-a-bear. Tinker-Bear to be exact. Brooklyn didn't like the guy who helped us out. He tried to tell her a story about the heart for the bear, but she just threw the heart at him and ran off. She know who/what she likes and doesn't like.

What she did like was giving the bear a bath! She thought it was a lot of fun!

Here's her with Tinker-Bear. It was hot! She hadn't had a nap! She was forced to go shopping with her family. She. was. not. happy.

I know this looks random, but this fox hung out with us all week. He lived somewhere close to our cabin, and we'd see him catching squirrels, or begging us to feed him popcorn. He was pretty friendly for a fox.

This child is fearless! She would jump into the water without a seconds thought. It takes several people to watch her. She likes to try to escape your arms to swim on her own. Let's just say I tire out A LOT faster than she does.

The place where we stayed had a little playground next to the pool. She saw the slide and insisted she go to play. She's very persistent when she wants something!

How cute is this?! Wearing "Bepah's" hat

Here are those floaties she refused to wear. They became pom poms. She liked to cheer with them which is funny because I don't think she's every seen cheerleaders before. At least not since last fall during Football season.

We had a great time relaxing in Branson. Great food. Good shows. Transformers 3D! I got to actually read a little! (4 whole books!) It was a very nice week!

High Heeled Shoes

My mom and I were at Wal-Mart the other day when a pair of shoes caught my mom's eyes. She pointed them out to me and I noticed they were little high heeled shoes Brooklyn's size. I couldn't believe my eyes! Not because they were the cutest shoes in the world, but because the world is wanted my child, my not-even-two-year-old child to grow up! She's growing up fast enough as it is!!

My mom told me that these shoes were now very in-style all because of Tom Cruise and Katie Holme's daughter Suri. She's been wearing mini high heels ever since she could walk. I'm sorry people, but that's a little rediculous! What ever happened to the Full House days when Stephanie Tanner got her very first pair of "high heels" when she graduated 5th grade? (And the little kid shoes I saw were much higher than the ones Stephanie got!)

It really got me thinking about being a child and the kind of childhood I want Brooklyn to have. When I was younger, I would much rather have been outside "chasing tornados" or climbing on top of the building in our backyard or riding the four-wheeler than playing with Barbies. I would much rather read books than watch tv. I loved using my imagination! When I got older, I became more girly and would pretend I was marrying Jonathan Taylor Thomas (remember him??) or dressing up like Mary-Kate and Ashley. I grew up on my own time, not anyone else's. My mom would have loved for me to be her girly-girl and dress up or fix my hair, but I was fine in my t-shirt and pony tail. She never forced me to wear make-up or high heels when I was only a toddler. And I don't plan on forcing Brooklyn either. I don't want to get her ears pierced yet. She has a very long time to make that decision on her own. She won't be wearing make-up (except chap stick) or high heels. She loves being girly: painting her nails, wearing jewlrey, having shoes on, wearing dresses...but that's as grown up as she's going to get until she gets older.

She will be my big girl on her own time. Right now I'm going to enjoy her as my little girl (she's hardly a baby anymore). When she grows up I will want these days back, so I'm going to enjoy them while they last.