Kelly's Korner

Looking for Love in all the wrong places

2012-01-31T14:19:00.000-06:00

This picture has nothing to do with this post but if I take pictures of the girls - I have to post them. :-)

I looked back at my blog last night and on this very day, the last day in January, it has snowed here EVERY year for the last five years. This year it is 65. Weird.

Harper has an ear infection now. The fun never ends at our house. :-)

Okay:

SUPER SUPER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Singles Friday is THIS Friday!!!! You know I absolutely love doing this - and we have had amazing success. SOOOOOO .........all you Single Ladies get ready to post! All you with friends of Single Ladies to Post!

BUT I REALLY need any of you with single brothers, BIL's, friends, co-workers to line them up. This will really only work if we get lots of single guys in the mix. All the success stories seem to come from people posting about a single guy and then them getting in touch with inquiring girls. It can work the other way too - but I am praying we will get some single guys on here. I know most guys are going to think this is totally stupid and cheesy and will NOT want to be involved................so maybe do it and ask forgiveness later.
Just kidding. You probably should get permission.

If you have questions - leave them in the comments and I'll get them answered! I'm excited! I'm going to a wedding that originated here in a few weeks and I'm SO giddy about it!

And spread the word - I would love to get as many single people on here as possible.

Let's make some love connections, shall we?

AND ..............HERE'S HOW THIS WORKS:

1. This is NOT just for people in AR - you can be from anywhere (probably U.S. only) - and people will put where they are from so you can choose geographically!
2. If you have a blog - on Friday - blog about yourself or a loved one and tell us about them/you. Post a lot of pictures and tell us as much as you can. Link up and give the first name, age, and location (you don't have to be specific - (i.e. Dallas area, Chicago, North Alabama.....whatever).
3. If you are single - come and look at the links - if you see someone you are interested in - leave a comment telling a little about yourself and your info. You could link to your blog or facebook or whatever.
4. If you want to participate but don't have a blog - either find a friend to do it for you or just go through the links to look at available singles.
5. You have to let me know if anything works out.

We have had a lot of success with this. In a few weeks - there will be the THIRD wedding! I know of at least four more that might take place in the near future. AND we had a small turn out for the "older singles" link up a few weeks ago - but I know of one success! So you just never know!!!!!

AND:
I'm going to work on getting up a post with all the success stories! I promise! It's coming soon!!!!!
PLUS:
If you want to see examples of what people wrote- check out:
http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2011/06/show-us-your-life-show-us-your-singles.html
http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2011/01/show-us-your-life-show-us-your-singles.html
http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2010/07/show-us-your-life-show-us-your-single.html

This. Just This.

2012-01-30T14:05:00.001-06:00

I wasn't going to post today. I've had a rough day.
Not in the whole scheme of the global world kind of rough day.

But just a "it's hard to be a mom of a 3 year old who will not listen to a word I say, is into everything, won't obey, all I do is discipline all day long......................." kind of day.

I feel like all I do is try to make Harper be "good". I'm terrified of what everyone at church and MDO and the grocery store think of my child and how they must whisper when I walk off about how I need to get control of her.

She's not a terrible child. She's a wonderful blessing to me. She's just a very sprited, strong willed girl. But I worry every minute of every day that I'm not doing the right things as a mother and that she will turn out awful because of it.

And then I followed a link to this post.

http://lysaterkeurst.com/2012/01/i-dont-want-to-raise-a-good-child/

And I cried my eyes out.

I desperately needed to read that today.

Maybe you did too.

And P.S. When Harper is a missionary in Africa and I never get to see my grandkids I guess I'll just laugh at all the times I have prayed over and over "God use her in awesome ways - I want her to have a passion for you above all else".

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

2012-01-28T13:58:00.001-06:00

Don't forget to scroll down to the next post and shop the almost 350 shops!!! WHOOO - there are some CREATIVE women out there!!!

I wanted to share two very sweet things that we received this week and a party we went to today. Yesterday we got a note and a present from an 11 year old girl named Taylor in NJ. Taylor shares a birthday with Harper and has followed her story since she was born. She used her own allowance money to buy Harper a doll that plays "Jesus Loves Me". Isn't that precious? Harper slept with the doll last night - she loved her! I had a hard time getting Harper to hold the doll, the sign and smile all at the same time - this was the best we could do. Taylor - thank you! What a sweet girl you are to think of another little girl so many states away!!!

And one of my oldest friends who I have known since she was Harper's age and is now 30 sent Harper these two books about little girls who have "special ears". I loved that one of the girl's name is Laurie. We had had kind of a down week and these books came at such a neat time. I thought it was so thoughtful for her to think of us and find these books - I just cried and cried when I opened these. I'm so inspired by these two to find small things to do for others to brighten their days.

One of Harper's friends Ella Kate turned four today and her mom had her a special "girls only" party (at EK's request) at a little art place in town. Harper was SO excited to go!

Each girl got to paint a plate! Harper had a lot of fun making hers!

It was a Wizard of Oz theme and everything was so cute. Isn't this the cutest cake EVER?

My friend Robin made the cookies - this picture is a little blurry but they were so cute!

And look at the favor boxes? And they had little wands and ruby slippers inside - everything was just precious!

Ella's twin sisters - Ruby and Molly

Ella's beautiful mom, Amy, just had brain surgery 3 weeks ago. She is so amazing. The mom of 3 girls under four and she always is so calm. (I know she would say she isn't - but she is such a sweet spirited mom to me). She pulled off the cutest party after having major surgery and Christmas. I would probably still be laying in the bed. :-) I'm so thankful Amy is doing so great - she is fine! She's an answer to prayer!

Sweet birthday girl! I still remember having her baby shower and her mom went into labor with her later that night. A few weeks early!

Neely, Harper and Emily

The girls got to have their faces painted and Harper wanted a butterfly just like Emily! She had the best time!

We are still a little under the weather - Hollis has an ear infection and has been pretty pitiful. So we are laying low the rest of the weekend. Hope your weekend is great!

SUYL - Show us What you make or sell

2012-01-26T23:05:00.000-06:00

I love to buy from crafty women. I think etsy.com is one of the best inventions ever! I have no creative bones in my body - but thankful other people do and will share with me!

I also love to support small businesses and women who have little side shops to help their families. For this reason - I love to do this every few months. I hope if you have a little etsy shop or business - that you will share it with us. And if you do or don't - I hope you will shop, shop, shop!!!

And I want to spotlight the 3 "sponsors" I have on my sidebar. I'm featuring 3 (or 4) small businesses a month for free to try and help women help their families. I'm starting small and maybe I can make it bigger in months to come to help more!

Polka dot posies.com is one of the BEST places to get your big bows for your girls! They are AMAZING prices, great quality and ship freakishly quick! She has all sizes and colors! I have bought from her several times and you will too if you try her once! My favorites are the 6.5 inch bows. They are the perfect size!

I don't think you can have ENOUGH Scripture in your home. I love having God's word in every room of my house. NapTime Diaries makes awesome scripture prints that you can take and frame how ever you want. She has tons to choose from or you can work with her on a custom design. I love these prints you can have made for your children or as a baby gift!

When I was looking for Harper's first birthday outfit - I found the cutest little site called She She Made. And since then she has become a friend and I have had her made a lot of cuteness for the girls. A lot of the baby gowns Hollis wore her first month or two came from She She. She makes the CUTEST things for both babies and kids. And lots of cute boy things too. She just had a boy - so her boy stuff has become even cuter! Isn't the gown above the sweetest? (I'm looking back and I think I may have over used the word "cute" but I can't help it. I should have thrown in a darling or precious somewhere. ha!)

PLEASE ONLY LINK ONCE PER BUSINESS. IF YOU LINK MULTIPLE TIMES - I WILL PROBABLY DELETE ALL BUT ONE. I WANT TO GIVE ROOM FOR EVERYONE!

Under the Weather

2012-01-26T13:51:00.000-06:00

We've been a little under the weather the last few days - both literally and figuratively. Yesterday Laurie and I had a little out of town antique shopping trip planned but Hollis was up a dozen times in the night and I woke up to it pouring raining and I cancelled our trip. I even kept Harper home from MDO because she had been a little sick earlier in the week and I didn't want us to get out in the cold rain. I'm not going to lie....it was a LONG day. People have been telling me for months that 3 is WAY worse than 2 and I didn't believe them but GOOD GUSSY they were right. It's going to be a long 355 days. :-) It doesn't help that I'm a little hormonal right now (not pregnant - just normal stuff).
THANKFULLY - Laurie and I had a night out planned for last night. Our husbands planned it for us actually. Laurie's cousin had given them tickets to a few razorback games and Laurie's husband thought it would be good for us to go and let them keep the girls. They knew they owed us after they went to all the football games this year. Plus Laurie and I love basketball games. Back in the mid 1990's we lived near the U of A campus after college and we used to go to almost ever game. So last night was like a step back into our single years.

We went and ate sushi before the game. SO SO good!

I love Bud Walton Arena. I haven't been to a game in a long time and the atmosphere has changed for the better. It was a very fun atmosphere and we beat Auburn! I miss going to all the games.

Laurie and I laughed and laughed and had SO much fun. It was a late game so we got home late. It was a fun night out!

My girls are both a little sickly today. We went to speech this morning while Hollis stayed home with our babysitter and I'm taking them to the doctor this afternoon. This is our first time being really sick this year so I'm counting that blessing.

I've had a few prayer requests sent my way that I thought I would share - I also have fixed the prayer blog so you can go and add more to it! Please do share your requests and pray for each other!

1. Please pray for Dakota. he is 8 been battling leukemia since he was 2. He now has meningitis and is in ICU!!

2. http://mommyofthree120.blogspot.com Just had a baby a month early

3. http://babymorrison2.blogspot.com/ Pray for this baby

4. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/thegardtwins/mystory Please pray for Wyatt

5. Please pray for Trisha and her unborn baby Elias who has hydrops http://www.thepoppinslife.blogspot.com/

6. Pray for this family who are expecting baby Mary Amanda who has Trisomy 13 http://staggfamily.wordpress.com/

Good Girl Bed

2012-01-24T20:13:00.000-06:00

This is one of those posts I'm doing for myself so I won't forget the milestones in our lives. I love being able to look up almost any milestone on my blog. Thank goodness for that or my poor girls would have no record of anything because I certainly can't remember to write anything down.

On Harper's 3rd birthday weekend - she started climbing out of her bed. She started appearing in the living room after we would put her to bed. I was hoping to hold on to the crib a little longer but honestly - I'm shocked it took her this long to climb out because she's a wild little monkey.

So we knew it was time to give her a big girl bed or as Harper keeps calling it - a "good girl bed". I was going to get some kind of neat twin bed and then I decided it would be easier to just take the day bed out of Hollis' room and use that and that would give more room to play in Hollis' room. I also moved most of the toys out of Harper's room into Hollis' room and put her table and chairs into our family room. I feel like they have a lot more space now! Yeay!
I was so sad Saturday night because we knew it was her last night in her crib. That seemed so sad. She's officially a big girl. She's basically potty trained, she is so independent and now no crib. I told Scott it wouldn't be long until it was the last night in her room before she left for college. Okay.....maybe we have a little time.

We took some pictures so we could remember her last night ever in that crib. I remember how excited I was to pick out her crib and bedding. I had waited so long and it was so exciting to put together a nursery. I can't believe how quickly three years have gone by.

Here is Harper the very first time she took a nap in her crib at almost 2 months. Was she really ever that little?

She slept in her new bed Sunday night but we didn't take any pictures until tonight. She has had a cold and has been SUPER fussy and tired. I didn't want to push her by taking any pictures. It worked to our favor because she was so exhausted the last two nights she hopped in bed and went right to sleep and slept all night. I don't know if it will continue to go so well but it has been a great transition so far. I have found with everything we have changed......we are usually a little slow to make changes (paci, bottle, potty training, bed) BUT each change has been super easy because we waited until the time was right for us. I'm not saying that's the way for everyone - but I'm thankful it has worked out so easily each time.

That makes me sing that old song "In His time, In His time.....He makes all things beautiful In His time.."

Little steps

2012-01-23T17:01:00.003-06:00

This may just totally be me and my craziness but ever since I had Hollis - I'm in a constant state of being completely overwhelmed. I have a consistent very long to do list on my desk and on the refrigerator and most days I never get anything crossed off.
Harper only naps occasionally these days so most of the time from 6:30 until 8:30 at night - there is never a moment that I don't have at least one child needing me and so the only time I can do anything is from about 8:30 until 11 p.m. And that needs to include cleaning the house, laundry, Bible Studies, organization, working out, showering, spending time with Scott, blogging, answering e-mails, etc. And I'm super type A so sometimes just the thought of what I need to do gets me so overwhelmed I'm paralyzed and I end up not doing anything. And then I'm even more frustrated.
And some nights I'm so tired that all I want to do is sit on the couch with a whole lot of snack foods and just completely veg in front of the TV. And that does nothing for my productivity or my diet.

So I'm trying to learn to just take baby steps. I'm trying to break every task into very small chunks and just accomplish those little things in a day and it might take longer - but things manage to get done. It's kind of like the Dave Ramsey approach to paying off debt.

I've taken on a modified version of the "Fly Lady" and I just try to clean one room or do one major cleaning task (i.e. mopping, dusting) a day. If a miracle happens and both girls nap and I'm blessed with an extra hour or two in the day and some energy - I'll try to do several things and get ahead.

I'm trying to do at least one load of laundry - and PUT IT AWAY - a day.

I've challenged myself to answer 10 emails a day. My inbox is like Mount Everest. I look at it and just get exhausted. I have probably 500 unanswered emails and sometimes I just stare at my inbox and can't move. But if I can answer at least 10 a day - at least I'm making progress.

If I say I want to read the Bible in a year - that sounds wonderful. But I can't seem to stay on track. So I just try to read at least one chapter a day and just spend time in prayer during the day.

Diet and exercise are tough for me because my will power is not stellar. But I'm using an app on my phone called My fitness Pal and it helps me keep track of calories. I do my best and if I don't have a great day - I just start over the next day.

I need to work on Harper's speech with every day but sometimes the days are so busy with just the little things - I don't feel like I do an adequate job. I use every chance I can during the day to just work on words and sounds. I also am trying to teach her anything I can - like letters, etc. I still don't know how homeschooling moms do it.

I've learned to say no to a lot of things right now. I'm learning my limits.

I'm trying to do better at sitting down on Sunday nights and making a meal plan so we have healthy meals all week and maybe I won't go to the store every day.

I've made a list of all the major projects I'd like to get done around here this year - (cleaning out closets, desks, drawers, selling baby clothes, major cleaning jobs, etc) and I have a goal to do at least one every few weeks.

So I still feel a little overwhelmed......but chipping away at the big icebergs in my life a little at a time makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere. I'll probably never feel completely "together" but maybe I won't show up on an episode of "Hoarders" either.

And I'm not going to lie.................I daydream about Mary Poppins coming to live with us. A Lot.

What's your tricks to getting things done?

Days of Elijah

2012-01-22T14:23:00.003-06:00

We had a pretty lazy weekend which has been nice. I have to show you Hollis - eek - she is getting so big! I dug out Harper's shoes from this age and we have started wearing shoes. Up until now she just wore socks. I feel like she is so big in those jeans and shoes standing up!

Saturday I helped host a baby shower for my sweet friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth is our pastor's daughter-in-law and they are the last couple in our class to have a baby. We have prayed for them for a while now and have been SO thrilled that they are having a baby boy SOON!

The shower was in her nursery colors and it was so cute. My friend Robin made cookies.

The pregnant girls in our class - Julie, Elizabeth, Amber and Amy. At any point and time there are usually at least 2-3 pregnant girls.

A few non pregnant girls - Stephanie, Rachel, Berkli, Mary Avery and Robin. So blessed to have these friends!

Elizabeth and her hostesses. There were several girls who hosted but couldn't be there because of sick kids or they were out of town.

Elizabeth is naming her baby Elijah. He will be such a loved little boy!

My job at the shower was to take all the gifts she opened and display them. This was only half of what she got. It was such a fun shower.

The only thing we did the rest of Saturday was take a family trip to Target! I put the girls in these little dresses I got them in Ecuador. Scott said the kids must be a lot smaller in Ecuador because these dresses were both a little snug. Oh well - they looked cute! And it reminded me of a week I never want to forget!

Hope your weekend was great. Harper came home feeling yucky from church - I think it's just allergies - so we are laying low and in the middle of putting up her big girl bed or as she calls it "good girl bed". I'll have to write all about that this week. I'm having a hard time realizing last night was her last night in her crib. Boo hoo. :-)

Show Us your Life Friday - Adoption Fundraisers

2012-01-20T15:37:00.000-06:00

I get asked a LOT to post different adoption fundraisers. And I want to so badly but I feel like I'm in a tough place. Because I could post hundreds and it would get out of control and I can't pick and choose.

I hate that a family who can't have a child or who feels led to adopt has to also suffer financial setbacks in order to bring that child home. In a perfect world - I wish children could easily be adopted by loving families and that money didn't stand in the way.

I want to open it up today for people to post their adoption fundraisers. I have no idea what will happen with this. Maybe nothing. Or maybe some of you will feel led to help families start or grow their families. Even a very small donation - the price of a fast food meal - might make a huge difference. I pray that somehow someway with the audience we have here - that families will be blessed.

I'll share one that's close to me. My cousin Matt and his wife Christie live here in my area and they have been unable to have a child so they are in the process of adopting. They have a blog where they are sharing about their journey. They have a creative idea of asking friends and family to donate their spare change to help raise money! If you are looking for a family to help - they are such a Godly, sweet, amazing couple. The child who joins their family will be SO blessed by parents who adore him/her and grandparents who will love them so much.

They never asked me to post this and I didn't ask their permission (uh, hope y'all don't care!) - but I know God will provide somehow for them. You can read more here:
http://mattmartin.co/2012/01/16/leaping-from-the-lions-head/

I'd love for you to link up and share your story. I pray that we make a difference today!

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

ALSO -
My friend from college Shelli is an amazing decorator and she just did a nursery board for a couple who are adopting to help them plan their nursery. http://www.alamodemaven.com/2012/01/nursery-and-prayer.html She has offered to do a planning board for one of the families who link below. I'll use a random number website and pick one next Friday.

What's been going on...........

2012-01-19T18:18:00.001-06:00

I have been close to pulling my hair out this week. I've just had all kinds of craziness.......
Tuesday I had Bible Study at church and then afterwards I had a Women's Council meeting. When I picked up Harper - her hearing aids were no where to be found. You know how hard it is to keep up with bows and sippy cups with a 3 yr old. Well - having one be in charge of $4000 hearing aids - SCARY! We couldn't find them and I left church freaking out. It was 1:30 and I hadn't eaten lunch yet so I was going to drive through Chick-fil-a to try the new tortilla soup. We have a back way from church that includes cutting through McDonalds parking lot to get to CFA. I was so rattled and before I could get to the drive thru - I got pulled over! I was totally at fault because I wasn't wearing my seat belt (I usually ALWAYS do but I had been so shook up I just hadn't. ) I also got pulled over because the officer thought I was just trying to avoid an intersection. I had to convince him I was needing some "Christian Chicken". Not one of my best days. Luckily one of the sweet girls who had kept Harper in the nursery realized she had put Harper's "ears" in her pocket when they had played in the gym. Whew!!!
And then Harper learned this week to climb out of her crib. I knew this day would come. And she has climbed out approximately 548 times in the last few days. Oh dear. So this weekend - we are going to set up her a a big girl bed. And I have a feeling it will get even crazier after that.

Oh and then Scott got a ticket this morning on his way to his office. We are outlaws. I don't think we have had tickets since we have been married and we both got one in the same week?

Today was a crazy running around day. Harper and I went to her speech therapy. She is doing really well.

Afterwards we met some friends for lunch. I don't get to see these girls enough - they are all so sweet and easy to talk to. I wish we had more time together. Melissa, Kate and Ashley.

Me, Jennifer, Julee and sweet Preslee. It was my first time to see Julee's baby and she is SO cute. She looks just like Julee. And Julee looked amazing!! Harper was the only kid there and she actually behaved pretty well. I was so proud of her.

We raced home and rescued our sweet babysitter and jumped back in the car with Hollis and went to Harper's three year appointment. Everything looked good! I am SO thankful she has such good health. She pretty much never gets sick and I couldn't be more thankful.

Hollis had a good morning with our sweet babysitter and we were glad to see her!

The girls played together when we got home while I cooked dinner.

I have been trying to cook low calorie meals and I'm so bored with chicken and vegetables so today I basically made up a meal. I put salsa on top of chicken and topped it with low fat cheese. It tasted a lot like King Ranch chicken without all the fattening soup and doritos. And I LOVE black beans. I cooked them with pico and some garlic salt and lime and then topped white rice. It was SOOOO good. With a side of avacado - this was a yummy, low fat Mexican dinner. I just missed the chips, salsa and queso!

Ten Months

2012-01-18T10:22:00.005-06:00

Hollis - you are 10 months old!!!

You weigh 23 pounds.

You wear a size 4 diaper.

You wear 12 months clothes

I think you are a size 2 shoe. I can't get you to wear shoes much yet.

You are SUCH a good eater and you really love feeding yourself. You have no desire for baby food anymore. Your favorite is avocado. I'm pretty sure you get that from me! The only thing you really don't like is sweet potatoes. I think that's so weird. But you will eat peas, corn and lima beans. Yuck! ha!

You are sleeping much better. Most nights you only get up once. Last night we were up 4-5 times but that is luckily getting rare. You usually take at least one good nap and on good days I can get you to take two naps.

You are so sweet and good natured! You are just a little joy! BUT you do have a temper that's starting to show up. In the past week - you have laid in the floor and kicked and screamed because you couldn't do something you wanted to do.

You still only have two teeth. Harper had 8 teeth at this age so I think that's so fun how you are different. I'm sure your teeth will all come in at once. In fact I wonder if you are not about to get more because you have been real cranky and chewing on your hand. I hope so!

You are still so easy to take places. And you are so good for the church nursery! You really have a pretty easy personality. I just am so crazy about you!

You love your sister. Yesterday you and Harper were in the same room at church for a little bit while I had a meeting at church and they told me you wanted to be near Harper the whole time. You think anything she does is hilarious. And she loves you!

You are BUSY BUSY. You are crawling everywhere and of course your favorite things are the toilet, plugs, and the dog bowl. You keep me on your toes. You are constantly pulling up and standing on things. I wonder if you will be walking by your first birthday.

You like to play with toys and you will play a lot with things especially if Harper plays with you. I'm thankful for this. Momma can load the dishwasher every once in a while. :-)

Here you are at one month, five months and ten months! I can't believe how quickly this year has gone. Your hair is getting so thick and it has really lightened up. You were so dark at first but I think you will have sandy blond/light brown hair. You have brown eyes and the sweetest dimple.

Harper and Hollis at ten months. Two very different girls. Two very special girls.

Harper's Birthday day

2012-01-16T23:15:00.000-06:00

First - I have written on here a few times in the past about a little boy named Tripp. He had EB which is a HORRIBLE horrifying disease that I can't imagine any child having. I know a lot of you have followed his story and have heard that he went to heaven on Saturday. Will you pray for his sweet mom? She is an AMAZING mom and I can't imagine what she has been through in the last three years. I have been tweeting about it but I wanted to share it here also. I know several of you left comments about him. Their family needs our prayers.

http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/

Today we celebrated Harper's birthday! We really just had a normal day at home. I think Harper was pretty sure her birthday was over since we celebrated this weekend. We did chores this morning and then went on our semi weekly grocery trip. I got Harper a birthday balloon. She is always wanting those mylar balloons they have at the checkout and my answer is always "I'll get you one on your birthday" so I wanted to keep my promise!

Harper ate one of our leftover cupcakes after lunch.

I have been SO excited that Beauty and the Beast came out in the theatres. I knew we had to take Harper because she LOVES the movie. I thought it would be so fun to take her for her birthday. I had a sweet girl from church come and keep Hollis since it was her bed time and she wouldn't make it through a movie and so we could have special one on one time with Harper. She wore her new Sleeping Beauty dress. She was SO excited!

We had SO much fun! Harper didn't want to wear her 3D glasses more than about half the movie. When "Be our guest" came on - she hopped up and started twirling and dancing. Scott and I got so tickled. Other than that - she was perfect and had the BEST time. At the very end of the movie when the last song came on and Beauty and the Best were dancing she yelled "come on momma" and wanted me to get up and dance with her. ha! It was such a special memory to make with her!

Three Years Old

2012-01-16T07:53:00.000-06:00

My sweet Harper Brown,

You are three years old today! I can hardly believe it. It seems like JUST yesterday I was checking into the hospital with so much anticipation to meet you! Your birth was nothing like I expected and your first month was not what we had planned...........but the 35 months since have been above and beyond anything I could imagine! You are SO amazing! I look at you every day and just can't believe you are MINE!

You are total sugar and spice! You have the SWEETEST heart. You can be so kind to others and you care so much about people when they cry or are hurt. You are SO loving and you love to hug and kiss and cuddle. You still like me to hold you like a baby and sing to you. But you also have a very spunky personality that personally I love! You love to boss everyone around. You are just a character. I think you are one of the funniest people I've ever known. You keep us in stitches.

You are a big girl - you are tall! You wear a 4T and a size 9 shoe. You weigh 40 pounds and are 39 inches tall. You are finally sleeping great at night and you still take naps most days! You LOVE to wear dresses and you absolutely HATE wearing blue jeans. (You got that from me - you are totally my child). You know your colors, letters and numbers. You are OBSESSED with everything Disney princess. Your favorites change daily. Two weeks ago you loved Sleeping Beauty, right now it's Little Mermaid - who knows who it will be next week.

You LOVE to dance. When your favorite songs come on - you always jump up to dance. You love for your daddy and I to dance with you and twirl you around. You are super into dressing up. You are so girly and fun! You also LOVE music. You sing all day long and you are loving all your new musical instruments.

You are very social and not scared of anything. You love to go to "school". You LOVE Ms. Sally and Ms. Tina your teachers! I love how well you do there. You love to go to church. You are so independent. You want to do everything yourself. EVERYTHING.

You LOVE your daddy. I know you and I are close but you are for sure a daddy's girl. You just adore him. And he is so crazy about you. You also just adore your grandparents. You LOVE to be around them and they are nuts about you! You are a very loved little girl.

Your life changed a little this year when you got a little sister. You are SO sweet with her. You talk to her and you love to make her laugh. Y'all are starting to play together more and more every day. I'm always reminding you to be "sweet to your sister". I pray y'all will be best friends.

I am amazed by your daily. Sometimes I just sit back and smile at you because I'm so proud of you and I never dreamed I could love anything so much. I can't kiss you and love you enough. When you were born - I couldn't imagine what you would be like at 3. And now I wonder what 6 and 10 and 16 will be like. I have a feeling you will continue to blow me away.

I pray for you daily that you would have a passion for Christ above all else. I pray He uses you to do something awesome for His kingdom. And I think He is going to. You will always be my miracle girl. I love you so much. I hope you will always know that your mother was your biggest fan.

Love,
Momma

Our first family picture (you were 2 weeks old), your first birthday, your second birthday and your third birthday!

A Hoot of a Birthday Party!

2012-01-14T22:08:00.001-06:00

Harper's birthday isn't until Monday but we have had a weekend full of birthday fun already. My parents came in early Friday afternoon. They helped me pick up Harper from school and then they played with the girls the rest of the afternoon. Scott's parents came later in the afternoon.

Harper was reunited with the guitar we got her for Christmas. Her pap-pa had re-strung it for her. We had pizza for dinner and just spent time visiting.

We bathed the girls and got them in their cute matching monkey pj's. Oh these girls are at a sweet age.

Today we just spent time around home and then this afternoon after naps - Harper got to open her birthday gifts. The gifts had an overall theme of Disney Princess and music. She was thrilled with her Sleeping Beauty dress.

The overall winner was this little drum. And I am the glutton for punishment who bought it for her. I also got her a tambourine, a harmonica and kazoo. And she LOVES them. Her aunt and uncle got her a keyboard and microphone. It's loud at our house now but oh so fun!

We were so lucky to have both sets of grandparents here to help us celebrate. These two little girls are SO loved! I loved their little matching Owl outfits I got from My Bella Bums.

Our little family of four before the party

We had Harper's party at the Little Gym. I love being able to have it somewhere that is fun for kids and I don't have to have it at my house. It's so easy to just show up with cupcakes and they do the rest.

These were our little goodie bags - pink for girls and green for boys.

My friend Robin who normally makes cookies has been on a maternity break after having a new baby. This sweet girl Holly who is a friend of a friend recently started making cookies. She made these owls for me. They are seriously the cutest thing I have EVER seen. I hated that we ate them they were so precious.

I had the little favor tags and cupcake toppers made from here. I loved all the cute owl stuff.

Cute Harper owl banner

Harper is SO into the gymnastics stuff. And she has no fear. Everyone kept telling me over and over how strong she is. I'm sort of thinking we may have to drop dance and go to gymnastics instead. We may have a little Mary Lou Retton on our hands!

I was thankful for all of our friends who were able to come to the party. This is Sydney, Jennifer and Rebekah.

More friends - Laurie, Amanda, Vonda and Bethany

Harper had the BEST time. I was so excited just watching how excited she was.

Harper blowing out her candle. She has been singing "Happy Birthday" every day for a month or more.

She had SUCH a fun party. I loved how easy and stress free it was and I loved how happy Harper was. I can't believe my little girl is THREE! We still have some fun things planned for her actual day! It's just such a fun age - why not celebrate for several days?

Show us Your life - Military Families

2012-01-12T21:04:00.001-06:00

I think it's really fun to do these special features for different segments of people so they can connect and find others in their shoes!

If there is something I especially respect - it's those who are serving in the military and their families. Both of my grandfathers served in the war and my dad's dad was lifetime military. I'm thankful for those who fight for our freedom. SO thankful. I can't sit through a patriotic service without bawling my eyes out. Even the fly overs at football games put a huge lump in my throat.

And the wives and children who stay behind are serving our country too. I know it can't be easy but I hope you know that we all appreciate you.

I thought it would be good if you could find other bloggers who are in the same boat. So if you are a military family - please link up!!!

And God bless you!

Sweet Miracles

2012-01-11T18:58:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that in 5 days I will have a THREE year old! Time passes so quickly. We often refer to Harper as our miracle baby. She took us 3 years to get pregnant with her and then she had such a traumatic birth. BUT really - all children are miracles. If you have children - I'm sure you know that each one is a miracle. Hollis is no less of a miracle to us. We got pregnant with her easily and then her birth was very easy. I can't look at her without knowing how amazing God is!

Scott made this video for Harper's first birthday. Most of you may have already seen it but it was two years ago so a lot of you maybe didn't. I love to watch this and just remember how fragile life is and how grateful we are that Harper is here and healthy. I know that not every mother gets to take their baby home from the hospital. Not every child goes home healthy. It's not fair. But I do that God loves us each the same. He doesn't love me more or you less. Or you more than me. Your story is being written in your own special way. And you may not understand the complete theme of your life story until you meet Jesus one day.

I just keep remembering how when Harper was at her very sickest - we got emails from mothers who had experienced similar things and they would say "and now my little girl is 3 and running around crazy and healthy" and I couldn't even imagine that day at the time. And here I am........and Harper is 3 and running around crazy and healthy.

And I'm so overwhelmed with thankfulness. And I just want to add - thank you for SO MANY of you who prayed for us during the time she was born and have been like family and friends with us over the last three years! You are a special part of "our" story!
Harper's Arrival from Kelly Stamps on Vimeo.

Sweet Friends

2012-01-10T17:50:00.001-06:00

I'm so thankful for my friendship with my BFF Laurie that has lasted 20 years. This is us with two of my other great friends Kandi and Rebecca in college.

We lasted through living together for 7 years after college. Yes - we are common law sisters. ha! This is us on a single girls trip to Mexico.

We survived both of our weddings, marriages and having kids. Our husbands are best friends and talk on the phone more than we do I think. ha!

There is something special about a friend who knows you so well.

Possibly one of the sweetest things from our friendship is watching our girls be friends. Sarah Kate came over today to play and I had so much fun just listening to them and watching them play together.

Isn't this the cutest thing in the world?

We started a new Bible Study at church today and our group had several women who have been in our church and been friends for over 25 years. Their kids are best friends and some of their kids have even married each other. I love that. My friends and I were looking at each other and saying we hope that in 20 years - we are still in Bible Study together and that our kids have grown up as best friends and maybe they will even get married! That would be the best blessing!

Can y'all please pray for one of my sweetest friends Rachel? Her nephew Xander has been battling cancer since he was 2 1/2. He is now 10 and has defied the odds but his cancer has recently come back and is the worst its ever been. His family is so precious and I would love if you would pray for him. Pray for all children and their families who are battling cancer. It's so hard to understand why kids have to get sick. Remember there is a prayer request board (link at the top of here) that you can post prayer requests and pray for others. Thank you for being prayer warriors!

Dream big

2012-01-09T19:37:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry if I talk about Harper's hearing a lot on here. But right now - it's just a big part of our lives. So really - I'm not sorry. It's a journey we are on so it's natural for me to think about it a lot. It's something that 80% of the time I don't think about or worry about it and then about 20% of the time I'm consumed with worry and sadness. I try to have a positive attitude and I just go on with everything like we have absolutely no issues.
Harper has been begging to go to "dance class" every since the last time we went (and it was a disaster). She is constantly dancing around. So today I took her to a younger class at the same studio.

She woke up from nap right before we went so when I went to put her "ears" in - she cried her eyes out. She did NOT want to wear them to dance class. And I wanted to burst into tears too. As she grows - she won't want to wear them to new experiences because of what people will think. It's a feeling I just hate. And for the first few minutes of her class - she stood frozen. She wasn't herself at all and I could tell she felt overwhelmed by something new and possibly not hearing 100% was affecting her.
And I ACHED for her. And I sat with tears in my eyes worrying about all the things she will face in life.

But then she put on her tap shoes and she came to life. And suddenly she was just like every other little girl in the room. And she did great! And I realized she is going to be okay. I want her to take dance so she can get practice following directions and exercise and get confidence. I just want her to know she can dream big. Don't we all want that for our little girls?

I'm a huge Miss America fan. I have been all my life. And one of my favorites won in 1995 - Heather Whitestone. I will always remember her dancing to "via delarosa". And she was deaf. Thinking about her inspires me now. I also saw a clip on GMA over the holidays of a girl who is almost deaf who is an NFL cheerleader. I watched with tears in my eyes and knew Harper was going to be okay. I don't know if I want her to be Miss America or a cheerleader. Maybe she will be good at math. Or a teacher. Or a doctor. Or a famous singer. Or maybe she will use her talents as a wife and mom. But I know whatever she does - God is already preparing her. And He works all things together for the good! (Romans 8:28)

And just because she is cute - I had to add a few pictures of little sister into the post. She did great at Dance Class - just sitting and watching the big girls. She was mesmerized. One day I will have two little ballerinas. Or maybe one soccer player and one dancer. Who knows?

No matter what either of these girls do - I will always be so proud to be their mom! Nothing can ever change my love for them! They are mine!

Redecorating and Sunday pics

2012-01-08T14:13:00.001-06:00

Now that I FINALLY got Christmas all down and put away I have been making some tiny tweaks around the house. We have lived in this house for seven years this week and I'm one of those people who gets rooms fixed and then leaves them that way forever. I laugh at one of my good friends Tracy because she LITERALLY changes at least one room in her house a week - I'm talking paint, moves furniture, changes things out. I don't know where she gets the energy.
Anyway - I guess I have the seven year itch with our house because I've decided to make small changes. I have a big round table in Harper's room and a small one in our living room and I decided I wanted to swap those out. Harper needs more room and our living room needs a bigger table. So that was my first change. It's a subtle move. I also hung up the neatest picture I got from Naptime Diaries (one of my sponsors this month - she makes the BEST scriptures that can be framed!)

Sweetest verse for a little girl

I've been kind of tired of my mantle but I just don't know how to do mantles. I took down that big iron thing and just put stuff I had up there. I had a wreath and I put a big empty frame around it. I'm still not 100% sure I like this........I'm working on it.

I moved the big table into our living room - I think the size looks better. I had ordered a burlap table cloth (it's wrinkled - ignore that fact) and I like the way it looks. I had bought that big frame several months ago and never printed a picture to put in it or had taken time to hang it so I finally got that done (well Scott did the hanging). I like how it turned out. I have a few more things on my list that I want to change. And then in 7 MORE years - I might change again.

The girls had the sweetest dresses on today for church so I had to try and take their picture. Harper is FINALLY starting to agree to pictures. She will say "cheese" but she won't look at you or smile. She mostly looks down and says that. And Hollis won't sit still if you put her on the floor.

Oh I just adore this age! It's hard but it's the sweetest age! I could just eat her up with a spoon!

Scott and I worked the "older" babies room today at church. These are the walkers - 2 years. I realized that in just a couple of months they will bump Hollis up to this room. I was watching all the little kids toddling around and couldn't believe Hollis would be there so soon. It was just yesterday I was putting her in the nursery for the first time. Actually it was just yesterday I was putting Harper in the nursery for the first time. I told Scott last night that this summer and then this fall - Harper can go to VBS, preschool choir and AWANAS. Wasn't she just my little baby?

Hope y'all are having a good Sunday .......... I'm going to go sing "Butterfly Kisses" and "Sunrise, Sunset" to my self and cry.

Ice Ice Baby

2012-01-07T14:23:00.000-06:00

I love our little town. I like to think of it as my own personal Stars Hollow. (If you watch Gilmore Girls - you know what I mean). It's just a neat little town that keeps getting more amazing. It was recently named the only Hot travel destination for 2012 that is in the U.S.!
http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/22/9639185-hottest-travel-destinations-of-2012

We have this cute little square with a neat farmer's market and off the square is a trail you can walk to get to one of the most amazing art museums in the country that just opened in November. Right in that area is a skating rink in the winter/splash park in the summer. I have been wanting to go ice skating so bad so today we finally went. Harper and I skated and Scott and Hollis watched.
(I love the scarf I'm wearing because some kids in Ecuador gave it to us when we visited them in November! I wear it to remember them!)

I haven't ice skated in probably 20 years so I was a little shaky. They had neat little "walkers" for kids and at first Harper and I both struggled but she got the idea very quickly!

Scott's camera battery died right after we got there so all these pictures are with his phone. Harper wanted to do it "herself" and she loved it. She kept saying "I like Ice skating!". She thought it was snow and at one point tried to lay down and make a snow angel. ha! I hope it snows this year so she can experience snow. The last 2 years she really didn't understand it.

Hollis is her cute frog hat watching us!

It was a really fun morning!

And then we went to Chick-fil-a and ate lunch and Harper played for a while. Now the girls are both napping! What a great way to spend a Saturday!

I hope I never have to move! :-)

Show Us Your life - Show Us your OVER 40 Singles!

2012-01-05T20:43:00.000-06:00

Welcome Welcome to the fourth Show Us Your Singles! This is the Special OVER 40 version!!!

You may think this sounds crazy..................but we have done this three times and now two couples are married, two are engaged.......and a few more are on the road to marriage. So I think we can do this!

How this works:
1. Link up your blog and tell us about yourself.
2. Link up your blog and share about a friend or family member (you might want to get permission first)
Include lots of pictures and tell us as much about them as you can!
3. If you don't have a blog or don't want to link up but are interested.................visit the links and if you see someone interesting - leave a little about yourself and your blog or email address in the comments.

Here are some rules:
1. No CRAZIES
2. PLEASE PLEASE don't let your feelings get hurt (I know it's not that easy) if you don't get comments or if nothing comes of this. We may have hundreds of people link up and only one love match is made. Well - if this is all for one couple to meet and get married and have a lifetime of happiness.......then God has a different story for your life. If nothing happens - God has a different door to open for you! It's NOT personal!
3. You must be single. You must be 40 or over. (or the person you are entering must be).
4. If anything comes from this (THIS IS IMPORTANT) - you must let me know and keep me updated! And you must invite me to the wedding! :-) It's totally optional to have me be a bridesmaid. :-)

5. PLEASE READ: In the link put a first name, age, and state they live in. That makes it easier to browse.

Okay Singles!! Let's MINGLE!!!!
(February 4th is a singles day for all ages - so come back then if this one doesn't apply!)

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2012-01-04T19:25:00.003-06:00

Well, today was back to normal life. And I'm so glad. Harper went back to MDO today. I think she was glad to get back to "school" and I was glad to have time to get some things done.

I tried to get our Christmas down. I know..........I'm late. I have two babies underfoot - I figure it's a miracle I got anything up or down at this stage in my life. I didn't get very far because Hollis refused to take a morning nap. Since she wouldn't nap - I pretty much didn't do anything but hold her.

So we watched Passion on line instead. I think maybe God knew I just needed a little revival time instead of work time. He was right. It was amazing.

This little girl is pretty amazing too. :-)

Tonight we met our Sunday School girls up for dinner before a big youth service at church. Now I'm home to try and get more Christmas down after the girls go to bed. It's about to be that big empty feeling you get when the christmas is all down. I have a few re-decorating projects I'd like to do around my house. My first project is our mantle. It needs some updating. I struggle SO much with decorating a mantle. So I'm hoping to hit up Pinterest and look for ideas. Hopefully things I can just juggle around from other rooms!

Oh - and we got Harper a pair of tap shoes the other day so we could start back to dance class. She put them on and started dancing. I couldn't resist sharing with you. Ignore how crazy I'm acting and those hot pink tights.

Don't forget about the "older" singles day on Friday!!! I hope you will link up or link your friends or family up! I'm excited about it!

Today is brought to you by the letter H

2012-01-03T13:43:00.002-06:00

*H is for my two girls - Harper and Hollis

* H stands for HAPPY - like how happy I am when Harper runs in Hollis' room every morning to climb in bed with her and play and they just laugh and laugh.

*H stands for HILARIOUS - both my girls make me laugh until I cry.

* H stands for HEARING - this morning for the first time Harper was watching "Sleeping Beauty" when she first got up and she asked me to put her hearing aids in "so she could hear better". It was the first time she has asked for them. I was so excited yet when I told Scott I saw a wave of sadness wash over his face as he said "I'd do anything if she didn't have to deal with this". Something I've not wanted to voice out loud. I hate it but I refuse to let it be something that defeats us.

*H is for HUMBLED - I'm humbled every day when I realize how much God has blessed us and how very very very little we deserve it.

* H is for HONEST - I try so hard to give an honest account of our lives on this blog. It's a very fine line to walk. Sometimes if I'm too honest - it might come off as if I'm complaining. And if I'm not honest enough - you might get the picture that everything is always sunshine and roses and perfect bows and ironed clothes and a clean house and I never want to pretend that my life is anything it's not.

* H is for HOPEFUL - I'm so hopeful for all the good things 2012 is going to bring!

* H is for HELPFUL - I scratch my head every time I look at the stats on this blog and realize how many of you read here. It's become more and more important for me not to just blog but to use this blog to help others. I could do that in 1000 ways. I'm asked all the time to feature fundraisers and support a lot of causes. I'm super uncomfortable with constantly asking y'all to give money to things on the internet. So I've found 3 ways that I can make a little difference.
1. You can post prayer requests on the prayer blog that's featured at the top and I urge you to PLEASE visit and pray for those!
2. I love the little Show me your singles day that has become not so little. With 2 married couples, 2 engaged couples and few more serious couples - it looks like it's something that's working. Friday I'm doing a special singles day just for singles over 40. So if that's you or you have a mom or dad who would like to meet someone - I hope you will post about yourself or someone close to you or at the very least come check out the singles and who knows???? Only God already knows what might happen! He can just use us to help!
3. I've decided to have 3 (or possibly 4) sponsors a month on my blog. I'm doing this for free because I want to help support women who have small businesses. I've been asked for a long time about doing this and I wasn't comfortable with it until I realized it could be a way to bless others. I put the word out on twitter and got WAY more responses than I can fill. Since I can only do this with around 36 people - I'm going to do more SUYL Fridays that spotlight small businesses (i.e. etsy shops, etc). So I hope if this is you - you will participate and in a small way it will bless you! I also hope you will shop these women and we can all help each other! (More on this soon once I work out all the details)

* H is for HONORED - I'm honored you come to visit here every day! Love you all!

Passion

2012-01-02T19:27:00.001-06:00

Do you need to have a little Spiritual revival in your heart?

You need to go here as much as you can for the next four days and watch the live stream:

http://live.268generation.com/

Passion is a conference for 18-25 year olds and right now it's being held in Atlanta. There are FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND young college kids at this conference. 45,000 young adults on FIRE for Jesus. It gives me hope for the next generation to see what is happening.

Speakers like Louie Giglio, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley. Music by Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockles, and David Crowder. These are some of the the most amazing Christian leaders out there right now.

I urge you to go and listen in. You might be changed.

And they are also working to raise $1,000,000 to help work with 6 organizations who are trying to help slavery around the world. Did you know there are 27 million people in slavery right now? More than any time in history. Labor and sex slavery. Your crummy day probably sounds a little better when you hear that statistic. And these college kids are doing something about it. I wish THIS made the news.

I can't say enough about Passion. Go see for yourself.

Princess Diaries

2012-01-01T19:54:00.000-06:00

About a year ago - I started watching my friends' little girls as we would be at play group or one another's houses - immediately run to put on dress up clothes or tutus and crowns the instant they possibly could. I thought it was so funny that they always wanted to do that. Harper is around that age now and just in the last week - she has to have some form of dress up or tutu on at all times around our house. I even let her wear it to Wal-Mart one day. She also is obsessed with Disney princesses and dancing and "twirling around in a skirt". She likes to put on "make-up" and "jewelry" and to brush her dolls' hair.

I find all of this so interesting because I never really encouraged any of it. We have had a few dress up outfits and tutus in her closet on a high shelf since she was very little but it's just lately that she will pull a stool up and get them down every second of the day. I love that it's so innate in little girls to want to dress up and dance and sing and be "pretty" and to want to wear pink. Harper can not get enough of Sleeping Beauty right now or as she calls her "Simping booty". Every time Aurora dances in the forest - she wants me or her daddy to get up and dance with her and sing the song.

I've had people comment or send me e-mails telling me I'm wrong to tell my girls they are pretty. Or that it's wrong for Harper to be excited to run in and show her daddy after she gets dressed each day so he will say "Oh Harper - you look so pretty". I disagree for SO many reasons. For one - I don't think parents can tell their children enough how beautiful they are. Especially dads. Studies show over and over that when girls get the approval and praise from their dads - they don't go looking for it from the world. They have that security they need.
My heart GRIEVES when I hear women and girls talk about how they were never told by their parents how pretty and valued they are. I think of all the little girls around the world who don't have loving fathers or who are victims of abuse and I PRAY that God gives them somehow someone in their life who speak words of affirmation into them.
I think it WOULD be wrong if all we talked about was how pretty they were or if we entered the world of Toddlers and Tiaras and started giving Harper spray tans and false teeth and wigs. We do tell her she is pretty - all the time. But probably 100 times more often we talk to her about her character. We talk to her about being sweet and kind and about sharing with others. We tell her how smart she is and how she can do anything. We tell her we are proud of her for every time she shows good character or behavior. We want her to know that beauty comes from the inside first and foremost.

I've known plenty of girls who could be models or Miss America who have so much ugliness in them that the beauty disappears quickly. And on the other hand I've known some people who probably didn't fit the American standard of gorgeous who were so amazing in their kindness or personality - that I was drawn to them like they were the most beautiful people on earth. My mam-ma told me over and over "Pretty is as pretty does" and there is not a more true statement.

I'm loving this stage of being crazy about princesses and dressing up and dancing and "looking pretty". I love that most little girls love the fairy tale. I sure did - for years and years growing up - I would ONLY wear dresses. And I remember wanting my friends to call me "Princess Kelly".

The greatest thing is that we as Christian women are ALL princesses. We are daughters of the greatest KING there is! And we ALL need to remember that "the KING is enthralled with your beauty". Psalm 45:11

So many of us are making resolutions (I'm talking about myself more than anyone) to lose weight or work out more because we are worried about "being pretty enough" but God made us perfect as we are. The greatest thing we can do is work on being pretty inside. And model that for our daughters (and sons). I think most days I need to try to read Proverbs 31 and model that for my family. This is what I want Harper to know most of all - so one day when her prince comes - he will have a wife of noble character:

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised Proverbs 31:30

2011

2011-12-31T13:52:00.001-06:00

I feel like I should do a 2011 recap post today but I feel like if you have read my blog at all this year - you have pretty much lived the recap with me.

2011 has been a pretty amazing year. The highlight was obviously having Hollis. She has brought so much light and joy into our home. And watching Harper grow from a toddler to a little girl is better than I could imagine.

2011 brought Scott a new job that has been a blessing to our family. It brought me a new role of teaching Sunday School instead of just being in a couple's class.

2011 let me travel to the amazon jungle in Ecuador with 4 of my favorite blogger friends in the world and an organization I love deeply so that I could work with YOU on helping children get out of poverty and change the world one kid at a time!

2011 gave me a lot of opportunities through blogging that helps this little mom have a small sense of purpose outside the home. Thankful for God opening tiny doors for me to serve Him.

2011 was a WONDERFUL year! It was also a hard year. A year when I found out being the mom of two kids under two is TOUGH!!! The biggest blessing but exhausting, selfless work. So so thankful!

2011 brought me so much joy with our families and with my amazing friends. I realize over and over how blessed I am. And I don't take it for granted.

2011 was even a good year for the Arkansas Razorbacks! :-)

Last year my only New Years Resolution was to "just survive". I knew I was having a baby and I knew it would be hard (understatement of the year) and I didn't want to make resolutions to be more organized or to lose weight or to read more because thankfully I had a little wisdom to know I just needed every ounce of energy I had to take care of these girls and keep our home running. That was a great resolution.

This year my goal again is to just survive. But I'm feeling a little more in control these days finally. So I might want to try getting healthier and hopefully lose some weight. I hope to get more organized. I hope to spend more time each day with Jesus. I hope to share my faith more with boldness. I hope to serve God more and serve others a lot more. I hope to give more than I get. I hope to love people I don't feel like loving. I hope to be a better mother. I hope to guide my girls to be amazing little people. I hope to be a better wife. I hope to be a better friend. I hope to be a better daughter. I hope to have a cleaner house.

I'm going to need a lot of Sonic drinks and a lot of prayer to get all this done.

But most of all - I hope to just treasure every moment. We never know when it might be our last day. We never know what tomorrow may bring. I want to just survive this year and live the best life day by day I can.

What about you? What are your goals/hopes/resolutions for 2012?

Show us your life - Wedding planning tips, vendors, etc

2011-12-30T13:35:00.001-06:00

I'm a little late to the game today - I apologize.

Today we are focusing on wedding planning. I know a lot of engagements happen over the holidays and for summer weddings - wedding planning is in full swing. For all of you planning weddings or who have daughters or sons planning weddings - I thought it would be great if people (especially recently wed) - could share their favorite tips or vendors or sites that they found things.

If you are listing local vendors - include your area when you link up on the description.

I also wanted to add that starting in May/June - we will do the home tour again on Fridays here. I've had a lot of requests and that is always SO fun and such a great way to get ideas. We may even add some specific things along with rooms like "window coverings", "table arrangements", "where do you put your TV"......If you have any ideas on that - let me know. I'll get the schedule up soon.

Happy Wedding Planning and Happy new Year!

Sweet Day

2011-12-29T17:47:00.000-06:00

I got such a fun treat today! My friend Amanda (my roommate in Ecuador and long time blog friend) was visiting family about 2 hours from me and asked if I would want to come meet up! I jumped at the chance to see her and meet her family! Her little girl Annabeth (the CUTEST little girl) is only about two weeks younger than Harper so we have had a close connection for the last almost 3 years. It was SO fun to finally have them meet after years of talking about them. Of course this was as close as they would sit to each other no matter how hard we tried.

I was so excited to get to visit with her for a little bit today! She is such an amazing person I'm thankful to call friend!

And as a bonus my parents were in the same area for a doctor's appointment so they came and met us for lunch after wards so they could see the girls for a little bit.

One of my favorite moments of today was when we got home and the girls both sat and played together with dolls. Oh so sweet!

Thankful for a good day with friends and family!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T13:10:00.002-06:00

We went to Scott's parents this year to celebrate Christmas. We had a nice time being with family. I would say Christmas didn't go exactly as we had hoped or planned but nothing ever does with two little kids.

Here are the girls in their Christmas pj's on Christmas eve.

Hollis and I had a rough night Christmas eve. She was up a TON and so the family let us sleep in. Unfortunately that meant Harper was up for about 2 hours before that so by the time we were ready to go in and do Santa - she was in a HORRIBLE mood. Everyone has warned me that the terrible 3's are worse than the terrible 2's and I didn't believe them but I'm a believer now. It seems we hit it this weekend. Harper had NO interest in her toys. I thought she would be SO excited but she could have cared less. She didn't want to open any gifts either. It really disappointed me. On the other hand - Hollis was SO excited and happy. She smiled the whole time and played so hard. So that was fun. She was SOOOO sweet the whole time we were there.

I tried to take a picture of the girls in their Christmas outfit and this was the best we could get - poor little sister.

Harper really was WAY more interested in Gigi's piano and organ than she was any toys. She spent most of the time playing on these. When can you start piano lessons - what age?
(I should add that I'm not planning on getting her lessons anytime soon. Believe me - I KNOW she's not ready. I was just curious what age you should start? 7 sounds good to me!)

The girls and their grandparents

Our family of four.

One big blessing was the girls were PERFECT on the trip there and back. It takes about 6 or 7 hours and neither girl cried a peep. I was SO thankful for that. We did enjoy getting to be with Gigi and Pap-pa and eating good food and making memories.

Unfortunately - Gigi woke up in the middle of the night yesterday with the worst stomach bug. We got out of there in the nick of time and my fingers are crossed that we won't get sick. I felt so bad for her.

So maybe Christmas 2011 wasn't as magical as I had hoped..................maybe next year? Thankfully we celebrate the REAL meaning of Christmas - Jesus birth 365 days a year. Singing songs about Jesus and hearing Harper pray and say "I love you Jesus" every night is so much more fun than seeing her get excited about some $20 toy.

I hope y'all had a very Merry Christmas!

British Invasion

2011-12-26T20:03:00.000-06:00

I'll write about our Christmas soon but I just have to share this funny video.

Most of the time Harper has the Arkansas southern twang. But when I ask her a question she doesn't know the answer to - suddenly she turns British. Maybe she is just practicing up for when she becomes the next princess of wales.

Early Christmas

2011-12-23T13:40:00.002-06:00

My parents came to town yesterday and brought Harper home. We are spending Christmas with Scott's family this year so we had an early Christmas with them and celebrated my birthday! Most years our family chooses not to exchange gifts - we just give the girls gifts and spend what we would on each other on charities. We love to buy for our church's Christmas store for our community instead. That's my favorite way to spend Christmas! You don't have the stress of buying gifts and you get the gift of helping others!

My Aunt Linda came with my parents. Linda doesn't have kids so we are kind of her adopted children and she treats my girls like they are her grandchildren also. She is so sweet to them.

I opened some birthday gifts and Harper had a big time helping me. She is SUPER into the gifts this year. Then we went to eat lunch at Mimi's. Hollis fell asleep on the way home so she took a good nap while Harper opened both of their gifts. Hollis wouldn't know the difference this year anyway.

Dawson's favorite spot at Christmas is to lay on the tree skirts under the trees. He is constantly under one of them.

Harper got some fun things. I hid most of her gifts so we can pull things out during the rest of the year and have new things to play with instead of having a bunch of things at once.

This was her FAVORITE thing. My parents got her a disney princess guitar and she hasn't put it down once. She doesn't know we also got her a guitar. Just a regular one. I think she may have a career in music one day.

Her other favorite gift was this tangled doll from her Uncle Chris and Aunt Carrie. She has "brushed and brushed and brushed her hair". (If you have watched the movie 10,000 times you know what I mean). (Of course my favorite song is "Mother knows best" ha!)

We had a great time yesterday. I got so many sweet messages on facebook and twitter - social media really makes birthdays fun! ha! I hope all of you have a very merry Christmas!

I'm praying for all of you who feel lonely this Christmas - whether you have have lost a loved one or are waiting for a family to spend Christmas with - know that you are not forgotten. I pray Jesus feels the hole in your heart with joy. Unexplainable, unspeakable joy. He can.

Great Day

2011-12-21T20:28:00.001-06:00

*****Edited to Add:
Okay - since you all asked - I got the tunic at a local store Riffraff when I was pregnant. It's not maternity but it worked then and still works now. Riffraff has the CUTEST stuff - you can order from them on their facebook page. But they won't still have this probably. The brand is Ryu. I got the boots off of zulily.*****

We have had a nice day here at the Stamps house. Hollis was SO sweet and happy today. I think she really has enjoyed being the center of attention. And if you are worried about Harper - don't. You can check out my mom's blog and see she is having the time of her life and most likely will NOT be happy to come home.

Hollis had her 9 month check up today and everything looked great. Knock on wood but I'm so thankful she has been very healthy - she has yet to have any kind of sickness. She was the same length Harper was at this age but is 2 lbs heavier! She is around 75% for both.

After our check up - we met up with some friends for lunch at CFA. Katie (and Trypp), Taylor, Stephanie and Joyce. We had a great time. It was also funny because I was in line and looked over and saw a guy I went to high school with who I hadn't seen in at least 20 years. I knew he would know who I was but I had to introduce myself because like he said "the blond hair threw him off".

This afternoon "Aunt" Laurie and the girls came over to exchange Christmas gifts. No one tell Harper because she would be HEARTBROKEN to know they had been here without her.

Sarah Kate and Emily wanted to hold Hollis so bad.

Scott took me and Hollis out for an early birthday dinner at one of my favorites - Abuelo's. It was so good and Hollis was really good. We even saw one of my friends from college who I used to work at summer camp with who is now Arkansas' Lt. Governor. As if I didn't feel old enough - the fact that one of my friends from school could be that kind of job makes me feel ancient.

Laurie gave me this book for my birthday and I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! I'm hoping to find time over Christmas to read it. I adore Tim. I think he is just an amazing Christian and role model. People can make fun of him all they want for praying - I would pick him any day over most of the rest of the athletes who are constantly getting arrested and acting ridiculous. Dear Jesus - please let my girls marry boys like Tim Tebow. Have you seen this video below? We should all be a little more like him.

Nine Months

2011-12-19T19:22:00.003-06:00

Hollis - you are NINE months old!
I can't believe you are getting so close to your first birthday!

You will have a checkup on Wednesday so I'll have to come back and update your stats.
According to me weighing you - you are around 20 lbs. I think you are about 2 lbs bigger than your sister was at this age.
I do know you are wearing 9 month and mostly 12 month clothes.
I just moved you up to a size 4 diaper.

You are a GREAT eater. We recently started in on table food and you love everything. You have ate peas, beans, peaches, pears, sweet potatos, avacado, carrots, potatos, cheese, bananas and cheerios.

You usually take two pretty good naps a day. Because of our schedule - you usually only get one good nap at home and one on the run. You have been ready to go to bed by 6:30 lately. You start getting fussy and just pass out. You sleep until around 7 every morning but you get up at least 3 times a night still. You have never once slept through the night. (sigh)

You still just have two teeth - on the bottom.

You are a BUSY BUSY girl. You are crawling EVERYWHERE. You also LOVE pulling up and standing. You have even stood for a second or two by yourself. I'm scared you are going to walk early. I'm not ready for that. You love to crawl all over the house and get into everything. The fun thing is now you and Harper are starting to really play together. It's so sweet.

You babble a lot. And laugh a lot. You say "momma" and "dad-da" some. I think you are saying "ba-ba" for bottle too. You have a real sweet personality.

You are waving bye and you always reach up for me to hold you! You love to sit in the floor and play with toys - especially in Harper's room.

You are so great to take out. You love to shop and be on the go.

You are GREAT at church. They always tell me how good and sweet and happy you are in the nursery. I am SOOOO thankful for that. Harper never liked the nursery at this age but you gladly go and do so well. It's the best feeling to know I can leave you and you are happy.

Nonny and Papa are keeping Harper this week and I've been able to spend the week with just you. It's so sweet getting to have one on one time with you and just soak up this baby stage. I love giving you my undivided attention. Even when Harper is here - you are still just as special to me. I love both of you girls equally. I can't imagine my life without either one of you. I am SO blessed to be your mother! I love you!

It was REALLY hard to get your picture this month. You did NOT want to sit still in the bed so this was the best we could do. You are growing so much. You have changed so much. I look back at how dark your hair was at first.....

I don't think you and Harper look as much alike in this month. There are times you remind me of each other and times you are completely different. And it's perfect that way!

Random Thoughts and Confessions

2011-12-18T21:43:00.000-06:00

My blog friend Erin has a thing where she posts "Confessions" from time to time. I always get a kick out of reading them. I sort of felt like spitting out a whole list of my confessions and random thoughts today.
If you ever wondered if I was kind of crazy...............it will be confirmed after you read this list.

1. I'm obsessed with salt and vinegar chips. OBSESSED. I could eat fourteen tons. I love how they sting my lips they are so salty. I've got Scott on board with my obsession which is not good because now we fight over the chips when they are in the house.

2. To go along with the previous thought..............(and PLEASE PLEASE don't leave me any comments that say "Oh you look so good".....that is NOT why I am writing this). I'm usually okay with how I look but right now I look in the mirror and don't know who I am. I'm about 25 pounds heavier than I'd like to be and I have wrinkles starting to pop up. I just don't like how I look right now. It's something I just need to get motivated to work on. I just got new tennis shoes.....maybe that will make me do something about it. I hate worrying about my weight.

3. Sometimes (not too often....but sometimes) I really miss working. I love staying home with my girls and I'm SOOOO thankful that I'm able to but there are times when I miss working. I miss meetings and business trips and the thrill of tracking big sales and planning strategies. I miss going to an office and having work friends and going to lunch with those work friends every day. I've got my dream "job" right now though.

4. I'm super paranoid about Hollis not being able to hear. She tested normal and I know she is fine but I find myself saying her name real loud to make sure she turns her head all the time. I know it's crazy but after Harper - I just worry. Even though I have no reason to.

5. I've worn the same lipstick for the last 8 years. Merle Norman Spice Sachet lip pencil. I took about a year hiatus where I tried all kinds of different lipsticks from Wal-Mart, Target, Ulta and Sephora and ultimately I came full circle back and realized the right color had been there all along. :-) May it never be taken off the market.

6. If there was any wish I had - I wish I could sing really well. I would love to sing in church and tour and sing in concerts. I need to find a new dream. :-)

7. I LOVE cheesy Lifetime Christmas movies. LOVE.

8. I'm turning 38 this week and it's really freaking me out. I just don't get how I am almost 40. It seems like I was JUST 18. I don't think I'm old. I love my 30's but suddenly I'm so stressed out about being so close to 40. And this is something that is REALLY wigging me out........someone on twitter mentioned D C Talk this week and they were one of my favorite groups in college. I googled them and realized those guys are all close to FIFTY. Michael Tait and Toby Mac are both in their late 40's. That just doesn't seem right. I mean I JUST heard "Jesus Freak" in a store the other day. And it was just as awesome as it was 15 years ago. Most of the stars of "90210" are in their 40's too. Oh and Brad Pitt is almost 50 too. Suddenly I'm feeling younger. :-)

9. On that note.......I LOVE teaching youth girls at church. BUT teenage girls TOTALLY intimidate me. It's like I step right back into junior high angst. I'm old enough to be their mom but every time I'm with them - I feel SO intimidated and nerdy.

10. I feel like I'm a total slacker on the second child. With Harper - I dressed her up every day and put a bow on her head at ALL times. With Hollis - I let her stay in her pj's a lot. I even sometimes take her out in her pajamas (gasp!) I would have NEVER done that the first time around. I think I know that she won't like wearing a bow for a while but there will come a time when she is 2.5 - where she will actually ask to wear a bow. That's where Harper is now. And on the same note - in my 20's I would have NEVER gone out in public without full make-up and a cute outfit probably including heels. NEVER. These days - I will roll out to Wal-Mart with my hair barely combed, no make-up and pitiful sweats. And of course run into every person I haven't seen in 5 years who will think to themselves how I've really let myself go. Including any guy I dated 15 years ago who will see me and probably thank God to themselves for unanswered prayers. ha ha ha!

I can't believe you just read that whole list.

Let's go to the movies!

2011-12-17T21:40:00.000-06:00

Saturday we found ourselves with an unexpected free day and we thought it would be fun to get out and do something as a family. Scott was gone on a work trip last week and we were all glad to be back together. We rarely....(or basically never) go out to eat anymore because it can be just too stressful but we decided to go out for lunch and then go to a movie.
So we ate lunch at a pizza place and luckily it wasn't crowded and we had a good time. Harper was really good except when she got up after we were done and started putting on a dance recital in the middle of the restaurant. I guess I have to try dance class again. She asks about it EVERY day and is obsessed with dancing right now.

I took Harper to her first movie this summer and she did great but we haven't had a chance to go back. There is a very small theatre near us that I knew wouldn't be crowded so I thought we would try and go and see the Muppets. I knew Harper would do okay but I wasn't sure how Hollis would fare.

Harper did really good and had a lot of fun at the movie.

But she had to have the fun with daddy because this little muppet just didn't do too well in a movie. I was hoping she might drink a bottle and take a nap since it was nap time and it was dark but she wasn't interested. So I left with her and took her for a drive. She fell fast asleep so I went back to the movie and we were good for about 15 minutes until she woke back up. So she and I spent most of the movie in the car just hanging out. But it was worth it for Scott and Harper to have fun. Thankfully there were only two other moms and children in the theatre so all my coming and going wasn't too embarrassing.

The girls and I took a picture in front of the tree before church this morning. I wanted to do this because we have done it the last 3 Christmases in a row. I love to watch us grow. (They are growing up - I seem to be growing out).

2009 - My first Christmas with Harper, 2010 - expecting Hollis and Harper's 2nd Christmas and 2011.

Thankful for my blessings this Christmas! Thankful for Jesus. Thankful for abundant life!

Show Us Your Life - CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES!!!!!

2011-12-15T14:58:00.002-06:00

So it's my favorite thing every year - the Christmas tour of homes! I love looking at all the different decorations - big and small! I decorated more than I have in the last 3-4 years this year. I have been pregnant or with a new baby or just haven't felt like it. I almost didn't have the energy this year but once I got going - I pulled it all down from the attic and I'm glad I did!
And not one person has been to my house to see any of it so I'm kind of glad I can have a "virtual" open house! I wish I could offer you some cookies and diet coke! :-)

I'm starting the tour early because Nester has her tour up today and I thought you might like to link both places!

I put a tree in both of the girl's rooms. This is Harper's tree. It matches her room and I think it's so cute!

And this is Hollis' tree. It matches the blue and brown in her room.

I have just a few touches of Christmas in the kitchen - always have to put out one of my Southern Living Christmas cookbooks!

A little more festive in the kitchen

This is on my living room table

The only new thing in my house this year is the letters that spell Noel that I got from Hobby Lobby half price. I like the way it looks.

I've had my stockings for YEARS. I still have to get Hollis' stocking monogrammed. I bought 5 stockings before we ever had kids. (One is for Dawson the dog)

Joy is the theme of the season when you have Jesus!

Our living room tree. I pretty much hate my tree skirt but I haven't found anything else yet. I want to make one of those ruffled linen skirts that I've seen on Pinterest that don't have to be sewn. mmmm....maybe next year?

This tree is mostly browns and golds

I've had this table behind our couch for a while and just moved it to a wall. I'm liking where it is. I added some Christmas to it.

This is our fun little red, green and zebra tree in the dining room. This is the only tree I've used for the last couple of years when I didn't feel like doing much else. It's just kind of cute and whimsical to me.

This is a closer look

Looking into our dining room - I replaced my set of botanical prints with Christmas printables for free this year!

A closer look - I found these all on Pinterest!

Our living room - you can see Dawson's favorite place in the house!

Looking in from the front door

I just recently reframed a chalkboard. I like to change out the sayings all the time

My VERY favorite Christmas decoration this year is this tree. It's my Christmas Card tree. Christmas cards are my favorite part about Christmas and a few years ago I remembered Boomama doing this and I loved it! I trimmed the tree in burlap (another favorite this year) and I'm just tying the cards on with jute rope. I love being able to constantly see all the cards!

I made some little rosettes out of burlap

Another view of the tree - this is in our breakfast room

Love seeing all my friends!

Of course my favorite decoration really are these two! They are the only presents I really ever need!

Thank you for visiting our home! We love celebrating Christmas and decorating is fun - but we really know the TRUE meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ! We are so thankful He was born into this earth and lived and died and rose again so that we could have eternal life and life more abundant in Him! I hope you find the joy that is in Jesus this year!

Now join in the fun!!!!

Christmas Card and a Doll for Harper

2011-12-14T11:44:00.001-06:00

I wish I could send each of you a Christmas card.......but since I can't - pretend you just went to your mailbox and pulled this out of an envelope! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

front

back

And you can see more fun Christmas cards at my friend Faith's Christmas Card Carousel!

I try to get pictures of the girls in their Christmas outfits every day and sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. I took about 20 pictures before MDO yesterday - and this was the best I could get. ha ha! It's for SURE not always picture perfect at our house.

We have decided that we will always get the girls 3 things for Christmas. One big-ish thing and 2 smaller things. That is PLENTY. I'm so excited about Harper's gift this year that I thought I would share it with you. I think I'm safe because she doesn't read my blog but if you know her - don't tell her! :-)

Several people told me about these custom dolls called "My Twin". You get them to look like your kids. I wouldn't say this doll is an exact match but she has Harper's green eyes and hair color and kind of round cheeks. I think she is so pretty and I hope Harper will love her.

And the best part is we could get her to come with her own set of "special ears"! That's the main reason I wanted to buy her for Harper! Now if this doll just has a funny personality to match - they should be quite the pair!

Picture Perfect

2011-12-12T20:44:00.002-06:00

I thought I would share a fun way I decorated this year. I just came up with this idea yesterday! ha! I'm SO not crafty but this was cheap and fun so I thought I would share.

I have a big wall in my dining room that needed something so several years ago I got 12 cheap frames at Wal-Mart and 12 half price mats at Hobby Lobby. I bought a set of botanical prints off of ebay for very little and I LOVE the way this project turned out. I got the wall decorated for less than $100.

This arrangement has really come in handy. For Harper's first birthday party - I framed her monthly pictures. I used scrapbook paper that matched the party colors to be the mats. I'm going to do the same thing for Hollis for her first birthday. It works perfect since there are 12 pictures and 12 months!

So yesterday - I thought it would be fun to print off some cute Christmas signs and frame them! I found all of these off of Pinterest. I even had some of my twitter friends send me some links. This was a free project - I just had to print these off and they were all free printables. I'm going to put the links at the bottom in case you are interested. Another great idea is to just print off one or two and put in frames to display on tables or cabinets in your home during Christmas!

(I didn't write down every link but these are most of the sources)

http://tatertotsandjello.com/2010/12/great-ideas-free-holiday-printables.html

http://www.landeeseelandeedo.com/2011/12/go-big-or-go-home-christmas-art.html

http://www.positivelysplendid.com/

http://designdazzle.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-printable.html

http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2010/12/subway-art-update.html

A visit to Santa

2011-12-12T14:24:00.000-06:00

*****I'm going to start this post with a disclaimer because I KNOW I will get questions:
YES - we do "do Santa" in our house. He is NOT a big deal. He is a very small part of our holiday and Jesus is the MAIN show around here. Scott and I both grew up with Santa Claus. My family was a very strong Christian home and we did Santa and when I found out he wasn't real never in a million zillion years did I think "Well - then Jesus can't be real either". I think because Jesus was such a part of our every day life and Santa came in about 5 days of the year. I think you can do both. To me - it's no different than going to Disney World - your kids love to see the Characters there. I don't think going to Disney World is going to make them question Christianity. That's just my opinion. I think this is something that every family can decide how they want to handle. I also think it's something that you decide and then you don't worry what everyone else is doing. My choice is not the RIGHT choice or the wrong choice and I'm not promoting either way. I'm just sharing because I know I'll get asked. I'm not up for hosting the great Santa debate on this blog and I'll forewarn you that any comments trying to debate will most likely get deleted. I just want to share a day in our life to remember.*****

So - I mentioned in the last post that I just wasn't doing much for the holidays this year but I did want to go to the mall and get the girls picture with Santa. I knew we needed to be very strategic about when we went. Nights wouldn't work because the girls would be on meltdown mode and we couldn't go on a weekend because waiting in line would create meltdowns too. So Scott took an early lunch and we went today and it was PERFECT! We were the only ones there and we could take our time and it took a little coaxing to get both girls up there. Harper was so excited! The whole way there she talked about sitting in Santa's lap. Of course when we got there she wanted nothing to do with him. But Santa pulled out a little photo book and he had pictures of him and Mrs. Clause and the elves and a picture of his cat. The cat did it. That poor girl loves kitty cats. He also gave her a sucker. Candy and cats - that's all Harper needs to keep her happy. ha!

First I want to take a trip down memory lane:

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2010 - Best picture ever!

Christmas 2011 - Neither girl looks thrilled but at least they were both in the picture. :-)

I do love these pictures of the girls and Santa. I think we have one of the best Santas around!

There was a photo booth in the mall near Santa and Scott knows I love myself a photo booth so he suggested Harper and I take our picture. SO FUN! #2 is my favorite!

Want some fun Christmas links to check out?
My friend Shelli is hosting a fun mantel party. I need to check this one out because I can never figure out how to decorate my mantel. http://www.alamodemaven.com/2011/12/holiday-mantlescapes-linky-party.html

And there is a fun little link up going on all week with 5 different bloggers - they are covering everything from entertaining to decorating to food for the holidays:
http://accordingtonina.com/oh-what-fun-it-is-to-entertain/

And don't forget that this Friday I will be hosting a Christmas Tour of Homes! Come and link up your Christmas decorating! You have all week to get your post ready! I can't WAIT to get ideas from all of you!!!!

The Reason for the Season

2011-12-11T09:26:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I get so stressed out about the holidays. I feel like an awful mom because I'm so busy just caring for my girls right now that I haven't done a lot of extra stuff. Especially when I get on Facebook or twitter or blogs and see what other moms are doing. I don't have a fun advent calendar or do special things every day. We don't have the Elf on a Shelf and we haven't been to look at lights much or to visit Santa or really much of anything I would LOVE to do.
A lot is just because I think Harper is too young to understand most of those things and a lot of it is because Hollis keeps me so busy and she has meltdowns to go to bed by 6:30 every night so it's not possible for us to get out at night right now much.
I know there will be years for us to make "Stamps traditions" but this has just not been the year for it.

I also SO badly want my girls to know more than anything that Christmas is more about giving than "getting". And not just Christmas - but all year long. Every time we leave a store - I try to let Harper put coins in the Salvation Army bucket and I explain in simple words why we are doing that. I took her shopping with me to buy toys for our church's Christmas store we do to provide gifts for 600 families in our town that couldn't afford Christmas. I tried to explain that to her but it's so hard to explain to a 2 year old. I want the girls to know about Compassion and things like Arkansas Baptist Children's Home so they will be excited when we give things to them instead of ourselves one day.
But this year is just not the year yet. I'm trying to plant seeds but I know one day they will understand and I hope and pray they will have the spirit of giving.

I was having a day where I just felt overwhelmed and bad that maybe I wasn't making Christmas special enough and we were going somewhere and drove by a nativity scene and Harper suddenly said "BABY JESUS!!!" and then she said "Harper likes Jesus".
And with tears in my eyes I realized that was it. Everything else is just fluff - she knew the most important thing about Christmas. And I wanted so badly to tell her "Oh baby - you have NO idea just how much Jesus loves you! One day you will begin to understand the depth and breadth and height of just how much He loves you and you will find out He died on the cross for YOU! One day you will realize that He is the ONLY thing that matters". But for now I just love that when she prays that she says "Thank you Jesus for everything". I love that she can't go to sleep at night unless we sing "Jesus loves me". If THAT is our only tradition - if Jesus is the only thing we think about and talk about during Christmas - then it's more than enough. After all - that is the reason that we celebrate at all!
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

So maybe I'm not the worst mother after all........... :-)

My girl likes to party all the time

2011-12-09T19:48:00.001-06:00

We have a busy couple of days lately. Christmas parties galore! Wednesday night - Tracy and I had our Sunday school class girls over for pizza before a youth event. It was ugly Christmas sweater night. Such sweet girls.

Thursday night we went to a Christmas party with a group in NWA that works with kids who are deaf or have hearing loss. It was fun - it was at the U of A and they had lots of craft stations for the kids.

This is Harper's speech therapist "Mrs. Rachel". Harper loves her.

Harper couldn't believe I let her put her hands in paint. We are usually both too neat for that! ha!

Harper's favorite part of the party - eating cookies! She was two fisting it!

Our family

Santa (one of the dads) made an appearance. Harper wouldn't have anything to do with him and you can see how thrilled Hollis was. ha ha ha!

This morning we had a little blog/twitter meet up at Bliss cupcakes. Some of my good friends are new owners and it was fun to have some friends come meet up and eat cupcakes. Melissa and Grayson came!

Jennifer and Jillian. Brody was there too but I missed getting his picture. He was having too much fun.

Emily and Miles. Emily is SOOOOO sweet. She was in my same sorority at college several years after I was.

My friend Shannon came by

Taylor and Grace - so excited they came by

Sydney holding Hollis

Jennifer and I tried to take a picture of us with our girls but Jillian kept grabbing Hollis and we were getting so cracked up. This was the best we could do.

If you are in NWA - Bliss is off the Fayetteville square and they are SOOOO good! You need to check them out.

I got a big surprise right before I left a girl walked in and I didn't even notice at first and she said "Kelly?" Gina and I went to college together and were in the same sorority and we haven't seen each other in years. She lives in Little Rock but was in town for her job and was grabbing some cupcakes for the road. Such a fun coincidence we both ended up there!

We have a birthday party tomorrow and then our December starts to slow down. Our family are all going to bed early tonight because we are tired.
But happy!

Show Us Your life - Favorite Holiday Recipes

2011-12-09T15:15:00.001-06:00

I'm so sorry y'all..............
as December goes - this week has been crazy busy and I'm so behind.

Today's link is all about favorite holiday recipes - I'd love for you to share yours so maybe we can all use this if we need something for a party!

And don't forget - next week is our Christmas Tour of Homes! Come share your Christmas decorations! You have a week to get your pictures made and ready to share!!!!

Picture this

2011-12-08T13:16:00.001-06:00

We got back pictures that my friend Bethany took of us a few weeks ago. I thought I would share a couple. This picture and the next one make me laugh because they are just typical Harper right now. Oh that girl.

She is the epitome of sugar and spice

This girl just makes me smile

These two are SO much alike. Harper is just Scott's little buddy.

My mom posted this picture the other day of my grandma and my dad as a baby. I had never realized it before but doesn't Hollis look JUST like my dad??? CRAZY!

If you live in NWA - Jennifer Francis and I are going to be at Bliss Cupcakes tomorrow from 10:30 to 11:30 and we would love for all of our blogger/twitter friends to come by and say hi and eat a cupcake with us! It's on the Fayetteville square and is SO good! Some of our friends are new owners there and we want to share the goodness with you!

Also - I have a post up on RooMag I wanted to share with you so you can go visit the site!

Prayer Requests

2011-12-07T10:38:00.001-06:00

I am SO sorry if you have ever emailed me and never heard back. I am swimming in an ocean of email all the time and I can't get my head above water. Hollis is a crawling machine right now and between her and Harper who is just crazy busy - I can barely get a shower every day much less get important things done like cleaning toilets and folding laundry.

I can crank out a blog post in about 15 minutes during nap time but sitting down and answering email just takes me forever and I can't ever get the time. I read them all and TRY TRY to answer but I'm slow.

And that brings me to this important announcement.

I LOVE posting prayer requests and having y'all pray for one another. BUT I'm so slow with my email that I get the requests up WAY too late most of the time. SO if you see up on the top of my blog - I've put "Prayer Requests". If you have a prayer request - instead of emailing me - please go there and post it.

And I would LOVE if each of you when you think of it - go to that link and take a few minutes to pray over the requests. Can I ask that of you? Can we be a community who prays for one another? I think this may be the best way for me to handle it right now. I want to have these up in a timely manner and I'm just not cutting it.

I love y'all for always caring and supporting one another! Let's continue to be Jesus' hand and feet to those in need here on earth during Christmas time and every other time!

Christmas Lunch and Glow Sticks

2011-12-06T14:34:00.000-06:00

We woke up to snow on the ground this morning. Our first snow. Thankfully - it didn't affect the roads too much because we had plans for today!

Our Women's Ministry had our annual Christmas lunch today. I got there early to help but first I went and tried to take a few pictures of the girls by our church's big Christmas tree. Neither one would look at me and then Harper wanted to sit in front of a purple banner instead. So not the same kind of background but at least they are semi looking. We got these precious dresses from She She Made. Aren't they adorable?

I love all the women in our church. These two tickled me because they were giving me what they wanted me to put under their picture if I put it on my blog! Two Young Hotties! :-) They are two women I just adore (they did not tell me to write that - it's just true).

Rachel and Shonda

Jessica, Stephanie and Ashley

Love these three - Amy, Laurie and Amanda

Bethany and Mary Avery - there were tons of women there and I didn't get a picture of even half of them. It was so fun to eat and visit. We had BBQ catered and it was SO good.

I love that women of ALL ages come. Because these women just bless me. And they are always fixed up so cute!

We had a chef come in and show us some fun cooking ideas for the holidays. It was a fun morning!

I have to share a fun idea with y'all that I saw somewhere - I can't even remember where I saw it but I've been wanting to try it for a while. I bought a bunch of different colored glow sticks at Wal-Mart in the toy section and last night I put them in the bath tub with Harper and turned out the lights. It was SO fun and she LOVED it!!! Scott said it looked like we were "up in da club". ha! I don't post bathtub pictures on my blog - but if you have young kids - try it this winter when you are stuck inside. They would probably stay in the tub for hours. We will be doing that again!

And Happy 89th birthday to my grandma!! We love you so much! I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful grandmother. I think about how much my girls adore their grandparents and the memories they are making with them and it makes me think about all the special times I had with mine. I hope you have a great day Grandma!!!! (My grandma is very hip for 89 - she reads blogs and twitter and facebook!)

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-05T11:07:00.001-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our house....................finally! I spent all weekend trying to get our house decorated. I have a few finishing touches. I'm no Martha Stewart but our house is looking much more festive! I'll share it all..............in a couple of weeks - we will have a SUYL Christmas home tour in 2 weeks!!

My favorite part of Christmas is the Christmas Cards. And I've been wanting to do something fun with them for a while. I remembered a few years ago seeing Boomama have a Christmas Card tree and I filed that away in my brain somewhere. I also have been loving all kinds of burlapy things on Pinterest lately so I decided I would make a few burlap touches to the Card tree.

I made these burlap rosettes. I'm so not crafty but you just need a glue gun. I found some rhinestone buttons at Hobby Lobby to add a little bling. I followed this tutuorial off of Pinterest.

I plan to make a few more of the bling rosettes and then I want to make some of these. The tutuorial on these is here.

I'm hoping to get my Christmas cards addressed and sent out today and finish up the rest of my house. And then we will be ready to drink hot chocolate, drive around and look at lights, go see Santa and listen to David Crowder's new Christmas CD (which has made my life complete).

Merry Christmas Y'all!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-12-03T14:34:00.001-06:00

We are having a fun but busy weekend - isn't that how almost all of December is? I don't know about y'all - but December is NUTS! And I love it. Last night we had our Sunday School party at Laurie and Steve's house. Laurie and Steve recently took over teaching our class! We had so much fun - there were around 16 couples there and our kids all went to Parents Night out at church or some had babysitters. We had a potluck dinner and it was SOOOO good!
This is Julie, Jessica, Vonda and Robin.

Kacy and Amanda - these are two of my favorite and funniest friends

Erin and Rachel - two of the prettiest and most selfless girls I know

I love our parties - they are always so typical - all the men hang out together in one room and all the women in the other. I took this picture just to prove that the husbands were indeed there.

Ladies in red - Mary Avery and Laurie

Amber and Tracy - love these girls!

Me with Ginger and Rachel

This morning our friend Neely had her 4th birthday party at the local jump place! Laurie held Hollis for me part of the time!

All the kids!

They had pizza and cake - Harper was in heaven! She had the best time!

Sarah Kate and the birthday girl - isn't Neely pretty?

I have been on a MISSION to find Burlap. It's so popular right now and I wanted to do one of my trees in some burlap but everywhere has been out of it. Someone told me to try Home Depot and I finally found some. Who knew they had such fun carts? Harper had the best time and Hollis was laughing the whole time too. We may go to Home Depot some times this winter to just walk around and ride in this buggy!

Well - I'm determined to get my Christmas up this weekend so I'm signing off so I can get busy!!!

P.S. Can you help?
The Groeneveld family who live in Goldsboro, NC, lost their home last night because of fire. They have already served 2 years as Medical Missionaries to Africa, but now have 3 kids and plan to go back in the Fall of 2012. They have been raising support this year. They literally have nothing now. Is there anyway you can help us with this?

Here is our church website that tells you more about this. www.faithfwbc.com

Her blog is http://groeneveldfamily.blogspot.com/2011/06/maybe-i-am-not-cut-out-to-be-missionary.html?spref=fb

Monogram Swap

2011-12-01T22:09:00.001-06:00

I know some of you, okay probably a lot of you - think I'm cuckoo with the monogramming but I will not lie - I LOVE it! I will say that I mostly monogram things when they are babies and then lay off around age two. But I love it. (did I say that already?)
And I know I'm not alone...............

SO - if you have monogrammed clothes you would like to sell or give away - this is your day!
If you are in the market for some cute monogrammed clothes for your kids or babies to be - this is your day!

1. You can write a post and put up pics of what you have to sell and people can leave you comments with their their emails if they want to buy.
2. You can write a post and just share the names or initials you have on things and then people can contact you privately to see what you have.
3. You can leave a comment here with names or initials you have (if you don't have a blog) along with your email address and people can contact you privately to see what you have.

IF you are shopping - just leave comments and your email address and work it out from there.

I set up a little blog to put up what I have. I get emails constantly asking if I want to sell. I have already given away most of my "Harper" clothes - but I'm putting up what I have left along with my Hollis stuff. If you know anyone having a baby named Hollis (girl) - you need to send them over!

http://hbsclothes.blogspot.com/
(I sold all mine - so I took this blog private. Thanks!)

Okay - tweet, facebook or blog about this - hopefully we can get a BIG day going and we can all find things or sell our stuff!

Spread the word!!!

Monograms, Guitars and Dance

2011-12-01T17:17:00.001-06:00

FIRST and VERY important!
Tomorrow morning I will be hosting a monogram swap!!! You can do this however you want - I am making a little blog where I will post my items with prices (most I'm giving just for like $4 shipping and some I'm selling) and I will link to that. You can post items on your blog and link up or just leave your email in comments if you don't have a blog so people can contact you.
When you link up - put the names or initials in the title so people can find each other easily (Example: "H", Harper", "Hollis", "HBS").
I think this will be a great way to sell or get rid of monogrammed stuff. I'm mostly thinking kids clothes but you could post other items as well - bags, etc.
OR - this could be a good time to come shop and get good deals on monogrammed stuff!
TELL YOUR FRIENDS and SPREAD THE WORD!!!

We had a busy day. We started off by going to play group. We aren't able to go to play group anymore because of speech but we had it earlier this week so I was excited to go. And Harper was excited because it was at the home of two boys and they had all kinds of fun toys she never sees like cars, trains, airplanes, swords and guitars.

I think I found what we are getting her for Christmas. She was walking around taking requests. She said "How about 'Jesus Loves Me'"? ha!

And then she dressed like a pirate. Oh dear.

After nap, we went to try out dance class. Well - it was a disaster. We left before it was even over. The problem was we tried to go to a slightly older class for 3-5 year olds and Harper was the baby and just couldn't follow directions well. She was kind of doing her own thing. Luckily it was several of my close friends' little girls in there so I wasn't totally embarrassed.

I was going to wait a year but we MAY try a 2-3 year old class first and see if that makes a difference. Harper was so excited to wear her outfit and go.

We had a birthday party to go to afterwards but we had a meltdown and it was just too much. So we came home to just relax.

Hollis did have fun with her best friend Lela today. They can finally sit together and play and girl talk! :-)

Harperisms and a feature

2011-11-29T19:40:00.000-06:00

I thought it was time for me to write down some more "Harper-isms" so I won't forget what she is saying at this age. We are 6 weeks away from turning 3 and just hilarious.

Harper loves to pray before bed and meals. It is SO sweet to my heart to hear her saying "Thank you Jesus. I love you Jesus". She likes to pray for her family and friends. Last night she insisted on praying for all the dogs in our extended family and for Laurie's car. ha! She kills me.

Every night when she goes to bed - she requests the same 5 songs in the same exact order and I MUST sing them or she will have a fit. Sometimes I sing them in fast forward. ha! "Jesus Loves Me", "ABC", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Jesus loves the little children" and "Lord's Army".

She is always saying (especially if she is in trouble and wants to get out of it): "I"m proud of you Momma".

My favorite thing about her right now is pretty much everything I tell her to do - where she would normally always balk or say no or throw a fit - she now says "Okay Momma, Okay" and then does it. So happy!

Apparently she hears me saying "Be sweet to Hollis" a lot because she has started saying "Daddy, be sweet to Mommy. Mommy be sweet to Daddy".

She also is always saying "I love Mommy TOO. I love Daddy TOO." ha!

I am loving Christmas this year because she has finally started being aware of it. Last year she kind of got it but this year she is noticing the lights and the trees and it's fun watching her excitement. We haven't decorated our house yet (hopefully this week) so I know she will be THRILLED. We went through the Christmas and toy section of Wal-Mart today and she kept saying "WOW!" "WOW!" ha! Oh life through the eyes of a child - it's the best!

and I got asked by two girls to do a feature on their blogs today. Check them out - I felt a little intimidated - they seem so amazing and stylish and creative and fun and they love God! I've had fun looking at their blogs recently and I think you will too! They might become new favorites for you!!!!

Creating, sharing, and inspiring connects us all together. Every day we are drawn to blogs that make us feel something, and we take a little piece of it with us. Behind every one of our favorite blogs, there's a person. A person with real emotions, fears, goals, and weird quirks that we never really get to experience first hand. We've brought together your favorite bloggers to give you a more intimate take on their lives, so you can catch the little details that make them who they are. Every Wednesday, we'll be capturing the lives of the people behind your daily reads in a way that you wont experience anywhere else.

So get ready. We have lots to share! xoxo

Each week on Casey's blog, you will hear a more personal story about one of your favorite bloggers.... why they are the way they are, stories on loss or happiness, struggles or triumphs...we want to have them share the happiest moment of their life, or a time that they grew stronger because of an enormous trial placed in their path.

On my blog, they will be sharing any advice they have for you readers. It can be about fashion, being a mom or wife, how to grow your blog, how to start your own business, etc. Whatever their niche is, you will hear their expert advice!

Roo

2011-11-28T22:38:00.001-06:00

SO FIRST..................

I wanted to share with y'all that I'm so excited - I've been asked to be a monthly contributor at a new on-line magazine/website started by Candace Cameron Bure for women! You may know Candace as "DJ" on "Full House" or you may remember her brother Kirk from "Growing Pains" or you may know her as a Christian speaker.

This is a really neat website that will have topics on fitness, food, decorating, fashion, and being a wife and mother! I hope you will all check it out and bookmark it! It is launching today!!!
Candace recently traveled to the Dominican Republic with Compassion and she has a really neat video on the site that I'd love for you to watch! I was so excited when I got involved to find out that she supports Compassion as well!
As a side note, Candace will also be staring in a TV movie on Sunday, December 4th called The Heart Of Christmas. It will air Dec. 4th at 7 & 9pm EST on GMC TV (check your local guide or call your cable provider for channel information)

www.roomag.com

It's been a while since I have posted prayer requests and I have an inbox full of them so I wanted to share a few with you:

1. Noah Crow is a 4 year old that has battled brain cancer for half his life. The doctors aren't giving much hope. It's only a matter of time. His parents are AWESOME people with a firm faith in Christ. An amazing family. prayfornoah.com

2. Pray for the Sanborn family of Kingston NH. their daughter committed suicide this past Friday night due to bullying at school. Gabrielle Sanborn was 13 years old.

3. Kevin (brother of a friend of a reader) was approached by a man on Nov 15 who demanded money and before Kevin could hand over anything, the gunman shot him in the neck. Kevin is battling serious injuries and they are unsure if he will regain any movement below his neck. The gunman is still at large. If you could, could you please add this family to your prayers?

4. Pray for the Lightfoot family in Texas. They lost their oldest son a few years ago and now this:

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/110411-Burned-Body-Identified-as-Young-Woman

5. Kelly & Adam have a baby girl, Charli. She is a triplet but her brothers both went to be with Jesus just after birth. Currently little Charli is not doing very well at all and needs prayer warriors to lift her up to God's healing hands. Their family has been through so much in the past year or so and they just need their brothers and sisters in Christ to hold them up right now. http://hopeful-aninvitationtoeavesdrop.blogspot.com/

6. A reader's friend's little boy (Weston) died recently in a freak farm accident. He was only 4. If everyone could pray for Anissa, Lynn and Haley, they miss him so much

7. little Allison and her father Will were wounded, Allison seriously, during what may have been a mistaken address home invasion. Allison is 5 She is in a coma, fighting for her life. They are a sweet family who live very modestly so that Jennifer can be home to raise their three children. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/oct/26/neighborhood-horror/

Thank you for praying!

Are you Lonesome Tonight?

2011-11-27T22:06:00.001-06:00

Here is picture of our family on Thanksgiving.

See my earrings?

My mom tweeted me this picture yesterday and asked me if I was missing anything. ha ha ha!

We started our month of Christmas clothes yesterday for church. I've wound up with a bunch of Christmas outfits - a lot are hand me downs and some I bought. My MIL bought the girls these dresses. I love Christmas plaid. I want to get all the wear I can out of the cute holiday clothes - so we will be wearing them over and over all month!

I love these pink and green Christmas tree outfits! The girls wore these today to take Harper to speech.

I have something on my mind and it's loneliness. I was lonely a lot of my 20's. I had friends but I just was so lonely for a husband. And now that I have a husband - I can still be lonely. (Scott is amazing but he's not big on "girl talk" ha ha ha!) I haven't felt that way in a long time but it seems like it has just hit me. In fact - in recent months - I've heard friends say they felt lonely, like they had no friends. These are BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING girls who I think anyone would DIE to be friends with so I was shocked to hear them feel this way. I feel like I have so many friends and I'm so thankful.
BUT being a SAHM can be isolating. I'm so busy with two kids now that I can go days without seeing or talking to another person besides Scott. Twitter kind of helped my feelings of loneliness last winter by making me feel like I have friends to talk to during the day - but sometimes even that can make me feel lonely. I know it's probably hormones or Satan's attack of insecurity - but do y'all feel this way?
I don't have an inspirational way to tie this post up like a pretty package. I know Jesus brings comfort and is a friend and He TOTALLY does - but I think you can still be faced with lonely feelings.
I guess it bothered me so much to hear some friends were struggling with loneliness and when it sort of hit me lately I just thought I would say - if you are feeling that way - you are not alone. I think about widows and people spending a lot of time in the hospital either for themselves or family members. There are so many in the holiday season who especially are lonely. I think about single moms.
I'm not sure of how we can help each other with this loneliness problem - but let's try to lift each other up as much as we can!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T19:48:00.000-06:00

I keep chuckling to myself when I think about Thanksgiving because when I went to Ecuador I was pretty intimidated to be on that trip honestly. Three of the bloggers with me have either written books or are writing books now and Amanda will probably write one one day. I will not be writing any books. I'm just a mom who puts up a lot of pictures and writes scattered thoughts. ANYWAY - probably a lot of you know about sweet Ann Voskamp and what a great writer she is and she has a best selling book "One Thousand Gifts". She wrote this wonderful post on our trip called "Thanksgiving is Thanks living". And the last night we were there the head of the Ecuador Compassion office came to visit us and Ann was already in her room and he came in where we were working and said with this delightful accent "Which one of you wrote that wonderful post 'Thanksgiving is Thanks living'? It was AMAZING". And we were all like "woh woh" - it wasn't us. ha! It just makes me laugh so all week I have been saying in my head the title of that post.
We had a really nice Thanksgiving. We went to my parents Wednesday night and came home this afternoon. My mom cooked a big lunch on Thursday and it was delicious. I ate way too much. My aunt and uncle came for lunch and my brother and his wife were there also! We tried to get in a family picture before we ate.

One of my little turkeys!
My mom did all the work. I wasn't much help - I had two kids to wrestle. I promised to host Thanksgiving one day when the girls are older.

The rest of Thanksgiving included watching the big game that we lost. Yes - I was pretty sad but LSU is obviously the #1 team in the country and I'm rooting for an SEC National Championship. LSU and Alabama deserve to meet again.

Friday we all got ready and tried to take a big family picture. We tried a couple of spots by the White River but it was windy and too bright so we ended up home on our front porch. My brother took those pictures so I'll have to share when he sends me one.
A lot of our holiday was just spent watching Harper clown around. She gets SOOO over excited to be with her grandparents. She and Hollis slept in a room with me and Scott slept in the bonus room. Neither girl slept much so I was exhausted and they were both a little grumpy most of the time we were there. Holidays are kind of tough with little kids. From packing for a family of four for several days to traveling to sleeping away from home - it's not easy. But I am thankful to have family to spend it with. Even when we are grumpy. :-)

Harper practiced her gymnastics for us.

She is starting dance this week and so we brought her new dance outfit and she put on a show. She is SOOO excited about taking "dance class".
She also did a lot of running around.
I love this picture of her that my mom took. So sweet.
Speaking of sweet - Hollis got a lot of attention at her first thanksgiving too.
Isn't she the cutest?

Today before we left, two of my life long friends who were home for Thanksgiving came over to visit. Their family is so special to me and I'm sad we don't see each other more. This is Micaela and her son Jeryn.

This is me, Jamie and Micaela and 5 of our 7 kids. Their two oldest are 1 day apart and best friends and they stayed home with their grandparents. It was so nice to see them and for our kids to see each other.

We especially enjoyed our time with Papa and Nonny!

And Uncle Chris and Aunt Carrie

We are so blessed and I'm very thankful for my family - both my little family of four and our two extended families. Hope your thanksgiving was great!

Sisters of the Traveling Turkey Dress

2011-11-23T14:20:00.000-06:00

I bought this little turkey dress when I was pregnant with Harper. And I loved it.

If we can squeeze out one more time next year - that's four years of use! Not too shabby!

Happy Thanksgiving from my two little turkeys!

They look thrilled about the holiday, don't they?

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

I'm So excited!

2011-11-21T13:59:00.001-06:00

(My post was originally titled something about "number three" and WAY too many people thought I meant we were pregnant again. Oh boy no - my hands are plenty full! :-)

If you have read my blog very much at all - you know I'm CRAZY about Razorback football. And if you keep up with college football - you probably know that I'm COMPLETELY GIDDY right now! This weekend was CRAZY and we have ended up #3 in the country with a chance at going to the championship game (if we can beat a little school in Louisiana). :-) So needless to say - this Friday I'm going to be nuts!!! We went to the U of A today for speech therapy and I drove by and took this picture of our stadium! The whole state of Arkansas is just electric with excitement! It's a fun time to be a Razorback fan.

Sadly - a sophomore on our team died in his dorm room yesterday. I don't think they know why yet - it's so tragic. So it's a very sad time for the Hogs along with being excited.

Speaking of excited - for the first time - yesterday our church had a Compassion Sunday! Talk about amazing timing for me! I was asked to get up and talk about my experiences and trips with Compassion. I felt like I was going to throw up I was so nervous but I just prayed hard God would give me words to say and I think He did. We had a guy named Owen from Kenya who had gone through the program and was a LDP student share his testimony. It was AMAZING! And something I really loved was he shared that he just got married and his Compassion sponsor was his BEST MAN! Isn't that so sweet??? I wish you could all hear what he shared! We also had a man who is on staff at David Platt's church (and Boomama's church) share about Compassion. And the even bigger God thing is I was able to talk with him and find out he and his family are moving to Ecuador soon to start and work at an Orphanage in Quito where I just was!!! There was a huge line of people getting Compassion packets afterwards including one of my 9th Grade Sunday School girls who signed up to sponsor and my neighbor who knocked on my door after church to tell me his family is now sponsoring two kids! I love how God is using Compassion to help kids in poverty and to spread the gospel!

Saturday one of my good friends took our family pics. She sent me this as a sneak preview. It was an awful windy day but hopefully we got a few good ones! Bethany is SO talented. She has been taking pictures for most of my friends and they are amazing! I'm TERRIFIED of having our pictures taken because I don't know how my kids will be but I knew Bethany would still love us even if they were horrible. :-)
You have to check out Bethany's site:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/bethany-blair-photography/232088230135252
http://www.bethanyblair.com/

I don't know how much I will blog this week. I'm so overwhelmed lately with business, plus the holidays plus being overly excited about the Hogs! I wish each and everyone of you a Happy Thanksgiving! We all have so much to be thankful for!

Eight Months

2011-11-19T10:37:00.001-06:00

Hollis - you are EIGHT months old!!!

You weigh close to 20 pounds.

You are wearing mostly size 9-12 months.

You wear a size 3 diaper.

You are ON THE GO!!!

You are crawling everywhere - really more of an army crawl but you can cross the room lickity split! You are constantly rolling or crawling or moving around. My life has become a lot more busy in just the last few weeks.

You are never still. You don't like to be rocked.

You take two good naps a day.

You are still getting up every 3 hours at night.

I think you are looking more like your sister every day. But you have your own personality.

You have the sweetest little spirit and I love when you smile big and show your dimple!

You are pretty happy all day unless you are tired.

You now have two teeth - the ones on the bottom.

You have started saying "Momma" this week! I am LOVING that!!

You and Harper are really starting to play and interact more. You think she is amazing and she is so sweet with you. I am loving the sister love!

You are so easy to take places. You are really good when we are out and about!

You are a great eater! You eat three good meals a day of baby food and you LOVE puffs and melts. You seen to have pretty good fine motor skills - you are very good at feeding yourself puffs!

This is you at 2,4,6 and 8 months! I can't believe how fast this year is going!

I love you SO much! You are my sweet baby girl! You have brought so much light into my life! We all love you and are so thankful for you!

Show Us Your Life - "Older" Bloggers Connect

2011-11-18T19:16:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry this is so late going up - Like I mentioned in the last post - this week has been a little nuts.

I had mentioned before we were going to do a series of "connecting" SUYL posts. This one is for "older" bloggers. I don't know a good way to say it - don't be offended. I'm going to say 50 and older. I'm not calling you old - but I know there are a ton of bloggers out there who aren't young moms - and you would probably like to find others in the same stage of life.

So if this is you - please feel free to link up your blog and maybe you will find someone else that you can connect with!

What a week and a winner

2011-11-17T22:18:00.001-06:00

I feel like I'm a little off my game when it comes to the blog this week. I'm still kind of reeling from my trip last week. And when I got home - I hit the floor running because Scott was gone hunting so I had the girls to myself. And then we made a day trip to Little Rock. Today we had speech and I had girls night tonight. So my week has been a little full.

I will say it was fun to spend time with friends tonight and just relax and laugh. I needed that.

I need to post Hollis 8 month post! Time is going by too quickly. She is crawling like a mad woman right now and today she started saying "Momma"!!! Which I am loving because I think Harper was like 15 months before she finally said it. Her first word was "Dada" and she is for SURE a Daddy's girl.

Rory Lee - you are the winner of the VIP tickets - I have emailed you!

Guess what?! As a thank you for commenting on our blog, the NWA Boutique Show is giving each of you one free general admission ticket to the show! To claim your ticket, e-mail Julie atjulie.nwaboutiqueshow@gmai l.com and reference this contest. She'll e-mail you the ticket!

and my friend Flint has this awesome Football website and he asked me to be the "Celebrity Picker" this week - which is funny because I'm not a celebrity nor do I have any expert opinion - but you might like to see my picks for College football this week!

http://www.holyturf.com/2011/11/slim-chickens-celebrity-picks-mommy-blogger-edition/

Think Pink

2011-11-16T19:09:00.001-06:00

Today has been a day where my nerves are just shot! I need a Big sonic drink and a hot bath and some mindless TV. ha! Harper had an appointment at Children's in Little Rock today. We LOVE her audiologist SO SO much but going to Little Rock for appointments is getting tough. Scott has been in south AR hunting since before I got home from Ecuador (SO happy to see him finally) so he met me at the hospital. I had to leave our house by 6:45 but I made one stop to get the girls fed and changed and then I got stuck in horrible traffic because of a wreck so I was late to the appointment and they almost cancelled on me. Thank goodness they understood I was coming from hours away with two babies and had mercy on me - I was close to tears. I should add that Hollis screamed about 80% of the time she was in the car today so that didn't help my nerves.

Harper was SO good today. She is getting close to three (how did this happen so fast) and I'm seeing the changes in her. She is still a bundle of energy and big personality but she's getting easier to take and do things with. She was so interested in "helping" Miss Jan today. She may be an audiologist one of these days.

We have had a pair of loaner hearing aids from the hospital since this summer and today we finally got our OWN special ears! And we picked pink!!! This is what they look like! They should be good for several years and they are a new kind that can even get wet! I'm excited to have these!

Two fun things helped me end my day on a good note.................................

I had ordered Harper some pink dance shoes and they came today! I'm hoping to put her in a dance class starting in January and I'm so excited!!!

AND

I got an email that a couple who met through the Singles SUYL on here got ENGAGED this week! If you are keeping track (which I doubt anyone but me is) that is FOUR COUPLES who are engaged/married!! And I know of probably 3 couples who I expect good news from someday!

AND in case you are wondering -
I'm going to do a Singles Day for over 40 singles in January and another one for all singles in February! So if you are single or know someone special who is - please spread the word!! I hope I will keep hearing more fun success stories!!! Let's do something good with this silly blog! :-)

and sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo random and nothing to do with this post:

I've probably received 50 emails from people saying they think this girl on "Pan Am" looks like me. I don't really see it but seriously - every day I get another email from someone. What do you think? ha! And even more funny is I just saw a friend from my hometown who just moved to NYC is going to be ON the show. SO crazy!

Okay - that's all.......I need that bath now.

Calling all you NWA girls!

2011-11-15T20:57:00.001-06:00

This post is for all of you NWA girls!

I am giving away 2 VIP Tickets to the Northwest Arkansas Boutique Show, which will take place at the Springdale Convention Center Friday, November 18- Saturday, November 19!

In addition to getting to be one of the first to shop at the event, each VIP ticket holder will receive a signature shopping tote swag bags, a delicious treat from Briar Rose Bakery, coffee or iced tea from Mama Carmen's Espresso Cafe, a savory treat from My Brother's Salsa and Catering Concepts, free return admission all weekend and the chance to win hundreds of amazing door prizes!!!

There will be over 150 merchants from over 5 states selling all kinds of unique finds from home decor, clothing, accessories, gourmet foods and much much more! You don’t want to miss this great event!

Just leave a comment to enter for a chance to win! Winner will be announced on Thursday night!

Boutique Shopping Hours
Friday, 11/18, 2:00 p.m.— 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 11/19, 9:00 a.m.— 6:00 p.m.

Shop 150 Booths and thousands of one-of-a-kind and custom items! Home decor,
gifts, clothing, gourmet food, holiday decor, children's items, art and so much more!

General admission is $2 at the door.

VIP Shopping Event
Friday, 11/18, Noon — 2:00 p.m.Be the first to shop! Swag bags, door prizes, coffee/tea from
Mama Carmen’s Espresso Café, treats from Briar Rose Bakery, Catering Concepts,
My Brother’s Salsa and Lindt Chocolatiers, free return admission all weekend & more!$15 in advance* (online only until 11/17/11) or $20 at the door with a portion of
proceeds benefiting the community projects of the Junior League of NWA. Click HERE for more information and to buy tickets!

*Limited number of tickets available.

VIP shopping will be from Noon-2PM on Friday, November 18th. You will be able to get your ticket at will call!

What's Been going on

2011-11-14T13:31:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd share a few behind the scenes stuff from my trip to Ecuador. I shared a lot about the kids - but this is other stuff that went on while I was there.

I got to see the Equator!!! Which contrary to what I've always believed is NOT the hottest place in the world. At least not where we were.

I served food to kids in the child development centers

I painted approximately 500 fingernails

I spent time with amazing people and watched their love and passion for these kids
(MAN - I'm missing these friends this week)

I planted corn and beans. Oh yes I did - look at my work boots!

I talked a lot with people I admire who do things that make me want to be more like Jesus.

I heard pastors talk about the persecution that Christians in Ecuador have endured. TERRIBLE persecution. And how Compassion helping kids in the community has helped the persecutors to stop.

I prayed for the children, their families, the pastors of the churches and the volunteers in the child development centers that more of you will open your hearts to sponsor a child.

(all pics by Keely Scott)

There's no place like home!

2011-11-13T19:48:00.001-06:00

Last week was one of the most amazing weeks of my life. And I had so much fun loving on so many sweet kids. But I was SOOOO happy to get home to these two little sweet things and love on them!
It's good to be home!

And if you are wondering what we will be up to this week - the answer is laundry and something that involves the picture above. Can you guess what it is???? :-)
We are 75% there - it's time to go hard core and get it done!

Wish us luck!

King of the Jungle

2011-11-11T20:22:00.001-06:00

People say this world's a jungle and sometimes I must admit
I'd be scared to death if I did not know who was king of it
But the truth is God created this whole world with His own hand
So everything is under His command

What I need is to remember one thing
That the Lord of the gentle breeze is Lord of the rough and tumble
And He is King of the Jungle Yes he is

- "King of the Jungle" Stephen Curtis Chapman

We spent the last two days in the Amazon jungle. We took a six hour bus ride and a boat ride on the amazon river to get to where we were going. It was the experience of a lifetime. I think I said about 100 times "I never thought I would ever find myself in the jungle of Ecuador". It's something I will never forget.

Yesterday we went to visit a child development center. We got there in time for lunch and they told us on the way there that we would be having fish and grilled worms. I laughed out loud and then realized they weren't joking. Adventure eating is not my friend - I was a little stressed.

Especially when I saw that the fish was staring back at me.

The pastor was encouraging us to eat the worms and I whispered to Melanie that "they could just put me on the bus and send me home cause I wasn't eating a worm." I just couldn't do it.

After lunch the kids came to the center after school and we were able to serve them a meal. And then we got to play with the kids. We did all kinds of fun games and despite the language barrier - it was just so fun.

We took a boat back to the lodge where we were staying. We stayed in screened in rooms and there was no air conditioning and no phone service or internet. It was kind of fun to be just kind of cut off from the world for a day. We ate dinner and then we sat around sharing how Compassion had impacted our lives and what we had learned on these trips. It was such a blessing to just share how on our first trips we were mostly just shocked and sad by the poverty and this time around we were seeing more hope and joy despite the poor conditions.

The thing I've been so struck by is the simple, pure faith I have seen in the children, the families and the pastors of the church and staff of the development centers. Their love for God just shines like the brightest light from their inside out. I met a pastor of a center today who had been a Compassion sponsored child and he smiled so much sharing with me about how Compassion had just changed his life.

Today we took another boat ride down the amazon to visit a couple of homes. The home I went to reminded me of Swiss Family Robinson. They lived deep in the jungle and their house was just this square on stilts.

There was no bed for the parents - they sleep on the floor. The four boys sleep on one bed in the other room. They had no bathroom and no running water. But the family was SO sweet and their boys were precious. The boys get up at 4 a.m. and walk 30 minutes to get to school. They had no furniture in their house - but one of the boys had a letter from his Compassion sponsor and that was displayed proudly on their wall. I don't think you realize how much letters to your kids mean to them!!!!

We took another boat ride and went to visit the child center. This is in a community of about 600 people. These people are VERY isolated. No TV's, no phones, very very poor. They warned us that the people would be very shy and wouldn't talk much. I was able to meet my newest Compassion child that we are sponsoring.

His name is Paul and he's 6. He was so cute. I spent a few hours with him and he never said ONE WORD. ha! The translator told me that the children in this village are always told not to talk to people they don't know and this boy had never seen a blond person before. I'm sure he was very afraid of me. I gave him a backpack I had brought with me with legos and cars and clothes. The pastor told me his parents were just saved and baptized about a month ago. Over and over we hear stories of families being saved because of how Compassion helps their children.

We went back to our lodge and ate lunch and packed up to leave. I was able to eat lunch with Paul and his Pastor. We said goodbye and I hope that Paul will remember this day. I know I always will.

This has been an amazing week for me. I have loved sharing this week with some of my favorite people in all the world. I have loved getting to see for a second time in person how amazing Compassion truly is. I believe SO strongly in Compassion. I read this in a brochure for Compassion and I love what it said:

"Compassion accomplishes its mission of holistic child development by being an advocate for children. Child advocacy characterizes both who we are and how we accomplish our mission. An advocate is one who speaks for and supports the rights and needs of those who may not be able to do this for themselves. Because God loves children and the poor with abandon, so do we. Compassion is passionate about children, especially those in poverty, and can't help but speak out on their behalf. Our mandate comes from Scripture: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Will you be an advocate for these children and release them from poverty?

Sponsor a child today.

(If you have any questions about Compassion - leave them in the comments and I'll try to get them answered. And if you sponsored a child this week - will you leave a comment and let me know? It's an encouragement to me to know that this trip has a purpose. It's not a contest - it doesn't matter if 2 of you became sponsors or 200 - but it does help me to just feel like this trip was worth it!)

Just One

2011-11-09T20:52:00.000-06:00

Maybe it's just me but do you ever have one of those days where you think "My life is kind of hard........I need to get dinner cooked and I have all this laundry to get done and my house is dirty and I haven't had a moment to myself today and I need to go to the grocery store............"

Then I travel to a different continent and visit a home where a family of NINE live in a house probably the size of my living room. I only saw three beds.

I look around at the dirt floor and the dark crowded rooms. I look at the open spaces where the roof meets the walls but doesn't completely cover.

I look around at their kitchen. I look around for a bathroom and I don't see one.
I look at a mother who is my age but looks about 15 years older. I look at a mom who gets up at 5:30 to make breakfast for her 7 kids. I hear her talk about how she never went to school and can't read or write.

I hear the mom talk about the work her husband does and how it's not very steady.
It's dark and hot in their house.

I just can't wrap my mind about what it is like to live this life. And then I think about my life. I'm not rich by any means but I have so much. I have TOO much. And something keeps ringing through my head that we heard from a college student who has been sponsored through Compassion since she was 4 years old. She said her sponsor loved her and sponsored her
"not because she felt guilty or because she had a ton of money to spare...............but because she loved God and wanted to serve Him".

And that's the the thing. I see a family with seven children - two of whom are in the Compassion program. They are being encouraged to go to school and finish school. Their family is being helped. I see hope and love in their eyes.

And as hard as it is to not feel sad and guilty - I realize that it's NOT about me feeling guilty for what I have or making you feel guilty so you will sponsor. I want to help. I want to sponsor a child because I love God and I want to serve Him. I know that everything I have comes from Him and when I help others.....I'm ultimately giving to Him.

I've seen first hand what Compassion does and how much of a difference it makes in these lives.

and seriously - can I just show you some SWEET faces???????

(photo by Keely Scott)

Look at this little girl? It's the Ecuador version of Harper/Hollis in her smocked dress! I loved her and it made me miss my girls so much!

Maybe you want to feel the joy that comes from serving and giving because you have been given so much?

maybe you wonder if you will really make a difference by just sponsoring one child?

I'm telling you that you CAN make a difference! Will you sacrifice something small in your life and sponsor a kid today? And know you are making an eternal difference!

Sponsor a child today!!!

Jesus Loves the Little Children

2011-11-08T21:15:00.000-06:00

Jesus loves the little children

ALL the children of the world

Red and Yellow

Black and White

They are precious

in His sight

Jesus loves

the little children

of the world

What I have learned on this trip and on my last trip - is that kids are the same all over the world. They like to hold kittens and dogs and love on them.

They like to eat. A lot.

They like to hang out with their friends and they like to have their pictures made (and then for you to show them the picture!)

They like to play with bubbles

They like to have their fingernails painted

They like to pray and learn about Jesus

They like Justin Bieber! Yes - even in Ecuador!

They like to show you their rooms. Even when they have dirt floors and no mattress to sleep on - just wooden boards.

They like to feel loved - like when they receive letters from their Compassion sponsors. They treasure and keep every letter.

They like to hang out in their living room and have visitors.

The difference between these kids and most the kids I know where I live is that these kids live in homes that are surrounded by walls with cut glass on top to try and protect their homes from crime and gangs.
These kids I saw today live in homes that have an income of around $200 a month (and pay almost that much in rent).
These kids don't have indoor plumbing and go to the bathroom outside.
These kids have parents who never went to school.
These kids would have no hope, would possibly not be able to go to school or even have enough to eat.....

if it weren't for Compassion International who is helping to get kids out of poverty in Jesus name.
Compassion works with local churches. They find the families who need help. They set up Child Development Centers where the children can go after school a few times a week for a good meal, help with school work and to learn about Jesus. They get their school uniforms so they can go to school. The kids often have parents who are gone a lot to work so they get love and attention through the Centers. They are encouraged to stay in school and to dream big to finish school and get a good job to end the cycle of poverty.

Compassion is changing the face of poverty one child at a time.

These kids may be poor. They may live in extreme poverty. But they have so much hope and love in their sweet faces!

(picture by Keely Scott)

Poverty may seem SO big and unsurmountable to most of you. But YOU can do something about it. Sponsoring just one kid is changing the world. Sponsoring just one child can help that child end the cycle and can help a family so much. Is it possible that just $38 a month can do so much? It really can.

And the life you are changing won't be just the child in a third world country.

The life you are changing might just be yours!

Will you sponsor a child today????

And please go read Ann, Melanie, Sophie and Amanda and see more about what we saw today!

2011-11-08T07:11:00.001-06:00

We are here!!!

This is the view out of my window this morning! I'm staying with Amanda and she is so sweet - I am so excited for what this week holds!
We got here around midnight and to bed around 2 a.m. We are up early with our hiking boots on - ready to go and get our hands dirty and play with the Compassion kids.

I can't wait tonight to share what Compassion is doing here in this beautiful country!
I can't wait to tell you how you can be apart of it.................by sponsoring a child yourself!

Buenos Dias!!! (I really, REALLY wish I had taken spanish in High School and college instead of French so my face wouldn't look so confused all the time this week). (Not that I would understand French either after all these years).

I feel the Earth Move

2011-11-06T15:15:00.000-06:00

My parents came this weekend to go to the ball game (which I know THE game was on last night but we also had a top 10 game and it was pretty good!). They offered to come Friday and spend the night with the girls so we could go have an overnight date! They are always good to give us time to spend alone to keep our marriage first.

And of course the girls were thrilled to be with their grandparents! They are about to have grandparent overload for the next week!

Scott and I were so excited to go out and celebrate our anniversary. This was the first time we have been out alone since Hollis was born. We didn't know how to act.

We went and ate at our favorite - Doe's. Then we made a trip to Target and a few other places waiting to go to the late movie. I haven't been to a late movie in forever.

We stayed at the Double tree and got yummy cookies they give out! We felt kind of shady when the lady asked us where we were from and we had to say "here". ha! It was nice to get full night's sleep!! We also went to see "Courageous". Have you seen it? It is SUCH a good movie. I recommend it to everyone to see!

Last night we had a big earthquake here. It FREAKED Me out. We have been having small ones lately but I've never felt one. Scott was at the game and I was watching football. It felt like the wind was blowing down on our house until I walked in the kitchen and my cabinets were rattling and all the dishes inside were shaking. WEIRD! I knew immediately it wasn't wind but an earthquake and I got on twitter and everyone in my feed was saying "Did you feel that? Earthquake" It was a 5.6 from Oklahoma and felt all over. SO crazy!!!!

I didn't teach my Sunday School Class today because my friend Tracy and I are switching off but when I got out of my adult class I got a text from Tracy with this video. Oh - so sweet! How cute are these girls? This made my day!! I just had to share!

So ......... I get on a plane tomorrow and after twelve hours of travel I will be in Ecuador! I'm sooo excited and nervous at the same time! I can't wait to share with you all about what Compassion is doing! I hope you will check back this week a lot and travel along with me! Thank you in advance for your prayers!

I was so excited because this was up in our foyer at church today. I don't know how it got there (I even had several friends ask if I put it up!) but I thought it was a neat sign to see right before I go on my trip!

And can I ask you to pray for two quick things? I have tons of prayer requests that people have sent me recently that I need to post and I will after I get back. But I have two I can't get off my mind.
1. There is a family who lives in AR and about 4 years ago they lost a little girl to an illness (I don't know all the details) but about a week ago they found out their 2 year old daughter has a very aggressive brain tumor. I can't stop thinking about them. I can't imagine losing one child but to face even the thought of losing two or going through such an awful ordeal with a second child - it's unimaginable. It's one of those times when I just want to yell "WHY?" and I'm sure they have. Could you just pray for this family? The little girl's name is Stella.

2. One of my dearest friends Rachel has an almost 10 year old nephew, Xander, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor around the age of 3. He has been on a roller coaster ever since and has had many treatments. They just went in for a scan and found out he has new spots. His family has probably the strongest faith of anyone I know but Xander has just held a special place in my heart for the last few years and I just want to ask y'all to pray for him.

Show Us Your life - Connecting Non Mom Bloggers

2011-11-03T22:48:00.000-05:00

I know there are lots of you bloggers out there who are not moms! I think it would be fun to connect with other non mom bloggers or find new blogs to read!

So if that's you - Link up your blog!!!

Packing up

2011-11-03T13:20:00.002-05:00

We are having a day that is rare but well needed. Harper slept late this morning and I was actually able to have all our bathrooms cleaned, laundry ran and a roast in the crockpot before she got up. I never have days where we stay home and I actually get things done. I'm so overwhelmed this week so I'm thankful for a simple quiet day at home. It's cold outside and we are in our pj's. Can I admit I'm starting to like winter?

Harper had her VERY first homework assignment! So exciting! They are studying triangles at MDO and she had to decorate one that they are going to use to make a classroom turkey. They said to use a family picture and stickers or whatever.

So we spent a little time doing that! Little sister looked on and supervised.

I can't believe I leave for Ecuador in four days! I'm so excited. We have been working since this summer to get a will done and our affairs in order including getting life insurance for both of us. Yesterday we signed both my life insurance papers and our will. It had nothing to do with me going on this trip but the timing makes me a tiny bit anxious. ha! In all honesty - I know I'm doing exactly what I need to be doing and I can't WAIT for next week. But I would love if you would pray for me. Plane rides make me nervous and I'm so stressed my flights will get delayed and I'll miss meeting up with the group. I'm not exactly a world traveler! I'm also stressed about getting myself all packed and remembering everything as well as getting the girls packed and completely set up. Our parents will do an amazing job taking care of the girls but I want it to be very smooth for them.

I have about 35 more Compassion testimonies that I'm going to be sharing with you soon. I LOVE hearing how so many of you decided to sponsor and what it has meant to you and I love being able to share that with the rest of you! I'm so excited to share more about Compassion with y'all! I hope you will follow along with me!

I've opened up my twitter and I'm going to try to tweet along the way as much as I can. So if you want to follow me: http://twitter.com/mrskellystamps

Okay - I need to get moving!
Love y'all!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T07:54:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun this year on Halloween. It was fun to see Harper get excited and have fun! I told Scott we only have a couple of more years where we can really do this so I really want to enjoy it. We dressed as a farm family! Scott already had his overalls and I borrowed a pair. We had the pig costume from when Harper was a baby and I got a cow costume for Harper.

I seriously think this pig costume is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Hollis was so funny in her costume - she barely moved all night. It was like she didn't know what on earth was going on. I may have to put her in that more often so she will be still. ha! The bad thing is it wouldn't fit in her car seat so we had to keep putting it on and taking it off every where we went.

Oh I love these two!

Harper has been SO excited about her costume. She has tried it on and talked about it up until that night when I got it out for her to put on and the rest of us were all dressed and she said "NO - I don't want to wear that" and went in her room and barricaded herself. I'm not even kidding - she put one of her little chairs up against that door. Is she 15?

I just had to tell her Hollis was going to get all the candy and she changed her mind.

We went to Laurie and Steve's first to trick or treat and see each other's costumes.

2011 Farm Family of the Year

I'm already trying to talk Scott into a Wizard of the Oz theme for next year? Think he will go for it?

Cutest little Disney princesses

Our church had four different mini festivals set up in neighborhoods. We went to our friends Jason and Lisa's house. They had games and blow up houses and candy. Here is Harper and her friend Brandon.

My friend Rachel was there. Her 3 boys were all Star Wars Characters. So fun. Although she totally should have pulled out Princess Leia! :-)

We came home and trick or treated at a couple of neighbor homes. Hollis fell asleep in the car so we pushed her in the stroller. Harper came in the house and said "I had a fun night". That was SO worth dressing up and taking her around. I love building memories with my girls!

P.S. I have had so many emails asking me about this that I thought I would add a little something (I'm not stirring up a debate - fair warning - I'm just sharing my thoughts because I've been asked so much):
We do celebrate Halloween even though we are Christians. I'm asked why so often. I know Halloween originated as a time to celebrate demons or witches. That has NOTHING to do why we celebrate. I think if you are celebrating Halloween by doing Ouija boards in a cemetery or practicing witchcraft - that would go against the Christian faith. To me and to most of the people I know - Halloween is more of a cultural holiday. It's about letting kids dress up in fun costumes and get candy. Most churches where I live host festivals or "trunk and treats" to let the kids have a safe place to go and for families to have fun together. I think it all lies in the heart of what you are celebrating. To me - it's a fun time for our family and that is why we celebrate.

Happy Eight Years

2011-11-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

Eight years ago today I stood on an altar in a white dress and held hands with Scott while my dad married us and before God and all of our closest friends and family - we pledged to love each other ......

For better or for worse

In sickness and in health

For richer and for poorer

And I'm fairly certain we have had our share of all of those things.

And I'm so thankful God has blessed me with such a wonderful husband and father to share my life with!

We have been through a lot in the last eight years and we have been blessed MUCH more than we can ever say thank you enough for to God.

Our little family has grown by years and pounds (ha!) and by two precious girls and I'm thankful more and more every day for my marriage.

Happy Anniversary Scott! I love you more every day!

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I’ve lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it’s true
God gave me you
- Dave Barnes

O Lord It's Hard to Be Humble When You're an Arkansas Razorback Fan

2011-10-31T13:58:00.005-05:00

Harper had speech today and it was a gorgeous day and our trees are in full color so I decided to try and take a few pictures of the girls on campus before speech. It was funny for me to be pushing around these two babies in a stroller when all the college kids were getting to class. I felt so old. ha!
Here are my girls in front of the #7 Arkansas Razorback stadium!!!!

I pretty much love this. Harper's calling the hogs!

I didn't go to the U of A but we are huge fans (I guess you know that). My parents both went there and that's where they met. At Arkansas they have a student walk and all the graduates have their names etched into the sidewalk. I knew where my parents names were because they used to take us to see their names many times when we were little. I thought these made sweet pictures - Harper by my mom's name (her maiden name)

and my Papa's name!

Fayetteville is one of my favorite places on earth in the fall. If you have never been - you should visit!
(I'm pretty sure this is a framer!)

Blog Lunch and Razorbacks

2011-10-29T18:29:00.000-05:00

Hollis and I had a fun Friday. We met up with friends for lunch. She is already wearing some 12 month outfits - I can't believe it.

We ate at a local tea room and next to our table was this little "closet" - we put the babies in there and were calling it the baby closet. I like to think of this as three future "ladies who lunch".

This is Laurie, Leah, Niki, Lauren, Whitney, Hillary, Amanda, Jennifer and Me. Lauren is a blog friend who came from FL to visit all her AR blog/twitter friends. I had met her once before and also Whitney but it was my first time meeting Leah or Nikki. They were all so nice. It was fun to get together!

I loved this picture - Hillary with Sadie (6 months), Amanda with Lela (4 months), Jennifer with Jillian (13 months) and me and Hollis (7 months). If Hillary would just move to NWA - these 4 could be BFF! Precious girls! Their mommas are pretty precious to me too - these are 3 of my favorite friends.

Harper had a fun little "orange" party at school on Friday and got to have pizza and cookies! She was having her own fun while we were lunching.

This has been one of those great weekends where we had NO plans. We slept in a little and Scott took us to get donuts. If you are wondering - one Krispy Kreme is 5 WW points. And worth every last point!

We dressed in hog gear to watch the hogs. We might should have stayed in our PJ's. We won - but it was U-G-L-Y. Did you happen to watch our game? In the words of Rachel Zoe - it was "bah-nanas". Seriously - the SEC is crazy. I don't know how we keep winning these games - we are the luckiest team this year.

Lots of bloggers and twitterers are always posting their OOTD (outfit of the day). I would be embarrassed to post mine most days but I thought I would today since I had my Hog Spirit on! :-) We love those hogs!

Show us you life - Moms of only children

2011-10-28T09:16:00.004-05:00

I know the good majority of you who read here are moms - but so many of you aren't. Or you are "older" moms or working moms or whatever. I know you would like to find more blogs "like you". So over the next few months - I will do a series of "connecting" link ups. Where hopefully you can find bloggers in your same stage of life or maybe even that live near you? I'd love to have your ideas on others we can do - I have all the topics listed on my left side but if you have any other ideas - please let me know.

I got a request to do a link up for moms of only children. There are many of you who may have just one child by choice or just by circumstance and it would be nice to talk to other moms on what that is like. My husband is an only child and so is my best friend Laurie. I honestly thought for a while that Harper would be an only child but we got surprised!!

So if you blog - and you have just one child and think it will stay that way - please link up and I hope y'all can be good resources to each other.

You don't have to necessarily do a blog post for this one - just link up your blog.

And now I'm thinking of other ways to connect:
Moms of big families (maybe 4 or more kids?)
Single moms
Military wives/moms
Ministry wives/moms

Big Girl Room

2011-10-26T19:50:00.000-05:00

I've been saying forever that I was going to try and keep Harper in a crib until she was in kindergarten. And I still halfway wish I could. She's never been a great sleeper and I'm just afraid this is going to make things worse. We are having trouble with her staying on her mat at MDO (she SURE won't take a nap there) so I'm afraid it will be the same way with a big girl bed. And locks, childproof knobs, baby gates - nothing can contain that girl - she can work them all. BUT she has been very interested in her friends' big beds and I think the time is coming.
So I'm starting to plan out her big girl room. I think for her birthday in a little over 2 months - it will be time to fix it up. I'm using Pinterest to help me plan out my ideas. Her room is chocolate brown and I don't want to paint over that so I'm just going to keep that and add in light pinks and grays. I'm hoping to make it cute and girly. Here are some of my ideas (just things for inspiration - not actual things I plan to buy):

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I'm going to start looking in local shops to try and find some kind of neat antique white bed for her! I love the look of this one.

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I want a grey comforter kind of like this. I LOVE LOVE ruffles and flowers so I want something in this style.

Source: garnethill.com via Kelly on Pinterest

And I think this tulle bedskirt would be so girly and fun!

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this pillow!!! It would look so cute on that grey bedding!

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I'd like to get an extra large frame in light pink like this to frame a cute black and white picture of Harper for her wall.

Source: None via Kelly on Pinterest

And if I decide to get CRAZY and crafty - I could make some of these felt poms in grey and pink to hang above her bed!

Right now I'm just having fun planning out a big girl room. I'm hoping it's something she could grow with for several years. And how much do I LOVE Pinterest. I thought at first it was kind of dumb but now I can't get enough! (If only I had more hours in the day)

And I leave you with this really sweet Compassion Testimony!

My family and I began sponsoring Hazel from El Salvador a couple of years ago when you went on that trip! We chose Hazel because she is the same age as Abby, my daughter (now 7). They enjoy writing to each other and sending drawings. In fact, Abby talks about her quite frequently. It is such a blessing to hear from Hazel on a regular basis and find out what she is learning at her center. We always send her extra money at her birthday and she will send us a picture of her gifts. I think it has really helped my daughter's perspective on material items to see what Hazel is excited about getting. We also sent her family some money last year and I got the most touching letter from Hazel's mother. I have it in a safe place and will treasure it forever. She not only thanked us for the gifts but for "saving" (her words) Hazel. She then wrote the prayer she prays for our family on a regular basis. I can't even put into words how special that is. We keep Hazel's picture on our refrigerator to remember her and pray for her. Being a Compassion sponsor is wonderful experience. I have no doubt that we are blessed just as much, if not more, by the giving as Hazel is in the receiving. Once my son gets a little older (he's 3) and can understand a little better, we will chose a child his age to sponsor.

Stephanie Whittington

Richmond, VA

Hiking Boots and Happy Birthday

2011-10-25T19:51:00.000-05:00

The girls and I went to Bible Study this morning and then we went to visit an older man in our church. Once a month the women in our Bible Study visit shut ins/ homebound. We visit a man named Mr. Johnny and Harper had the BEST time at his house. I don't normally take them but I think he liked it - he told me to "make sure and bring them again next time". And she blew him kisses all the way out to the car. Laurie usually goes with me but she had a sick kid today.

After lunch and naps I packed us up to go to Academy Sports. I've never been there before because I am clearly not athletic or outdoorsy. The closest I have ever come to the outdoors is the one and only time I ever went camping and canoeing 16 years ago on a sorority outing. I'm just not one with the outdoors. And luckily even though Scott likes to hunt - he's not big on camping either. BUT part of our Ecuador trip includes taking a canoe ride in the Amazon where we need to wear special bug repellent clothes, a jungle hat and hiking boots and malaria meds. Be very afraid.

So I am prepared and ready to go. I asked for the cheapest hiking boots and when they rang them up I realized they were the "Harper" model. Meant to be! Amanda happened to blog today about buying her gear too. Hey - we are willing to do whatever if it means that some of you will sponsor kids through Compassion! I'm getting so excited for my trip but I have so much to get ready over the next 13 days!

and a BIG Happy birthday to our firstborn Dawson Wagner Stamps (did you really think I didn't give him a middle name?) who turns nine today!

How much do I love seeing my girls start to play together? I couldn't help but post this picture!

Here are two Compassion Testimonies:

The first is from Hannah

My name is Hannah and I'm a recent college graduate (Go Lee Flames!). I've been sponsering my child, Florah for almost 2 years now. Florah lives in Kenya with her parents and two siblings. Her birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and she will be 7 years old. I had heard about Compassion at one of the Passion conferences in Atlanta and as a college student who was learning about money and finances, I started to look more into it. I really felt challenged to give up a portion of my money each month to bless this little child. I found myself spending so much money on things that are fleeting, when the $38.00/month for Compassion is of eternal value. Once I realized just how much the monthly fee gives these children and how much it blesses the well-being of their entire families, I couldn't pass it up. There is nothing that makes my day more than receiving mail from sweet Florah. Her pictures are on my fridge and the coloring pages she sends me are in my room. I cry every time I read her letters because of HER love for ME and HER prayers for ME. She is so thankful and grateful for me...and it encourages my faith so much. The area she lives in is an HIV/AIDS community and that has just been on my heart for some time now. Compassion is actually taking a trip to Kenya in March, but I just missed the deadline. I know I will meet Florah someday, and I can hardly wait! I can honestly say that Compassion International and Florah have been far more of a blessing to me, then I will EVER be to them!

Blog Address: xbeautyforashesx.blogspot.com

And this is from Wendy (Mom of 8!!!)

We have church on Wednesday nights, so the routine around here is that my husband brings home pizza either on his way home from work or after dropping off the boys for football.
We have a divided census over whether we should get Papa Johns or Dominos. Life's tough right? Not really. That's how a conversation started about children in other places who do have it hard. Really hard.
Sometimes small children can only comprehend so much about how other kids have it bad. Dirt floors, starving tummies, lack of clean water and so on. We kinda have these talks periodically because some of my kids are too little to remember a conversation we had 6 months ago. It needs repeating.
We ended up turning to how we can sponsor a child in another country and help someone who is deprived of so much. Someone who has so little while we complain over what kind of pizza we bought.
The children got extremely excited and all agreed that they wanted to adopt a child from China immediately. Unfortunately, we had to explain we can't adopt a child to live with us right now, but we can still adopt/sponsor/pray for a child through the Christian company Compassion.
They still were very happy and agreed as we all ran to look on the computer-- we immediately found a little 4 year old who everyone wanted to think of as a sister from another country: Lucie, who stole everyone's heart.
The kids have decided to save extra to send her a Christmas/birthday present because her birthday is 2 days after Christmas.
I think Sophia is the most excited, already drawing her pictures to send and constantly talking about how she loves her new sister in Burkina Faso; She wants to know if she can meet her one day.
I love my family and I love that we can help a little girl so far away. And who knows, maybe one day, Lucie can meet the 8 (soon to be 9) little people who live in America and love her already.
And this is my blog Pink Slippers.

Pumpkin Pictures

2011-10-24T20:31:00.005-05:00

I decided to take the girls to a local church selling pumpkins today to try and take a few pictures and buy a few pumpkins for our house. Do y'all have any idea how hard it is to get two kids two and under to look at you - much less smile at you in the same picture? I bet I took close to 100 pictures and I was sweating and flapping my arms and acting a FOOL and this is about the only picture they were both looking and they look mad as hornets. ha!

I guess it wouldn't be true to life if all my pictures were of two perfectly posed babies, huh?

I got Hollis' outfit at the cutest Etsy shop. This is the only picture she smiled in but Harper was looking off and mad so I had to crop her out. ha!

I love these two little pumpkins!

Here is a Compassion story from Ashley Mays:

I saw your post regarding people guest posting on your blog about why they chose to sponsor their Compassion kids. I have three Compassion kids, but one of them has a particularly incredible story. I've already written about it on my own blog, and on Compassion's blog, but I'd love to post about it again! The short of it is that I had a dear friend who passed away in Afghanistan last year, and weeks after he died, I saw a little boy online who shared his first and middle names. I ended up going on a sponsor tour this past August and was able to meet my little boy on the one year anniversary of my friend's death. You can read the story onCompassion's blog or here on my blog (www.ashleywritesagain.blogspot.com)

Lazy Weekend

2011-10-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

Our weekend was a little slower than normal for once and I was so grateful. I feel as though we are always running around with things to do - so it was nice to have a Saturday where I didn't even get dressed or comb my hair and we stayed in PJ's!

I've been working with Harper on speech stuff at home and our therapist uses objects to help with sounds so I wanted to gather up similar objects we could practice with. I needed a few animals and I found this "barn" kit at Wal-Mart for like $2. Harper thought it was the greatest toy ever. She played with it forever Friday afternoon. Who knew? It's always the thing you think they won't like, huh?

We got an unexpected last minute date night Friday night. Our local MOPS put on a Parents night out so we decided to take Harper and go out to eat with Laurie and Steve. Hollis came with us. Harper had so much fun because a lot of her church friends went to it so she got to go play and we got to eat a nice meal with friends. Of course - I was laughing all the way home about how our dates are not so "hot" anymore. Laurie and Steve had to leave halfway through dinner because the MOPS called and Emily had thrown up. Hollis is teething and was really fussy by that point anyway and when we got Harper and were driving home - both girls were tired and were both screaming/crying. All we could do is laugh.
(On a side note - I look really tan in this picture which is funny because I am pale as a ghost right now. But let's just pretend I just got back from Hawaii or something) ha!

Harper is really becoming so much more of a little girl. Some nights I put Hollis to bed and then let her stay up a little later. Her new favorite thing is to get in "Daddy's bed" (I always say "I sleep there too????") and watch movies on his iPad. He will lay in there and watch football or whatever and she will wear headphones and just watch movies so quietly. It's really nice because I can use that time to get things done and they are spending a little quality time together.

We stayed in our PJ's Saturday but I did have to put the girls in their razorback outfits for our big game on Saturday. Our big game wasn't so hot but we did win in the end so I guess that is what matters! And now we are #8!! Go hogs! How cute are these outfits? My friend Rebekah had them made for me before Hollis was born. I love this picture!

We were pretty lazy the rest of the day. One of our favorite places to eat is Panera and we just got a new one with a DRIVE THROUGH (this has the potential to be life changing for me!) so we drove thru in our pj's Saturday night and got dinner. I got Harper some macaroni and cheese that she thought was so good. She would say "Thank you Mommy! MMMMMM!" after every bite!

Today is a busy day of church, naps and more church. I'm thankful to have this blog to write about even our slow weekends. It might be boring to most of you but I will look back in 10 years and treasure every picture and every word I wrote as I remember these days when Saturdays are not so relaxing but I wouldn't trade them for the world!