God Thing!

Today I did a little running around to wrap up (no pun intended) my last little bit of Christmas shopping that I needed to do...and it feels great to be done and not have to think any more about running here or there! Part of my day included taking Brinkley to get a bath and I decided to leave Collier with Mom and Dad while I did that. During the cold months I take her to a pet store that has a self-serve bathing center. Its great because all of the mess is left there and I can go in and out and bath her myself and not have to pay an arm and a leg to have a clean pup! The pet store is right next to a publix and I had made a grocery list for the week before I left home. Brinkley clean...check.headed to the grocery....check....BUT..... NO LIST. I couldn't find it anywhere and I am on a time frame because I need to get back to get Collier so mom and dad could leave to go to a Christmas party (oh and btw Justin is of course out of town) . I decided to take a gamble with my brain!!!!!Here we go...as I'm walking into the grocery with no list and I just ask God..."please give me the memory and the knowledge to remember what I need for this week, I need you Lord to help me. I can not do this with out you" Off I went and it all started coming to me. Guess what, got home and the grocery list was on the coffee table and I only forgot ONE thing! Praise the Lord for He is good. Believe me, my memory is awful I can hardly remember what day it is or what I'm supposed to do next with out a list and so to remember my grocery list was an absolute miracle and its just a God thing! I know it is all so silly and you would think that I was about to do brain surgery....but just getting through my tasks for the day (which grocery shopping was) is hard work. More praises to God, I received a job offer this week and I am so excited. I'm going to be working for a company called Jackson-Key Practice Solutions, they are a reseller for AllScripts My Way (which is a Electronic Medical Records/Practice Management software for Physicians). I start after the 1st of January and I am thrilled. God guided me through this entire situation, the interview process - which is so troubling at time. He have me a peace each step of the way and he faithfully opened and closed all of the right doors. I'm so very thankful and can't wait to get started. I am a little nervous but still excited. These past several weeks that I've been home have been so sweet to have this precious time with Collier and I couldn't have been happier. I am thankful for the time and so it will be hard to not be with him all day starting in January, but I know that I'll adjust back with God's help!

I am looking forward to enjoying this wonderful week of Christmas and just being with my family! I am so grateful for our families! Baby Jesus arrived in such a simple stable and it is a simple reminder that it doesn't have to be much but instead who you are blessed to be with! I wish for you and your family a sweet and simple time spent over this Christmas time.

Ho Ho Ho

It is funny how you have a situation in your head and then when it actually occurs it is completely different! Well, yesterday we went to visit Santa. I love Santa and think that he is magical! Collier had just gotten up from his nap and he had a full belly so what better time to go and see Santa than when you're well rested with a full belly! I imagined that Collier would feel the same way and that he would coo at Santa and play with Santa's beard or with the fur on his coat. UMMM, not so much! We sat him in Santa's lap and he didn't even respond. No smile, no expression, no magical excitement! He didn't cry but didn't act excited either! Mom and I, of course, were cracking up at his blank look of boredom! Oh well, not what I had pictured in my silly head, but we did capture the moment and have it for our memory book.

Collier is trying so hard to crawl but has not yet been successful! We don't have any carpet/rugs in our den and therefore he doesn't have anything to get traction on. He'll get to his knee's and then his legs slide out from under him. He wants to move so bad, but hasn't put it all together quite yet. Which is fine with me by the way. I love this stage. He is so sweet and I love to hear him "talking" or jabbering it is such a sweet sound. He is so sweet and is back to sleeping normal and through the night. I am really thankful for that too!

It amazes me how fast time is passing by. It makes me sad that this season is going by so fast, I am still not finished with my shopping and preparing, although I am close! We're looking forward to celebrating Christ birth with Collier for the first time! Merry Christmas!

Birthday and More

Happy Birthday to my Hubby! Today is Justin's birthday and we love birthday's around here. Justin is such a great husband and a fabulous dad. It is so sweet to watch him with Collier and how they interact, it really is priceless and brings a sweet joy to my heart. He is a great provider for us and takes such good care of us. He is full of laughter and humor - enough to make my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. He is also very tender hearted and loving. I couldn't ask for anything more. I am thankful to have him. I had my heart set on him from a very early age and thankfully God's plan unfolded just right to make my dreams and wishes come true. Happy Birthday Just! I love you more than you know!

I wanted to also share a few pictures of our Christmas decorations. Justin and I both really love this time of year. We love the beautiful lights that line the street and all of the fun decorations. I know that Justin really loves having Christmas village up and his favorite is to sit with just the Christmas lights on and enjoy the glow that they give. Our other favorite is to watch Christmas movies and most specifically is Christmas Vacation....we watched it 4 nights in a row over the weekend. I finally said that I needed a break for a few days from Christmas Vacation. I'm sure we'll watch it again soon. I think that Justin can quote the entire movie. I love the Grinch and have enjoyed Elf in the past few years. We also don't miss the clay-mation of Rudolph and Frosty!

Oh Christmas Fun

I got all of my Christmas village up and displayed (which is always a great big task) and almost have my mantel like I like it. The mantel is a topic of controversy this year! If you were around last year, you would have learned that I am married to a Christmas Elf and he likes Christmas village on the mantel! So, when I put my Nativity scene on the mantel this year he wasn't exactly thrilled..... BUT I love it!! We'll see if he accepts this change!!

We got our tree yesterday and I was so excited! But according to my Christmas Elf we must wait one day before lighting and decorating so that the tree will "fall". So, lighting and decorating in front of a roaring and beautiful fire is our plans for the night. Justin is building the fire right now and I'm boiling water for my yummy hot chocolate. Collier is just waking up from an afternoon nap! We have a fun night in store. I'll be sure to share pictures soon! Hope that your night is Merry and Bright!

Reflections

Looking back at a wonderful and fun Thanksgiving week. We spent some time at the lake and some time in Dothan. We were able to visit and stuff our faces with our families and it couldn't have been better. I love family, and enjoy gathering as a family and picking up where we left off with those that we don't get to see as often as we would like.

I'm spending tomorrow decorating for Christmas. I love this season! I love decorating for Christmas! I love picking out a Christmas tree and lighting it with my precious husband! I love all of the beautiful lights that sparkle up and down the streets! I love Christmas sugar cookies! I love receiving Christmas cards! I love that Collier will get to experience this Christmas! I love that God sent His Son to give us eternal life!

Mountain Trip

Some of our sweet friends in Nashville invited Justin, Collier and me to join them at their cabin in the mountains. We of course could not turn down such a fun and gracious invite. We haven't seen these friends in a few years and it was wonderful to reconnect and visit with them and their beautiful children. The cabin is in the Sunday School Assembly at Monteagle, TN. It is such a neat little community and looks like it would be loads of fun for the kids in the summer time. It was a beautiful day on Saturday and we couldn't have asked for a better time with such wonderful and loving friends!

Now, we prepare for our week of Thanksgiving! We all have so much to be thankful for, we are showered with blessings and our cup is certainly over flowing! I think about God and how thankful that I am for the relationship that He allows us to have with Him - that He sent His Son for our sake to this earth to live a perfect life and then to the cross for our sins! I am thankful
that He is always present and faithful, even when I have gone astray. I am thankful that He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I love that He goes ahead and behind us! How He is my strength and that I can do all things through Him. I am thankful, I am unworthy, I am sinful and yet I am redeemed! Praise be to God for all that I have and for all that I am!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.-Galatians 2:20

This is a cross on a point over looking the mountains at Sewanee

I'm looking forward to seeing our family and having the time to relax and visit! I wish you and your family a wonderful, fun and safe Thanksgiving!

Last Wednesday I woke up and started packing....I then jumped in the shower and it was a little cold but I was in a rush - Collier was in his bumbo watching Jack's Music show so I had to hurry. Well the water actually got colder instead of hot so it was an even quicker shower than planned. Justin was out of town (of course) and our hot water heater had rusted out the bottom! I called our handy man and he came to confirm all of that. This of course pushed my packed up ever so slightly..but 2 hours later Mom, Collier and me were on the road. Where was I headed...you may ask......

to

this

beautiful

peaceful

quite

perfect

relaxing

glimpse of heaven

Justin was working in the panhandle and was going to spend a few nights at the lake and we decided to join him! Well not working, but at least we got him at night. Yep, we left on Wednesday and stayed through Sunday! Perfect, did I mention it was quite and relaxing too! I couldn't have asked for more. The tree's have mostly turned to orange and when the sun sets in the evenings it really will take your breath away! The sun rises are pretty stink'n awesome too - but I would rather be in the bed at that time. Although I think two mornings I was up with one little stinker who has decided that waking up a few times at night/morning is fun.

Now, to that subject. I created the monster. Collier started not sleeping through the night about a month ago and it was because he had a little cold. Well, I decided I would feed him to see if that made him feel better. It usually did and he would go right back to sleep (fall asleep while eating). That's great that he goes right back to sleep, right? not when he gets up twice - usually around 12am or 1am and again around 4am. He is not starving, I've just created a bad habit. So now we're fixing that and he is crying it out! Not an easy task as a mom who wants to make her sweet baby happy. Last night he woke up around 1:30 and started kicking and chooing, which turned into crying and screaming around 1:50 and he finally gave in at 2:35. One hour, not to bad but in the middle of the moment it isn't fun or easy. I kept wanting to get up and just let him eat so that he would settle down and go back to sleep. I resisted and thought about how good it feels to sleep all night and I stayed my butt in the bed and prayed over and over that God would gently whisper and calm him down. I am prying that each night this week will be easier and easier.

Tomorrow I have a second interview with a company and I'm very excited about this opportunity. I would appreciate your prayers for very clear direction and if this is where I'm supposed to be to have the right words during the interview.

Here are a few more pictures from our fun lake weekend:

I've been meaning to post for the past several days and every time I sat down, I couldn't quite figure out what I was going to type...so I just didn't.

Justin was out of town all of last week - Annual Sales Meeting in Orlando. His sweet mom came to stay with me to keep me company see Collier. It is really so great to have a wonderful MIL. I can be honest with her and she loves that little boy to pieces (who wouldn't?). She is willing to leave her sweet husband to come and spend days with us, she moves around dentist appointment, hair appointments and travel arrangements to be here for us. I couldn't ask for more and I am so thankful that she was here this week with us! Thanks Mela for being here and for all of your help!

Wednesday we went Collier's 6 month check up. He is 16LB 14OZ and 27" Long. I really expected him to weight much more. Everything checked out perfectly and we're increasing our meals to three per day of solids instead of two. His newest foods have been carrots and pears last week. The doctor even told me he could have yogurt, so we're going to try this this week. He has been doing better but is still waking up during the night. Only one time the past several nights, which isn't too bad. But I really am ready for him to get back to sleeping through the nights. I do think that he is teething and I feel bad that he isn't feeling good...I just hate it for him. This morning when I was holding him at 5am....I was just looking at him and how sweet and peaceful he was laying in my arms fast asleep! My heart feels so complete with love over flowing in a way that I have never felt before. It brought a funny thought to mind. When I was in middle or high school (I can't remember exactly) I decided that I wanted a bird. We had two dogs and I wanted a pet that was all to myself and I knew that another dog would be out of the question. So, I decided on a bird. Mom said that I could get one and I remember her asking my why I wanted a bird and all I could think was because I wanted something that was mine to love wholly. That was one crazy bird and I did love it but I wanted it to give a complete love to me and it just isn't possible that a bird could do that (at the time I never would have understood that). I know that the whole and complete love comes from God himself. He is the only one that can fill up and over flow my love and joy. But looking at Collier in my arms this morning I felt that completeness and total satisfaction - I felt God's love and boy it is abundant!! I just love Collier to pieces and it is so satisfying to be able to care for him and provide for him. Gosh what a blessing!

Which sort of brings me to my next topic. My job. I've been home for the past 2 weeks and I am so thankful for this time that I've had with Collier. I love every minute of it and really God's timing couldn't have been more perfect (of course). With Collier not sleeping through the night and me not having to be at work, it hasn't been so bad at all. I am job searching! I have a few possibles but nothing concrete yet. Several times a day I think about it and will start to panic about what am I going to do and oh I need a job and how will a new job affect my time with Collier and will it be an environment that is pumping friendly. Then I have to hand it over to God and trust that He is in control. He already has a place specifically for me. I am trusting that He will provide for me and for our family through all of this. It is so easy to want to take control myself, but I don't want to (even though naturally I try to continuously) I really want to be where God wants me to be.

I can't believe that it is already November and before we know it Thanksgiving will have come and gone! I am trying to take in every minute of being home and especially as we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have so much to be thankful!

Our Halloween Weekend

Was so much fun. We started off Friday night with dinner with Mom and Dad. We cooked Butternut Squash Bisque. I've been thinking about Squash soup since summer time (we had it at a friends rehearsal dinner....about 5 years ago...recently!)and for some reason it popped into my head. I don't eat soups in the summer so I've been thrilled now that its gotten cooler and I've been searching for the right recipe. It was perfectly served with pork tenderloin and bread. Just right! Saturday we went to Mom and Dad's to watch football and carve our pumpkins....very late to do that this year, but we were glad to get them done. Justin always wants to do scary faces and I always want happy faces! We really liked how they turned out! Justin and Dad boiled a HUGE pot of peanuts and built a fire in the outside fire pit. Collier really enjoyed watching the flames in the fire - he would stare at them as they moved and popped around. Collier the puppy arrived after dinner and was so stink'n cute (if I can say so myself). I think I took a million pictures but I'll spare you and just show a few of my favorites!

Today, we have tried to be lazy, but the weather was beautiful and it was calling us to come outside! After little man got in a good nap we enjoyed lunch on the front porch - Brink was thrilled that Collier was eating on her level. She decided she would try and help with clean up! Then we decided to go to the park and it was just perfect. He really liked the swing, it took him a few minutes to figure out his balance but once he did he really liked it. He was all cozy and situated and could have probably fallen asleep!

It was a fabulous and fun and busy weekend.

Collier is still waking up during the night...last night we were up 4 times again! YIKES. I am praying that tonight will be a little better. Justin's mom is coming to spend a few days with us and we're very excited about her visit with us this week!

I'll continue to ask for prayer for God's clear guidance with my job. And of course that sweet baby Collier would feel better soon. I would really appreciate it. Happy 1st of November!

6 MONTHS

and growing way too fast! Sweet Baby Collier is 6 months today and I am beside myself. He is such a sweet baby. We go to the doctor next week so I'll have official stats to post then. But he is basically sitting up on his own, only with a few tumbles from time to time. He could careless about rolling over but reaches for everything. If he can see it he will stretch and reach for it as hard as he can - which means throwing all of his weight in that direction. He giggles and talks a lot....talking (cooing) more and more in the past week.

Although the past few days have been tough. He hasn't been sleeping through the night...Wednesday night he was up 4 times! And he has been a bit stuffy/runny nose which has resulted in him being slight more fussy. Plus the drooling has started and I assume that this is the beginning of our teething process. Poor little booger! I can only pray that he will be able to handle the pain and all that comes with it. I'm asking for God's help through all of this.

I'm so excited that tomorrow is Halloween! I'll be back soon with some precious pictures of our sweet little man and here is a little sneak peak!

You didn't know we had a new little puppy did you?