We're Back!

I'm sure you're beginning to wonder if we've fallen off the face of the earth or think our life has nothing to report.  Sometimes I do feel like that and feel blessed that I have nothing crazy to report; but at the same time I'm missing opportunities to report on life as it happens each day.  That's okay - two months of no posting is nothing to feel guilty about, right?  I had to take a little break from the blogging world - and I don't even do it near as much as others I know! But the pressure of doing it is sometimes enough to break me down.  I'm just being honest.  And living life through reading other people's blogs or facebook statuses robs me of living my life and that's what was happening.  When you begin to think in terms of 'I've gotta blog about that' and 'Julie is...', there's a little imbalance happening there.  Especially when you're not doing taking care of your responsibilities around your world or creating memories for your family.  So, I took a hiatus to re-focus on what I should spend my time doing.  It has definitely been freeing; but I've got a long way to go!

Enjoy my look back on the past couple of months!

The token pumpkin patch picture.  Of course we chose a cloudy day; but at least it wasn't raining!

Ellie was Iridessa for Halloween and wanted her hair braided!  So, we sat for an hour and a half and braided her hair.  I thought it turned out really cute!

 

The day after Aubrey's birthday, she finally got her cake!  And loved it!  We had to cancel her party because Brian and Ellie were sick.  We made it up to her, though!  See below:

Aubrey's second attempt at a birthday celebration came at the same time as Brian's birthday. We enjoyed Mexican with friends.  Aubrey had fried ice cream and Brian had a tequila shot!

And this is my precious baby with her favorite animal in the world.  We call him Dog Dog and he has slept with her every night for quite some time.  Mom and Tom have it to her; but I don't remember the occasion.  I started giving it to her to see if she would adopt a 'lovie' (ellie never did).  She loves him alright; but we leave him in bed during the day.  Her favorite part?  His tag off the back of his left leg!  Yet another thing Ellie didn't care for -tags.  Aubrey loves them and every time you give her an animal, she turns it around to find the tag.  So precious!

Soccer and Birthdays

Yesterday was a full day! Ellie's birthday, of course; but she also started soccer! She looks so cute in her shorts, tube socks and cleats. Coach Bev is her coach and the founder of Warner Soccer - boy, do we feel lucky to have been placed under her! She said they came over from England 20 years ago and only planned to stay a year; but have now been here for 20! I guess they began Warner Soccer that year because they're celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. She's great with the kids, using all kinds of enticing scenarios such as flying to Disney World and looking for chocolate in Switzerland to get them to perform the drills she wants them to do. We really hope Ellie sticks with it because it is truly fun to watch! You can click on the picture to see more of this fun morning!

Ava, Ainsley and Ellie

After that, we had Ellie's birthday party at Red Elephant, a local pizza grill and the favorite restaurant for Ellie and many of her friends. We're not sure if it's the Red Elephant they see when they walk in or the game room or the pizza; but they love it! Everyone had a great time! Thanks to all of Ellie's friends for joining us and thanks to Red Elephant for a great party!

Dearest Ellie...

Four years ago today, God blessed us with you, our firstborn! You came into our lives and changed everything! And we are so thankful that He chose to give us someone so sweet, kind, caring, beautiful, intelligent, imaginative and energetic. It has been amazing to see how you've grown and what you've learned over these four short years. We love seeing you dance, do gymnastics and entertain everyone (even when you think no one is watching!). You are a wonderful big sister who loves Aubrey more than we ever imagined possible. We look forward with great anticipation to what God has planned for you and the young lady you will continue to become - but we're not rushing anything! You can stay a little girl for as long as you want;) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Quesadillas, It's What's for Dinner

Do y'all love quesadillas? I do! I love that they're simple and super-quick to make. I love that you can put almost anything in them and have a different flavor every day of the week. I love that they're kind of snacky, which takes care of my snack cravings! And tonight, I loved that they were a great way to get the girls to eat the veggies that otherwise looked like, well, leftover veggies. I used leftover roasted veggies from a couple of nights ago and a bag of cheddar/jack cheese that I've had ever since it was on super sale at least two months ago! I hadn't opened it yet and it was still quite good. For those of you that this may make a little squeamish, the use by date is at the end of the month, so I'm okay;) Of course we had to top them with sour cream and Jack's Salsa from Costco. I couldn't find a good picture or it would have gone here. That stuff is sooo good and so fresh! And, it's got a coupon this month, so if you want some, let me know - there's no limit!!! Our dinner was so yummy tonight, I ate what Ellie couldn't! Oops;)

End of Summer:)

Labor Day weekend, my family all met up at Grayton Beach (right there with Seaside, Watercolor and that whole awesome area)! We rented a gorgeous house - thanks, sis - and had a blast. David came from Colorado and it was good to see him and chat some. I'm really trying to move more into conversation with my family and not just let it be surface type lingo. It was good to ask David questions about his life out there and where he's headed. Whether or not he has a girlfriend, etc! Jon, on the other hand, has a wonderful girlfriend, Jaime, who is full of life and enjoys every minute with our family. Ellie just loves her and we all love that! Amy and Chris had a good time; but poor Brayden was completely off his schedule, which made their weekend a little more stressful than planned. We can definitely relate! We ate lots of good food, played games, soaked up the sun, chatted and just had a good time together. Jon and Jaime even picked up the grandparents on Sunday and brought them over for lunch and cake for granddaddy's birthday (his is the day after mine!) I think they really enjoyed it!

Mommy Feel Good Moment

I hope y'all have a bunch of these. I probably have more than I realize; but yesterday was a good one. We were driving home from our day at the beach and Aubrey was crying from exhaustion and not wanting to go to sleep. As we've done many times before, Ellie started singing Jesus Loves Me to her. Then she changed songs and started singing a song we call 'Jesus' that I sing to Ellie many nights - usually when she's scared. Lately I've noticed her really watching my mouth and trying to memorize the words. Well, she did it! And she sang it to Aubrey over and over, even after she was calm. What a sweet spirit and a teachable moment that when we take the time to invest kingdom values in them, they will take root! I learned the song when I was little.

Here are the words:
Jesus, Name above all names,
Beautiful Savior,
Glorious Lord.
Immanuel,
God is with us,
Blessed Redeemer,
Living Word.

And here are some pictures from our day!

Click Here to see more.

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

AUBREY!!!

Since there were no pictures of Aubrey in the last post, I had to do an extra post for her. It's hard to believe she's almost 11 months old! Where has the time gone? She's got two teeth and is working on the top two. She's crawling! And pulling up! Since she can get around a little now, she's a little more content to be left on the floor:) She still laughs and smiles at everyone. What a little joy!

Have you missed us?!

You'll notice the date stamp is wrong. I started writing this almost a month ago! So now it says it's from August 1st; but it's actually today!
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Sorry it's been so long; but we've been busy around here. It seems that I can't keep on top of everything at once, so this time it was the blog that went by the wayside! July and August have been full of fun summer times and some boringness - which isn't always bad. I guess the summer wasn't what I thought it would be. I tried working from home again, which didn't work out quite so well as it did last year. Everyone's a year older and a little more demanding of my attention. We didn't make very many swimming playdates nor have we gone to the beach at all! I haven't read any relaxing books and haven't felt very content. Probably the most exciting part of the summer has been getting ready for school and Ellie's fall extra-curricular activities! That's not true, Brian and I took a trip to Boston in July and we just welcomed home his sister, her husband and our niece, Zoe. I shouldn't complain at all. We are still blessed beyond measure. It has just been a trial period for me and a time of reflecting on who I am, what I'm doing and where I'm headed. What's good about all of those things and what needs to change. Some of those things I can affect and some require patiently waiting on the Lord. So, without further adeiu, here's the summer in pictures:

We started the summer with Ellie falling out of her bed for the first time!

Ellie and Ava at gymnastics - this is actually in the spring!

Ellie jumping into the pit - I remember those days!
Me and Brian in Boston

Ellie's performance at her Tinker Bell camp - I'll post video later.

Grandma's 90th Birthday!

Brian and Ellie went to FSU Fan Day!

She loved meeting the dancers and cheerleaders!

Ellie's performance at her Snow White camp - video to come.

Meeting Cousin Zoe!

Happy Independence Day!

On this Independence Day, it seems more appropriate than ever to remember how we got to be the great country that we have become and to strive to do all that we can to keep it that way. Please, inform yourselves daily about the goings-on in Washington and do all that you can to get involved and let your congressmen and women know that we do not like the direction that we're headed. We want our children and grandchildren to grow up with the same principles and values and freedoms as Americans that we have grown up knowing. To display our love of country, Ellie and I drew a little flag on the driveway - well, not that little! Have a great 4th of July!

9 Months Already?!

This precious girl is nine months old today! It's hard to believe that time has flown by so quickly. We are enjoying her more and more each day - as is her sister. We're not sure Aubrey enjoys all of the big sister affection all the time; but we keep letting Ellie 'have at her'! Here are nine things to know about Aubrey:
1- She's eating all kinds of finger foods now as well as yogurt and cottage cheese.
2- She's starting to get up on all fours and rock - just a little.
3- She has two teeth!
4- She still doesn't quite belly laugh; but her smiles are abundant - especially with those dimples.
5- She's fairly flexible with when she goes to sleep; but she must be on a flat surface so she can turn over - no sleeping in car seats or strollers!
6- She loves the water; especially lounging in her little baby boat!
7- She loves to swing - no surprise there!
8- She likes to pull Samson's hair - we keep this to a minimum though because...
9- Everything goes in her mouth!

Highs and Lows

Well, I don't know where we've been. Just busy doing a whole lot of summer stuff and not finding much time to document it, I suppose. Do you ever feel like you can't keep everything going full steam all the time? I wish I could. It sure would make me feel better about my accomplishments. But right now I seem to excel at only one or two things at a time. And other things fall by the wayside. I'm trying to not put too much pressure on myself ( I think pressure is my middle name) to keep all the balls in the air in perfect unison all the time. But it's really hard. I have nothing to complain about though. When I think of our life in comparison to others who have real obstacles, it seems petty that I spend so much time fretting about my shortcomings. And the more time I spend fretting about them, the less time I have to be joyful and thankful for what I have AND the more in jeopardy I am for passing that attitude along to my children. I go in and out of these times of frustration (daily) and it gets frustrating (for lack of a better word) when it doesn't seem like I will ever rise above. I know I will because I want to; but it sure is taking a long time!

I just read an article about Jada Pinkett Smith in which she said that her husband, Will Smith, once told her that he is like reading the same brochure every day, sunny skies, smooth waves; while she is like reading a different brochure every day, always a new destination. I think I am much the same way - maybe more like the weather - you don't always know what you're gonna get - at least my family doesn't. I don't want to be that way. I would rather be smooth sailing day in and day out. I aspire to that. Now, with that said, here are some highs and lows in our house:

High: Aubrey finally has a tooth!
Low: She's really fussy and trying to bite!

High: Ellie has a wonderful, independent spirit.
Low: Ellie has a wonderful, independent spirit!

High: Ellie loves Aubrey!
Low: Aubrey does not always seem to appreciate the 3 year old affection!

High: We recently refinanced our house!
Low: The new rate!

High: Aubrey is FINALLY taking formula!
Low: She seems to prefer it over the real thing:(

That's all I've got. I'll post again soon with some pictures.

Bad Aunt!

We had a wonderful time visiting my sister and her husband and of course, Baby Brayden. But do you think we even took our camera out of the case? I'm not sure what planet I thought I was on; but it was not the one where you take as many pictures as possible of your new nephew and his glowing parents. Or even the proud aunt holding him. There are pictures of proud cousin Ellie holding him; but not from my camera! Hello?!! I guess I was thinking I'd be in the way. Maybe I'll get a second chance soon. For those interested, click on 'Sister' under my blog reel on the right and you'll get all the info you're looking for from her birth story, which was pretty incredible, to his one week birthday. Amy and Chris, y'all are doing great - keep it up!

Wagon Strolling

This one is for Gramma D and Granpa T:) I took the girls for a walk this afternoon in the wagon they got for Ellie for her second birthday, I believe. They also got this canopy thing that we hadn't used until today. It was so cool and so huge! Aubrey sat up like a big girl (with a pillow behind for extra cushion) and we had a great walk!

Color Personality

Did you know that Glidden Paint has a color personality test? I learned about it at Blue Hydrangea (love the blogname since I love blue hydrangeas). She's got a great design site. Anyways, I took it today and it was spot on. I couldn't believe it. However, it didn't have red and you know that's one of my favorite decorating colors. So, if you wanna know what your preferences in color say about you, then click here and find out! Here are my results:

Restoring Raggedy Ann

My mom gave me my 30-year old Raggedy Ann to pass down to Ellie when she was born. This poor Raggedy was deeply loved by all, including one of my cats that we had growing up. She was in desperate need of a facelift, literally, and a little cleaning up. So, over the long weekend, I decided to tackle this little project. I don't make dolls or repair them. I just did the best I could with the little sewing skills I've acquired. I should have taken a before picture. Oh well - I'll describe her before. Her clothes were stained from the years, elastic had lost its elasticity (she really did look like a rag-a-muffin and needed to quit dropping her pantaloons!) and the cat had given her a good open wound to the forehead. So, we soaked the clothes in oxyclean and then washed them. Then, I repaired the broken elastic with new and added another row of eyelet at the bottom of the dress. To repair her face, I just started stitching it together as best I could and then positioned a bow in her hair to camouflage it a little. The bow also served to make the somewhat dishelveled hair look not so bad. And here she is:If anyone knows how to get the stains off the doll herself, I'd appreciate any advice. I'm thinking maybe getting an oxyclean solution going and using a cotton swab to dab. Thoughts?

little bit

Aubrey, Aubsie, Aubs, Aubrey Daubrey is approaching eight months, so I thought I'd share some fun things she's doing. She's still our little petite thing, at least two pounds or more smaller than her friends born the same week (and Ellie at eight months). She is sitting up like a champ and enjoying her new view of the world. She's getting very good at leaning forward to pick things up and looking around her to see other people without falling over. She has learned how to scrunch up her little nose and I think that is the most precious, irresistable look little babies can give. She does it all the time. Her favorite shows are Praise Baby and the intro by Moose and Zee on Noggin On Demand (cable). It's so funny to watch her light up and start laughing when it comes on (well, not quite - we still don't really laugh!). Can't wait for family to see her again!

iris

This is what we woke up to this morning. Gorgeous.

There were eleven blooms!

A Great Weekend!

Since Brian had to leave town on Sunday morning, we decided to do Mother's Day on Saturday. First, we headed out to his mom's house for their Crunch Brunch! The house was finally demolished to get rid of the old, flood stained walls and make way for the new, up on stilts, resistant to floods house! It was so cool and so many of their friends and neighbors were there for the fun. They even had a hardhat contest! There was also the cutest port-o-potty I've ever seen. Not only did it look like a wooden outhouse; but she had decorated the inside so it felt a little more cozy. You'll see pictures of that too! Click the picture below to see more:

Then we headed to Maclay Gardens for a Mother's Day picnic. Brian planned to stop at Fresh Market for our food and he got a delicious spread! The girls enjoyed the weather and so did we. Ellie and I played (tried to play) frisbie and sported our goggles?! Once again, click the picture for more:

Three reasons I'm proud to be a mom:

1- Ellie - the first one has definitely been the most challenging to my character, which I am grateful for. She is beautiful inside and out, intelligent, loyal, creative, loving, has a gorgeous smile and a contagious laugh.

2- Aubrey - she benefits from being number two! She's all smiles, easy-going, laughs in her own way, is petite and beautiful!

3- I would not be on the journey of becoming the beautiful woman God intends me to be if it were not for these two precious girls and their loving daddy who gently helps me to see that patience really is a virtue, I can laugh a little more and my way of doing things is not the only way.

eight

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. My fourth Mother's Day.
   
2. Summer!!!!
   
3. Getting organized.
   
4. Sewing more.
   
5. More dates with hubby!
   
6. My nephew, Brayden, being born!
   
7. Seeing Charlotte, Ryan and Cousin Zoe (for the first time) in Auguet!
   
8. Tomorrow.
   

8 things I did yesterday:

1. Worked.
   
2. Went on a walk with the girls.
   
3. Started a project.
   
4. Mailed Mother's Day presents.
   
5. Watched Southland.
   
6. Nursed Aubrey.
   
7. Bought a crazy amount of salad dressing! It was on super saleJ
   
8. Read my Bible.
   

8 things I wish I could do:

1. Be more consistent with God time.
   
2. Go to the beach for a whole week with my awesome hubby and our girls.
   
3. Dance like the professionals/stars on Dancing With The Stars.
   
4. Be more disciplined.
   
5. Figure out my camera.
   
6. Laugh more with Ellie.
   
7. Landscape my yard.
   
8. Spend more quality time with my husband.
   

8 shows I watch:

1. Dancing With The Stars
   
2. The Real Housewives – doesn't matter which version
   
3. FOX News – most shows.
   
4. The Office.
   
5. Southland.
   
6. So You Think You Can Dance.
   
7. The Bachelor/Bachelorette
   
8. What Not to Wear.
   

Another Baby Shower!

We got to shower Marie Webb yesterday and her girls Meg and Katie (on the way). It was so much fun and she got some really cute matching clothes! Click the picture for more pics from the day.

Easter, etc.

Sorry I am just now updating from Easter. We have been traveling quite a bit and are finally home for a few weekends. We anticipate with excitement our next trip to visit the newest addition to our family, Brayden Christopher, whose mother is willing him to come early! I told her that didn't really work for me; but that doesn't mean I don't want it to work for her! Okay, back to Easter... . We went to Windermere the weekend before to visit Brian's grandparents, Grandma Marge and Grandpa Stan. Then it was off to Brian's dad's house for a Wolfe reunion of sorts. Sadly, this reunion was the first without Uncle Paul, who lost his battle with cancer in March. We had a wonderful time together, remembering him and hunting Easter eggs. Enjoy the pics HERE!

This SMILE...

Okay, so this isn't a smile; but it is a funny face picture!

Got an A+ at the dentist office on Monday. It was Ellie's first trip and I was really worried she would freak out; but since she had been the week prior with her friends Jake and Brock (their mom, Brooke, kept Ellie for me during which time they had appts.), she was already familiar with the place. She had no cavities and great spacing and the perfect amount of overbite (which I always struggled with since I sucked my thumb FOREVER), which means that when her adult teeth come in, they should not have any problems crowding each other. Translation - straight teeth and no braces. That would be awesome!

The 'FREAKING' Water

I'm cracking up as I write this post! Mommy's potty mouth strikes again. I am really good at not cursing at all and especially around the girls; but there are times - and you know what I mean, moms - when you really wish you could say what's it your head because you really think it might convince them that you're serious about being quiet or sitting down or whatever it is you're trying to get them to do! This time, that wasn't the case. I stepped out of the car to meet an old friend for lunch the other day and before I knew it 'Ugh, I stepped in freaking mud!' came flying out of my mouth. That NEVER happens to me - fingers crossed behind my back! My sweet husband will attest that is something he's tried to get me to pay attention to since we got married - filtering my words before opening my mouth. Anyways, we were at my sister's house this weekend for a baby shower (she's due May 30th with her first, Brayden!). While she and I were going over the couponing basics, Ellie started jumping off the stairs yelling 'The Freaking Water', watch out for 'The freaking water'! It was HILARIOUS and of course embarrassing at the same time because I had to fess up to husband where she got that from. He was not surprised! But we were all rolling on the floor laughing because she kept saying it over and over! Ah, another mirror moment for me!

Spring Pictures

We had the great opportunity to have a 10 minute session with a pro just before Easter. Our friend Kristin organized the shoot with Carrie Stroud Photography and we just paid $25 for a cd of her picks. I really like her style. Here are the gorgeous ones she took of the girls! Hmmm...where to put these:)