Just us girls

Remember Scott needing those overalls? They were for this weekend.  He and Steve went to South Arkansas to "Prep the deer camp".  That left just us girls at home.  Now - I actually look forward to maybe 4 or 5 years from now and beyond when Scott goes on hunting trips because the girls and I can watch chick flicks and paint our toenails and shop.........but it's a little tough doing a weekend by myself with the girls right now.  I really appreciate all you military wives and single moms.  And I just did it for 3 days.

We spent Friday going on a walk and to the splash park. After naps - we had a visit from some sweet friends - Taylor, Grace and Joyce! They are my friend Hillary's cousins and they live near me and they came to see Harper when she was in the NICU.  They brought the girls the cutest little bags and some goodies. That was so sweet.

Saturday morning we were up and ready early.  Our friend Caroline moved here on Friday so we were going to go see her new house!!!

Laurie and the girls met us there.  Sarah Kate, Emily and Harper had a great time with bubble wrap.  We figured they wore Caroline and her family out because they were like 3 hurricanes whipping through the house.

So glad Caroline is officially an ARKANSAN!!!!! 

I spent the rest of Saturday mostly at home.  We made a quick trip to Wal-Mart and just played at home.  Luckily - Harper was SO GOOD all day! I don't think we have left the terrible 2's just yet - but at least for one day - I got a wonderful glimpse of how things will get better! And I loved it! She was just a delight - so sweet and good!
Hollis has had a rough day or two.  I think she has hit a growth spurt. She has been up every 2 hours or so the last 2 nights. She is usually a great sleeper.  I'm hoping this won't last too long. Or it could be teething? I guess we will see.

After no sleep and with no Scott - I was so tempted this morning to just skip church but I managed to get us up and ready and go anyway.  I didn't want the Devil to win.  Although Hollis didn't want to be in the nursery today so I didn't really get to actually be in church much.  I did try to take a few pictures of my girls this morning but it wasn't easy.  I could never get them both to look. I thought I would share a couple - you can see the personality in them.

Sister love - I do love this one. 

And I LOVE Hollis looking at Harper.  I want more than anything for them to be best friends one day.

And I love that Harper is out of focus in this - she was moving so fast that she was out of focus in most of the pics.

It's been a busy, hot girls weekend. Hope yours was good too!

Show Us Your LIfe - Best Parenting Advice

Today is all about giving great parenting advice.

I'm afraid I have none. I had a LOT when I was single or before I was a mom. I was an AWESOME mom back then. But since I had kids I have been eating humble pie.

The only thing I know to say is every kid is different and you have to do things that work for your child and your family and don't get overwhelmed with all the "advice" you get. I think it's great to seek out help but sometimes you be given so many solutions - it makes things even worse.

I'd love to hear what some of you have to share - especially those with older children. If you have specific advice like on sleeping, toddlers, teenagers.....etc - please feel free to leave that in the description when you link up.

I'm proud of you!

And the winner is...............



Some of you guessed this song - and I would have NEVER thought of this in a million years because it doesn't mention "heart" or "money, money, money" but I sang this to her 3 different times today and every time she started singing her version with me and doing the motions. So I guess that was what she was hearing. ha! Good job on picking that up! Thanks for playing along and helping me figure it out.  She doesn't watch much TV or listen to current music - just videos we have so I knew it had to be something I'd heard before.

Harper has started wanting me to "take her picture" outside of her school before we go in and she will do a bunch of posing. It cracks me up.

Sweet little flower sitting so big in her bumbo.  She can almost sit up when I do the tripod sit. I'm guessing another month or so and she will be sitting like a pro.  I'm so sad - she's growing too fast.

My parents had to come to town today and they called and asked if they could come see the girls.  They had a little alone time with Hollis because Harper was in MDO and then they rode with me to pick her up.  Harper was SOOOO excited and surprised to see them.  She kept covering her mouth as we walked out like she was just shocked! And she had to tell her teacher who they were. It was so cute!

It's always nice to have a visit from the grandparents. And Harper wore her "ears" for an hour and a half while they were here!! Yeay! We have told her lately so much that we are "proud of her" so now she is constantly saying "Mommy/Daddy......I'm proud of you!" ha!

I hope she always is.......

Name that tune????

Okay - we need help. Harper goes around singing this one song with very dramatic hand motions all the time and we can not figure out what on earth she is singing. Any clue? She watches a lot of Cedarmont kid videos but I don't recognize it and it's driving me nuts!!! She does her face so serious when she sings it.(it's the money, money, money part throwing us off. ha!)



Also tonight at Harper's bedtime prayer she said thanks for "Nonny, GiGi, Mommy, Daddy, snacks (that's something she says thanks for every night. Ha!).....and BOYS". Oh dear. Looks like Scott needs to start shining up his shotgun early.

And she's also become obsessed with this little Bible she has. She has carried it in her hands ALL day for the last two days and tonight insisted on sleeping with it. The next Beth Moore, maybe?

I'm crazy about this crazy girl.

Hitting the Bottle................

I have no pictures from this but last night Scott kept both girls for the first time so I could go out to dinner with a few friends.  I had been looking forward to this forever! I had a GREAT time with my friends but sadly - it didn't go so well at home.  Hollis wouldn't take a bottle and I guess she screamed for 3 hours straight.  sigh.  Looks like it might be a while before I leave both girls again. Or I need to do bottle bootcamp.

Today several of my friends met up at a jump place to let our kids play.  I hadn't planned to go but I woke up not feeling well and decided it would be easier to take Harper there and let her play so I could sit then to try to keep her out of messes all day at home.  Then I went to eat pizza with a couple of friends.  And of course I was hoping this would result in an amazing nap but so far I hear a certain toddler singing at the top of her lungs in her bed instead of sleeping.

 I had wanted to write about this last week and forgot but I had to share about this fun little place in my area. I know 90% of you don't live local to me but for the 10% of you who do - I love to find neat things and share them! There is this little mobile crepe restaurant in my town. And the owner has the best French accent! (I took 3 years of French and can't speak a word except maybe Oui Oui!)  They have it on the square at the farmer's market on Saturday mornings and lately they have opened on Wednesdays for lunch across from our favorite splash park and I've been dying to try.  So last Wednesday - the girls and I had crepes before we played at the splash park. 
And it was the BEST lunch I have ever had.  They have sweet and savory crepes.  We had a ham and cheese and a chocolate ganache and I was licking my lips it was so good. I think they are opening on Wednesday nights on the square now. 

Seriously - if you live near me - you have to try : CREPES PAULETTE!!! (They didn't ask me to write this. They don't even know I exist. I just like to share fun little local secrets!)

Special Ears Advice

I thought I'd give an update on Harper's "ears" and ask y'all for advice.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy to get her to wear her hearing aids and it has NOT been. We have had them for a week and a half and it's still very difficult to get her to wear them at all. Let's face it - with a head strong 2.5 year old - it's hard to get them dressed, brush their hair, eat good foods, get them to behave.......much less add in something very different.
I want this to be a positive experience for her so I'm trying not to make a big deal out of it. I'm not going to discipline for not wearing them or wear both of us out trying. I'm just going to ease in........I think it will come together at some point.

I didn't want to bribe with food because that's just not a habit I want to get into. I tried taking her to Target to pick out a special toy or two that she could only play with when she wore her "special ears". That didn't go so great. She found a few things she loved but when I said "You can only play with it when you wear your special ears" - she would say "I don't like it" and put it back. ha! She didn't think anything was worth THAT! She's really not that into toys so that would probably not work and I didn't want to waste money so we didn't buy any toys.

What she DOES love is movies. She has gotten real into "Beauty and the Beast" and "Tangled" so I decided to make a rule that she could only watch her movies if she was wearing her special ears. So far - that is helping. We only go about 30 minutes at a time maybe once or twice a day - but we are making progress. Before she would just lay on the ground holding her ears and throwing fits if I even mentioned the hearing aids.

In fact I just today bought her MY favorite movie - "Mary Poppins". I think she will like all the music in it. And I'm hoping she will wear her ears more. She usually takes them out after 20-30 minutes but she always says "I like my special ears". ha! I'm hoping she is starting to realize she can hear better. I usually turn the TV volume down when she has them in.


She is so funny - she knows just how to work us ...........lately when she gets in trouble and she's right in the middle of us talking to her - she will say "Special ears?" ha! She knows that might make us change our minds. She is such a character.

We also have been so tickled because I have been trying to work with her on sounds she doesn't hear so well. So I've been sounding out letters........like I'll say "F.F.F...fork". And all the sudden she will say things like "Ka. Ka.Ka.......Water Table". Like she is sounding the consonant out but doesn't quite get the concept.

If any of you out there had to get your toddler to wear hearing aids - I'd love to know -
1. What worked for you?
2. How long did it take before they were wearing them full time?

Little Mommy

This is my absolute favorite book we own.  Harper wants to read it at least 5 times a day and I just adore it. The little girl in it reminds me of Harper and it's just a sweet little book.  I was thinking of how much this little girl playing with her baby dolls reflects my own life........

"Little Mommy" by Sharon Kate   1967

This is my house and I am the mommy.  My children are Annabelle, Betsy and Bonny. (or Harper and Hollis in my case).

They are good little children and do just as I say (well.....almost).  I put on their coats and they go out to play.

Billy (or Scott) is daddy. He works in the city (or more like at home).  He has a new car (or more like 10 years old car) - Isn't it pretty?

I do the dishes and sweep the floors and wipe the fingerprints off the door.

I wash the clothes in my washing machine.  I scrub them with soap and rinse them clean.

Then I hang them on the line to dry.  I'll have to iron them by and by.  (or wear wrinkled clothes).

My children like to go for a ride.  They sit in the buggy side by side.

Now I will teach you the ABC, and who will count to ten for me?

I think it's time for me to bake.  I'll make some cookies and ginger cake.  

Dinner is ready, don't be late.  Put on your bibs and sit up straight!

Sit on my lap, it's story time.  I'll read a poem and a nursery rhyme.

It's bath time now for my little dears.  I scrub their necks and wash their ears.

I tuck them in bed and sing them a song.  And they'll be asleep before very long.

We mommies have such a lot to do (my favorite line) Good night, dollies.
 I'm sleepy too!

Cheap Overalls

I neglected to talk about the fact that Harper turned two and a half officially last week! I was looking at pictures of her from around Christmas and couldn't believe how much she had grown since then.  She is starting to be such a little girl instead of a baby.  She is the FUNNIEST little girl.  I'll have to give a better update soon on her "special ears" but I'll just say it's not going great.......but we are making a little progress.
Even without wearing her hearing aids - her speech is growing daily. She says so many funny things.  The girl LOVES to sing.  She honestly sings from the minute she gets up until she goes to bed and I swear she harmonizes naturally.  It freaks me out.  We've always had our standard repertoire of songs but she has broken out a whole new list and her new favorites include " Deep and Wide", "If you are happy and you know it", "Zacchaeus was a wee little man" and "He's Wild" (from VBS).
She always refers to Hollis as "sissy" and the other day she asked me what "Sissy's name was".  I said "Hollis" and then I asked her what her name was and she answered me ......"Pretty girl".  ha ha! 

She's also into drawing and lately she wants to draw us.  I can't remember if this is me or Scott she drew but we were impressed that she can draw faces.  I told Scott she was very artistic and  musical and she did NOT get that from either of us.

It's been a nice low key "nothing" weekend.  Our whole family slept until 8 yesterday morning which is HUGE.  We had a rough night this week where Harper was up the ENTIRE night and Hollis was up a few times so I was thankful to make up some sleep.  To celebrate - Harper helped me make pancakes for breakfast.  Harper loves to sit up on the counter and help me cook.

Scott looked over at me yesterday and said "Where do you think I can get some cheap overalls?" And then we were both dying laughing.  The next thing I knew we were rolling up into the Tractor Supply store to get Scott some things to wear when he works on his deer camp.  I don't know why it's funny to me - but it just is. I made him pose.  I think this may be his Halloween costume this year since our girls may be farm animals. And I may have to break out some overalls myself!

We also went to Wal-Mart and got Harper a water table.  I had wanted to get one at the beginning of the summer and we never did but it's been so hot and she loves water so much - that I thought it would give us something to do at home.  She loved it.

We played in it for a while yesterday.  It's been near 100 almost every day this month.  I'm ready for fall!

Little sister just watched.  Don't you just want to squeeze her?

Dawson is always trying to lay by Hollis when she is on the floor. It's really sweet. I had a terrifying moment on Saturday afternoon.  Dawson will often go out our front door when we are coming in and he will make a little circle of the houses near us and then come right back home.  Well I had come in and went to let him in and he was no where to be found.  I had Hollis with me so I strapped her in the stroller and ran (LITERALLY ran - I nearly died) around the entire neighborhood yelling his name and he was no where. I was hysterical and just kept praying I could find him.  He's been our baby for almost 9 years - I can't imagine something happening to him and it's so hot I was worried he would pass out.  I came home and was going to get in the car to look for him when he came trotting up the sidewalk. I don't know where he came from but I was so happy he was home.  And he will not be going on any more adventures.

We went to church today but I almost feel like I didn't go.  We helped with baptisms and then I worked in the nursery during church.  I fed Hollis before we went to Sunday school and by then I just decided to stay and help some more.  I'm thankful for all those who serve each week in a lot of ways so that others can enjoy church.  We are going to enjoy a nice "cool" (hopefully) Sunday afternoon - my fingers are crossed for long naps!

Prayers Needed

There are so many hard things in this world. It's hard to understand. This world is thankfully NOT our home and this life is SO short in comparison with where we will spend eternity where there will be NO pain and NO sorrow. I hope that brings comfort if you know Jesus.

I have a lot of hard prayer requests I want to share with you. Sometimes I worry about putting these all on here because it can be overwhelming but I know that prayer is something that is so important and I'd love for you to pray for these:

1. I have followed a little boy named Jonah who is the same age as Harper for the last few years. He has EB which is an awful skin disease. Tonight I was reading about another little boy with the same condition named Tripp. My heart is completely broken for him and his family. Scott and I were both in tears as we tried to imagine the pain this sweet boy has been through and what it must be like to parent him. It's hard to complain about a busy two year after reading this blog. PLEASE lift up this family. They need our prayers. http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/

2. Pray for a family who had 2 kids in a car accident - a 16 year old and an 11 year old. The 11 year old is in a coma with extensive injuries. http://sufficientgrace-kelly.blogspot.com/2011/07/whole-lot-of-heavyplease-pray.html

3. 10 month old Kate needs a bone marrow transplant. She will not live without one. Her family is also trying to raise awareness on the bone marrow registry.
http://www.alexandlindsey.blogspot.com/

4. Pray for Sarah - a college student who works with special needs kids. She has a brain tumor. http://rollerderbyjane.blogspot.com/

5. The Berry Family - they were in a car accident the first of this month and both parents were killed. Two young sons were paralyzed and they also have a 6 year old daughter who only had minor injuries. PLEASE pray for these children. https://www.facebook.com/BerryChildren?sk=info

6. This family of 4 children (with a 5th on the way) was visiting North Georgia on July 1 and was rear-ended by a drunk 16 year-old. They lost their 6 year-old daughter. They have two other daughters, 8 and 10, who have broken limbs. Their 3 year-old son has a broken neck and leg, but can move according to the Caring Bridge website.http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/thinkingofthejohnsons/mystory

7. Please pray for Rylynn. She was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and has been one heck of a fighter for the last 2 years. She's turned 2 in May and since then has declined rapidly. Her liver in beginning to fail and they are doing open heart surgery to place a VAD (ventricle assist device) to help her heart function. This may or may not work and if not finding a heart ASAP is their only option. http://andreariojas.blogspot.com/

If you could maybe find one of these and commit to pray for them and maybe even offer them up some encouragement - that would be great! Thank you and God bless each of you!

Show Us Your life - Share Marriage Advice

*** I've updated the SUYL topics on my left sidebar to take us through October!





Today's SUYL is all about giving your best marriage advice.

I have been married almost 8 years but I have to say - I don't like giving advice because I don't feel like I have it all figured out myself. I will share a few things I have learned.

Probably the VERY best advice I've been given is straight from the Bible and once I started applying it - it made a huge difference:

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33 Women need to feel loved by their husbands but husbands need to feel respected. I was good at showing love to Scott but I don't think I realized I needed to show him respect. Listening to him when he gave suggestions (instead of my stubborn ways of wanting to do things my way) and letting him know I admire him for his work and things he does - those are ways I've tried to show him respect. Not over sharing about him or our marriage on the ole internet is another way I'm trying to respect him.

I think the thing to remember is no marriage is perfect and it's SO amazing to have a partner for life and someone who is always there for you ......but marriage is WORK! It's hard and you have to work on it. You have to make time for you as a couple and not put your children as your top priority. Children are super important but your marriage needs to come first so you can have a solid foundation for your family. And if you put God as the VERY center of your marriage and family - it makes a HUGE difference.

Also .......laugh. A lot.

And have separate bathrooms. :-)

Four Months

Hollis Barrett - you are FOUR months old!!!

You weigh 14 lbs 8 oz (69%) and are 25.5 inches tall (89%).

(You are an inch taller and a few ounces bigger than your sister was at this age!)

You are wearing some 3-6 month clothes and some 6 month.

You wear a size 2 diaper.

You are a great sleeper. You sleep from about 8 p.m. until 7 a.m. and usually get up once between 2-3 a.m. I am SO happy and thankful with that! You take 2-3 naps a day. I'm working on hard on matching up a long nap with Harper's but other than that - we slip a few naps in in the morning and the late afternoon.

You are the sweetest, happiest baby. If anyone even looks at you - you smile the HUGEST smile I've ever seen. You love to be talked to.

You love to stand up on your legs and you are good at putting weight on them.

You have good neck control and can sit up in your bumbo now and we are about to start the exersauser.

You have started really grabbing things. You won't keep your paci in because you constantly grab it and pull it out. And I can pretty much forget you wearing headbands because you reach up and pull them off as soon as I get them on.

You are eating every 3-4 hours. I have no idea how much you eat because I never give you bottles but I'd say you are growing pretty well so you must be getting enough!

You went to your first VBS this month and spent the week in the nursery and did so well. I constantly got reports on how sweet and easy you were.

You have a little lovey that you love to hold. It's a pink giraffe with your name on it. I don't let you sleep with it but it's with you in your car seat and you always hold it tight when you sleep. It's so sweet.

You have started to try to talk and laugh. You love to watch everything your sister is doing. You think she is pretty great.

You are a rolling machine. I can't put you on the bouncy seat or anywhere high much anymore because you roll right off. I'm afraid you might be an early crawler and I'm going to do everything I can to nip that in the bud. (just kidding!) I'm not ready for you to grow up.

I love you more every day! You are a ray of sunshine in my life! I praise God every day for blessing me with you!

Growing, growing, growing! Your hair is still thick and curly but it's getting a little lighter. Your eyes are a very deep blue. I'm not sure what color they will settle at.

My two girls at four months!

4 months, Friends and "pinning"

I had planned to do Hollis' 4 month post today but we are a little out of sorts and I haven't been able to take her monthly picture.  We had her 4 month appointment today.  I never cried with Harper when she got shots - mostly because she had already been through so much that  a shot seemed like nothing but I cried today with Hollis. She did great though and is just doing so good! She is sleeping and we have to go pick up big sister from MDO soon so I'll post about her tomorrow!

 With the summer here - I feel like I haven't seen my friends much at all. Between traveling and a bunch of us having babies and no Bible Study or play group - I have missed being with everyone all the time. I think we all feel that way so we got together at my friend Elizabeth's last night and ate ice cream and sat out on her deck until 11 talking and laughing. I had the best time.  I didn't even take any pictures except this one of my sweet friend Rachel holding Hollis.

 We did take a picture of all the new babies there last night.  This is Lela, Hollis, Noah (with Laurie and not his mom holding him), and Kamryn. They are all within 4 months of each other.  I said we could put this picture in the Senior Slide show on Senior Sunday in 18 years and hopefully they will all still be friends!

 And Random - but are ya'll into Pinterest???? I was kind of "meh" about it until this past week and I finally started looking at it and pinning ideas and I have gone nuts about it.  It's just Genius. I'm already thinking ideas for Hollis' birthday party and I love the idea of cookies and milk so I've been "pinning" ideas ......but I have 8 months so I could change my mind.

I'm sure 98% of you are into pinterest but if you aren't or have no idea what I'm talking about  - www.pinterest.com.  You know how you find things on the internet that you think are such cute ideas? Party ideas, recipes, home design, clothes, photos you want to take of your kids..........but then you go to use that idea and have NO idea where you saw it??? Well - now you can use this site to "pin" your ideas and put them on boards. I absolutely love it. AND you can follow all your creative friends and see what great things they are finding and pin their ideas to your boards too. 
Warning: It gets a little overwhelming and if you are like me - it's creative overload and I start feeling a little pitiful because of how un-crafty I am.  But it's a great place to keep good recipes or just any idea you might need. Or to help you plan parties.
Warning #2: It's a huge time zapper. And one I don't need. I already can't keep up with email and blog and twitter and facebook as it is. But sometimes late at night..................I do enjoy a little pinning! :-) DO YOU?