A Day of Love

Yesterday could not have not have been more perfect. It really was such a relaxing, and fun family day. Callie and I started off our morning with coffee and donuts and then headed to a few stores to look for a camera case for my new camera the family got me for my birthday (Canon powershot SX30 IS – L.O.V.E. IT! ) We stayed at Hastings a little longer than normal so my sweet girl could play with the Thomas train tracks they have set up in the children’s reading area….hello free entertainment   Next we made our way to the park. It was such a beautiful day and I really have to start overcoming my “fear” of being out alone with just Callie (i.e. going on walks, the park, etc…). We played and played for a long while and I was able to get some practice with the new camera.

My baby was WORN OUT by the time we finished up so we picked up Chik-fil-a and ate lunch watching Peter Pan at the house. She took a good 3 hour nap while I decorated the dining table and wrapped a few little gifts for later that evening.  Tim was able to get off work early and we enjoyed a lovely dinner with leftover birthday german chocolate cake for dessert. We read Dr. Seuss and just enjoyed our being together. It was so lovely. These days are limited with us just being three, and as much as we are looking forward to the addition of a new little one, I can’t help but want to soak up all these “just us and Callie” moments.

We tucked our daughter in bed, and left the room feeling so very blessed to be her parents and to have each other. A few minutes later I hear over the monitor: “Mommy! Mommy! MAAAMMMA!”  I hurry back into her room to check on her and find her sitting up in her bed. “More kisses please” she says with her lips all puckered up. Anytime baby…even if you are up an hour past your bedtime because of Valentine’s chocolates

Blessed…

Enjoying our holiday time with family, and remembering how “wealthy” we really are…
Happy Thanksgiving

A lovely weekend….

This weekend was filled with family time which is just the way I like it. Tim got off work around lunchtime friday and we decided to meet at our favorite Mexican food restaurant here in town. Its called La Casona…yummy. We rarely eat out so this was a fun treat. Callie even got to enjoy her first ice cream cone after lunch.

Needless to say, it was love at first taste. (:  We played outside, did a little shopping, and cleaned the house up a bit….together. I was even able to paint a quilt rack I had found for Callie in a garage sale. I had been wanting one for so long to display her grandma made quilts and afghans,  and at 5 dollars this one was too good to pass up. A little paint can fix up most anything.

We so much enjoyed the time change Sunday. Loved the extra hour of sleep! Callie even took full advantage of it. The rest of the day was filled with church, a puzzle, lots of dress-up and football.

Overall relaxing and so nice to just be together. I really do I’ve this time of year….

Happy Fall!

She is…22 months

Wasn’t it yesterday I found out I was pregnant? The most wonderful of all Valentines gifts was finding out I was going to be a mama, and now my baby is on the verge of being two years old.

Callie Jo slept in a big girl bed for the first time last night. We had a little bit of a struggle in the beginning. She kept crying for me and to go to our room. I decided to lay down next to her and sing to her like I used to do when she was an infant. Worked like a charm…maybe she remembered the songs (“Stay Awake ” from Mary Poppins, Eddy Arnold’s “Daddy’s Little Girl” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”)??  At any rate, my big girl slept the entire night through. Proud mama moment! (:

My sweet angel is a bundle of content joy. She is much more interested in the mechanics and the process of something than the actual task or object. She would LIVE outside if I would allow it. Anything that has to do with water or rocks makes my child squeal with joy. I know…rocks? Its true though…she will lay amongst them and hug as many as she can gather.
Callie is talking very clearly and has a wide range of words in her vocabulary …two of the cutest being “pas-ta” and “sissippi” ( Mississippi ). She is constantly climbing, moving, talking, or singing. She loves playing the “toot toot” (trumpet) with her daddy. She is quite the polite child. ” Callie would You like to take a nap now?” “No thank you” is her usual response.  She is constantly making my heart smile and I love her so. 
I realize to some these particular posts may seem a bit rambling, but for a nostalgic mama they are a way to remember the little moments that pass so quickly, and so I remember….

P.s. I forgot about this draft and So its a little late. (: Callie is officially two now and I will be sure to blog about her new accomplishments soon!

Seashells and Seagulls

On a day when the housework seemed a bit overwhelming and my “to do” list never quite ended, we headed to the beach. A day of much needed sunshine and giggling was had by my sweet angel and I on this  Wednesday afternoon. Im so grateful for these moments.

First steps….

Yesterday was an exciting day for me. I actually MADE yogurt, and then separated the whey out from it. I probably shouldn’t be as excited as I am because it was incredibly easy, but I think my joy came from a place of finally taking my first steps. I’ve been researching for a while now healthier eating habits, and more simple, natural living. Yesterday, just seemed like it was a jump start, and I couldn’t be happier. The yogurt came out so incredibly well. I was able to get a whole container of whey to use for soaking my grains, and then two good size containers of yogurt from it. My husband even liked it….which is H U G E! If you’re interested in giving homemade yogurt a try here are some links that are very helpful. These ladies (from the blogs) have given me a wealth of knowledge, and aided me is so many ways to change our lifestyle. The link will actually take you to the article on making yogurt, but be sure to check out the rest of their site…There is Lindsey from Passionate Homemaking ,  Stephanie from Keeper of the Home, Kimi from The Nourishing Gourmet (I don’t believe has an actual link up about making homemade yogurt, but has a vast amout of information concerning all things food),  and the recipe I ended up using by Sarah from Heartland Renaissance. I chose to try to crockpot version for time’s sake, but the other recipes are very thorough and look great as well.

Today I’m trying Kelly’s recipe for homemade mayonnaise. I’m crossing everything I have that it comes out well….we’re out of mayo. So it’s this or to the store we go…

Have a blessed Thursday everyone.

God bless the USA

May God continue to have His hand upon this grand country of ours, where we are free, safe, and full of apple pie.

bluebonnets and rubberboots

There aren’t many things more “Texan” than our Bluebonnets. I wanted so badly to have a family picture taken with a sea of blue surrounding us. It’s what every good little Texas Momma dreams of. Last year, busy schedules stole that dream. This year…it almost happened again….until today…well, kinda.  As we drove out of the driveway this morning my prayers were that it wouldn’t rain, and that Callie Jo would enjoy herself so we’d be able to get some good pictures. Boy did we ever get pictures! Here are just a few of the moments captured that day, and even though we weren’t able to get a family picture these will definately tide me over until next year….

through the eyes of a child….

Beauty, sweetness, joy, and curiosity are what I see daily in her eyes.

My cup overflows, and my heart smiles…

charts, m&m’s, stickers, and lysol…

It’s potty time in our house. Oh that cute little pink potty….how it causes so much frustration and mess is beyond me. I’m not really sure what prompted me to start all this. Maybe it was the fact that Callie is finally in a size 4 diaper and you get like twenty diapers less for the same price. Maybe it was the fact that Little Bit is now starting to realize that she would much rather play or run or twirl than have her diaper changed and has decided that kicking is the best defense. At any rate, despite the fact that she still wakes up in the morning with a wet diaper, she is able to keep her diaper dry for long periods of time during the day so I thought we should give it a shot. Today wasn’t too bad for a day one. We only had two accidents…one on the floor while she was running around bare bottomed and the other in her panties while I had to put the dog in the kennel. By the end of this evening, Callie was shaking her head no when I asked her if she needed to go, but altogether she was pretty good natured about sitting on her potty so much today.  I decided to keep a diaper on her for naps and for bedtime although I’ve read that I should just let her make a mess to speed up the process. I’ve got so many different ideas running around in my head from book, blogs, or family that ironically I feel a little lost. A part of me does want things to go well because I tend to care about what people think, and I want to be a good momma. I think I’ve concluded that maybe I’ll just have to wing it and go with the flow…haha sorry You’ve got to love a good pun…well…I suppose you don’t HAVE to…but I do. I thank my Grandpa and Dad for that. I’m hopeful that tomorrow will bring new milestones, but if it doesn’t I’ll still have this…

and I’m completely ok with that.