My Latest Project...

I think I mentioned last time I was trying to make these little monogram shirts for Sawyer so I thought I'd show ya what they look like...
Ive done two so far and I'm really liking the way they've turned out!
Here's the best part: I had a gift card to Hobby Lobby, so all my fabric and other supplies, which weren't really expensive anyways, for free. Then, I found these little tee shirts on clearance at Target for two bucks a piece! Man I love a good deal...

Random Thoughts For Your Thursday Afternoon...

First, I just need to get this out: I'M SO STINKIN TIRED OF THIS COLD WEATHER! I'm ready for some warmness...
Okay, I feel better now. Sort of.

-This week has been one of those weeks that I'm just feeling extra-happy to be a mommy. Sawyer has been SO good, and we've had SO much fun together! Ive really enjoyed her company and most of all her conversation! Oh man, the things she says! I'm also loving the way she makes a song out of the most random sentences. I'll say something like, "Sawyer you have to go put your shoes on," and the next thing I hear is her repeating what I said, but in a song. So funny! There's one thing she's certainly not lacking any of, and that's personality. The other day, Preston was in the shower and she knocks on the door and yells, "Daddy! Are you in there shaving your legs!?!" I was ROLLING!!! Yesterday, we made a batch of oatmeal cookies together, and while she' mixing the dough she says, "Momma, I'm a good chef. When you eat these cookies they're so good you would die! Am I kidding? No, I'm serious!" Even as I sit here typing that one, I'm laughing out loud.

-I'm also feeling particularly thankful for girlfriends today. I was fortunate enough to have a girls night out with my bestest bud Jordan this past Saturday while Preston and Sawyer had some daddy-daughter time. We had so much fun! We went and had dinner at the always-yummy Calistoga, shopping at Gymboree, then to see a movie. While we agreed the movie wasn't the best we'd ever seen, it was still great to just be out of the house and do whatever we wanted! Jordan and I also got to hang out yesterday when we took the girls to play at All About Kids. Cameryn and Sawyer played their little hearts out and then we took them back to my house for lunch and naps. The really great thing is that they nap at the same time, so it gives Jordan and I a chance to just relax and talk for a couple of hours! Mommy-time is just great.

-Last night I was looking online at Etsy, and I got this idea to make some fabric-monogram shirts for Sawyer. We ventured out to Hobby Lobby and Target this morning to gather all the supplies, so we'll see how they turn out. I'm feeling fairly hopeful, so If I get a good result, I'll post pictures. If not, we'll just act like I never said any if this.

-I read this verse for the first time the other day and I was SO encouraged:
"The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Seriously...how awesome is that? To read that the Lord- maker of the Heavens and Earth, God over EVERYTHING- will take delight in me! Wow.

Tomorrow is the start of another weekend, and for the first time in I-Don't-Know-When, we really have no plans. I sort of like the idea. Hope you're all having a good week and staying warm!

It Makes Me Better...

Everything is back to normal in our household, and thank the LORD, because it was starting to feel like we were never going to get our girl well!
Okay, this is funny...
A couple of days ago, I was cleaning up the kitchen and I could hear Sawyer playing with her dollhouse in her room. I wasn't about to go in and "disturb" her, so I just went on with what I was doing and let her play. A few minutes passed, I got a phone call, and by the time I got off-about five minutes later-I realized I couldn't hear her playing anymore. I walked into her room to see her sitting in the floor running her little hands all over her bookshelf.
Hmmmm....strange.
As I walk closer, the smell about knocked me down. Sawyer found the pot of Vick's Vapor Rub and was going to town. She had it EVERYWHERE. Her hands were COVERED all the way up to her wrists. It was on the floor. On the books. On the storage bins. In her hair.
She just looks up at me and says, "It makes me better Mom!"
I just had to laugh, because it's true...Vick's always makes it better. I had a big mess to clean up, but the good thing was that we were both able to smell quite well for the next few hours!

Still Here...

I haven't abandoned the blog, we've just had a rough week.
Sawyer's been sick since last Monday. Eight days, lots of crying, worrying, two doctor and one urgent care visit makes for a very, very long week.
The good news: no swine flu, they didn't admit her to the hospital, and I'm starting to feel much better (I got sick a few days ago too.)
Hopefully Sawyer will get to feeling better in the next couple of days and everything will be back to normal.
Until then, keep us in your prayers!

If You See My Husband, Dont Mention This...

Im Kidding...He really wouldnt care.
Yesterday, while I was making my grocery list Preston took Sawyer in her room to play for a little while. About ten minutes into my list-making, I hear Sawyer doing her "evil-giggle," so I had to go see what they where up to. When I walked in, this is what I saw...
Sawyer was giving her Daddy a makeover!
Really, what could look better on a man than pink sparkle chap stick?

Cameryn's First Birthday...

Saturday, my second favorite little girl celebrated her very first birthday!
Jordan and Josh had a little get-together at their house, and everyone had a good time eating, visiting with each other, and most of all...watching Cameryn open her presents and dive into her yummy birthday cake! In was a fun afternoon, and of course, Sawyer asks to "go see Cameryn at her birthday party" almost every day since then.
I took some pictures, and while there are way to many to put on here, I'll show ya some of my favorites...

Snow Day...

Yesterday evening we went over to Mom and Dad's house for a little while, and out of the blue, Mom says, "Why don't you just let Sawyer spend the night with us tonight? You can just sleep in tomorrow morning!"
Let me think about that for a sec....
Ummm, YES!
I ran home to grab her some PJ's, dropped those back of at Mom and Dad's, and then headed over to Border's to look around before meeting Preston for dinner. We ended up eating at Taco Bell, but it was SO nice to sit there (for almost an hour) and just talk! After we ate, we went to look for a lamp for Preston's desk, and then came home and hung out a while before going to bed.
It was a great mid-week, impromptu mini-date. And it came at just the right time, since Preston's been working SO much this week.
So, this morning I went to get Sawyer and the snow was really coming down! Once I got there, Mom suggested we just spend the day there, since she wasn't going anywhere. If we were going to be cooped up inside all day, we may as well be cooped up together! I'm so glad I decided to stay, because it ended up being an AWESOME day. Everything a snow day should be. We bundled Sawyer up and took her out in the snow for the first time ever, and she absolutely LOVED it! Unfortunately, I only had my phone to take pictures, but I'm sure we'll go out again tomorrow, so I'll get more with my camera then. After we played outside for a little while, we came in and gave her a hot bath, followed by a sippy-cup full of hot chocolate and a new Veggie Tale movie (with popcorn, of course.) Mom made the most delicious soup Ive had in a long time, and Dad "braved the elements" to run out and get us a loaf of Great Harvest bread and McDonald's cokes to go with it. We stayed in our pajamas all day, played, laughed, and just relaxed...It was by far the best snow day Ive had since I was a little girl.
Hope you and your family had a great snow day too!

On a Trip To Walmart...

Sawyer and I got out and about early this morning to go run some errands, which included a trip to Walmart.
We walked in the front doors holding hands, and there to greet us was a severely handicapped man siting in a wheelchair. As soon as he saw Sawyer, his face lit up, and though I could barely understand what he was saying, I heard one thing very clearly through his slurred speech, "Hi there, pretty girl."
Without one bit of hesitation, Sawyer walked right up to him, smiled, and took his hand and held it in hers. I'm sure this man typically never gets a "hello," or even so much as a look in the eye. The sad truth is, he's probably just ignored most of the time. I stood there and talked with him a second before going to get my shopping cart, and when I walked away, a light bulb (yup, just like the ones in those cartoons) went off inside my head.
Sawyer didn't see a handicapped person. She didn't see a "disability." She didn't see anything wrong with this man at all. What she did see, was someone was was genuinely happy to see her, and spoke kind words to greet her. She felt comfortable around him, because he was just a very nice, gentle person...so comfortable that she went to embrace him.
And then, I had a thought: Isn't that just like Jesus?
So, as I plop Sawyer in the front of the shopping cart, I start to think some more, and tears start to stream down my face. Yes, right in the front of Walmart. Luckily, it was early enough in the morning that it wasn't crowded at all, and I only passed one woman who saw me crying. She probably thought I was crazy, but that's okay. Actually, it might have been nice if she'd asked my why I was crying because I could have told her it was because I was happy. Without knowing it, my two year old just showed me a perfect example of what Christs love for us is like.
Even though we are sinners, when Christ looks at us he never sees a "handicap," or a "disability." He just loves us. I think that's what Jesus meant when he said we should become like little children. For the most part, children are quick to forgive, and (especially the younger they are) they rarely hold grudges. They are unprejudiced. They are joyful. And most importantly, they have a blind faith.
I so desire to be more like that. To look past age, color, disability or whatever else and just love on people. Because everyday, that's what Christ does for me, even though I don't deserve it.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4

New Year...

First, let me just say...Happy New Year to you!!!!
Preston and I stayed up past our bedtime (we're old folk) last night to watch the ball drop, and of course to share a little new year's kiss! Isn't that just so newlyweddish of us? I thought so too.

Since Preston's been off work for the past three days, we've gotten SO much accomplished around the house! I cleaned out Sawyer's closet, toy box, all kitchen cabinets and drawers, the pantry (man that was bad,) and best of all... our ENTIRE basement. I was so proud I was going to share pictures with you guys, but you really couldn't appreciate the "after" photos unless you'd seen the "before." Just trust me, it looks way better. We cleaned out every shelf, tossed out all the junk we'd been hanging on to for way too long, and started to organize all of the yard sale and donation stuff. The pile of Sawyer's clothes (along with some toys and shoes) is gigantic, so if anyone wants to come take a look and see if you want anything before I sell it, just call me :)

I'm sitting here right now, thinking of how glorious it feels to have everything organized. Well, everything except the dining room hutch, but that's for another day.
I'm also thinking about how quickly this year has flown by! When you have little ones the days are long, but the years are so short. As I sit and reflect this past year, I'm overwhelmed with how much the Lord has truly blessed our family. How good he's been to me...how he's protected me, guided me, and most of all loved me. I could never praise him enough for all he's done for me. Every good thing I have (or will ever have) has come straight from him.

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Psalm 105:1-2

A few highlights from this year I don't want to forget:

-Preston getting his NEW JOB! Looking back on that whole (long) process from beginning to end, its just SO clear that God had his hand upon the whole thing the entire time. We are beyond thankful for his position at such a great company.

-Celebrating Sawyer's second birthday! What fun she had!

-Our four year anniversary...still cant believe its already been that long.

-Our Valentines Day Getaway.

-Our family trip to Tennessee.

-Our trip to Gatlinburg with Jordan and Josh in October. Those two are yet another thing Preston and I have to be thankful for...friends that bring us so much fun and laughter every time we're together.

2009 has been a good year indeed. A few goals I have for this upcoming year...

-To shed some of this baby weight I'm still holding on to for what, 2 1/2 years now? I thought seriously (for maybe 10 minutes) about giving up all soft drinks, cold turkey. But I then decided against that idea. Because if I did that, someone might have to check me into some sort of mental facility for my withdraws, and we wouldn't want that. Yes, I love them that much.

-To be more patient.

-To work on memorizing scripture. Not just reading the Word, but memorizing it. I really believe its so important to have Gods truths tucked away in your heart and I already have a plan in place that's going to help me with my goal (thank you Topical Memory System,) so by the end of 2010 I should have around 100 verses memorized.

I hope all of you can look back at this past year and think of at least a few things you're thankful for. I know I am.

Right Now, I'm headed to bed. Its way too late, I'm so tired from all the cleaning! We have a full day tomorrow...an afternoon with friends, celebrating Cameryn's first birthday, and then dropping Sawyer off at Mom and Dad's because its DATE NIGHT!

Have a Happy Weekend everyone!