The Easter Bunny Came...

And he brought lots of goodies for us!! Ethan's 2nd Easter! "Cars" and candy! Yippee!!

He brought the girls all Hannah Montana barbie dolls and TONS of chocolate!! YUMMMY!!!

Happy Easter!

Good Morning to all!! The Young Family would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter! We have lots of pictures to post, but here are a few to get things going! This is how we started our morning off...dyeing eggs!!

I will add more later this evening!

Happy Easter!

Make ya think twice...

This just makes you go ewwww....I never once thought twice about ordering water with lemon on occasaions while out for lunch or dinner, but after this, I think I will steer clear. And to think we've even given the kids a lemon to see their funny face while waiting on our food....YUCK!

The Lemon in Your Drink Study

We are what??!!

Lots of explaining to do...I know, I know!!! What a crazy yet wonderful month we have had!!!

Yes, you read that right...We are expecting!! You can only imagine the shock we have gone through over the last few weeks! At no point did we ever consider having another child. I mean, we have 4 already! But, He has other plans for us! Everything happens for a reason. One more child to love!! We are very excited!!

So I have an excuse for not blogging...I have been really sick, mainly at night. AND I started a new job last week. I am working in Sales for a local electrical company. It seems to be great, just totally different than what I have ever done. It's gonna take a little bit to get used to!

Kids are great..We started t-ball and softball this week. Hannah is so excited to get to play this year! She is really going to love it! Morgan on the other hand, I had to make her pinky promise me she wouldn't play in the dirt and she would actually pay attention this year!! It's going to be a great season!

So, back to the baby news...Due date right now is September 22. Although the baby was measuring about a week larger so we will see what he says at the sonogram on the 26th. I will try to posts some pictures of the belly....yep, it's already there!! I hope to keep better pictures and info about this pregnancy...since it will be our LAST!! And yes, we are going to make SURE it will be the last!!

I promise to get better at posting...no more excuses about not having anything to post about!!

Where have I been???

I really don't even know....I looked up and it's ONE MONTH later! Seriously that is what it feels like...I have a lot to catch up on....but not tonight!!! I know everyone is just DYING to know what's been going on in the Young's house!!!

Hannah turned 4, I'm looking for a new job (yep, gotta find one by March 7!), and I have a birthday tomorrow EEEEKKK!!! Not even revealing my age (Let's just say my 'car insurance rates will lower hehehe!!)

So check back...I promise to update and post some pictures of the kids SOON! By the way...Morgan has her shots for school tomorrow :( Then it's off to register her for Kindergarten...OH MY!!

Back at Home!!

First we want to say thank you to everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers for our family throughout this trying time. Hannah was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. The doctors never officially diagnosed her, but they feel it was a combination of her tooth and an infection in her lymph nodes. She still has to take antibiotics for 7 days. She is so happy to be back home playing with her brother and sister! She missed them so much!! And of course it's great to have things back to normal. Back to work tomorrow!!

Oh, yeah... Hannah turns the big FOUR on Tuesday!!

Update & Snow

Update: Hannah's temperature did not go up last night and her face looks SO much better today! She is definitely feeling better, too!! She is feeding herself breakfast after 4 days. I feel very confident her pediatrician will let us go home today!! YAY!!

Now...the "SNOW" part of the title!! I woke up to the nurse saying it was snowing outside!! I had to stop and ask myself if I were dreaming!! It hasn't snowed here in YEARS!! So long I can't even remember! But it really IS snowing!! It's not sticking, but, hey, it's Mississippi!

I will post an update later, from HOME hopefully!!!

Update on Hannah

It's been a LONG week...Many of you may know our youngest daughter, Hannah, is in the hospital. I just realized last night I could bring the computer to the hospital (I have really been out there!) so I wanted to update everyone on what has been going on this week. Here is a timeline of everything:

Tuesday 1/15:

When I got home from work a little after 5, I saw the girls and went to help Alan finish dinner. About 5:30, we sat down to eat and I noticed Hannah's left cheek was big. I jokingly told her to stop holding food in her cheek like a chipmunk. She opened her mouth and was like, Mom there's nothing in there. So I started freaking out. The left side of her face was enlarged and all the lymph nodes were swollen. I immediately got her dressed and we headed to the ER. If you know where we live, you know the closest hospital to us. I would rather not mention the name because we will NEVER go back there. She had a temp of 102 when we got there. They even tried to give her two doses of Motrin because the time the first dose was given was written incorrectly in her chart. Needless to say they told us it could be one of several things: abscessed tooth, lymphadenitis, and the nurse said, "Oh, it looks like mumps". They gave us a prescription for Amoxil and said to follow up with our Pediatrician in 2 days and he could do bloodwork because they didn't feel the need to do it. I was so mad, but went home with those orders. He was a dr. right? Just to show you what we were dealing with, here is a picture of her face on Tuesday night.

Wednesday 1/16:

About 5 am I woke up to Hannah burning up with a temperature! I took her temp and it was around 103 and her face was double the size it was the night before. Our Pediatrician's office didn't open until 8 so those 3 hours were tough having to wait! He was able to see us a 8:30. Let's just say by 9:00, he had bloodwork done and was telling us we were headed to the hospital to be admitted. It was that serious! Her face had swollen so much he was worried it would start to block her airways and affect her breathing. He thought it could from her tooth but wasn't sure. We were admitted to the Children's Hospital at UMC because they have the dental clinic on the 6th floor if it was a dental issue and it could be taken care of while we were in the hospital. They started her on antibiotics and the dentist came in to see her. They came back a little later in the afternoon with like 4 doctors to look again and said it could be an abscessed tooth (her back molar) and it could be draining into the pocket under her chin. Ultimately her tooth was going to have to come out but they wanted to wait until the swelling went down a little bit. Hopefully Thursday, but no later than Friday. The entire time I just didn't think this was the problem. I have had an abscessed tooth and I remember the pain I was in. She hadn't been complaining about her tooth and she had still been eating on that side. But her tooth did look strange (it was split and looked like two separate teeth) so I just put my instincts to the side and let them make the decisions. Here is Hannah on Wednesday. You can see how much it swelled basically over night.

Thursday 1/17:

Her temp spiked at 104.4 early Thursday morning. There were no signs of the swelling decreasing so the dentist decided around 10 to take the tooth out to remove the source of infection. She went into surgery around 3 and lasted a lot longer than expected. Her tooth has some abnormalities (sorta like hooks on the roots holding it to the mouth) so they were confident it needed to be out, but they weren't sure it was the cause of the infection. An ENT would be called in to do a consult and we were going to continue antibiotics until they could determine what else might be going on.

Friday 1/18:

So today is Friday, we are still here at the hospital, waiting on the ENT to come by, waiting on another CVC (bloodwork), but the good news is the swelling has went down some. Her temp only got to 101.5 so that was good too. She slept most of the night and ate breakfast this morning. Hopefully we will know more this afternoon, but as of right now we probably won't be going home today. :(

Thanks to everyone for all of the prayers. It's difficult because no one really knows whats going on. We pray that the doctors find some answers and the swelling continues to go down as well as her temperature.

One thing I want to add...Everyone here at the Blair E. Batson Hospital has been wonderful! So helpful and understanding. They have playrooms with toys and even volunteers that come around and read stories. We are so thankful to have this hospital to come to. As you may know, it's the only hospital in Mississippi designed specifically for children. I've always heard radio-thons and different fundraisers for the hospital and never once thought we would ever be here so I didn't second guess not donating. But after this experience, we plan on changing that.

It's Finished!

Thanks to my wonderful husband for finishing Ethan's room today!! And he managed to get it done all while taking care of THREE kids!! I love how the border came out...hard to get some good pictures but it is AWESOME in person!!

Another good picture of Ethan LOVIN his new bed!!

Baby Update!!

May I introduce...Katelynn Marie

She is absolutely ADORABLE!! And no, I'm not just partial, she REALLY is!!!

Proud Daddy!

Ten little fingers, Ten little toes,
The sweetest of smiles and a cute little nose
All these add up To a very special thing...
A baby... The greatest of gifts
That life can bring.

My sister isn't feeling well...nauseated from the pain meds. Please keep her in your prayers! Thank You!!

Southern Belle T-Shirts

This will be the 2nd order for the Southern Belle "Autism Awareness" T-shirts. I ordered one last time and they are adorable! And they are for a good cause! If you want one, mail the order form below by FEBRUARY 16, 2008.

The t-shirts will be available in youth and adult sizes, long and short sleeve. They will be chocolate and teal on a pink shirt! TOO CUTE!! Here's the back of the t-shirt:

Katelynn Marie is HERE!!

After an emergency c-section (because Katelynn's arm was above her head & she couldn't be delivered naturally) she was born at 11:21 a.m. and was 5 lbs. 13 oz. and 18.5 inches long!

Please pray for my sister. I'm sure it's devastating when you plan a birth one way and unexpectedly things change. Within a 30 minute period she went from 5 centimeters to 9 centimeters and then the news of having to have a c-section was pretty overwhelming I'm sure.

I wasn't able to get a good picture, so I will post later this evening!

She is sooo cute and sooo little!!

Please Pray!

My younger sister, Brittany, is in labor at Baptist about to give birth! She wasn't due until 1/25 but her doctor scheduled to induce her this morning. She just had an epidural and is about 5 cent. dialated! Hopefully around lunch, Katelynn Marie will be here!! Please pray her labor goes smoothly & as painless as possible and they have a healthy baby girl in the end!!

We love you Brittany & J.R.!!

Ethan's NEW Room

We have been debating for the past few weeks whether or not to retire the baby bed (FOREVER!!) and get Ethan a toddler bed, but I was worried he wasn't quite ready...WELL, after he decided to CLIMB out of his baby bed, we immediately went to get his new BIG BOY BED! He loves the movie Cars, so we decided to go with that theme! We found the bed, bedding, kid's chair, & lamp and we bought paint and stickers to do the walls. We took down the baby bed and put up the new one last week & we finally had time this weekend to start on the painting. I helped a little bit, but Alan did the majority of it all!! He painted the mural on the wall & added the stickers. We still have to finish the other walls. I couldn't find a border I liked so we decided to paint red between the blue and brown and add more stickers to make our own border. It's SO cute! Here are a few pictures of the mural. You can see Ethan pointing to the cars!

I hope he enjoys his new room...from the looks of it...I think he does already!!

She Did It...She Did It!!

Over, Under, Around the Tree,

Swing past the bunny hole,

Pull & See!!

She FINALLY did it!!
We have been working on this for a few weeks now and TODAY Morgan finally tied her shoes...
ALL BY HERSELF!!
I am so proud of her! She is really growing up! TOO Fast may I add!!

Sweet Baby Boy

Little boys are amazing! I have learned since Ethan was born that boys are SO different from girls. Bumps, bruises, running, tumbling, falling down and getting right back up is the way he works. The girls fall and get hurt and its like the whole world stops! Mine are so dramatic when something like this happens; I run to get ice packs and bo-bo strips (as Hannah calls them) and Ethan, he just keeps on going! I try to console him and he fights to do it all over again! I remember one time in particular he climbed in a plastic chair and stood up and tumbled over, fell into the wall and busted his lip. I cleaned him up and let him back down. What did he do? Went right back over to the chair and did it again!! He has so much energy! Someone gave me a plaque when he was born that I have hanging in his room that reads, "Mothers of boys work from son up to son down. I couldn't put it in better words if I tried!

But after all of this, the love a little boy has for his mother is far more amazing! I walked through the door after a long day of work and he is the first to greet me...MAMA MAMA MAMA!! and he wants me to pick him up! He wraps his arms around me and its an indescribable feeling! After a hard day of playing, he gets sleepy, grabs his blankie, and says "Night Night"!! Yes, an 18 month old asking to go to bed!

Hard to believe but thats my Ethan! Once he's down I sneak in to check on him and I realize he really still is my sweet baby boy! He always will be! I know once he's grown, he will always come back back to me. Now, it may be to wash his laundry or eat some of mom's cooking, but that will be ok! We have the special bond that I know will only grow stronger as the years past. I took this picture a few nights ago when I did my nightly "peek" on him and I started to tear up! He may be rough and tough on the outside, but when it's all said and done, he is and will always be MY BABY!!

Just one more reason I thank God EVERYDAY

for what he has blessed me with!

YOU pick the cup

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old high school teacher, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When they all had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, 'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups...and then you began eyeing each other's cups.Now consider this: Life is the coffee; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God makes the coffee, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
And enjoy your coffee!'

New Year, New Me

2008 is HERE!!! I decided I needed a little change last week, so what do I do?? Color my hair, of course!! I decided to go dark again! My hair was this color this time last year...but it was also light brown, a little blonde, red, and dark brown so black was the next best choice!! I'm asked all the time why I change the color of my hair and I really don't know why. It's one of the few things in my life I have complete control over...Well, I say I have complete control but more and more a few gray hairs have snuck up on me! Let's just hope I don't get that from my dad's side of the family; I think all of my aunts and uncles, even my grandmother, was completely gray by the time they were 30! Clariol will be rich before I let those little suckers be seen on me! So with a new style, I thought it would be good to make a list of my resolutions for 2008. Here's a few I will share, but there are a few other personal resolutions I will be working on along with these:

1. Grow spiritually, read my Bible more, and start each day with a morning devotion
2. Be more organized (I started out today at work! Still need to start at home)
3. Wake up earlier...be 10-15 minutes early for everything (With 4 kids, this will be hard, but if I start earlier in the day, hopefully I can be on time at least!)
4. Stay away from fast food and cook more meals for the family
5. Lose 10-15 lbs. (ties in with #3 and I'm still trying to get all the baby weight off 18 months later!)
6. Sew more (Once again, with 4 kids, finding time will be hard, but I really want to use this talent I have been given!)
7. Let my hair grow out and donate it to Locks of Love (I am really hoping to accomplish this, but my hair is short so I don't know!) I will be donating in honor of this precious angel.

I will also be starting the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Well, restarting I guess you could say. I have attempted to start this book 3 times, but I plan on getting through it this time. Lately I have really been asking myself so many questions...Why am I here, What is God's purpose for my life, and What do I need to do to live my life the way He wants me to? I want to look back on this year on January 2, 2009 and know that I have come so far and I am living the life God planned for me. So here's to the New Year and the New Me!!

Christmas Photos!

OK! After much anticipation (from those few readers out there!)...Here's how The Youngs celebrated Christmas this year!!!

I was lucky enough to have the week of Christmas off!! And I needed it! We had dinner and exchange gifts at my mom's Sunday before Christmas and Alan's parents came in that night from Florida. Monday, I did a little last minute shopping (YES, I was one of the crazy last minute shoppers!) and last minute wrapping! I think I was wrapping presents in the car on the way to my Grandmother's Christmas Eve!! It's our tradition to eat and exchange gifts with my dad's side of the family Christmas Eve. We let the kids see lights on the way home and once we got home we arrived to this...

No...Santa did not come early to The Youngs House...It's presents from Grammie and Poppy!! We let the kids open presents from them and a few from mom and dad. I always get the kids pajamas to wear Christmas Eve...not really what they want to open, but Mommy likes 'em! They all look alike and cute for Christmas morning pictures! After the kids FINALLY went to bed, Santa came!!

Out of the chaos on Christmas morning, this was the only picture I seemed to get of the kids seeing their presents for the first time. Morgan WAS not happy as you can see!! Hannah came in and wanted to get up and play then went in to wake Morgan up way before she was ready! She would have rather celebrated Christmas afternoon!! Not my morning child!! They really liked all of the presents! When Bella came home Christmas night, she had a blast as well!! Next year she will be with us for Christmas Eve! Yay!!

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!! We sure did!! Lots of pictures to come...stay tuned!!

Hair Cut Night

Friday night I decided to cut Morgan & Hannah's hair! Ok, I am no hairstylist at all, but I think both came out cute. Morgan wanted to go short like mommy(I was scared to go TOO short) and Hannah just wanted it cut "just a wittle bit"! Here's the outcome of a 2 hour hair cut!

Look What We Made

Our First

Gingerbread House!!

We had so much fun making our gingerbread house!! Alan "built" it for us and the girls and I decorated it! Well...maybe more like mommy decorated it and the girls handed me the pieces I asked for!! The whole time they were like, "Mommy can we PLEASE help!!" I did let them put the leftover pieces on the back of the house!! They were so proud of it and wanted to eat it! I'm sure the pieces will slowly disappear!!

All I Want For Christmas is....

PHOTOSHOP!!!

So I downloaded a FREE 30-day trial of Photoshop to see if I really wanted it and to see how easy I could navigate it and all I have to say it WOW!! If I had $600 I would buy the CS3 version, but I will settle for Elements!! I have just recently started blogging and making banners and such, but tonight I tried something completely new...

I just LOVE black and white photos with color accents so I attempted to do it on my own. After a little googling, I found this great website that was very helpful. Now, like I said, this is my first attempt at this, so it's nowhere near perfect (if you know me I don't quit until it's perfect, but after 2 hrs, I just had to save as and move on!) I could be doing it totally wrong, but I thought the pictures came out cute! AND it's a sneak peak at our Christmas card photos!!!

I will get better in time! But the only way I can is to get PHOTOSHOP!!! I only have 13 days left in my trial and there's 14 days left until Christmas!!! Let's hope Santa is listening!!!

Attention MOMS!!

I saw an ad for this 2007 Fall Warehouse Sale from Kelly's Kids. It will be Saturday 12/8, from 9 am- 4 pm at the Trade Mart in Jackson. They are advertising kids tops and bottoms for $9.99 and dresses, jumpers, and jumpsuits for $14.99.

From the website, the clothes looked ADORABLE!! Even the website is running 50-75% off ALL items! Has anyone ever heard of this company and the quality of the clothing?

This is probably where you will find me Saturday morning!!

The Holidays are upon us

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was able to take a week of vacation during the Thanksgiving holiday so I worked on getting my house in order for Alan's parents coming to visit from Florida. We were fortunate enough to spend the holiday with my family for lunch and his for dinner. I have so much to be thankful for and definitely spent the day with those I am most thankful for!!

Of course, 3 am the next morning I was out finding those Black Friday bargains with Melanie, Angela, and Samantha (Mel's sil). By 11 I was so tired and had to call it quits!! Although I was able to get the majority of my shopping completed in a mere 8 hours! Gotta few more gifts to buy for my parents and Alan and I will be done!!

Speaking of presents....

I decided the "best" place to hide Santa was in my closet...WRONG!! Let's take it back to last week....

Morgan and Hannah has this HUGE list of presents they want Santa to bring them, so we decided to write a letter to Santa I would mail it for them. The lists start and may I add it took up the entire front and back of the paper!! Most of the things Santa already knew, but there were a few things on there that were surprising...Morgan: horse, guitar, and a diary with a lock and key so no one can read her "secrets"!!...Hannah: monkey, real airplane she can fly, and shoes (of all things a kid would want, shoes??)

So I "mailed" the letters...Well....on to the exciting part....Santa has been EXPOSED!! Apparently the girls have been snooping around in my closet because Morgan told Alan her "secret" yesterday! Mommy bought the presents and has to send them to Santa....and she even asked me last night if she could play with one of them before I sent them to Santa to make sure that's what she wanted Santa to bring her!!!! I AM SHOCKED!! The mind of a 5 year old!!

So what age do kids "stop believing in Santa"?? I am trying to think back to when I was a child but as far back as I can remember I always knew where the presents came from. But now I am in a pickle...Do I play along and yes mommy and daddy buy the presents and send them to Santa or No, those aren't Christmas presents for you, Santa brings his own presents, or tell them that the real meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with a man that lives in the North Pole who sneaks down your chimney on Christmas Eve after you have gone to sleep to leave you gifts he "knows" you want because he "knows" if you have been bad or good all year long???

Is it wrong to not want to play along with the story of Santa? Is it robbing them of the youthful experience of believing in Santa? We have taught the children that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ but I just don't know how to explain how "Santa" comes to play in all of this??!! My children are finally getting to an age where I will have to do some explaining and I guess the time has come sooner than I expected!! I have a lot of thinking to do!! Any suggestions on how and when Santa was exposed in your home??

What is it like to be a Christian?

I found this on this blog I have been reading...She is very inspirational with her writings. Please add this family to your prayers over the upcoming holidays, for this will be their firsts of many without their little angel Miller Grace.

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

Bring on the Bakin...

I LOVE the holiday season for so many reasons! I get to pull out all of my recipes and start baking!! I am not too good at cooking, but baking....that's a-whole-nother story!!!

I decided to bake some Dishpan Cookies last night. I have been promising cookies to some people I work with and just have not been able to find the time to bake. My house has been a wreck, we are putting new wood floors down in the living room, and I wanted to get all of this done so we could decorate for Christmas this weekend. But since I am taking a week of vacation next week, I had to get the cookies to them soon!!

If you have never tried this recipe, you MUST!! My mother-in-law made these for us a few years ago and when she told me what ingredients were in them, I turned my nose up. But they did look good, so I tried one....then two....and probably three or four more!! This recipe is awesome! I was told it makes 10 dozen, but I never seem to get that many. Guess I make them too big! But, last night I was able to get 9 dozen!! So I had enough to give away and keep my kids and hubby happy for a little while!

Here's the recipe and I "borrowed" a picture Melanie took of her cookies. Thanks Mel for such a beautiful artistic representation of my favorite cookies!! Warning: You will need a LARGE bowl!! I have changed the recipe a little from what I was told because once you start combining everything, you will get a work-out! I always have to get Alan to mix it for me!

DISHPAN COOKIES

2 C Oil

2 C Packed Brown Sugar

2 C Sugar

4 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

4 C Flour

2 C Regular Chocolate Chips

1 1/2 C Oats

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

2 C Crushed Corn Flakes

1 C Flaked Coconut

In a medium bowl, cream oil, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a large bowl, mix flour, chocolate chips, oats, baking soda, salt, corn flakes and coconut. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the large bowl and mix well.Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes. Do not overbake!! Makes 10 dozen. ENJOY!!

Happy Fall!

Fall is officially here!! It's been awhile since I have posted so I need to update on all that has been going on...

MS State Fair
The kids are finally getting to an age where they can ride the rides and its actually enjoyable for me and Alan because we are not carrying kids around and begging them to walk!! This year we all had fun!! This was Ethan's first year to the fair and he seemed to have fun....He rode in his stroller and ate a little of everything! He really enjoyed these slushies!!

Pumpkin Patch

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch a few weeks ago! We took a hayride, saw a few farm animals, and the kids picked out their own pumpkins. They had a blast! Ethan enjoyed every minute of it! He had a hard time choosing which pumpkin he wanted! It was too cute to see him running around and trying to pick up every pumpkin!

Pumpkin Carving Party

Afterwards, we had a pumpkin carving party with The Smiths at our house. Should have known that it would have ended with the adults doing all of the carving!! The kids weren't too sure about all of pumpkin goo,but they seemed to have fun!

Halloween

Halloween night we were invited to The Smiths house for a "Hall-O-Weenie" roast and Trick-Or-Treating. This year, Morgan wanted to be a ladybug, Bella was a kanagroo, Hannah was a monkey and Ethan was a pirate.

Mistletoe Marketplace
This past weekend, Melanie, Angela and I went to Mistletoe Marketplace! We had a blast! I went to get my Christmas shopping started, but came out with more presents for myself than anyone!! It has really brought on the Christmas spirit and I am really excited about getting my house decorated for Christmas. I am trying to wait it out until a little closer to Thanksgiving but its getting harder and harder!!

As you can see the past month has been busy and seemed to have just flown by! Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas is right around the corner!
As I was getting my pictures together to post, I came across several pictures of my girls with Andrew and Avery, Melanie's boys, and they were just too cute not to share! They just LOVE these boys!! We are so blessed to be friends with such a wonderful family!! We love ya'll!!

Busy, Busy, Busy Bees

With 4 children, everyday is a busy day! I work all week anticipating every weekend to relax only to be on the go all day Saturdays and Sundays. And today happened to be no different. Had to work until 2 then drive all the way to Madison to pick the kids up from my mom. Then off to get a birthday gift for Annah Brooke, my dear friend Melanie's daughter. Next stop, Libby Lu for Annah Brooke's party!! The girls, well, Morgan and Bella, just had a blast! Hannah decided not to do it this time, she is our little tom-boy and just hates anything sparkly! Then back to their house for dinner, cake and ice cream! After a day full of fun, back to the house for baths and in the bed to get plenty of rest for tomorrow! And our schedule for tomorrow?? Just as busy....church and an afternoon at the fair to watch Annah Brooke's cheer competition and some of that delicious fair food!! Ummmm...chicken on a stick.....funnel cakes.....can't wait!

Needless to say it was another busy day and I am pooped!! I almost can't wait until Mondays so I can stay in one place for 8 hours! Hahaha!!

Here is a picture of the girls right before bed! As you see, just as perky as can be!!

Autism Awareness

How much do you know about Autism? I will be the first to admit that I had no idea anything about Autism 2 years ago. And to this day, I am still learning. Our good friends, Toby and Leah Price have 3 children, Addison, McKade, and Marley Kate. Addy and McKade have autism. This video is a look into their journey with autism.

Autism affects 1 in 150 children today! WOW, 1 in 150, can you believe that! This past weekend, Melanie and I volunteered to help out with a Rummage Sale at Flowood Elementary School which all proceeds went to support the ONLY school in MS that focuses on Autism. The final total was around $400, but there is still a long way to go to reach the goal of $15,000.

The next fundraiser will be Southern Belle T-Shirts. I know EVERYONE loves their Southern Belle shirts and this is a perfect reason to buy another one! I know I will be the FIRST in line to get one. BUT, they will only be sold by word of mouth. They cannot find a store that will sell them and give the Autism School all of the profits. So, if you want one, PLEASE email me!! The shirts will be teal blue with a large puzzle piece on the back which reads,"Southern Belles believe in Miracles...Autism Awareness"

Just know the support is needed!! I hope to see these shirts all over!! Their goal is to sell 500...wouldn't it be great to double that!!?? WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
Please email me!!

Time

I know, there is no excuse!! It has been like 6 weeks since I have written a blog!! I can't believe how fast time seems to go by!!! And you don't even realize it...Until you stop and really think about it. So much has happened these past 6 weeks. Here's a glimpse into all of it...

The girls just love gymnastics...And having it 2 days a week has opened my eyes to what lies ahead when the kids start to get older and more involved in activities!

Ethan is getting bigger and smarter as the days go by! His favorite thing to do is to tell you "STOP", plain as day that's what he says! Guess he has heard me and Alan say it one too many times!

Morgan turned the BIG 5 on September 28! WOW!! How it blows my mind! She wanted to go to Libby Lu so I let her invite two friends, along with Hannah and Bella for makeover party. They had so much fun! Afterwards we had a pizza party at the house and a sleepover...YES, I said a sleepover! WHAT was I thinking!? No, really they had lots of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it! I will post more pictures when I get them downloaded to the computer, I promise!

One of Morgan's gifts for her birthday was a room makeover. Instead of toys we decided to get her a new bed and redo her furniture to match this bedding I bought awhile back and have been dying to let her use. The iron bed was my Grandmother's, I think its about 60 years old or so...but it was covered in rust and old paint. Alan and I, mainly Alan!, sanded it down and primed and painted it on off white. My grandmother also gave us a desk that we painted the off-white color as well as her old dresser, which was purple. Then the pink walls become an aqua blue....I still need to get some artwork for the walls, but for the most part, it's finished! Here is a glimpse of the transformation!

If you know me, I am no Betty Crocker AT ALL!! But, I have been trying to cook for Alan and the kids more! I didn't realize how much money we spend on eating out until I sat down and added it all up! Here are a few of my EDIBLE meals! Spinach and Shrimp Pasta (Ethan loved it!) and Lasagna (My Fav!)

Melanie and I have been searching for a sugar cookie recipe to make cut-out cookies and have not been able to find one. The kids have been wanting to help make cookies, so I bought some store dough ( I know, not the best route to go on my cooking journey, but indeed the fastest!). After dinner tonight, I let the kids roll out the dough and make Halloween cookies. We did the icing and sprinkles and they turned out too cute!

Well...that's a short version of what has been going on. What have I learned from the past 6 weeks?? Time is precious...Where has the time gone? "Your time is your life" There is no changing it...no, I wish I would have or not have done this or that.... I received this email today about Love and Time and this really stood out.....

"The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them. The more time you give to something, the more you reveal its importance and value to you. If you want to know a person's priorities, just look at how they use their time."

That has really made to start thinking...Do I put all of my time in what is important to me? I am guilty of putting too much time into work and non important things in life, when the people who love me most just want my time. My kids don't care how much money I make or what I buy them....and how do I know this? This is a conversation that took place Sunday night when we were at the grocery store...

Morgan: "Mama, will you make us pancakes for breakfast in the morning?"

Me: " I don't know if I will have time baby, I have to go to work"

Hannah: "Do you have to go to work, Mama?"

Me: Yes, Mama has to make us money so we can buy stuff"

Morgan: "But Mama, I just want you to make us pancakes and nothing else ok"

Hannah: "Yeah, just pancakes"

And I am mad at myself because I still didn't get up and make breakfast for them and they both pointed it out to me when I got home from work. So this is my challenge to myself....

Focus on what is important to me and put my time towards this....Because my top priorities will be what gets all of my time...And my top priority is and always will be my family.

If someone looked at your life, would they be able to know your top priorities by how you spend your time?