As for Me and My Nest...

Every day graces...

2012-02-13T14:57:00.003-05:00

When I was studying in college, I knew I never wanted a "desk job". I wanted something that would change or evolve over time. I wanted something "active". I believe I met all those criteria the day I became a Mom!

Being a Mom of three small children you never know how your day will unfold. You never know if it will be a "good" day or "bad" day. Your so called "To-Do" list may get done, partially done, or not even looked at!

You can have one hour of pure bliss followed by 15 minutes of torture. But it is all worth it in the end. Recently, we had a very rough day. All three kids had declared WAR on Mom...well, I don't think that a 6 month old, 2 yr old, and 4 yr old can really conspire against Mom. But, it sure did feel that way. Of course it was the same day that Mr. Hubby was working late. But as I checked on those little ones one last time before going to bed, I fell in love with each one of them all over again.

Mr. Hubby finally came home to an unkept house and an unkept wife. He didn't really have to ask how my day was but, he did. As I recapped the destruction from each child I ended by saying; "You know, no matter if the day is a "good one" or a "bad one" I love those kids more each day." I believe that statement was prompted my the Holy Spirit, because isn't that how God feels about us.

Life is not perfect. It is not always easy but its about a love that grows. I have been walking with Christ now for 12 years and it has not been all "good days." I have had to trust God in some tough times. I have had to handle situations that thankfully made me stronger. But, I would not change any of it because in those situations my love and relationship with God has grown stronger.

I know that during some of those circumstances there were moments when I pitched fits. I screamed for God to just "fix things" or "for once thing to just go my way." I know that in my own adult way I have told God ..."NO!!!" But, God held strong and loved me through it. I know that when I came out on the other side and saw God's finger prints all over the situation, I loved Him more! And He loves me more.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1 Cor 13:4-8

Homemade Granola Bars...YUM!!!

2012-01-31T14:55:00.004-05:00

After my kids nap they need to watch a T.V. show and eat a snack. The girls are the type that you don't wake abruptly they need time to come out of that sleepy state. If they are not given this time then a bad case of the "grumpies" come on them! Ahem...I have no idea who they got this trait from ;) So, we have fallen into the routine of them climbing in Mommy's bed with a light snack and some T.V. time.

I learned quickly to offer a piece of fruit or veggie at this time, about 4:00-4:30 pm, or they would not eat a "proper supper". However, sometimes when grandparents come to visit they leave us with yummy treats like fruit snacks and we get in the habbit of eating those. Now, we eat the "all natural" kind but still I don't think it is something that should be eaten on a daily basis. So, I was trying to decide what could be healthy and yet fun for the kids.....GRANOLA bars. Well, these get to be a bit pricey plus there are some of those "bad for you preservatives" in them.

I googled a few recipes and decided that it would be fairly easy to make my own.

My Super Cute Assistant:

Here is what you will need:

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (see tips above)
1/4 cup honey
2 cups plain granola (I made our granola too)
1 cup rice cereal (Rice Krispies, etc.)
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Process

Line one 11×7 inch baking pan with foil or parchment. Lightly butter or spray the foil. Set aside.
Combine honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar after butter starts to melt.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Add the granola and rice cereal into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pans and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill. Sprinkle the chocolate and peanut butter chips onto the top of the granola and gently press them down with the spatula.
Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or until mostly cooled and set; lift out of the pan and cut into bars.

Loving your Nest...

2012-01-26T14:56:00.003-05:00

Our home is not the biggest or the nicest or even the cleanest but it is home and I LOVE every square inch of it! When we moved into this house I thought "This is a GREAT first home. We will be out of here in 3-5 years though." Well, that time came and went, we are currently working on year 6. We have officially painted every single wall in this house and convert my lovely dining room into a play room for the kids. We swore we would never fence in our nice open corner lot but for safety reasons and sanity reasons that fence could not go up fast enough 2 summers ago!

Two years ago, right after the birth of our second child, the hubby and I had a serious itch for a bigger house. We felt we had out grown our home, so we put it on the market. 6 months later and after God doing a work in our hearts we were happy to take our house off the market. Now we are not sure if we will ever move.

During the time our house was on the market I met two different ladies who use to live in our neighborhood. The first was at the park and she had two children a couple years older than mine. In our conversation she said "I wish we had never moved out of that neighborhood. There is just something special about the people that live there...so friendly." This resonated with me because some of the people in this neighborhood are family and others might as well be. I know at least one family on every street and that is very comforting.

The other lady came to my door to sale me a vacuum, she actually use to live right across the street in a house smaller than mine. Her family consisted of her, her husband and 5 children and she said "I wish I had never moved out of that house. We moved for more space and now that the kids are older we really don't need the space." I knew God was using these women to speak to me and teach me to be content. It was just a few days later we took our house off the market.

In the two years that pass I have made little changes to our home to reflect our "dream home" because I don't want to hang on to ideas that may never happen. If I want a specific faucet then I plan to save up for it and get it for this house. Since we have made the changes to this house I really do think it will take a crow bar to get me out of this little nest.

My house is 1500 sq feet my girls share a room and the closet in the nursery is also my craft/sewing station. We share a lot of our space...I think the only space that is not shared is the master closet. But, I have come to realize that this is a great thing...because when my kids are teenagers I will know what they are doing and up to for sure!

I recently read a report stating that from 1950 - 2004, the average American home has doubled in size - what was once 983 square feet is now 2,349 square feet. That is a 1,366 square foot addition!!! The Average family in 1950 was 3.67 members and in 2002, the average family size was 2.62. So apparently we need a bigger house for a smaller family. That averages out to be 900 square feet per family member. As a mother I just don't think it is a good thing for my kids to have 900 square ft each...that is a lot of alone time and room to get into trouble!

I also saw that a bigger home meant bigger bills and need for more income. Trust me there are days I would rather go off to work than be at home but, I know that I am laying the ground work for my children by being here at home with them. I am instilling values and morals that I would not trust another to do. I also would hate to miss some of the sweet exchanges between those precious little faces. I am thankful everyday that my hubby goes out and "earns the bacon." He is a hard working man and does a wonderful job of providing for our family.

I just don't want to get caught up in the material things of this world. I don't want to be told that I need a bigger house or newer cars. I really don't want my children to see me chasing after the next hot ticket item. Drowning in a sea of discontentment. I want them to know what it looks like to be content. To allow the Lord to provide for our needs. It seems that when we allow Him to cover our needs, we really don't have any wants.

*Statistics were taken from Organized Simplicity*

2012-01-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Well it has been almost 3 years since our last "poop" episode and I thought just maybe the Bug would eascape her "two's" without putting me through one.....BUT....no such luck for Mommy!

Last week during nap time the Bug decided it was her time to break Mommy in just a little more and haze her with a massive "poop" episode. Recently I have been allowing the Bug to sleep in big sis' bed. 1) because she thinks it is cool and therefore puts up less of a protest to nap time and 2) She can't get down from the top bunk and therefore has no other option but to nap! For weeks it has been a beautiful little gig.

Well, last Wednesday the Bug did not go right to sleep so I did what any good mother would do... I waited her out. I knew soon enough she would tucker out and give way to sleep. After an hour and a half I began to think maybe she just isn't going to nap today. Then in a blink of an eye there was full on hysterics. I threw down my laptop and dashed down the hallway, threw open the door and was immediately greeted with the stench of poo! My eyes quickly focused and found my two year old diaper-less and perfectly squatting on top of her sisters WHITE quilt doing her business!

There was poop everywhere...a pile on the quilt, the Bug was bathed in it, the bed had been rubbed down and even her lovies got covered! I was paralyzed and had no idea where to begin. I grab up the two year old and carry her at an arms length into the bathroom, yank back the shower curtain only to be greeted with a tub full of toys! I began throwing the toys into the hallway and plop Bug into the tub with no water. I return to the room to take in the damage...it was massive. I decide I need to clean the child first. I get her rinsed then set her on a towel and pull off the bedding...rinse the bedding and for the first time realize it is a good thing the quilt is white because I can BLEACH that sucker!!! I head to the washer with the bedding and put in the bleach.

I decide next I have to bleach the tub. I get the tub disinfected and then draw a proper bath for my shaking two year old on the bathroom floor. She is currently staring at me saying "I gross Mommy. I so gross!" I had to agree. At this point I declare it time to silence big sis who has been in the background crying "Bug ruined my bed.", "I have NO place to sleep!", "Why would she do that?"

Here's to hoping Colton does not follow in his sisters steps!

Happy 6 months Little Man...

2012-01-20T13:42:00.006-05:00

Today Colton is 6 months old! For me this is a milestone, not to get too sappy or nostalgic but, there were moments that followed his birth that I really questioned if we would make it this far. I Thank God every day for His right timing and hand in selecting Colton's doctors. So, many times over the past few months Tim and I have thought about the different scenario's that could have played out and we are overwhelmingly amazed at how good God was through those first 14 days of Colton's life.

Colton is 6 months old

You weigh: 11 lbs (more on that in a second)

You wear a size 2 diaper Mommy has tried cloth diapers on you but your legs are so skinny you leak right through the leg holes!

You are currently in 3-6 months or 6 months clothes. Rompers fit you best because you are so lean.

You are still packing in the solids. You are now eating avocado, banana, butternut squash and applesauce.

You are my most laid back baby and for that I am grateful! You don't even cry when you get vaccines, you just grunt in a very manly fashion! Your sisters adore you and you always light up when they come around.

We have been to a series of doctor appointments over the last couple of weeks because you are not getting past the 11 lbs mark. Over the last couples weeks you have had blood work drawn, your thyroid tested, stool tested, and an X-Ray done. All tests came back normal and your X-Ray looked perfect. I kept telling the doctors that I just have small babies but no one was listening.

This week we saw a GI specialist and she said you looked perfect! You are taking in enough calories and nutrition and your development was "spot on". Children who have "HD" can have other syndromes or disabilities. The doctors are trying to rule out all of those possibilities. For now we are not worrying about your weight, we will go back in a month and if you are still sitting at 11lbs then they will do some genetic testing! At this last visit I took in your sisters records and at 6 months the Bear was 11 lbs 6 oz and the Bug was 12 lbs. If you look at their growth charts you are right on track to be a Dameron baby!

I am so thankful for you my boy...you melt my heart!

Here is a link to another mom's journey with HD...I am reminded again at how God has and continues to work on our behalf!

Challenge Accepted...

2012-01-17T14:06:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of January I joined a group of other bloggers in a Gentleness Challenge on the Women Living Well blog. I knew that this is an area I could use some growth in, what mom wouldn't with a 4 yr old, 2 yr old, and 5 month baby!

I don't know how many times a day I stop my two girls from talking ugly to each other or keep them from stomping off when they are upset with each other. One day it hit me when my oldest was pretending to bake in her kitchen and said "NO NO NO back up this is HOT!" It wasn't what she said but how she said it...she was imitating me! And I did not like the sound of it!

I know we would all like to use gentle words every time we speak to our children but the reality is, that just doesn't always happen. (It really is a goal of mine though) Some days, I even surprise myself with my lack of patience and quickness of the tornado of sharp words that fly from my mouth. Thank God there is forgiveness and that I am not too prideful to ask my children for it...I really do thank God. The truth is this behavior does not promote family togetherness or model a behavior you want to see executed by your children.

This week's lesson was "dead on" for me, please hop over and read it when you get a chance! This week I hope to focus on practicing self-control when I want to let the tornado loose but I also will pray for more of God's wonderful grace!

New Year...

2012-01-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

I am one of the weird people that loves a new year....ok let me tell you a little about myself. I love a checklist and a goal to achieve. Yes, I am the person you hate at the end of the year because, I was the one who wrote down my "resolutions" and, yes I most likely achieved them and, yes I check each year to see if I did!

I don't know exactly what I will focus on this year but I am almost 100% positive this will be one area....The gentleness challenge! I also am pretty sure getting back into shape will be up there too. I have not "bounced back" from having my 3rd little one!

But today I am enjoying the simplicity of the day....Daddy is back at work, there are no errands to be run or family to visit, it's just our normal (boring) routine. I find it refreshing and I think the kids do too! The girls are getting along and I have a new wave of patience. I think we just like being home! I also think it is because I am 100% focused on them and not my Christmas "to do" list....it is funny how behavior is so much better when your kids have your attention and it's not divided among 20 different things! So yes, I am looking forward to spending more time on my kids this year then the distractions of life.

I am also look forward to reading through a Corrie Ten Boom devotional I found at my grandparents house. I started it on the first and have already gotten so much out of it!

I am looking forward to what this new year brings. I pray it brings me wisdom as a wife and mother, I hope it brings me closer to my Savior. Many blessings on the year ahead.

Colton ~ 5 Months...

2012-01-02T15:30:00.003-05:00

"Colt Mike" as the Bella likes to call him turned 5 months old on December 20th and in the madness of Christmas I did not get a chance to do a post on his "stats". So, here I am catching up on things.

I just love my sweet boy...I mean look at that face!

Colton you are such a good baby. You almost never fuss and are happy to just be apart of the crowd. You have the best smile and light up whenever anyone talks to you. I have a feeling you are going to be a talker like your Daddy! You are long a lean like your Pop! You are in the 70% for height but barely on the chart for weight...weighing in at 10lbs 2 oz. Since that is only 2 lbs more than your birth weight the doctors are a little concerned. Over the past few weeks we have been in for several weight checks and you are currently up to 11 lbs 3 oz. As of the last weight check we are now on a path to determine if you are having an "absorption" problem due to your surgery at birth. I am still fighting to nurse you but the doctors want you on this special formula...which you HATE!!!

You got a ton of "boy toys" for Christmas...I think you got 4 hammers total!

You wear a size 2 diaper and 3-6 months clothes. You need to wear 6 months for length but they will not stay on your waist, so sorry bud but your are wearing high waders!

You can roll over from back to tummy and tummy to back.

You are very close to sitting up on your own.

You can get up on your hands and knee's!!!!! Please don't crawl too soon, I like knowing where you are!!!

You are eating solids and LOVE it...avocado's, applesauce, and banana! (avocado mixed with applesauce is your favorite!)

I honestly think you would sleep till 11 am if I let you but you go to bed at 7:30 and sleep till I wake you at 8:00 am right now.(The main reason I wake him is so I can feed the little guy!)

Christmas Favorites...

2011-12-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

This Christmas was such a fun time for our family with the girls being 2 yr and 4 yrs old they were into everything Christmas. Here are a few of my favortie things we did this year...

- Advent Calendar: Instead of putting candy in each of the little doors I printed out different "Christmas Activites" that we would do each day. Things like: make Christmas cards for grandparent, bake cookies for neighbors and babysitters, go look at Christmas lights etc.

- Unwrapping books: Thank you to pinterest for this idea. I wrapped up 24 Christmas books and each night we unwrapped one before bed.

- Watched the Nativity Story as a family: This is a new tradition for our family. Both girls watched it and Bella was so into it. She talked about it for days and even began to role play as Mary and would dress up like her...it melted my heart.

- Winterville Christmas parade:....I forgot how much candy they throw at you during parades! We used it to build our ginger bread house :)

Christmas Eve Tim's parents came up and I made a Greek style dinner, a tradition from my childhood. My dad's side of the family is Greek and on Christmas Eve we always had a Greek dinner. I was stoked and scared to get to do my own this year...I will say it turned out very good!

After dinner we went to Christmas Eve service at church then home to bed. I felt like such a grown up this year at Christmas for two reasons 1) we had "grandparents" spend the night with up at our house and 2) we loaded up Christmas day to see my family....that is stuff grown ups do! HA

The girls were thrilled Papa D could play King in their castle!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T14:53:00.002-05:00

My last post was well over a month ago and I had all the best intentions to blog about our adventures over the holiday's but somehow with three little ones that just never happened. So, over this next week I am going to catch up on my holiday blogging because, sorry but I blog for me and I want to document these memories. And, yes we had a blast this past holiday season!

So, we start way back in November and look at these cute cousins celebrating Thanksgiving!

One of my favorite things about this past year has been letting these little cousins play together every Tuesday. Michelle and I take turns every other Tuesday keep the kids so the other can "get stuff done". It is time I cherish and I know they will look back on with great memories when they are older.

And I just LOVE this picture:

I know the Bear looks a little "crazy eyed" but it is so sweet how they love their baby brother!

And as of Thanksgiving 2011 this is the entire Dameron Family...dogs included!

Thankful...

2011-11-22T07:57:00.005-05:00

I have been wanting to do a "Thankful series" all month but somehow only seem to get the chance to "write" my posts in my head. So, I am going to post a few throughout the rest of the week...I hope! Ok, here we go...

"You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

~ Psalm 139:15-16

Today I am Thankful for my little guy - Colton Michael. From the moment we found out I was pregnant he has been full of surprises. Our family was passing around the Flu this time last year when I found out I was pregnant with him, so to say we were surprised is an understatement. I think for about a week I may have been in shock! My pregnancy with him wasn't quiet as easy as it was with the girls but this leads me to the first reason I am Thankful...I am thankful that I serve a God who is living and active! I am thankful that I serve a God who cares enough about my life to speak to me. At some point towards the end of my second trimester I was praying (more like complaining to God) but, He came and gave me a word to stand on and a little "pep talk" about my pregnancy. From that moment forward I knew that the end of my pregnancy and Colt's delivery was going to be "different!" Because I knew God was with me I was at peace...His peace.

At 37 weeks the doctors determined that little guy was sideways in my tummy and wanted to try to turn him. I am thankful that God care so much about me that He is in the details. I had no problem having this procedure done as long as my friend from church, who is an OB, did the proceedure ...when we went to have the ultrasound done and schedule the appointment ...who do you think we saw? Yep, my friend from church!

Little man turned rather quickly but didn't stay head down. So, at 39 weeks they decided to induce me because on that particular day he was head down! I wrestled that night with the desicion to be induced and as I was falling asleep God, once again, gave me a word to stand on. I fell asleep knowing that Colt and I were in His hands and that this was His will. The next day when Colt was born I saw God's hand in the timing of his birth because his umbilical chord was tied in a knot...a nice solid knot! I am thankful for God's voice in my life leading and guiding me though this entire pregnancy. And His timing in Colt's birth!

I am Thankful for the peace of God that overcame me 24 hours later when Colt was spitting up bile. I am thankful that never once did I feel shaken by fear. I am thankful that as we walked back to our room after wheeling him to the NICU God, gave me yet another word to stand on. It made the next 14 days pass a little easier.

I am thankful for God's timing, if Colt had been born earlier the new surgeon would not have been at PCMH and we would have had a longer process ahead of us. Just this morning I realized what a blessing this was because if the surgery was done by any other surgeon here or in RDU Colt would just now be getting home from the hospital...yes almost 4 months after his birth and he would still need more surgery.

I am thankful that God has perfect timing and that He has put His finger prints all over Colton's life from the moment of conception! I cannot imagine my life without this little guy! I am thankful that he is now 4 months old and healthy and strong!

"Give thanks to Him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever."

~ Psalm 136:4

2011-11-04T13:14:00.004-04:00

Life seems to be nonstop these days and I keep writing posts in my head but never seem to get them typed out! I totally wanted to do a post for Colt when he turned 3 months old but it is now a week and a half later and still no post!

Anyway, I am logging in today to ask for your prayers. Little man has been doing great since his surgery however last weekend we had a little "episode" and ended up taking Colt in to be seen by the surgeon. He had not pooped in 4 days and his tummy was full of gas. Thankfully we took the right steps (which I will spare you) and by the time he saw the doctor he was back to "normal". Dr. W couldn't figure out why this happened because everything looked great. Well, I can think of why it happened...We did Little Man's baby dedication last Sunday at church and I have a feeling the devil was trying to mess things up!

Well, here we are a week later and Little Man has yet to poop again and all the symptoms are there for him to get "backed up" again! Honestly, we feel like this is an attack from the devil on him and our family. Colton has not had any dietary changes and everything from surgery has healed better than the surgeon expected. So, if you would please pray with us we would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!

Personal Shopper...

2011-10-19T15:29:00.006-04:00

Today has been a raining/drizzling day and I just wanted to get out of the house. So, after picking up the Bear from school we decided to go to the mall for some Chick-fi-la, shopping, and getting out the wiggles.

This was my first time taking all three kids to the mall alone and I will have to say it was successful! I put the Bug and Colt in the double stroller and kept the Bug happy with some lemonade. The Bear stayed right by my side and helped me pick out some new hand soap for our bathroom. She did a GREAT job...this is what we decided smelled the yummiest!

And then we visited Charlotte Russe. I decided to browse the clearance rack to see if there were any good deals. The Bear was SO into this....she kept pulling out dresses and saying this is "Cutie" or "Fabulous" and my favorite "This is very fashionistic"! Just as I was about to give up she pulled out a shirt and exclaimed "This is perfect for you Mommy!" and it was! Yep, I have officially bought a shirt my daughter picked out for me!

I decided to do a "drive by" on the shoes just for good measure and was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw that the Bear was in complete awe of the wall of shoes! Something that doesn't even phase me was a true wonder to her.... She had to sit down to take it all in and finally said "I've never seen anything so beautiful before!"

Since they were such good little kids (confirmed by the elderly lady we passed twice) I treated them to a cookie and 20 minutes on the car's. We don't put money in them and thankfully they don't complain about it! Tonight Daddy is working late so it is pumpkin pancakes for dinner and movie night in Mom's bed!

Pumpkin Patch...

2011-10-16T19:52:00.004-04:00

If you have read my blog for any length of time you know I LOVE the Fall...I love the crisp cool mornings, sunny warm afternoons and chilly evenings. I practically throw my kids outside as soon as they are dressed and drag Mr. Hubby out to the porch after all the kids are in bed. To me this is what the weather in Heaven will be like! (without the bugs :)

Anyway, another favorite of fall is our trip to the pumpkin patch! There is a great farm here that really does a fantastic job of creating a great family outing. I decided this year to grab a picture of the kids as soon as we got there because everyone was in great moods and clean! HA

I love this picture of the girls on the "cow train" which is pulled by a riding lawn mower....it just goes to show that they are true southern girls! They loved it so much they rode it twice!

And Lily shocked me and Mr. Hubby when she hopped right into the man's arms and rode the pony with no fussing. I just knew that once she got on that pony the tears would start. But she was ecstatic! And so was I ...maybe she wont be fearful of everything new her entire life! As much as Bella has been our fearless one; Lily has made up for it for sure!

Here we are finally in the pumpkin patch and Daddy was helping find just the right pumpkin. Bella said later that she wished "All the pumpkin in the patch were pink!"

This was my best attempt at a family picture...not fantastic but it is us!

Top 5 Fall Favorites!!!

2011-10-10T11:16:00.002-04:00

The other day when I was playing on Pinterest I came across this picture...

And it has inspired me to make sure I enjoy this season! So, if you live in the Greenville area be sure to check out these things....

5) State Fair....Pitt County just had their fair and I didn't go. I have to admit I am a Fair snob...I grew up in Cary and always went to the State Fair so I have some expectations when it comes to a good fair experience but I am sure it was still fun!

4) Making baked apples or just about anything with apples...check out this recipe for Apple Nachoes!

3) Briley's pumpkin patch! They have a hayride out to the field where your kiddo can pick out their pumpkin. Then you can walk around and see a ton of animals and if you are up for it pack a lunch for a picnic!

2) BrrrrBerry Frozen yogurt has Pumpkin and Snicker-doodle flavored yogurt right now! I love both but, if I am being 100% honest it is the Snicker-doodle that I crave!!!!

1) All time BEST PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE....is at the Coffee Shack in Winterville!

Organization Station!

2011-10-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Remember how I was inspired by this post? Well, I actually organized my own HUGE HUTCH!!!

For all of my friends who think my house is spic' and span all of the time...you now get to see the disheveled hutch in our play room! This use to be my "office space" when I was working. Then it held some craft items - mine and the kids and eventually overtime it just became the "catch all" of our home....so much so we couldn't even keep the doors closed!

Exhibit "A"...

(I kind of want to paint this sucker white and then rough up the edges to give it a worn look....what do you think?)

And here is the inside - Exhibit "B"...

I decided to conquer this task while the Bear was at school one day. I thought that this would be a 1-2 hour job! I was wrong it took me FOUR AND A HALF HOURS!!!! I started by emptying the hutch, then sorting through all the junk and I literally filled a 30 gallon trash bag from this monstrosity! Then I collected all the mason jars in the house and went to work.

Finished product Exhibit "C"...

My craft stuff is on the top two shelves and the kids on the bottom shelve and below!

This shelf is my favorite because it is SO organized!!!!

Mr. Hubs came home and asked me if I was preggo because he thought I was "nesting"! LOL No bun in the oven here, thanks! Also, he was amazed to learn that this organizing project cost us $0!!! I am getting to be pretty darn good at "shopping the house" for things I need! Plus, I don't really care to drag all three kids to a store any time soon!

So, my question to YOU is...what do ya'll do with items like these? Where do you hang your awards, diploma's etc. I found ours buried under all the junk in our huge hutch in our playroom.

I thought that was ironic...we use to feel very put together and accomplished in life and now we are not sure of anything. It is by prayer alone we make it through the day and our kids turn out ok! HA!!! I think you get these awards and certificates to prove to your children that people really do think you are smart and can offer things in life! Or maybe it's to remind you of those things when you are in the trenches of baby poo and spit up! Who knows...but seriously does anyone have a creative idea of what I can do with them before they get lost in our attic forever?

Fall Mantel....$0!!!!

2011-10-01T20:00:00.000-04:00

I LOVE FALL...it means pumpkins, pumpkin pie yankee candle, fall decorations and cooler weather! Oh, how could I forget baking with pumpkin...pumpkin muffins, cookies, and pancakes just to name a few!

This weekend I pulled out of the attic my fall decorations. I started to do the same little routine I have done the past few fall's and then it hit me...I was inspired...BOOK LEAVES!!!! I quickly ran and found a book I had already read and began ripping out pages. Then I decided I want them to look "aged" ....I could brew some tea and use the the tea bag to complete this task but I am too impatient to wait for them to dry! Then I remembered I have an "antique" distressing ink pad! SCORE!!!!

This is my spruced up "pumpkin bowl" on out table:

And this is out mantel...the wreath, lantern, silver platters and candle are always there...I added for Fall the pumpkins (I found them last year in the dollar spot at Target), my homemade pumpkin book, and the leaves.

While hunting my ink pad I came across my silver baby cup too! Another SCORE!!!

I also figured...why not fill up the lantern with book leaves too.....

This just might be my favorite Fall mantel yet!!!

I am pretty sure Mr. Hubs will like it too since is cost a grand total of $0!!!!!

Special Visit..

2011-09-30T14:17:00.004-04:00

Yesterday my Nana came to visit the kids. Even though we don't get to see her as much as we would like, they "take to her" like we spend every day with her. And it just touches a special place in my heart. From the time I was born till I was almost 10, I saw or spent time with my Nana on a weekly basis. At one point my brother and I even lived with her and my Grandfather for a short stint.

I never met any of my great-grandparents so, I think it is really special that my kids can know their Nana! The Bear found out how comfy Nana's lap is...that lap has held many kids while listening to many stories over the years. That lap has been a place of security and love to many little kids too!

Nana finally got herself a great-grandson! It took having 3 great-granddaughters first but he finally came along!

Link Love...

2011-09-25T21:26:00.002-04:00

Today I went to church, took a nap, went to my nephews birthday party and relaxed with these posts....thought I would share.

I just love this post it is so good & so true!

I got inspired by this post about organizing a craft hutch...stay tuned for my own post of our hutch transformation!

I also will be pulling out my fall decorations after reading this post! LOVE IT!!!!

So, there you go...relax and enjoy!

We have another Birthday Girl!!!

2011-09-19T14:37:00.004-04:00

My little Bella Bear - she is 4 years old today! This girl has kept me on my toes since the day she was born. Most newborns wake up every 2-3 hours to be fed. Not this girl, she slept through the night from day one. I fed her at 11:30 pm and she slept till 5:30 am. I should have known then that she was going to do her own thing in life! She has always loved the idea of being independent, she comes by it honestly - a trait inherited from her Mommy!

I guess that's why she slept through the night from the get go, and potty trained before she was two, and has already started to read. The girl always has a mission and the task at hand will be conquered! This is a good and bad trait! I always tell her she would make an outstanding lawyer when she grows up. She has her Mommy's disciple and need for order but can talk/argue her point of view just like her Daddy.

Just this morning the Bear and Bug had an altercation before school. The Bear runs in to give her account of the dispute and I was worn out by the time she got finished. All the Bug had to say in defense was "NO!!" Unfortunately for the Bug, the Bear's details and evidence won her this argument!

These independent skills are a huge help to Mommy around the house, she is a great Big Sis and does a lot of things to help out. Like take the Bug to the potty when Mommy can't. Sing to baby brother and get him to sleep when Mommy can't. Feed and let out the Dog, when Mommy needs help. Even help get little sis dressed if needed. She loves to sweep and fold laundry! Maybe, we should start giving her an allowance - please no one tell her she could get paid for these jobs, I need all the free help I can get!

The Bear is very thoughtful too. If we go on an outing alone she always wants to take a treat back for the rest of the crew. Or if I let her pick out something special in the store, she wants to buy a gift for little sis too. If anyone is upset she runs to their side to comfort them. I love that she can be so strong and yet tender hearted at the same time. This is how she keeps Mommy on her toes! One minute she is "large and in charge" and the next she can be so tender hearted.

One minute she is fighting tooth and nail to have her way and the next melting my heart by doing something thoughtful just for Mommy. I am thankful that this strong willed child of mine has already fallen in love with her Lord & Savior because, I know she is going to be a world changer. I love how she gets enthralled with stories from the Bible or about Jesus and wants to tell others about it already at 4 yrs old! She even asked a new babysitter who had colored a section of her hair pink..."Did Jesus make you that way?" (awkward moment for Mommy!)

And, I don't think I will have to worry too much about her and the boys when she gets older. She is the type of girl that can hang with the guys or hang with the girls. The Bear has made her fair share of boys cry over the past 4 years, that is for certain! For a while I thought I might have a true "tom boy" on my hands but, she is equally as girlie!

The Bear Stats at 4yrs:

- Still sleeping with Lamby!

- Loves to learn: aside from School we work on reading and math skills weekly. She considers this "Special time with Mommy!"

- She LOVES to color/draw and declares she will be an artist when she grows up.

- She enjoys working puzzles and is scarily really good at them - she has one that is 64 pieces she can put together!

- It is scary how much she is like Mommy in terms of needing things organized and structured.

- In social settings she likes to feel out the room first but once she is comfortable all bets are off, her Daddy's social skills come out with a BANG!!!

- Right now she is really into: Jake & the Neverland pirates, Veggie Tales, Tinker Bell, and still a fan of Strawberry Shortcake!

- She learned to swim this past summer!

- Love to help Mommy cook, clean and fold laundry! I even caught her "pretending" to be me the other day....SO cute!

Birthday Bug...

2011-09-10T09:00:00.002-04:00

Guess who is turning TWO...seriously I cannot believe my little "Buggy" is turning two! When I was preganant and found out that she was a girl; I had mixed emotions. I couldn't imagine loving a girl as much as I loved the Bear. A thousand times over this little one has stolen my heart anew.

The Bug has such a passion for life, much like her Daddy, she is the "life of the party." I honestly think she believes that the party starts when she walks in! Many a time she has entered the room thrown her hands in the air and yells "Ta-Da" and I look at her like "Ta-Da what?" and in response she smiles and just says "Ta-Da?" like she is announcing herself!

The Bug is always good for a laugh, not that sweet cute little girlie giggle but a deep that is hilariousl belly laugh! And, she can make you laugh at the drop of a dime! Seriosuly, she can do it on the spot...if she can't think of anything silly to say or do; she will literally get right up in your face and just start laughing - how can you not laugh with her?

The Bug also knows that she is a "looker" and boy does she try to work her magic to get her way. This is a very new trait in our household; if you know the Bear you know that her tatic in getting her way is strictly determination and persistance. Not the Bug, she will cock that head to the side in a heartbeat and bat those big ol' baby blues until the cows come home. If she see's that she needs to up her game she quickly waltz' over and begins kissing & hugging on you until you melt. Yes, she has just about every man in her life wrapped around her little finger at the age of two! And Mama is already wearing out her knee's in prayer over this little trait! I hope I can pray it out of her before the boys her age pick up on it! (Thankfully there are no boys her age in our current circle of friends!)

Bug Stats at Two:

- The girl still loves to eat!

- Sleeps with bunny and shares a room with Big sis in her big girl bed!

- Currently potty training and so far doing great!

- Can count to 14; only skipping 11 for some reason!

- LOVES all things Dora! With Gigi and Veggies Tales pulling in a close second.

- Is a Mommy at heart, she loves to "love on" her dolls and new baby brother.

- Recognizes some shapes - circle, square, triangle, and star.

- Also, enjoy's playing trucks and will quickly turn anything into one!

- Loves to accessorize she already has a thing for shoes, but will on occasion need a hat, bracelets, and purse to complete an outfit!

- Is scared of large masses of water - ocean, lake, river, pool and even the bath tub at times!

Back-2-School

2011-09-07T14:36:00.004-04:00

Today was the Bear's first day back to school! To prepare for today last night we had a "Back-2-School" themed dinner! I think it was a hit and I hope it is something I remember to do each year!

Here is the table all set and decorated! I hung paper airplanes from the light fixture...apparently they aren't very good because Daddy & the Bear both asked "What's that?"

I set out crayon's for them to color on their "place mats" before dinner! The Bear drew a picture of her and her new teacher eating carrots in the grass. So, we took it with a little treat jar for the teacher this morning!

I also set out the ABC book and artwork book her teacher from last year made. Both are a collection of things the Bear did throughout the year. It was fun seeing how much she had developed from last fall to now!

Lastly, I had little goodie bags for the girls to open after dinner. Bear's had a journal, math flash cards, and other little things in it. The Bug's had craft stuff, counting blocks, and an ABC book!

After dinner, I bathed them, used the hair dryer to dry their hair and painted toenails! Needless to say the Bear was SUPER excited for school! This morning, when Daddy went into their room at 6:45, Bear was already dressed and trying to get little sis dressed for "school"! HA

This year it was not such a "big deal" dropping her off at school because it is still preschool, we had a year under our belt and I tinnk we were both ready for school to start! However, we did not take into consideration how little sis would take it!

The Bug recognizes "School" because she has gone with Mommy for a year to pick up and drop off Big sis! She knows they have TOYS, SNACKS, and no MOMMY! So, when we pulled out of the parking space she started crying "Bella....BELLLA.....BBBBEEEEELLLLLLLAAAAAA....I want snool, I go bye bye!" Yep, almost all the way home! And for the next 3 hours I was repeatedly asked "Where Bella?"

Our family "Back-2-School" picture has grown by 1 since last year and this shot cracks me up. If they each had a caption bubble above them it would read:

Bear: "YAY SCHOOL!!!"

BUG: "I am not sure about this whole school thing!"

Colt: "Please don't hurt me...please don't hurt me!"

Football Season Baby...

2011-09-04T20:18:00.003-04:00

If you have read my blog for any amount of time then you know that I LOVE football season!!! I have two teams I adore my ECU Pirates are my college team and those Philadelphia Eagles are my NFL love! This past weekend the Pirates tore out of the gates for their first game of the season. Unfortunately it didn't end up the way I had hoped! But, there are several more games to come!

Aside from viewing football; I also love the tailgates, the parties, the food and fun gear you get to wear!

Here are my little pirates getting pumped before the game!

Hurricane Irene Part 2...

2011-08-27T18:14:00.005-04:00

I think we technically woke up before Irene hit NC but, she was defiantly letting us know she was on her way! Thankfully the girls slept through the night and in their own beds! But, once their eyes popped open they were in the middle of our bed at 7am!

The Bear suggested a "picnic" breakfast on our bedroom floor....so here you go!

After breakfast we let the girls play and Mommy & Daddy enjoyed our coffee and Bible time. I was quickly joined ...

Then the Bear decided she needed her own "coffee & Bible time"...I like to think we are "training her up right!"

Then there was a lot of this that happened because every time we put in a movie the power would flicker off for just a minute. Fortunately we have been some of the few people that has kept power throughout the storm. I read on one news stations website that 90% of Pitt County is without power! It is crazy to think we are in the 10%!!!! The Bear has done really well being stuck inside all day. The Bug....well we started referring to her as "Hurricane Lily" by lunch time!

Our poor dog would not go to the bathroom, I thought for sure the storm would scare the pee out of her but no! Finally sometime after lunch she couldn't take it any longer and went out and did her business!

And this is what we all looked like/felt like by the end of the day!

There is a lot of water damage/flooding in eastern NC. We are thankful that nothing too serious has happened to our property. Please pray for the families and people who were effected by this very slow moving hurricane!

Hurricane Irene Part 1...

2011-08-27T17:55:00.004-04:00

Friday, the girls and I "prepped" for Irene. We already had all of our real prep work done and since the rain was starting around lunch time; we made it a baking day! We made Strawberry muffins, bran muffins, granola, rice Krispie treats and cookies! We had a blast and were wiped out which made us all sleep well with the storm moving in! I went to bed at 9:30 pm ...don't think I am cut out to be a Chef!

These are literally the best cookies EVER!!!!

My helpers!

Notice that we lost the Bug....Dora came on!

Ok, so after baking all day I ordered a pizza. I was sitting on the couch with Colton and the Bear brings in her "kids" and says, "Ok kids sit right here next to this OLD WOMAN!" (referring to me!) I was shocked...I was trying to figure out how to discipline her for that comment but couldn't stop laughing!

Oh, the other excitement we had on Friday was that Daddy had to drive to Kinston to ref a soccer match! It poured the entire time and he was literally soaked to the bone when he got home! I was not a happy wife, it may have caused me to get a few gray hairs!

A Day in the Life...

2011-08-24T21:42:00.005-04:00

Now that Daddy is back at school we have been keeping busy! We have been on a few walks and even played with our cousins! I snapped this sweet picture of them enjoying Popsicles in the backyard. A rare sweet moment...rare because not one of them was crying; which indicated that they were playing well together! (I had to be sneaky in taking this picture as to not disrupt the wild life, I mean kids.)

Bear is So ready for school to start back...she decided today that she needed to brush up on her reading skills! But before she could do that she needed to organize all her cards (wonder where she got that from ...he he he) Sorry for the underline...I wish I knew how to fix it!

This moment completely cracked me I up! The Bug is coming into her "Two's" and has been a handful lately. There are A LOT of meltdowns and girlfriend has a nice set of pipes on her; I would bet that the neighbors can hear her fits! Here she is trying to meltdown after dinner. Big Sis decided to give her a pep talk that went like this...

"Lily, are you a big sister? Then stop crying! If you want to wear underware like me then you have to act like a big girl. Do like me...do what Mommy says all the time, like I do! And you have to have good manners. You need to start pee peeing in the potty and stop wearing a diaper. Thats what good big girls do like me!" I really had to keep myself from laughing hysterically at this conversation!

Crashing after a long day! This is a surpsing moment; everyone was content even the dog! They may wear me out and there are definate moments of complete chaos but I would not trade these days for anything!

Weekend Wonderland...

2011-08-21T16:41:00.004-04:00

This weekend ended up being pretty busy. Going into the weekend we didn't really have plans but somehow it got filled up pretty fast.

Friday night TD and the Bear went on a "Date" to see the ECU women's soccer team play. On the way there they picked up one of Bear's friends and I think he enjoyed it more than her! After they dropped off the Bear's friend Daddy took her to get frozen yogurt, which she reported later was her favorite part of the date! So, even though she isn't a soccer fan yet the night was still fun!

Saturday morning we woke up and made the 20 minute drive to our absolute favorite breakfast place. The Dutch Pantry!!! They make the BEST french toast I have ever put in my mouth (and I don't even like french toast!) Oh, and you top it with their homemade butter syrup! This syrup is so good that one of our friends swears it is made by Jesus himself! We actually waited 1 hour and 45 mins to eat there, that is how good it is! Thankfully they have some little wooden play houses that they sale. The girls were thrilled they got to 'play house' for so long!

Since our breakfast outing took a lot longer then we thought we came home and crashed. We were in our "french toast coma" and all took naps! After naps we ventured to a local park for Mommy to take some pictures of the kids! Typically I get my good friend Ginny to take our family pictures but she has been out of town lately and I couldn't wait any longer to snap newborn pictures of Colton!

So, here are a few of my favorite from yesterday's boot leg photo shoot!

(Disclaimer...I am not a professional so I know there are not the best pictures !)

I love this picture below because it shows how Lily was over the "shoot"! HA

She is at such a funny stage and this totally captures her personality!

Since we are still getting meals from our friends in the Church we were invited over to our neighbor's and close friends house last night for burgers. It was a lot of fun to catch up with them and let our kids get all their wiggles out before bed!

Today, we went to church and have crashed on the couch! The hubby declared it "Chick-Flick" Sunday because he said there are only 3 Sunday's left till NFL Sunday football! So, I didn't argue about watching a girlie movie especially when it stormed this afternoon too! Girlie movies are always better with a good thunderstorm!

Happy Friday!!!

2011-08-19T09:26:00.003-04:00

I came across some blog posts that I thought I would share; I hope that you have a great weekend!!!

Need a little help around the house check out The Krazy Coupon Lady.

I have to agree with Kelly at Kelly's Korner about her review of The Help! Best movie I have seen in ages and an even better book! She also linked to a neat article about the twins that play Mae Mobley!

Need a little encouragement about your marriage?

And for just a little Mommy fun....go here!

Off to love on my sweet family!

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important!" - The Help

We Did It!!!!

2011-08-18T14:23:00.002-04:00

Do you know this song.....

We did it! We did it! We did it! yeah! Mommy can manage three kids alone while Daddy works! yeah! We DID IT!!!

It's from Dora the Explorer for those who aren't familiar with it. She sings it at the end of her show when they have accomplished what they set out to do that day. And well, it is my theme song as of late!

This is day two of Daddy starting school back and I am not going to lie when he left yesterday morning I was wondering how much of a disaster the day was going to turn into! Surprisingly we did pretty well. I think there was only one or two melt downs from the girls and Colton just chilled all day!

We spent the morning on a walk in the neighborhood with Aunt Michelle and the cousins! I am sure we were a sight two double jogging strollers and two super fast preschoolers on their bikes. Every 5 minutes we were yelling for them to "STOP!!!!!!!!" so we could catch up! If that wasn't asking for some people to peek out the window my outfit was! I broke out my ankle weights from 1996!!! That I use to sport to make my jumps, leaps, and kicks higher when I rocked my dancer body...now they are just a means to not have so much flab!

Since yesterday went so well, I thought this morning I would tackle another "challenge"...Story time at Starbucks!!!!! This is hard enough with two kids let alone an infant!!! But, I was determined to get us there because the girls LOVE it and I knew once the school year started back for the Bear we would not be going anymore. So, we got an early start and walked with Daddy before school. We somehow got fed and dressed in 1 hour...yes all three kids & Mommy were fed and dressed in 1 hour and out the door!!! Amazing, I know! I honestly have no idea how that happened because it literally took us an hour to get ready for our walk the day before and Mommy didn't have to shower or do makeup for that outing!

Tomorrow I think we are just going to hang around the house and relax but, I feel VERY accomplished that so far - so good.

(I know there aren't any pictures in this post...I haven't mastered the art of taking a camera with me on our outings yet! I am just glad I have all the kids!)

Little Man...

2011-08-13T22:01:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday little man turned 3 weeks old and he blessed his Mama by sleeping through the night!!! (Ok, Moms don't get jealous it was just once) He went from 11:30 pm till 6:20 am when Mommy jumped out of bed and woke him up to eat!!!

Thursday morning we woke up to a day full of follow-up appointments with doctors. Our morning started off seeing our surgeon. Have I mentioned that I LOVE her...well, I do!!! I don't love her just because she made our son healthy and happy. I also love her because she knew right who we were. And she loved and kissed on our little guy too! She said he looked perfect and was healing up great! On the way out the door she asked for a newborn picture of our little guy. For some reason that just made me feel like she really does care for him!

Our second appointment was at our normal pediatricians office. When we took him in for his first visit they wanted to see him back in a week because he had lost weight since birth. Obviously he lost weight, he spent 6 days on IV fluids only, and when I took him in the first time; he had only been "eating" for 24 hours.

Little guy blew our doctor away with his weight gain. He went from 7 lbs 9 oz to 8 lbs 14 oz in one week! That is 10 oz over his birth weight! Even though little guy has only been home a week it seems like he has always been here. The girls and Colt are settling in well; they fuss over him all day. Bella wants to be his Mommy and Lily comes running into our room every morning to peek over the pack n' play to see "Baby Co Co".

Tonight we gave Colt his first bath....pictures will be coming soon!

Home sweet Home

2011-08-03T20:57:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, when we got to the hospital our nurse said that Colton would be going home the next day!!! I didn't want to get too excited because last Wednesday we thought he was coming home and then didn't....but today we walked into his "pod" and this was written on his board!!!

So I whipped out his "going home outfit" I had packed in the diaper bag now for exactly two weeks; and got him ready to go! Although, little guy was not impressed by Mommy trying to make him fashionable. I think he has enjoyed just chillin' in his diaper and bare chest the past two weeks!

One happy Mama!

...and Daddy!

We even continued our little "Family Tradition" we always stop at the same Sonic and get Mommy a Strawberry limeade on the way home with a new baby. Even though it wasn't the first time we left the hospital ...it was our first time bringing home Colton!

All the girls checking out the "little Man". There was an onslaught of kisses, sweet talk, and a small battle of who was going to rock the baby while the other patted him!

This Big Sister is so excited she cannot contain herself! She looked so grown up holding him tonight before bed....I can't believe my first baby can hold this one. And yes, she is quite the little Mommy...she instructed us to turn off the TV tonight because it was bothering baby Colt!

Thank you to everyone who prayed for our family during this time. We are very grateful for the prayers and medical care we received. I t has been amazing to see God's hand at work in all of this!

Baby Boy's Recovery

2011-08-01T19:11:00.005-04:00

When we called the NICU Sunday morning the nurse was excited to tell us that our little guy had pooped!!! This meant that everything was working properly and he should be able to start eating!!! A friend from church picked up the girls and took them to church so we could go feed Colton! It was literally a drop of milk but it was a start!

Later that evening Tim and I decided to take the girls over to see baby brother. It had been 8 days since they had seen him...they were excited to see him and VERY sweet with him. The Bear kept rubbing his head and Bug blew him kisses. I absolutely love this picture....

Today just Daddy and I went for a visit and Colton was wide awake. His nurse said that he is starting to get his days and nights straight, which is a bonus for Mommy! I told Tim today there are a few perks of him being in the NICU so long, the nurses had to clean and "heal" his circumcision and his belly button. He is learning how to soothe himself to sleep and now getting his days and nights straight. They may be small perks but perks none the less!

Colton is doing so well with his recovery the lead doctor said he is ahead of schedule and they decided to increase his milk by 15 cc's every other feeding. If things continue to go well Mommy will be feeding him soon then home he goes!!!

I just loved this...we put him in his bed before we left and he threw his hand up like this...I think he may have a flare for the dramatic like his Daddy!

Post- Surgery Update...

2011-07-30T19:14:00.005-04:00

Yesterday morning Colton went under anesthesia to do another biopsy, that biopsy confirmed that he did indeed have a very small portion of his bowels that did not work properly. This confirmed the suspicion that he had Hirschsprungs Disease.

They immediately operated to fix the problem....I will spare you all the details of how they fixed it but basically they cut off the "dead" part and stretch the healthy part of the bowels down. The operation took a total of an hour. He was out of surgery and "awake" by lunch time.

We couldn't hold him at all yesterday and very were limited today. We are hoping that tomorrow he will be healed enough for us to hold him. The doctors plan now is to get him passing gas, once he does this they will allow me to start feeding him again. If he can eat and poop well for a couple days then he gets to come home! Currently he is on IV fluids again and some pain medicine.

Please continue to pray for a quick recovery and healing. I have talked with the doctors and mentioned to them that he has two active sisters at home and we want him to be as healed as possible before he comes home. (They are in total agreement:)

Once again, we totally saw God in this situation. We learned yesterday that if he had been born about a month ago and had this problem, Colton most likely would have been sent to Duke or Chapel Hill for the surgery. Also, if by some chance he would have had the surgery done at PCMH it would have been done much like a c-section and the healing process would have been much longer.

His surgeon came to PCMH about a month ago and does the surgery laproscopicly and is one of the best at what she does. She specializes in pediatric surgery. It was a new position they created here at our hospital. Tim and I were very comfortable trusting her with our little guy, you can tell she really cares about what she does and will not operate if it is not necessary. Which is very reassuring when you are the parent!

Thanks again for your prayers!

Colton is a WEEK OLD!!!

2011-07-28T22:19:00.004-04:00

Because of all that is going on right now, I have to keep reminding myself that it was only a week ago Colton was born. For a bit of normalcy I try to take pictures of him each day or whenever we put on a new outfit because if we were at home I know I would be snapping a million pictures everyday.

So here is to celebrating my boy being 1 week old! All of the nurses at the hospital LOVE him and talk about how handsome he is and how snugly he is....I know I am partial but I tend to agree!

Update from today: Today they did another x-ray with contrast of his bowels, this x-ray was much clearer than the one they did last week. It showed a part of his bowels that are dilated and a very small section that was not working properly. This leads the doctors to believe that he does have Hirschsprungs Disease. Tomorrow morning they are going to put him under anesthesia to do another biopsy if this biopsy confirms that he does have this disease then they will immediately do surgery to correct the problem in his bowels.

So, Tim and I want to ask that you would pray for:

- The Doctors to be lead by God.

- For there to be a clear "yes" or "no" about the Hirschsprungs Disease.

- If he does have the surgery for there not to be any side effects and the surgery to go well without any "hiccups".

- For Colton's body to heal quickly so he can come home!!!

- For Peace for all family members as we wait.

- For God's grace to continue to be on Colton's big sisters. They have been troopers through all of this!

Doesn't he look SO CUTE in his stylish new outfit!!!! He is the STUD of the NICU!!!

One thing that Tim and I know for sure is that God is with us every step of the way....Colton went head down and the next day I was induced...God answered my prayers for a great delivery. After delivery we found out that there was a knot in the umbilical chord...God knew Colton needed to be born that day. Colton then tested positive for cuims (jaundice) which kept us in the hospital an extra night...God knew we needed to be in the hospital because it was the next day Colton started spitting up bile. We were told we would get to take him home on Wednesday but the lead doctor wanted to monitor him a little longer which resulted in getting the first pathology report back...God knew we didn't need to take him home yet. As much as I love my son; I know that God loves him even more....I rest assured that he is safe in HIS hands.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

~ 1 John 4:4

NICU ...Low - down....

2011-07-27T20:19:00.004-04:00

I am going to try and recap the last 8 days but I know I will leave out a lot. Here is my best attempt to recall all the medical information we have heard...

Last Thursday July 21st, I noticed that little guy started spitting up and it was slightly discolored. By that evening, his spit up was completely green. It looked like the slime they use to dump on kid's heads on "You can't do that on Television". After that little episode he was quickly moved to the NICU and x-ray's and tests began. He was spitting/throwing up bile!

By the next morning they had it narrowed down to either a Meconium Plug (aka - sever constipation) or a syndrome called Hirschsprung's Syndrome. Both are "fixable" but the latter would need surgery. He went through a series of enema's to clean out his system for x-ray's and a biopsy. During that time he was on IV only (so no "food" from Thursday to Monday!!!). Mommy had to pump around the clock to get her milk to come in. Finally, Monday afternoon I was able to start nursing him again and he did great!

Since then we have been in a waiting game. They wanted to monitor his stomach and bowels for a day or so....all was going well and we were told that he would go home today. When we arrived at the hospital this morning the doctor informed us that basically the biopsy they did was in direct contradiction to what the radiologist thought. So, he does not get to come home and they are going to do another biopsy on Friday.

All this to say, PLEASE PRAY!!! Pray that there is clarity for all the doctors involved. Pray for me and Tim to have clarity from God on what is best for our son. Pray for the doctors to find the cells that need to be there in the biopsy on Friday. And that Colton will not need surgery. Pray for our family....the girls and Mommy & Daddy are all ready to be a family of 5 in our home.

Colton Michael Dameron

2011-07-26T16:10:00.007-04:00

Last Tuesday, I went in for my 39 week appointment. Finally to my surprise little guy was head down! So, my midwife and I decided we better seize the opportunity and scheduled an induction for the next morning....hoping he would stay head down!

Thankfully Colt cooperated and I had an easy labor and delivery! I will say that being induced is for the birds! It drove me crazy to have to stay in that room and practically in the bed the entire time I labored! I typically go for walks and take a shower or as my friends like to joke...drive around town....while I am in labor. So, being couped up in a hospital room was a little much for me.

Things seemed to progress slowly at first and they had to tell me when I was having a contraction because I literally could not feel them. Which resulted in them cranking up the pitcoin quite a bit! But even at my contractions "worst" ...they really didn't feel bad. I did end up with an epidural just because I was exhausted from not sleeping the night before and knew that if I didn't rest I would not have the energy to push little guy out!

This was our AWESOME nurse, she was also our nurse when we turned him head down!

So, 8 hours of labor and three pushes later Colton Michael Dameron was born; July 20th at 4:25 pm! Weighing in at 8.4 lbs and 20 inches long!

Frieda our midwife...she also delivered Isabella (almost 4 years ago!!!)

Proud Big Sister!!!

Lily loving on Colt......

and then showing how she really feels about the matter!!!

As many of you know Colt has been in the NICU since last Thursday night. He is doing much better and I will do another post with all those fun details later! Thanks for all the prayers!

Baby Colton and producing Character....

2011-07-05T14:26:00.004-04:00

The last few weeks have been a little bit of a whirl-wind for us. I found out that baby Colt was transverse at my 34 week appointment. It was then confirmed with an ultrasound at my 36 week appointment. When I first heard about this, my initial thought was "Are you kidding me?!" I thought this because this literally just happened to my sister-in-law in May right before she had her baby. I knew that God could turn the baby and I wouldn't have to go through the "procedure" to have him turned....I knew this because I had seen it happen with my sister-in-law just a few weeks ago...

Everyone's prayers were greatly appreciated as was their faith to have our little guy turn and save Mommy from going through the "procedure". But every time I prayed about it I felt God whispering to me that I would be fine and the "procedure" was part of his plan for this pregnancy. It took me weeks before I even told my husband that; I didn't want to seem like "Debbie Downer" on everyone's faith! It was even harder for me to say it out loud after my sweet 3 year old laid her tiny hand on my belly and prayed for her brother to move. I thought surely I have missed God...He is going to turn this baby before my appointment!

I knew that God cared about the health and well being of this baby and me. I knew that He had our best interest in mind. Recently I have been studying what trusting God really looks like and I had come across this quote:

" Trust hangs somewhere between knowing what your heart longs for and trying to dictate the shape or timing or outcome of your heart's desire. It lies in the willingness to accept the particulars of how and when and where God chooses to intervene. It waits in the cool shade of surrender.....Desire is still present, but there is an internal letting go of the focus of our attachments - a surrender of the particular means of trying to make our agenda happen."

~ Paula Rinehart; Strong Women, Soft Hearts

After reading that, I knew that God was asking me to trust Him and His plan for getting our little guy head down. Me having to go through this procedure wasn't God not coming through; it was Him saying trust me to take care of you. It was Him saying I care about the things that concern you - I know you don't want to have a c-section. I know you don't want to worry over Colton's position. Let me take care of you...and so He did!

This morning came and baby boy was still sideways. We dropped the girls off with family and went on our way to the hospital. As we got ready for the procedure I had God's peace and even confident that Colton would move very quickly. Our nurse, who is also pregnant, was AWESOME and her baby is transverse at 27 weeks, so instantly we had a connection. Our doctor was a friend from church, so I felt well taken care of.

Once they started trying to turn him, he cooperated and went head down in less that 2 minutes!!! Mommy was a very happy lady!!! As was my nurse and doctor; I joked with them and told them that if he turns back and I had to go through this again then we can all spank his little bottom when he is born! I had a couple small contractions afterwards but none that I felt. After letting him settle into his new position we were released to go home!

Now, we just pray he stays put and that he doesn't get wild before I go into labor!

Colton's Room!!!

2011-07-01T09:41:00.005-04:00

Here is Colton's room....almost complete!!! We did an ECU football theme for his room; I think I mentioned that we have wanted to do this since we were pregnant with the Bear! I think it turned out pretty nice!

Here is the view from the door....the area above the glider is not finished. We are going to get a shadow box for two keepsakes we were given TD's; Dad's letter from highschool and a program my Grandfather had of ECU playing WCU. We also want to get a vintage pair of football cleats to hang near the jersey. I am in the process of making an ECU football pillow for the chair too!

I love how his table turned out....

The changing table....We have a few pictures from ECU football games and a painting that will hang as a collage over the changing table.

And now for my favorite wall.....

I think Colt's Daddy is a little jealous that his own room isn't this cool! I also think this football room will make up for some of the pink toys he may have to play with!

Under Construction...

2011-06-24T21:16:00.004-04:00

Today we officially started on Baby Boy's room! Whom I will refer to on the blog as Bo, the Bear wanted to name him Bo but, we persuaded her otherwise. However I thought it would be a great blog name and told her it could be her special nickname for him!

I don't know why but both the Hubs and I have had a harder time putting the Bug in her big girl bed and changing her nursery into a boy nursery! It is totally bitter sweet!

But, here we go......the wall is green and ready to be lined!

Everyone is getting in on the action too.....Bella and Daddy helping with a painting for the room.

Football shade the Bear "helped" me with....well until she decided to blow bubbles!

Currently, the hubs is finishing painting and I have given up for the night! Everything I have is swollen! Hopefully there will be some more pictures tomorrow!

The Big 3-0!!!!

2011-06-20T10:46:00.005-04:00

Last Thursday I joined the group of my friends who turn 30! I am starting to think that in 1981 there was a baby explosion! Seriously, just about everyone I know is turning 30 this year! Of course I started thinking/planning this party about a year ago and last fall when I found out I would be 35 weeks pregnant when I turned 30....I cried! I know it sounds vain but I really wanted cute pictures of me at 30!

Since I am feeling SO large and prego I talked my hubby into having everything catered and just doing a backyard get together. We had the famous (well, at least in eastern NC) B's BBQ and ordered the cake from Your Perfect Cake! Filled up the pool and cranked up the slip n' slide! Other than the heat it was a perfect night!

Me rocking my extra larger baby bump! Little man is still chillin' in there sideways and it makes me feel extra large and extra uncomfortable. Please pray he moves to head down very soon!

Me and my cousin Jen! We are exactly 10 yrs apart, I hope I look as good as she does when I turn 40! Jen is my life long BFF and other sister, I couldn't imagine celebrating this day without her! I also hope to look as good as she does in 10 yrs when I turn 40! Considereing the healthy competition that we have in our relationship I am pretty certain we will both be smokin' hot when we turn 40 & 50!

The Cake! TD came up with the design all on his own, I was very impressed! It's a necklace from the jewelry line I sale! You can check it out here.

The grown-ups enduring the heat...while the kiddos look for bugs!

The Bear and her cousin have become quite the pair lately! I love this picture of them looking for bugs! Below, is a picture of the Bear's frog she caught...you would have thought she found a diamond necklace she was so excited!

Papa D and his girl Buggy! These two are insperable!

Dancing Queen....

2011-06-13T15:31:00.004-04:00

This week the Bear is in VBS every morning, this gives me and the Bug some much needed quality time. As well as Mommy a little break to get things done around the house. The Bear came home so pumped up from seeing a bunch of her friends from school and Bible Study that I had to come up with some way to get out all that energy!

I threw on some hits from the 90's and we had an all out Dance Party! I will say that the Bug is probably more naturally inclined to dance. To quote my friend Ginny "When she dances it comes from the heart!" However, the Bug was camera shy and every time I tried to video her she would shake her finger and yell "No, NO, NOOOO!"

Bear on the other hand was all about getting on camera....ENJOY!!!! I sure did!!! My personal favorite is her facial expression and the knee pop!!!

Baby Room - Think Tank!!!

2011-06-08T19:53:00.006-04:00

Typically at this point in my pregnancy I have at least started if not completed my baby room. I think that decorating the room is my most favorite part of having babies! For me it's not just decorating a room but it is almost as important as picking a name. I seriously pray and ask God to help me make a room that "suits" that child. Well, this time around we have not done a thing, if this baby was born in the next week or so he would be welcomed into a lovely lavender polka dot room!

I felt a little panicked about this today when I overheard a lady mention that she just had her third baby and it was born 6 weeks early! She had not done anything to prepare for the baby - not the room, the gear was in the attic, no clothes (it was a girl and she already had 2 boys!). I wanted to get out of that store and make a mad dash to Colton's room and start painting!

Well, that didn't happen but I do know what I want to do in his room.

So, until we can set aside some time and get started on things here are some pictures to help visualize what I want to do in his room. We have decided on a vintage ECU Football theme for his room. The hubby and I have an ongoing joke about Colton; I say he will be a super hot "STUD" of a quarter back and one day be drafted by my Philadelphia Eagles. My hubby the soccer coach says he will be a "STUD" of a soccer player! I think, I have the upper hand since his nursery is football themed! HA!

Room Breakdown:

There will be an accent wall a little like this (without the ugly Giants logo.) This is the wall the crib will go on. I also think we are going to make the field cover the whole wall.

This will be the center field logo - to match the one over at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium!

I am hoping to get two black and white vintage pictures of ECU football games blown up and hang them over the changing table. My hubby's Dad played for ECU and would love to get pictures from when he played. In July I am signed up to take a painting class here in town and will make an ECU painting That will hang with these photographs.

The crib bedding is pretty plain but I LOVE IT! I got it from pottery barn kids and I chose the chocolate pin stripes/accents instead of navy.

As for other accents - I will add some other ECU things. We have an old jersey and helmet that someone gave us. I want to get some vintage cleats and hang all three in corner of the room like it's in a locker.

Then I want to get these cool wire baskets to use for storage of books, toys, etc.

We also have some football pillows and an ECU trash can that I am going to use for his dirty clothes! AAHHH!!!! I can't wait to get started...and of course I will post pictures when it is finished!

Beach Buddies....

2011-06-05T14:55:00.004-04:00

This weekend we celebrated one of my best friends 40th birthday, she also happens to be my cousin and in actuality we are more like sisters. Anyway, she wanted to celebrate at the beach and we were lucky enough to have a place to stay for the entire weekend! I was excited because I got to celebrate with Jen and it was most likely our only trip to the beach this summer!

The girls are at such fun ages for beach trips and stuff like that...although Mommy and Daddy don't get much rest! We have known for a while now that our two little girls are very different but this weekend we saw it first hand.

This picture was captured when we first hit the beach...I thought "WOW, they may actually entertain each other and we can sit and relax!"

This is the last shot I got of them playing together....

Once the Bug determined eating sand was not so yummy she decided to just layout! Meanwhile there was way too much to be seen and discovered for the Bear to even think about sitting down!

Once Lily felt she had enough sand and sun on her front the only other option to "Layout" in was like this either on Daddy or Mommy!

This little one was begging to get in the water, go surfing, and anything else she saw other people doing! The Bug, did not want anything to do with that water! Whenever we went for walks on the beach she would walk up on the dry flat sand while the rest of us walked along the waters edge! If we went near her she would go even further away from us for fear we would put her in the water!

I think the highlight of the Bear's weekend was when Tim took her out in the deep water, just the two of them. She said she was pretending to be a mermaid!

I am not sure Lily had a "highlight" this trip. I do wish I had a picture of Lily Bug, posing, flirting, and waving at the tan muscular life guard who was running on the beach this morning! It was priceless and scary when he waved back!!!

We might be a little Redneck....

2011-05-31T17:09:00.004-04:00

When Spring rolled around I was super pumped because it didn't immediately get hot and humid! It typically does that here in eastern North Carolina! I was excited because, in my little mind, I thought just maybe this pregnant lady would get a little relief this summer. My last two pregnancies lasted till the middle of September and to say it is HOT in August/September here is an understatement!

Well, the heat and humidity has found it's way to eastern NC and is making up for lost time! My girls beg me to go outside and I honestly just want to sit in front of the T.V. with something sweet and cold to eat. But every Mom knows that if you want your kids to take a good nap, then you have to get some of that energy they have so much of out!!!

So, this is how we are kickin' it these days.....

yep, snack time in a bikini with a cute little Toddler Belly!

(I think she just doesn't want me to feel self conscious about my growing belly.)

We might be a little redneck because of home made water slide we enjoy!

Blow up pool + Toddler slide = Happy Mommy because I can actually sit down!

**Please note the clothes drying on the line in the background...that should get me some extra "Redneck" points!**

We also get redneck points for the girls using the slip n' slide sprinkler as a water fountain!

I suppose we might be a little bit "redneck" but those sure are some happy faces!

School's out for SUMMER!!!!

2011-05-25T16:28:00.002-04:00

This was taken on the first day of school....

And here they are on the last day of school....they have grown a lot!

Today was the end of the Bear's first year of preschool...her first school expereince is now over. It seems like forever ago we were all so excited about that first day of school. Now that an entire school year has passed it seems bitter sweet that this year comes to a close.

(eating her treat on party day!)

She made her first real friends...or Best Friends as the Bear would say. She made her first real adult relationship with her teachers. I use the word "real" because none of it was "Mommy persuaded". It is a bitter sweet experience because she will never have this experience again but also some of the friendships she made this year will fizzle out over the summer or maybe even over the next few years.

The Bear and her "Best School Friend"

It is bitter sweet for Mommy because I LOVED her class and teachers. They treated the Bear like she was their own, they understood her personality and even exactly where she was developmentally. I felt like I was leaving her with family each day I took her to school. I know next year will be great and I will love it too. I even suppose there will be many more beginnings and endings before school is all said and done!

The Bear with Ms. Anna & Ms. Jen

Look who can't wait to go to preschool in a couple of years!

The BUG!!!

Mommy's Wedding Dress...

2011-05-23T20:12:00.003-04:00

I never knew my "frugal-ness" would pay off this much. When I was a newlywed I put off and put off having my wedding dress preserved. I kept putting it off because I thought it cost way to much to have that thing put in an "air tight" box! Little did I know, that one day, I would be the mother of little girls!

The Bear has been asking a lot of questions about getting married lately. If she could marry her Daddy was one of them! She has even asked about what kind of dress would she wear and why does it have to be white. Most importantly she asked "WHO am I going to marry?"

At first I didn't like her talking about the subject of marriage so much because I thought "She is 3...I have a long road ahead of me if this type of talk is already starting!" But, when she asked why do brides wear white - I somehow found my godly Mommy hat. I shared with her that it symbolizes purity and how God has given her a special gift that was intended only for her husband. We also read the book The Princess and the Kiss (great book!) Which helped teach about the subject.

The next time she had questions about marriage and it was along the lines of who would she marry, I was thankful it was at dinner. Daddy chimed in and told how God has someone very special that He has picked out for her to marry. And when God was ready for her to meet him they would meet. Then he told her about how Mommy and uncle Blake were friends for 2 years before Mommy and Daddy ever met - and how in Gods special timing we met and then got married. I was a proud Mommy and wife that night!

Finally, I decided that why not let that little girl try on my dress...let her feel the special feeling that every girl gets when they try on a wedding dress. Let her drink in the love that God has for us, knowing that he hand picks our spouse. That he sets aside a season of your life devoted to treating you like the "Bell of the Ball" and romancing you into the arms of the man he has chosen for you to take this journey of life on.

"We love because He first loved us."

1 John 4:19

My Many Hats....

2011-05-17T11:15:00.001-04:00

When people ask "Do you work" I want to seriously bust out laughing! I know what they mean, do you work outside the home or stay at home. My brutally honest side wants to say "Yes, I work 14 hour days and am on call every night! My job is physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging. The pays not great but, I just LOVE my job!" Somehow I manage to bite my tongue and say "No, I stay at home with my kids."

Honestly, before I had two children the answer to that questions was very simple; "Yes, I am a campus minster." Now, it's a lot more complicated and long winded. If I could go back to the pre-kids Allison and tell her to suck it up - your life is not complicated and you really don't know the meaning of "running on fumes" I totally would!

The Wife Hat - This is a beautiful ivory veil I wore on my wedding day! Even though it was only 6 1/2 years ago - sometimes it feels like ages ago! Since that December day we have conquered cancer, been through 3 pregnancies, adopted one dog, bought a house and learned to garden!

My wife hat has certainly learned how to be adaptable. As newlyweds we could take weekend trips or even spur of the moment day trips. Date night was an all out event with flowers to boot! Now, we have to save and plan for a weekend getaway - or simply ship the kids off to a Grandma's for a little "stay-cation" at home! Date nights - are a couple stolen but much needed hours alone. Rekindling that "lovin' feeling" comes in the much simpler moments of life or just taking time for each other.

The Mommy Hat - This is my comfort over fashion look! It's a hat I put on just so I don't scare the other adults (or children) I come in contact with that day! It is often thrown on when we oversleep and are running late for preschool. Or when I can't step on another toy so we make a spur of the moment trip to the park. Or it is thrown on when we are running late because the Bear wants to wear a hot pink bow instead of purple and there are all out hysterics over the fact that it doesn't match her outfit!

Don't get me wrong - the Mommy Hat is a a lot of fun too! It gets to witness milestones like first steps, first poops in the potty and sweet prayers said to Jesus. It gets to plan fun parties and play dates. As well as trips for the kiddos to experience new things - like picking Strawberries or seeing Elmo in person!

The Beauty Hat - This is one of my favorite outlets. About a year ago a friend of mine suggested that I start doing makeup for local brides. I did a few and loved it! This wedding season my business has really taken off! I have always loved all things skin care, makeup, and pampering but since having children didn't really have time or money to spend on these things. Now, I can be a part of other women's big day and fill my need for pampering! So, if you or someone you know is getting hitched and needs a makeup artist check out my site!

The Fashion Hat - This hat actually has a lot of BLING and has been getting a lot of wear lately! A couple of months ago I launched my Stella and Dot business. I am having a great time throwing Trunk Shows for other Mommies and helping them get their "swagger" on with a few nice pieces of jewelry! It is amazing how awesome your Mommy outfit looks when you throw on a little bling!

The ME Hat - This is a wide brimmed straw hat worn with my over sized sunglasses when I am drinking in the tranquility of the beach. This hat doesn't always get worn but I don it when I take a long bath or go shopping alone for just an hour or so!

It is also "worn" when I come up with some sort of craft project to do around the house, sewing, knitting, or home improvement task! Yes, I actually get satisfaction out of doing projects!

This hat typically gets worn when I workout too - unfortunately it has not been worn as of late due to the rising temperature outdoors and the growing baby in my belly! But, I can't wait for the day I can dust it off and get into my exercise "happy place" again!

Whew! That's a lot of hats...what about you, how many hats do you wear?

Strawberry Picking...

2011-05-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

I think it is safe to say I have one country girl and one city girl on my hands! This year we have made weekly trips out to some local farms and picked strawberries. One of the farms has animals you can pet, the Bear loves this...the Bug - not so much!

The first time we went to pick strawberries the Bug did nothing but hold my hand, cling to me and cry! The Second time I picked them, handed them to her and she placed them into our box. All the while the Bear was filling up our box very fast!

Finding the right spot!

And now finding the best berries!

Well, the third time is the charm! Last week when we went to pick strawberries the Bug finally got into it! And there were no tears (but there were no animals either!)

Love those girls!

All three of us are crazy about strawberries! We have made jam, frozen a bunch, and had more than our share of Strawberry Shortcake! But, if you have any other strawberry recipes please let me know! I am 100% sure we will be going to the strawberry farm a few more times...and then maybe we can pick blueberries!

Mission Completed!

2011-05-11T21:33:00.000-04:00

So....whatcha think? I hope you like the new look and NAME!!!! I want to thank everyone who commented and emailed me with suggestions, they were all great! I never would have thought that coming up with a new name would take so much work! I have to say that I absolutely love it!

I do need to give a huge shout out to my friend, neighbor, and fellow blogger who helped me push through my creative block and come up with a great name that encompasses my family, thanks Anna! In all of my preparing for a new baby to arrive I never would have thought that on my list would be "Makeover Blog" - but I guess that is the world we live in!

How did I land on this name, you ask? Anna asked me, "Do you have a family motto?" and immediately two verses came to mind..."as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 and "We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19. Our family is founded in Christ - the reason we are here is to serve Him day in; day out in all that we do. To me this is a "daringly different" lifestyle compared to what mainstream culture throws at you!

I pray that through the example that me and my hubby live on a daily basis we will give our children the boldness and confidence they need to take a stand and dare to be different when culture screams at them to do something against the will/standards of God.

Even in serving Christ there are differences - when I was pregnant with the Bug I was sitting in a women's conference and the speaker was talking about child rearing and she said this..."Don't compare yourself to other Mom's or families. You are called to be the parent of your children and they are called by God to be your kids." This was just what I needed to hear, because yes as Christians we all strive to raise godly kids but can so easily get caught up in the "am I doing it right" or "Well they do it this way" thought process. Well guess what each family is different and even within each family every child is different. Only my the grace of God are you going to raise them "right". So, that is where the "Dameron Style" comes it! If I post something about parenting that works for us, feel free to just leave it at that..."I am glad it works for them!" I don't claim to be an expert in parenting; only in parenting my kids to I excel!

You may see a few tweaks to the look in the days to come but the name is set! I am so thankful I didn't go with the hubby's suggestion of "Dameron's Doghouse...Ally Barking!"

H-E-L-P........

2011-05-05T20:36:00.002-04:00

It is painfully obvious that my blog needs a MAJOR MAKEOVER!!! With baby BOY Dameron on the way it just doesn't seem fitting to have an all pink blog titled "Dameron Girls" anymore!

When I started this blog 4 years ago it was co-authored by me and my sister-in-law. It was meant to be a tool to help us have an outlet as we transitioned from full-time ministry to being stay-at-home Mommies! Thus, the name "Dameron Girls." Well, she now has her own blog and this one became mine. Both of our blogs contain spiritual insights but a lot of it has also turned into documenting life as we now know it! Which is always an adventure!

Anyway, I honestly cannot come up with a new name! So, please PLEASE please...post any suggestions you may have! I want to get started on my makeover but can't until I have a new name!

Thanks!

2011-04-23T15:49:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite songs sang by my all-time favorite singer!

Isaiah 53

¹ Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

^{² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,}

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

^{³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,}

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

^{⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,}

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

^{⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,}

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

^{⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.}

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.

^{⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,}

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

^{¹¹ After he has suffered,}

he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

^{¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,}

and he will divide the spoils with the strong,

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.