Life In Our Little House

Food!

2008-07-26T12:56:00.004-06:00

We recently stumbled upon a wonderful program called Angel Food Ministries (www.angelfoodministries.com) which is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. Basically, for $30 you receive a box nicely packed with approximately $65 worth of groceries. There are no qualifications, minimums, income restrictions, or applications. And the greatest thing is - everyone is encouraged to participate! Some churches even encourage participants to apply the money they saved to help someone else in need. After reading about it in a magazine last month, we looked it up on the Internet, found a local church who participates in the program (there are many participating churches in the Houston area), filled out the request and paid our money, then picked up the box today. Maybe this program would be a blessing to your family, or perhaps you know a family who would benefit from this. I encourage you to check it out!

Sample Menu:
4 lb. IQF Leg Quarters
4 oz. Beef Back Ribs
1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders
1.5 lb. Bone in Pork Chops (4 x 6oz.)
1 lb. Ground Turkey
18 oz. Stuffed Manicotti (Cheese)
12 oz. Smoked Sausage
Betty Crocker Seasoned Potatoes
7 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner
16 oz. Green Beans
16 oz. Baby Carrots
2 lb. Onions
1 lb. Pinto Beans
1 lb. Rice
7 oz. Blueberry Muffin Mix
10 ct. Homestyle Waffles
Dessert Item

Here's our box

Here's everything in our box
Here's everything out of our box! It's hard to tell everything that was in it, but it included ribs, fajita beef, steaks, meatballs, a crockpot meal, frozen vegetables, eggs, corn tortillas, etc. (even a carton of milk!)

Just Stuff

2008-07-17T14:01:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone!

Just a quick blog update to say hello and to fill you in on a few things in our lives...

We're in the midst of VBS at church this week and are doing the "Power Lab" theme. It's a great theme with great music, and the kiddos - all 200+ of them - seem to be loving it! Tonight is night number four. Woohoo - three down, two to go!
Nathan continues to work at a local grocery store while searching for something with better pay and more stable hours - and something where he can better use his skill set.
To help supplement our income during this unstable time in our lives, I'm looking for a part time job that will work around Nathan's schedule. Our ultimate goal is for him to find a position which will allow me to continue staying home with Jackson, but in the meantime, we'd like at least one of us to be home with him at all times so we don't have to put him in daycare. That would make me very sad. :-(
Nathan just finished reading a new book called "The Shack" and I am just starting to read it. I've heard great things about it, and Nathan loved it, but I'm having a hard time getting into it. Perhaps it's because the only time I have to read is when I go to bed, and by then I'm usually so exhausted I read about a page, then fall right asleep! Might take me a while to finish this book at that rate... Have any of you read it? Your thoughts?
Jackson is doing well and is obsessed with VBS music and "Nemo" these days. We gave him a buzz cut last week (well, Nathan did 99% of the work). It looks pretty cute! I'm amazed at how well he sat still for it.
Potty training begins next week. Pray for us! We're open to suggestions if anyone out there has had great success in potty training an active two-year old boy!

Everybody take care and enjoy the rest of your week...may God richly bless you!

Love,

Jill

Nathan's Birthday Weekend

2008-07-03T09:14:00.015-06:00

Happy 40th Birthday, Nathan! Nathan's birthday is July 1, but the celebrating started early when his brother, Scott, from Arizona flew in Saturday and completely surprised him. It was such fun to see the look on Nathan's face when he first saw Scott. Talk about a surprise! Then Sunday afternoon our friends Tom, Heather, and their three kids drove in from Arizona to spend a few days with us. Their little baby who was born with a birth defect had a mishap when one of his tubes was accidentally pulled out, so he spent two nights in the hospital, but we all had a great time together anyway. Jackson really enjoyed playing with his buddies!

Nathan with his brother Scott

Our new tradition - A Birthday Breakfast Kolache!

Nathan's birthday lunch at Mel's - a Texas 'hold in the wall' place - but famous and oh, so good! He ordered the "Mel Burger" and said it was quite yummy.

A close up of the huge Mel Burger!

Nathan and his longtime friend Tom

Three precious children!

Our friends Tom, Heather, and their three little ones visiting from Arizona.

Saying goodbye

Look at all those candles!

Me and my true love!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T20:50:00.002-06:00

Happy Father's Day to my loving and generous dad,

to my wonderful father-in-law,

and to my precious and amazing husband, Nathan!

I LOVE YOU!

Scraped Up Boy

2008-06-12T10:59:00.011-06:00

Sweet, little Jackson... He got in a fight with the sidewalk yesterday, and the sidewalk won. :-( He didn't bleed very badly and only cried for a couple of minutes, but we'll be seeing the residual effects on his face for a while. Aahhh...the joys of having an active boy!

In other news, we have a new air conditioner! Yippee!! Our AC bit the dust on Saturday, May 31, and we finally got a new one installed yesterday, Wednesday, June 11. Thankfully we have a home warranty, so it didn't cost us anything to get a new AC unit, but it took the warranty company FOREVER to get everything approved. We stayed at Gene & Joan's for the whole time - 12 days (thank you, Gene & Joan, for letting us stay with you for an extended period of time!). I don't know what we would have done otherwise. It was way too hot to stay at our house with no AC. This humidity is stifling. I do not like it!

Nathan has a J-O-B! Praise God! Hallelujah! He's working at a local grocery store, and although it's not the ideal job he was hoping for, we are thankful for it. He'll continue to pursue other employment.

I know it's been a while (a long while) since I've posted on this blog. I'll try to do better. It's my goal to get pictures up soon of our lovely new home! In the meantime, I'll post a few pictures we've taken throughout the past few months. Until next time...
I chopped off my long hair at the beginning of April.
My parents and sister (Jane) and niece (Chelsea) visited us in April.
Grandma & Grandpa E. with Jackson.
Nathan & Jackson at the Water Wall with Grandma & Grandpa D.
Grandma & Grandpa D. walking the beach with Jackson in Galveston.
Three generations in Galveston.
Nathan & Jackson exploring the sea shells in Galveston.
A bloom from the lovely crape myrtle tree in our front yard.
Our front door! Come visit us!

Typing Test

2008-03-07T18:47:00.001-07:00

I've always fancied myself to be quick on the keyboard, then I saw someone who types 114 wpm. Whuutt?? Looks like I'd better keep practicing!

86 words

http://speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com">Speed test

Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2008-01-04T21:44:00.001-07:00

Guess it's been a while, huh? Lots of water under the bridge since I last posted.

I've gotten over my aggravation with Super 8, although I still never plan to stay there again.
Jackson was Tigger for Halloween. So cute! We had a "Trunk or Treat" at our church for all the kiddos. It was lots of fun.
Jackson threw my incredibly cute, pink cell phone in the toilet in early November. I rescued it promptly, but the damage was done. Learn from my mistake...If your darling baby ever throws your incredibly cute, pink cell phone in the toilet, take it out asap, take out the battery, and let it sit for three or four days. I let mine sit, but only for three or four HOURS, so I fried my incredibly cute, pink cell phone. Much sadness ensued. Hopefully another incredibly cute, pink cell phone will be in my future as soon as we move to Houston.
Oh yeah, we’re moving to HOUSTON, TEXAS in a couple of weeks! Nathan had his last Sunday at the Senior Minister at our church last Sunday, December 30, and we’ll be moving the week of January 14.
But before that we’re starting 2008 off with a bang by going on a cruise with my family! Twenty-three of us set sail on Monday for a five-day cruise to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad! Mexico, here we come!

So, all that to say, life has been a little crazy lately, hence the silence from my blog. Once we get moved and settled in, I’m hoping to blog AT LEAST once a week…hopefully more than that! TTFN.

"Eight" is not so "Super"

2007-10-15T12:41:00.000-06:00

...Used to be a fan of the Super 8 motel chain. Now, not so much. We stayed there the final night of our three-week road trip. Room 108 at the Super 8 at exit 11 in El Paso, TX.

We accidentally left our camera in the room and didn't realize it until we were an hour from Tucson. We called the motel as soon as we realized we didn't have the camera and they assured us they found it in our room. We were thrilled! (I had taken approximately 300 photos during the trip and didn't want to lose them!)

We assumed they would mail it to us, but quickly found out that they weren't willing to do that and our only option was to schedule a pick up with UPS or Fed Ex. We learned that UPS & Fed Ex require that the item to be picked up be boxed and ready. Another call to the motel to have them tell us, "Well, we can find a box around here to put it in, but we don't have any of that packing tape they use." Oh.My.Word!

What's a camera-less girl to do? Get in the car (the same day we returned from a 4,500 mile road trip, mind you) and make a 316 mile drive back to El Paso (that's 316 miles ONE WAY). For the love! On the drive there I called the motel again to see if speaking with someone new might result in a different outcome. Once again we were told that they were unwilling to mail it to us. I asked him, "Do you realize we are driving from Tucson, Arizona to pick it up? Is there anyway you could PLEASE mail it to us?" They were unwilling, so off we went!

Today I called the Super 8 Corporation to kindly tell them my story. Many times customer service reps are so helpful. I didn't happen to speak with one of those. Unfortunately, it was pretty much a dead end conversation.

The moral of the story? Never again will we spend our money with the Super 8 motel chain. Don't get me wrong. We realize we were the ones who made the mistake in the first place by leaving our camera there (and are so thankful sticky fingers didn't walk off with it!). But we were surprised that they were completely unwilling to accomodate us by mailing it to us. (And of course we were going to pay for everything!)

Ok, that's my rant. Soon I will post brilliant pictures from our wonderful road trip!

American Flag

2007-09-10T00:03:00.000-06:00

This Tuesday, September 11, 2007, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this sixth anniversary of our country's worst tragedy. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends, and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks, and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds

Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

God Bless You and God Bless America!

A Year and a Half

2007-08-20T22:19:00.000-06:00

Jackson is 18 months old today! At his checkup this morning he weighed in at 29.2 lbs (75th-90th percentile) and measured 35 inches tall (95th percentile). He's gone from merely walking to running - as fast as he can - in the past few weeks. He's also mastered the art of climbing. It's not unusual to walk into the kitchen and find him standing on top of the table. Yikes! That's a little frightening for mommy & daddy! He isn't fond of sitting still in his high chair for too long during meals, but he thoroughly enjoys climbing in and out of it on his own many times a day. He loves playing with balls and has even started kicking them now. It's so cute to see him back up and get a running start! He's not much of a talker yet, but we hear the words dog, cat, duck, book, hot, ball, bubble, balloon, daddy (and sometimes even mommy!) lots of times during the day. Jackson is full of smiles for everyone we pass at the grocery store and is very curious about everything he sees. He loves music and stops to dance whenever he hears it!

Life with Jackson is, in a nutshell, FUN...and sometimes a little challenging! Thank you, Lord, for this amazing blessing!

Jackson Paul telling us how old he is (even though it looks like he's getting ready to pick his nose!)

Better Than I Deserve!

2007-08-09T08:43:00.000-06:00

The caller asks, "How are you today, Dave?"
Dave replies, "Better than I deserve!"

You may be asking, "Who's Dave?" "And why is he better than he deserves?"

Dave is Dave Ramsey, radio and television talk show host, and creator of Financial Peace University which Nathan and I just graduated from. Hey - we had a graduation ceremony and everything! (Well, if by "ceremony", you mean Nathan walking around our discussion circle and passing out certificates to each couple.)

Financial Peace University (FPU) is a 13-week, life-changing program that empowers and teaches you how to make the right money decisions to achieve your financial goals and experience a total money makeover. Through the DVD lessons and the following discussion time with your group, it teaches you basic principles to become debt free and get on the right track with your finances.

As a result of going through the class, our family is now living on a real BUDGET. (Yes, the dreaded "B" word!) But, instead of feeling limiting and restricting, living on a budget feels extremely freeing for us. We know exactly how much money we have and how much we can spend each month. And there are few surprises because you've already thought about everything the month before when preparing your budget. We're working on baby step #1 which is having $1000 in an emergency fund. Once you have that in place, you can begin working on baby step #2 which is your "debt snowball" - paying off your smallest debt first, then working from there (no matter what the interest rates are). There are seven baby steps in all.

In a nutshell, it was FABULOUS! If you've never gone through FPU, talk to your church about offering it. Some businesses even offer it! You can look up Dave's website to find out all about him (he has quite a story) and all about the programs he offers at http://www.daveramsey.com/.

Oh yeah, why is Dave "better than he deserves?" Well, aren't we all? We deserve the wrath of God because of our sinfulness, but God does not treat us according to our sin. Jesus paid it all for us and Christ's atoning blood is sufficient for us all the time. He freely gives us His incredible love and mercy! His mercies are new every morning! Amen, and amen!

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,

because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

- Lamentations 3:22-23

Thanks for Visiting!

2007-08-04T15:43:00.000-06:00

Thank you for coming to visit us from Houston last weekend, Aunt Joanie & Cousin Levi! I had a good time playing with you! Come back soon!

Hugs & kisses,
Jackson Paul

Jackson (17 months) & Levi (9) in the stagecoach at the Gaslight Theater

Where Did July Go?

2007-07-27T00:05:00.000-06:00

Yet again, another month has passed by very quickly! Since I last posted, we celebrated Nathan's 39th birthday on July 1. We decided to top off the day by taking Jackson for his first ever hair cut! Nathan had been urging me to get Jackson's hair cut for several weeks, but I just wasn't ready. Cutting his hair would mean my baby boy was becoming a big boy, and I just didn't think I was ready to face that yet. Well, everything changed at lunch that day. As Jackson has been known to do (and I don't think he's the only one-year old with this "problem!") he sometimes throws his food. That day he seemed to get a little rambunctious with his throwing and when I realized what happened, the older lady at the table next to me exclaimed, "Your little girl just threw her french fry at me!" Hold the phone...did she just say little GIRL? Ok, his hair was a little on the long side, but Jackson is ALL BOY! As you can imagine, that was enough to push me over the edge. We promptly left the restaurant and headed for the nearest barber shop. Wait a minute...do you think Nathan paid that lady to call Jackson a girl??? Bottom line: Jackson has the cutest little boy hair cut ever! He did very well and didn't cry at all. Way to go, Jackson Paul!

The next day, July 2, Jackson and I flew to Houston to visit Gene, Joanie, and Levi for a little R & R. My oldest sister, Jane, and her son, Kevin, were also there visiting from Oklahoma. (Kevin's girlfriend from OU lives in the Houston area, and he wanted to celebrate his 21st birthday with her. Happy 21st Birthday, Kevin!)

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Houston. It rained quite a bit, but being from the desert, I enjoy that kind of weather every so often! I think one of Jackson's favorite parts of the trip was climbing up and down the stairs at Aunt Joanie's house. He got pretty good at it and we only had a few tumbles! We also enjoyed spending time in their lovely swimming pool and making a couple of trips to Chuck E Cheese. We flew back to Arizona on July 11, and were welcomed home by Nathan. He missed us and we sure did miss him!

Jackson driving the "monster truck" at Chuck E Cheese

Jackson was ready to get home to Daddy! On our last day in Houston, we went to Costco so Levi could be fitted for new glasses. To pass the time, Jackson "modeled" frames for us. He grew weary of it very quickly, as you can see!

Now we're home and are enjoying a great week of Vacation Bible School at church - "Take the Plunge". The little kiddos are enjoying the lessons, crafts, music, snacks, and especially the outdoor recreation of this water-themed VBS! We've had as many as 31 children this week, and our prayer is that these little ones are being introduced to Jesus in a new and meaningful way.

May God bless you...

Until next time!

Happy 39th Birthday, Nathan!

2007-07-01T01:27:00.000-06:00

Nathan at 4 months old

7-1-68
The sun shone a whole lot brighter
Than ever it had before, shining down on me
At 6:45 p.m. both hands of time stopped turning
And you came waltzing in to change my world for good

And I was only two years old, so really I don’t know
Exactly what was going on
But I, I bet I laughed and played
Harder on that day
Because my whole world was changing

7-1-68
You breathed your first breath
And suddenly living life meant so much more
On the day that you were born

And I, well I was only two, so I didn’t have a clue
Of all that was transpiring
But I, I bet the sky was blue
And all the world looked new
Cause everything was changing

7-1-68
You breathed your first breath
And suddenly living life meant so much more
On the day that you were born

I love you, sweetheart. Have a wonderful day!

Did You Know We Went On A Cruise?

2007-06-30T12:01:00.000-06:00

We cruised out of Galveston, Texas on Sunday, May 27, and sailed the beautiful western Caribbean seas for seven days. It was glorious! We stopped in Jamaica (thumbs down), Cozumel (thumbs up), and Grand Cayman (thumbs way up!). We vacationed with Gene, Joanie, and Levi, and had so much fun. The ship, the Carnival Conquest, was H.U.G.E. and so beautiful (110,000 tons and the length of 3 1/2 football fields). On our honeymoon cruise four years ago on the Carnival Ecstasy, we had a balcony suite. We loved it. On this cruise we had an interior room. We LOVED it! Turn out the lights and it was pitch black. Great for sleeping!

In Jamaica we did the Dunn's River Falls shore excursion. Gene and Joan had been there before and loved it, and it was quite a sight to see, but it was raining that day and very crowded. There were four cruise ships in port that day and I'm pretty sure every person on all four ships thought Dunn's River Falls would be a good excursion. Wall to wall people climbing the falls! It was crazy, but I did it and I'm proud of myself!

In Grand Cayman we did the stingray/snorkel shore excursion. Oh.My.Goodness! We loved it! I had always wanted to see that beautiful, clear blue, warm Caribbean water, and Grand Cayman did not disappoint! The stingrays were amazing, and the snorkeling was so much fun. I felt like I was swimming in an aquarium! I was the first person off the boat to snorkel and the last person back on. I think I could live in Grand Cayman.

Our third stop was Cozumel. Once again we were in the land of beautiful water...like nothing I'd ever seen before! We decided to do our own thing that day. Gene rented a van and we drove a few miles to a beach club. There we enjoyed lunch and swimming. We drove all the way around the island and experienced the back side of Cozumel which isn't overrun by tourists. What a beautiful place!

Besides the three ports, we enjoyed three days at sea. On Carnival they are called "Fun Days at Sea" and that they are! The ship was beautiful, the shows were colorful, the service was impeccable, the food was magnificent, and the time together with family was priceless. We can't wait until our next cruise vacation!

Sedona

2007-06-29T19:53:00.000-06:00

Sedona is b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l! If you've never been there, I highly recommend it. Jackson & I made a trip there last weekend to see my friend Laurie and her three boys. They don't live there, but were passing through on their way home from California to Georgia, and stopped for a few nights at one of their time shares. Laurie graciously invited us to join them and experience the beauty of that part of the state. It had been a whole year since we'd seen Laurie and the boys, so we jumped at the chance!

While we were there my friend Kari and her three kids drove up from Gilbert to spend a day with us. Laurie and Kari have three children each - exactly the same ages! Those two share many similarities, and it was such a delight for me to find a friend in Kari when I moved to Arizona and moved far away from Laurie. In fact, they each named their oldest sons (who were born exactly three months apart to the day) Braden/Brayden! Life is crazy sometimes! God is so good to fill our lives with wonderful and meaningful friendships.

Back row - Brayden, Braden, Laurie, Kari
Front row - Wil, Kale, Tyler Rae, Kegan

January 7-12, 2008

2007-06-28T20:26:00.000-06:00

We're going on a family cruise to Cabo San Lucas next January to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday! Can't wait!

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-06-19T08:37:00.000-06:00

I think the term "celebrity" is being loosely used. I've never even heard of some of these people! And seriously, do I really look like Mrs. Brady?

Jackson at 15 months

2007-06-16T22:59:00.000-06:00

Jackson Paul is now 15 months old! (He'll actually be 16 months on June 20, but I haven't blogged for a while, and wanted to post his stats and a few recent photos.) At his 15-month check up, Jackson tipped the scales at 26 lbs, 13 oz (75th percentile)and was 33 3/4 inches tall (97th percentile). We have a TALL boy on our hands! He's outgrowing some of his one-piece outfits (size 24 months), and summer shoes he's only worn for three weeks are starting to get a little small! Daddy says it's time for Jackson's first haircut, but mommy can't bring herself to do that. Not.quite.yet!

Here are two recent photos taken on cousin TyAnne's graduation day. What a handsome and happy boy!

FREE!

2007-06-07T19:20:00.000-06:00

Free tonight at Sonic - ROOTBEER FLOATS! Yum!

(By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mom!)

MAY

2007-05-25T07:47:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that it's already May 25. The month has literally flown by for me. Much has happened since my last post!

First, we had a wonderful weekend visit from my parents, Grandma & Grandpa E., the last weekend of April. Jackson loves spending time with his family!

The next Saturday, May 5, my good, good friend Carla from Indiana flew to Arizona for a visit (her very first trip to Arizona). She stayed with us for a whole week and we had such a wonderful time. We didn't want to see her leave! (Carla & I met in January of 1980. I had just turned 13 and we were in 7th grade. I had just moved to Enid, Oklahoma, and she was my first friend there. That was a long, long time ago!) While she was here we spent lots of time talking and playing with Jackson. I hadn't seen Carla in 12 years, so it was her first time to meet Nathan & Jackson! She also experienced In-N-Out Burger for the first time, and we enjoyed a trip to Tombstone. She flew into Tucson and out of Phoenix, so we spent her last day in Arizona with my parents.
We celebrated my second Mother's Day on May 13! Jackson & Nathan gave me the most precious cards and treated me to a wonderful dinner at Claim Jumper.
Last weekend we spent with Nathan's side of the family in Sierra Vista for niece TyAnne's high school graduation. Congratulations, TyAnne! Not only did TyAnne graduate from high school, but 10 days earlier she graduated with an associates degree in culinary arts from the local community college...and she's only 17! TyAnne & her mom, Sheli, each graduated with a degree in culinary arts. Those two are geniuses in the kitchen! Way to go, Sheli & TyAnne! The best part of the weekend was seeing TyAnne's face when she saw her graduation gift from her parents...a 2006 Ford Mustang Convertible!
Now we are home and catching our breath...and doing laundry because...we are going on a week-long cruise on Sunday! Pictures & stories to come...

April 26, 2003

2007-04-28T17:30:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, April 26, 2003, I married my beloved, Nathan, after a whirlwind courtship. (If you don't know the story, ask me. I love to talk about it! We are an eHarmony success story!) We celebrated our 4th anniversary this past Thursday. Four whole years - wow! Nathan gave me the most beautiful red roses that day, and took me to a wonderful dinner at PF Chang's. A very special "thank you" to Brent & Jessica for babysitting Jackson for us that night so we could have a date!

As usual, the pictures don't really do them justice, but take a look at these beauties! I sure do love my husband!

One Hour & Two Minutes

2007-04-28T17:07:00.000-06:00

Friday, April 27, 2007

Day four of In-N-Out being open in Tucson. We were tired of driving by, seeing the horrendously long lines, and going home to eat turkey sandwiches. It was NOW or NEVER!

11 a.m. - We pull into the drive-thru line, prepared for a wait.Unless you live in Tucson, you won't have any perspective on this picture, but for those of you aware of the surroundings, the line began west of Krispy Kreme (Rest in peace, Krispy Kreme). I'm bad at this, but I'm guessing there were somewhere in the vicinity of 60 cars in front of us when we first got in line. You probably think we are nuts, but If you've never had a world famous In-N-Out cheeseburger, you just wouldn't understand!As we inched our way forward and rounded the corner, we caught our first glimpse of the beautiful red & yellow In-N-Out sign! Can you see it? (Click on the picture to enlarge it.)Halfway through our adventure, our nephew Parker joined us. Jackson loves his cousin! He especially loves Parker's sunglasses!Here is our order taker! We're getting closer! Here's the girl who handed us our first taste of Tucson's In-N-Out. Nathan is so happy! (Ok, he doesn't really look all that happy in this picture, but trust me, he was one happy man!) 12:02 p.m. - Mission Accomplished!

We drove the 3.3 miles to our home and enjoyed a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake (that was for you, Donna R.!)

One of these days the lines will (hopefully) calm down enough that we'll actually be able to go inside, order, and eat there! On a side note, a second In-N-Out is opening in northwest Tucson sometime this summer. Hallelujah! (I think I should be an In-N-Out company spokesperson!)

ANTICIPATION

2007-04-24T15:17:00.000-06:00

Today is the day the entire city has been waiting for.

We saw the concrete be poured.

We saw the framing go up.

We saw them stucco the outside.

We saw the beautiful landscaping.

Then, finally, we saw the lighted signs be put in place.

What have we waited anxiously for?

Today is the Grand Opening of...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

All of Tucson is rejoicing over the "birth" of our first In-N-Out Burger! We foolishly tried to go there for lunch today - at 11 a.m. - I might add. The hundreds of people already standing in line, and the line of at least 75 cars waiting in the drive through lane laughed in our faces. We had to settle for Rubio's today...but tomorrow...aaah tomorrow, a delicious cheeseburger, fries & Coke have my name written all over them!

1-800-D-R-L-A-U-R-A

2007-04-22T14:20:00.000-06:00

I'm not ashamed to admit it. I love Dr. Laura! Her call-in talk show is aired on one of our local AM stations Monday-Friday from noon-3 p.m. I rarely get to listen all three hours (ok, I never get to listen all three hours), but I try to listen as often as I can. I love hearing her advice for people, and honestly, I agree with her 99.9% of the time. She can be a bit harsh, but sometimes that's what it takes for people to make changes in their lives and "go do the right thing" as Dr. Laura likes to say.

When I learned last month that Dr. Laura was coming to Tucson with her one-woman show on Friday, April 20, I jumped at the chance to get tickets. FRONT ROW! (I guess I'm getting old when I'd rather see Dr. Laura than the latest band that's touring the nation.) Trust me, Nathan wasn't as thrilled about going as I was, but he's a trooper and went along...and enjoyed it, I might add! It was a very entertaining evening. And guess what I found out? Dr. Laura & I share the same birthday - January 16 (although she's twenty years older!).

Now...Go Do The Right Thing!

14 Months Old!

2007-04-21T09:45:00.000-06:00

Our sweet, baby son turned 14 months old yesterday. We celebrated the day by cleaning & organizing his room! Those of you who have been in our home know about "Jackson's Family Tree" in his bedroom. We love it, and love when family members come to visit and add "leaves" to the tree. So, if you are related to the three of us, consider this your personal invitation to make a trip to Tucson and put your handprint on our wall!

Jackson's Family Tree - It's getting full, but there's still room for more leaves!

A close up of the sign. We attempted to put Jackson's handprints there. Have you ever tried doing something like that with an active 14-month old boy? That's why it's smeared!

Jackson enjoys trying to feed himself. Sometimes more ends up on his face than in his tummy!

Aunt Joanie's Special Day!

2007-04-17T14:53:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Aunt Joanie! (As you can see, it's birthday month for Jackson's aunties!) We hope you have a beautiful time celebrating your very special day! Celebrate & enjoy! We love you!

Jackson & Aunt Joanie the day we brought him home from the hospital. Aunt Joanie stayed with us for three glorious weeks. What a big help she was! We didn't want to see her leave!

Auntie Jane's Special Day!

2007-04-12T23:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Auntie Jane! We hope you had a beautiful day! We love you & hope to see you again soon!

Here is a picture of Auntie Jane with Jackson in February 2006 when he was just a week old.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-12T23:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter...a few days late! We pray that you had a beautiful and blessed day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord & Savior! We had a wonderful service at church that morning. We were very sad that Nathan's throat was still hurting, so he was unable to preach, but are thankful the associate minister stepped in and delivered a wonderful message. Nathan is feeling much, much better this week, and even though he is still experiencing some soreness, he should be able to preach this Sunday.

But guess what? The Easter Bunny visited our home Sunday morning and left our sweet, baby son a fun Easter basket full of wonderful goodies! He gave Jackson a "real" cell phone, and his own set of car keys, complete with a remote! The cell phone has especially been a big hit.

Oh, and our little guy looked quite handsome Sunday morning in his spiffy little outfit which included a bow tie! For those of you who have known my family for a while, you might recognize this outfit as being the same one cousin Levi wore in his one-year picture. (He is now nine years old!) Thank you, Aunt Joanie, for hanging on to such a precious little outfit!

Jackson & Mommy with his Easter basket (which included the blue'ish-green ball)
Jackson exploring his Easter basket...I think he was a little overwhelmed, but he loved the plastic Easter eggs!

Jackson & Daddy after church (the blue thing in Jackson's hand is his new cell phone)

One more of my two sweet boys...the loves of my life!

Circle the Wagons!

2007-04-07T16:41:00.000-06:00

We ventured out in our wonderful, new (to us!) red wagon this bright & sunny afternoon (it belonged to cousin Levi when he was a little one). Jackson loves, loves, loves being outside, so we try to take every opportunity we can, although we also have to be careful of his precious little fair skin!

He loved the wagon ride...

But he wouldn't keep his hat on (see it behind the wagon?). Any suggestions on how to get him to keep it on?? Here's Jackson with his terminator sunglasses......and Jackson without his sunglasses! Again, any bright ideas?

U-V-U-L-A

2007-04-05T13:02:00.000-06:00

u·vu·la [yoo-vyuh-luh]
–noun
the small, fleshy, conical body projecting downward from the middle of the soft palate.
(We refer to it as the "hangy-downy-thingy" in the back of your throat!)

We all have one, but Nathan's uvula is now half the size it was three days ago. He had outpatient surgery Tuesday afternoon to remove a portion of his uvula which had a growth on it. The ear, nose & throat doctor who performed the surgery didn't think it was anything to be concerned about. He also didn't tell Nathan how much pain he'd be in! Pray that God works a miracle and that Nathan will be able to preach this Sunday (at this point he can barely whisper). You know what makes it feel better? ICE CREAM! Bring on the vanilla shakes!

"Mother Of The Year" Award

2007-04-02T18:18:00.000-06:00

If they give such an award, today would not be the day I would win it! About an hour ago Jackson got into our cabinet where we keep various and sundry items. Guess what he found? A bottle of pancake syrup. Guess what he did with it? Dumped it all over the living room floor! And before I realized what was happening, he was playing in it. Fun times here in our little house!

Comments

2007-03-28T18:50:00.000-06:00

I'm sure there are between three and four thousand people who visit my blog on a daily basis to see how life is going on our little house. Yes, betweeen 3 & 4,000! (Three might even be pushing it!) But for those of you who do check in from time-to-time, please know that I changed the parameters and you can now post a comment, even if you don't have a Google account! I'm sorry to say I didn't know you previously had to have a Google account in order to comment, but that has been resolved. So, please, comment away! (Pretty please?)

You Are Hereby Summoned...

2007-03-13T14:23:00.000-06:00

to appear for JURY DUTY. Ugh! My third jury summons in the past four and a half years. I was chosen for the first two, and most likely will be chosen for this one too (I think I'm a prosecutor's dream). By the way, in the four plus years I've known Nathan, he has yet to be summoned for jury duty. UNBELIEVABLE!

We Have A Walking Boy!

2007-03-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

Our sweet boy took his first wobbly steps this past Monday night, March 5. Soooooo cute! He surprised Nathan and me, and I think he really surprised himself! Now everytime we see him toddling around the house, he is smiling from ear-to-ear. What an accomplishment! He still isn't sure enough of himself to get into a standing position on his own - he needs to crawl to something so he can pull himself up - but I know it will only be a matter of time until he figures that out. We actually caught some of his first steps on video, amazingly enough, but I wasn't able to post the video here to my blog, so if you'd like to see it, check out my MySpace page (link on the right sidebar). The video is posted there. Nathan put it together and it's quite cute, if I do say so myself!

One Year Pictures!

2007-03-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Birthday Party!

2007-03-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jackson's birthday with a grand party on Sunday afternoon at the church building. We had fun, fun, fun! (Jackson had fun crawling on the sidewalk outside before the party began...notice his dirty knees!)

Pinata time...

Yes, that really is a pinata (the coolest one I've ever seen!). Thank you to our neighbor for making it for us. We filled it with candy and the kids had a great time knocking it open and grabbing up mounds of sweet stuff!

Gift time...

Lots of wonderful clothes and fun toys...wow!

Cake time...

Aunt Sheli & cousin TyAnne made Jackson a wonderfully delicious cake. Notice the "balloon" the bear is holding - it's actually Jackson's personal little cake that he got to dig into. What a creative sister-in-law and niece we have!

Not too sure about this...

Ok, this tastes pretty good!

Face plant!

I am successfully sugared up and covered with frosting!

Goodbye Old Friend...

2007-02-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

What a momentous week we've had! Not only did our baby son have his first birthday, but he also got the go-ahead from Dr. R. to leave formula behind and begin whole milk. Yippee! So, goodbye Similac...you've been good to us this past year, but I don't think we'll miss you. I know we won't miss the $27 a week habit you've caused us! Does Jackson like whole milk? AND HOW! Here is a picture of him with his very first whole milk bottle. He scarfs it!

The Stats

2007-02-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Our one-year old boy is getting big! We took Jackson to his one-year check up this morning with the pediatrician (we love our pediatrician, by the way!). He now weighs 24.4 pounds (75th percentile) and is 31.5 inches tall (95th percentile). He's gained four pounds and has added an inch and a half to his height in three months. Way to go, Jackson! He took his immunizations like a champ...no tears even! As a special treat, Dr. R. gave Jackson a new book, and the nurse gave him a Curious George sticker. (I don't think we got all those perks when I was little!) Isn't being a one-year old grand?

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby Son!

2007-02-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, February 20, 2006, our precious baby son, Jackson, was born at 3:07 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs, 8 oz, and was 20 inches long. Thank you, God, for this amazing and wonderful blessing! Our prayer is that Jackson will be strong and healthy, will grow in the Lord, and will serve Him with his whole heart! We pray that as parents, we will raise him with love, kindness, grace, and respect, and that we can instill values in him that he can live by for his whole life. What a responsibility!

What fun we had today! We woke up to hearing our sweet boy playing in his crib. Nathan & I went in, video camera in hand, singing "Happy Birthday" to our son for the first time!We were blessed to spend lunch with Grandma & Grandpa D. What a fun time we had at Golden Corral! Our server even brought a yummy piece of chocolate cake - with sprinkles - to our table for Jackson to dig into.
Guess what we did after that? We turned Jackson's carseat around so he now faces forward. He has a brand new vantage point on the world!After running some errands, coming home to find lots of wonderful birthday cards and gifts in the mail, and spending a nice afternoon visit with our friends, Jimmy, Betty & Dot, we enjoyed a birthday dinner with our friends Jesse, Kara & Ethan at Chili's. What a fun day! Tomorrow we visit our pediatrician for Jackson's one-year check up where we'll find out what he weighs and how long he is now. Also included in this visit will be four more immunizations, poor little fella. :-(

Thank you to all of you who have walked beside us during this year-long journey. There have been many sleepless nights, approximately 2500 diaper changes, about 175 baths, numerous bottle feedings (and bottle washings!), countless at-home photo shoots, many miles in the car and in the airplanes, our fair share of bumps and bruises, a few tears...and it's been worth every single second! Oh, did we forget to mention never-ending hugs & kisses?? What an amazing year...I dare say the best year of our lives so far! We can't wait to see what this next year holds for our family. Thank you for your love & support!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

2007-02-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day we're having in Tucson today! It's bright, sunny, and 65 degrees this lovely afternoon. Jackson & I took a stroll through the neighborhood before coming home and watering the outdoor plants. He loves being outside! On our walk we came upon a small strip mall, so we walked along the sidewalk and peeked in the store windows. As we were walking I noticed Jackson see our reflection in the store windows and we would wave back and forth to each others' reflections. It was very sweet! It's so fun to see him experience all these new things in his world! Every day is a new adventure!

Cute Little Highchair Boy

2007-02-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

Jackson's top teeth
Jackson's bottom teeth (take a look at those beautiful eyes!!)
Jackson being silly with his bib on his head

I Guess I'm Pretty Unique...

2007-02-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
5
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

"B" is for...

2007-02-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

BUDGET! Yes, folks, that is my big news... Our family started living on a budget as of Thursday, February 1, 2007. We've been doing ok this past year since I've been staying home, but we realized we frittered away a lot of our savings just to make it every month. Not good! So, we asked Nathan's brother & his wife, Scott & Sheli, to help us create a budget we can work with. Scott & Sheli have been living within a budget for most of their 19 years of marriage, so we knew they would have some great advice for us. Did they ever! (We have the Excel spreadsheet to prove it!) Of course, living within a budget means much more eating at home and much less eating out (darn!), but having money left at the end of the month will be so worth it. Plus, setting aside money for vacations, insurance payments, etc. will be helpful too.

We took our first "budget" grocery shopping trip on Saturday. Armed with the Fry's ad and an envelope full of coupons, we hit it hard and pulled up to the check out line with a cart full of groceries. Are you ready for this? Drum roll, please... We spent $103 and saved $83. WOW! My greatest bargain? A tube of Aquafresh toothpaste. How much? FREE!

So now I am a full-fledged coupon clipping, bargain shopping, budget living, stay-at-home wife & mommy. Life is good!

Oh, the pressure!

2007-01-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hi folks! I see now that ten days is much too long to go without posting on my blog. Your forgiveness, please! Life in our home is good now that sweet little Jackson is feeling better. He suffered through six long days of diarrhea (now you know why I didn't have time to post a new message!). Bless his little heart! I tell you, we should have bought stock in Huggies!

We're gearing up for the Super Bowl this Sunday. What do you think? I really don't care either way, but I guess I'm pulling for the Colts. I have friends who live in Indiana. I'm not even sure they are Colts fans, but that's where I'm leaning!

We started Secret Sisters at church a few weeks ago. It's going to be a FUN year! If you're not sure what a Secret Sister is, it's where you fill out a form with all your favorite things, then all the forms get turned in and the facilitator (Nathan is facilitating ours this year so I can participate...whatta guy!) assigns you to be someone's Secret Sister for the year. You get their form, then surprise them throughout the year with special little goodies & cards. Then at the end of the year you have a Secret Sister party where you get to "reveal" who you have been giving to all year, and you find out who's been giving to you. It's a lot of fun, and sometimes hard to keep it a secret. I am going to try really hard to not let my Secret Sister figure out it's me this year. Keeping it a surprise and seeing the look on her face at the revealing party is such fun! If any of you out there have some tips for great Secret Sister gift ideas, pass them along!

Hmmm...that's about it for now. Oh - tomorrow is a big day for us. I'll tell you all about it...tomorrow!

Ta ta for now!

Tiptoe Through The Tulips

2007-01-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Tulips on Wednesday, January 17:

Tulips on Monday, January 22:
Thank you, Brent & Jessica! They are beautiful & I love them!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2007-01-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

It snowed in Tucson, Arizona last night. Yes, it really did snow in Tucson, Arizona last night! Here's a picture of Nathan & Jackson and another picture of the front of our house to prove it!
Here's a picture of Nathan's red pickup truck covered (well, not really covered, but you know what I mean) in snow. I wanted one last picture of this little truck because soon we won't have it anymore. Since we were so generously given our new green truck a few months ago by Gene & Joanie, we decided to "pay it forward" and give the red truck away instead of letting it collect dust in our backyard. A family with only two drivers certainly doesn't need to be a three-car family! We are happy to give it away and we hope and pray it will be a blessing to them.

Pink

2007-01-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

I think you would have to look far and wide to find a cuter phone!

Forty Is Fabulous, Folks!

2007-01-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

My 40th birthday was...fabulous! What a great day I had. Wowsie, wowsie, woo! My friends Liz & Pat drove down from Mesa and we had a fun lunch at Claim Jumper. They spent the afternoon with me and we enjoyed walking through the mall, a treat from Starbucks, and lots of laughing! Much fun was had before they sped away to Mesa in Liz's cute sports car.

Nathan, Jackson & I celebrated a wonderful birthday dinner at Olive Garden with 20 friends and family members. We had great service, great food, great birthday cake, lots of birthday candles (Nathan thought he'd be cute and put 48 candles on my cake - hey, I'm not that old yet!), and a great time!

Besides all the festivities, I received lots of lovely birthday cards, e-cards, text messages, and phone calls (not to mention some cash and a few Starbucks gift cards. Right on!). Oh yeah, and FLOWERS! What girl doesn't like flowers? Adorning my entertainment center today are three beautiful bouquets of flowers. Am I a lucky girl or what?Beautiful fresh cut flowers from my beloved husbandTulips from my best friend Laurie in GeorgiaMulti-colored roses from Scott, Sheli, TyAnne & Parker

In addition, Brent & Jessica gave me a cool glass jar with tulip bulbs that will eventually become beautiful tulips! I'll post a picture soon and keep you updated on their progress. I've been told when these tulips bloom, they will knock my socks off!

So thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who thought of me and made my birthday so very special! My life is truly blessed. Amen!

Hello World!

2007-01-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

I finally did it...I finally joined the land of the BLOG. And not a day too soon! I've been soaking in every aspect of this day - Monday, January 15, 2007 - because this is the last day I can call myself a "Thirty-something." Oh my, I'm turning FORTY tomorrow! How did this happen?? But instead of dreading the day, I'm choosing to embrace it! So to celebrate my new-found lease on life, I decided to join in on the blogging and hopefully delight one and all with charming stories and precious pictures of my dear, sweet family. I hope to update this often and keep friends and family enlightened with the happenings in our home. This should be fun!