Sick and Tired

One of my most favorite things about this blog is that it is always here waiting for me whenever I am ready to give it some attention. It doesn't judge or criticize me for leaving it alone for awhile, and it is always ready to receive what I have to say no matter how long it has been since my last visit.

So I have been pretty sick with this pregnancy so far. In the beginning of January, I started experiencing some pretty strong pregnancy symptoms, primarily, nausea and fatigue. I had both of these symptoms with Carson, however they were not this intense. With Carson I could function through  the inconvenience of feeling nauseous and extra tired. I was nauseous but not that nauseous. I was tired, but I was still functioning. I was working full-time, after all, and I didn't have much of a choice but to continue with my normal routine.

With this pregnancy, my symptoms have been almost debilitating. I had intense nausea all day long from the minute I woke up until I went to sleep throughout January and most of February. On top of that, I had little to no energy. I literally laid on the couch unless I had to get up for some reason. When I say no energy, I mean I did not want to do anything. I didn't read, or blog, or surf the Internet, or anything. I would literally just lay on the couch for hours on end and just stare mindlessly at the TV. Sounds like fun huh? When I did get up to move around, on my worst days, I ended up just hugging the toilet bowl and crawling back to the couch. The smell of food made things worse, so for weeks on end I did not cook anything for my family, and I did not sit at the table while they ate dinner. It was awful.

Insert me with my head inside. 

I was finally put on some anti-nausea medication and that did help me some. As you can imagine though, all this sickness started making me feel kind of down-in-the dumps. I like to be active. I like to read, and blog, and spend time with my family. I like to cook and play with Carson. I like to just feel normal. And I hate spending all my time on the couch. Heck, I don't even like my couch. This is the longest I have ever been sick for any reason whatsoever, and let me tell you it was the pits.

My trusty and very old couch- my home inside my home. 

I wish I could say I was completely over it, but it still isn't 100% gone. I think though that I am finally coming out of it, but at this point (15.5 weeks) I am having good days and bad ones. I do feel like I am getting my energy back though which is a huge relief, and just in time for Spring which makes me so happy. I cannot wait to start enjoying this pregnancy. I actually really like being pregnant, and being sick totally ruins the experience.

I do have some things going on in my life thought that I feel are post-worthy. Two major things come to mind: one good and one bad.

In good news: We are finally house hunting. I am beyond excited. I know this will probably be a long and drawn out process, thanks to my overly frugal husband, but I am just excited to even be looking and talking about moving in a serious way.

In bad news: We just found out that my Pastor and my primary spiritual leader has potentially fatal cancer. This news was devastating to me personally. I feel like I have grown so much spiritually under his guidance, and I am so scared at the possibility of losing him.

Both of these issues (along with others) deserve their own posts so I will save the most information for them. In the meantime, I am just praying for total relief from nausea so I can get back to my life as normal.

Happy Friday,

I'm Pregnant Again!!

This is old news to most people by now, however it is new news to my lonely and very neglected blog. Without further ado, here is my little announcement video courtesy of Vimeo:



Announcement Video from Stephanie Webb on Vimeo.

I have much to say about this pregnancy. In fact, one of my very lame excuses for blog neglect is sickness related to pregnancy. With that said, I fully intend to get back to blogging regularly, as I really do miss it. I hope you enjoy this video announcement whoever you are out there.

Thankful Friday 491-510

I'm back with my gift list!! I can't believe how long it has been since I have done this. It feels SO GOOD to be back in a place of being grateful.

I decided to start trying to take pictures of the things I am grateful for. This is not always possible, but sometimes it is. My gifts my seem small, but they are all very precious to me.

491. Carson's attempts to sing his ABC's
492. A moment on the couch under the blanket with my boys. 
493. A white, warm, and fuzzy blanket for Christmas
494. A brand new year
495. The ability to pick up where I left off
496. Carson's increased desire to cuddle with me
497. An afternoon spent reading at Barnes and Noble
498. A vanilla steamer from Starbucks
499. Carson's attempts to say "W" (duh-bul-bah)
500. 500 Gifts
501. A new Saturday morning tradition
502. A surprisingly good movie
503. Chinese food on a Saturday night
504. Carson's stubborn refusal to get out of the laundry basket full of dirt clothes
505. My Kindle Paperwhite
506. Health Insurance
507. New pantry shelves
508. Carson saying "bye" to inanimate objects ("bye-bye stick")
509. Ginger Ale
510. 2.5 years with our precious boy

Since today is Carson's 2.5 y/o birthday, I will leave you with a picture of his sweet face.

Have a great weekend,

It's Winter in My House!

On days when my living room looks like this:

It is helpful for me to find (or create) areas in the house that make me feel calm and peaceful. By the way, cleaning up after a two-year-old is a worthless pursuit. The mess in my house only goes away after Carson goes to bed.

I thought I would share some of my Winter decor this year. Basically, it is the same as last year with a few new touches. I pulled out my Subway tile from last year and found my fake snow again:

I accidentally forgot to put away my glittery pinecones so I incorporated them into my January decorations. I think they work okay.

Also, I pulled out my white frames that I spray painted last February. For a whopping $1.44 I bought some winteresque scrapbooking paper to replace the Easter themed scrapbook paper I had in them last year:

For very little effort, I think it looks a-okay!

Okay so here is the funny part. Remember those snowflakes I made last January? Well, I NEVER TOOK THEM DOWN!!! Somewhere around March, I decided why not save myself the trouble and just leave them up in preparation for next Winter. HAHA!! I didn't really plan this out, I am just that lazy. Yep here they are, not touched one time since last January when they were hung:

One more thing I want to share. Somewhere around the beginning of December I found an amaryllis bulb on sale at Kroger for $14.99. I had wanted an amaryllis bulb months ago, but honestly I had forgotten all about it. I debated on whether or not I should spent $14.99 on an amaryllis bulb that I would have to watch grow. I decided what the heck and took it home. It has been sitting on the window ledge in the kitchen every day for over a month, and everyday I have been able to watch it grow. Just today, I noticed that the bloom was starting to emerge:

This is such a small thing, but it is so nice for me to see something in bloom, when everything outside is very dead. It was worth every single penny.

Have a blessed Tuesday,

Christmas 2012

We had a great Christmas. We actually had two Christmases (sp?) this year. On Christmas Day we just stayed home. Honestly, it was perfect. On Thursday (12/27) we went to my In-Laws for a Christmas Dinner. It was a great mixture of relaxation and family time.

This Christmas season I did a lot of baking. I got the bug to bake back in October and I made a lot of sweets over the past few months. My favorite thing to make during Christmas time is Puppy Chow. I especially like looking at the mix of peanut butter and chocolate before I add the Chex cereal:

Our tree this year was well, our same old tree. I keep thinking I'm going to get a bigger/better one each year, but each year I end up pulling out my same old dilapitated tree well loved tree.

The best part of our tree this year was that we got to adorn it with some of Carson's little art projects:

And of course, no tree is complete without presents underneath it. I spotted this present under the tree on Christmas morning, from someone named "Mr. Wonderful" whoever that is.

This was the first year that Carson actually got a handle on the whole unwrapping presents thing.

We was doing good until he opened the above Story Time Pad, and then he was too distracted to continue. Ah well, he will have plenty more opportunities to become a gift unwrapping expert.

I got these super cool boots from my Mom:

After we got done opening gifts, Frank and I made a huge breakfast:

Have you noticed I have a thing for taking pictures of food? As a person who is playing with her camera a lot I am discovering that food is an easy thing to take pictures of (unlike my son) because food doesn't move!

Aside from cooking and eating breakfast and Christmas lunch, I literally did a bunch of nothing on Christmas day and that is exactly how I like it.

The boys didn't mind it either:

In the afternoon, my Mom and I went to go see The Hobbit. The Hobbit is one of mine and my Mom's most beloved books. It was great to get to see the movie with her this Christmas.

On Thursday (12/27) we had Christmas Round #2 at my In-Laws. We had a nice dinner and then we unwrapped presents and played Dirty Santa, hehe.

I tried to get a picture of Carson and I at my In-Laws Christmas, but after this failed attempt, I through in the towel. Who says I have to get a family shot in front of the tree every year anyway?

Carson was extremely distracted with this mini-pool set, until he broke off the top of the stick and had it taken away from him.

Last but not least, my favorite thing about this Christmas was just allowing myself not to stress. I'm not always good at this part, but overall I feel like I really allowed myself to relax over Christmas week. It was also really fun to watch Carson this year. This is the first year that I really felt like Carson was a participant in Christmas and not just a by-stander. My baby boy is getting older. :)

Happy Friday!

New Year's Resolutions 2013

Happy New Year!!

This year I have changed my resolution theme a bit. Last year, I focused solely on myself. I feel like I really needed last year to get myself in a solid mental place. The aftermath of the accident, left me feeling as though the plans for our life were all screwed up. I needed last year to focus on what I can control.

This year though, I really want to focus on being a better family member to my immediate family. I want to be a better mother and I want to be a better wife. Ever since Carson was born, I have slowly (but surely) begun to realize that my primary job is in my own home. Being a wife and mother really is my number one job. If that statement is true, than plain and simple, I need to do a better job of it. It isn't that I am a bad mother or a bad wife, it is just that I know I could be a better one. My goals this year reflect my desire to fulfill my role as mother and wife in a more significant way.

Another change to my goals this year is the absence of hobbies or past-times. Sure I may decorate my house, and sure I will read and blog some, but those aren't priorities worthy of a Resolution List. My Resolutions this year are fewer in number but more significant to my overall goal of 2013 which is to be a better mother and wife. Without further blabbering, here is my goals for 2013:

1. Get Closer to God
This should go without saying. Each year I hope to get closer to God. Each year I hope to have a better sense of what God's purpose was in creating me. And, each year I hope to allow God to guide and control my decisions more and more. I set a good groundwork last year, but this year, like every year I strive to end 2013 with a deeper relationship with God.

2. Count my Blessings
I was doing so good with my gift list last year, and then I just stopped. This year, starting today, I am going to start writing my gifts down in a list again. I cannot describe how much more blessed and appreciative, and happy I felt while I was keeping track of my gifts. There is so much value in choosing to be aware of all the good things that happen in a seemingly average day. I hope to make this a life-long habit.

3. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Another thing that I learned about myself last year is that I am a lot happier when I am within a healthy weight range. I understand this is not true for everyone, but is definitely true for me. My pattern with weight loss is to immediately gain it back again. My goal in 2013 is to maintain a healthy weight. Even in a future pregnancy, I hope to stay within a healthy and reasonable weight range. Like last year, this is going to include making smarter eating choices and tracking calories if my clothes start to feel tight. I know the maintenance phase can be a real challenge, but I hope to end 2013 feeling as good about my body as I do today on January 1.

4. Be More Available
As an only child, I have learned to enjoy a lot of hobbies that only require one person to accomplish (me). Blogging and reading, for example, are hobbies I perform in isolation. While these hobbies are fine (they are a part of who I am) they sometimes tend to take over. One area that I have touched on before is my ability or inability to be available to my family in my own house. With my head in a book, I am often lost in my own little world, unaware or only half-aware of what is going on with my husband and son in the same room. My goal for this year is to be more present in the moment. Sure I can read or browse the internet, but I need to do those things without sacrificing precious time with my family.

5. Simplify My Life
This is a self-explanatory one, but I really would like to do things in a more simple way. For example, we have like 6 remotes that all do different things. Wouldn't it be nice to have all six remotes condensed down to one? This weekend, I bought a bookcase to store Carson's massive accumulation of books. For months I have been stressed about where in the heck to put all the books he has in his room. Simplest solution ever-buy a cheap bookcase! These are just two examples, but I know there are tons of small easy steps I can take to make my day-to-day life less complicated.

6. Be More Frugal
This goal deserves a post of its own, but just to be brief, I don't have the best relationship with money. With Frank in control of the financial aspect of our lives, I have essentially lost touch with our bills and our bank account. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It is good in that I am never stressed when hard times come upon us financially. Most of the time, I am blissfully ignorant that we are in tough financial times. Sure Frank may seem a bit more stressed out, but I go relatively unphased. At this moment, I have no idea what bills we have coming due or how much money we have to pay said bills with. Frank carries this burden alone, by choice; however, I believe it would take some stress off of him if I was at least moderately aware of our finances. How this is really bad though is that because I am unaware of our money situation, I often don't make the best financial decisions. I know how horrible this is going to sound, but I really don't try very hard to save money. Sure I buy Kroger brand food, and watch for sales when I can, but I honestly don't go out of my way to save a buck or two. In 2013, I really hope to not only be better with spending, but I hope to get a better grasp on our finances so that Frank doesn't feel like he is shouldering this important aspect of our lives alone.

Well that's it folks. I am really looking forward to seeing what God has planned for me and my family in 2013! I'll keep ya posted on my progress!

Have a blessed New Year,

New Year's Resolutions: Year End Review

Because I am a teacher, I thought I would score myself this year. Granted, I might not be the most objective person to grade myself ; ) I decided to grade myself in each category out of 12 points, 1 point for each month of 2012.

1. Get Closer to God
I did really good with this goal this year. For the first time in my life, I actually made devotional time a real priority. I have consistently brought my hopes and dreams, my worries and my fears to God each and every day. I have been quiet and I have listened to the still and subtle voice of my Heavenly Father.  I have trusted him to handle my biggest internal struggles. I think this goal will always be on a Resolution list for me. As I have mentioned before my relationship with God is a journey and not a destination.

Score = 12/12

2. Declutter My House
I put in a lot of effort towards this goal at the beginning of the year, but as the months have passed I have spent less and less time making this a priority. Even though decluttering hasn't been a top priority, I have still managed to take on small decluttering projects at random times throughout the year. In fact, just this weekend I did some major decluttering in Carson's room with the purchase of a book shelf. While I didn't do all the decluttering I intended to do a the start of 2012, I have done some things here and there to make things neater and more organized around here.

Score = 5/12

3. Tap Into My Creative Side
I totally sucked in this category. I mean I get a big fat Fail here. I did like 3 creative things this year. Totally lame, I know. I have been taking more pictures lately so I guess that counts for a certain amount of creativity. I have done no Pinterest projects or anything like that, so I guess my creativity is encompassed in taking pictures and editing them on Picmonkey.com I do have a creative streak (at least a tiny one) so maybe I will do better at being creative in the upcoming year, but highly unlikely.

Score = 5/12

4. Keep Up with this Blog
I posted a total of 147 times this year. As my readers have no doubt noticed, I did much better keeping up with this blog the first half of this year. I really stopped keeping up with it the past four months of the year. Like reading, blogging is a hobby. I don't always take time for it, and because it is a hobby, thats allowed. Even though I love to blog, I do not think I will put it on a Resolutions list in the future. It is, after all, something I do for fun. I have learned that the moment blogging becomes a chore it will no longer be enjoyable for me.

Score = 7/12

5. Be More Social
I really struggled with this goal all year. I had actually had come to a point with this goal where I felt as though I just needed to accept who I am. I still kind of feel that way. I guess I am social enough for me. In looking at the year, I feel like I was way more social in the second half of the year than in the first half. My running friends and my Zija friends really prompted me to be more engaged socially and for that I am grateful. In the future when looking at this specific area of my life, I think it is important for me to belong to some kind of group. A group setting is ideal for me to maintain social connections with others.

Score = 6/12

6. Lose 10lbs and Keep it Off
I rocked it out in this category this year. I actually lost a total of 17lbs at my lowest weight this year. I also ran a total of 11 miles with only one (1 minute) break. I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF with this category this year. The best part is, I have managed to keep most of the weight off despite not being able to run at all the last four months of the year. I have also eaten a little better this year. I still have a LONG way to go in terms of diet reform, but I really feel like I made great strides this year towards that end. For 2013, I am planning on continuing to monitor my weight, as well as continue to watch what I put in my mouth.

Score = 12/12

7. Live For Today
In some small and big ways, I have made strides in this category as well. Keeping my gift list was a crucial step for me in living in the present moment. Being thankful for all the small things as they happened kept me from focusing too much on the future or the past. I started this year in a place of mental turmoil, specifically over the house in which we currently live. I am ending this year in a much better mental place, I am learning that each day is a gift and where I live bears no significance on the quality of my life or my ability to enjoy my life right where I am at this moment. Changes in this category my not be overly apparent on the outside, but inside I am at an entirely different place than I was just 12 short months ago.

Score = 8/12

8. Read 25 Books in 2012
Ironically, even though I changed my goal early in the year down to 25 books (more realistic for me), I did manage to come near my original goal of 50 with reading a total of 41 books for the year. Probably this will not be on an official resolutions list of 2013, but I think this is a good indicator of my ability to take time for myself this year.

Score = 12/12

Total Score for 2012 = 67/96 or 69.7% or a C if you are rounding up :)

So I feel really good about my progress this year. I could write a lot more about all these changes specifically, and I probably will at some point, but honestly, this has been the biggest year for me personally in terms of growth. While I really did need to focus on myself this year, I intend to devote my goals in 2013 to being a better mother and wife. I really needed this year though in order to do some serious soul searching. I needed to learn to be happy and grateful and at peace with my body. I am so glad I set out on this journey to better myself.

Goodbye, Goodbye 2012

41 Books in 2012

Well just when I go and change my goal back to 25 I manage to read 41 books this year. I really ramped up my reading time in the last few months of the year. Without further ado here is my reading list for this year:

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God not Food by Lysa TerKeuerst
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
Defending Jacob by William Landay
If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg
The Circle Maker: Praying Circles around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears by Mark Batterson
Gone Girl by Jillian Flynn
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Crooked Letter, Crooket Letter by Tom Franklin
The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Salem's Lot by Stephen King
The Shining by Stephen King
Return of the Mummy by R.L. Stine
Madame Tussuad: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran
The Bronze Horsmean by Paullina Simons
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons
I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Can you tell I love to read? This isn't much for some people, but this is a fair amount of reading for me--mother of two-year old.

My Top Three for the Year:

1. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskam
2. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
3. The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons

I am still debating on whether to put reading on my New Year's Resolutions or not. It seems like I always manage to fit it in one way or another :)

Christmas Fun List

I love Christmas. I mean like a lot. I mean like I could do December 12 months a year. I'm not even kidding about that. I don't even get tired of the Christmas Music loop on the soft rock station each year. I sing Christmas Carols in my car  at the top of my lungs starting the day after Thanksgiving. I'm that type. I'm not even ashamed to admit it (okay maybe I'm a little ashamed).

If the week started out on a down note, the end of the week is looking more promising. It is virtually impossible for me to be sad and depressed during the holidays. The only year that I can remember feeling sad around Christmas time was 2 years ago after Frank's car accident, and that was an extreme circumstance.

For whatever reason, making these family fun lists gives me joy. After I make them, I make them the background on my laptop, as a daily reminder to actually *do* the things on my list.

This picture sucks for some reason, but it serves its purpose and that is what matters. We have already done a few things on this list and I can't wait to do some more. In my opinion, Christmas can be one of two things: a time to be super stressed out and frustrated or a time to actually spend time with family. It is easy to get sucked into the Christmas season vortex, but the season is so much more enjoyable if you are able to step back from the madness.

I remember when I was a kid, I LOVED Christmas. I mean I literally *could not wait* for Christmas morning. In my adult years, I can see clearly how Christmas has lost its magic for me, primarily because, I create so much business in my life. This Christmas I am determined to spend a lot of time with my family and a lot of time in my Christmas pajama's. I really do want to keep the Christmas magic alive in my family. Peppermint hot chocolate is magical by the way.

Chemical Pregnancy

Have I mentioned that blogging is a form of therapy for me? The best way I know how to deal with hard things in my life is to simply get them out of me. If I sit around with them inside, it makes things worse for me. In the spirit of "getting this out of my system" I'm going to relay my recent tough experience.

I just had a chemical pregnancy. What this means (for those who don't know) is that I became pregnant, but the cell that would have been a baby did not properly attach to the uterine wall, and as a result ended with a period. Even though this is the earliest and easiest way to miscarry (some don't even really consider this a miscarriage) it still really blows all the way around.

I got of my birth control pill on October 27th and we started trying right away. With Carson, I got pregnant immediately. Actually, I didn't really even have to try. I didn't temp, I had no idea when I ovulated, I just got pregnant. Easy peasy really. I didn't think that I would get pregnant again this quickly, but sure enough, I did. I knew I was pregnant well before I tested positive. I had all of the same symptoms that I had with Carson. In fact, I was so sure I was pregnant I started testing really early and tested a total of five days in a row until I got a very faint positive line. I even took two digital tests to confirm I was pregnant. Both came up positive.

Because I can't keep a secret like this to save my own life, I told a handful of people right away. We went to E-town for Thanksgiving and I was just so happy and relieved. The only nagging fear I had was that the positive line, was not any where near as dark or as clear as my pregnancy test with Carson. I even pulled that test out to confirm. As I thought about this more and more I realized that my HCG levels were much lower with this pregnancy than they were with Carson, but really I didn't think much about it. I mean a positive is a positive no matter how faint. I even took this picture of myself at the four week mark:

On Monday after Thanksgiving, I went to the health department to get a confirmation of pregnancy for insurance purposes. The health department test was negative. I knew immediately something was wrong. I came home and tested again. I got a positive test but it was still faint. I knew then that something was bad wrong, I could not imagine why my levels would not have been high enough to register on the health department test. On Tuesday morning, I woke up feeling like things were off, and sure enough by mid-morning I had started my period. I knew then that the pregnancy didn't take and it was over.

Am I sad about it? Yes of course. Am I devastated, no. If this had to happen to me, I much prefer this way as opposed to a loss at a later point. I am free to start trying again right away which is also good for my mental state. In the spirit of being optimistic about things I did learn quite a few things in this process and I am going to be doing this whole trying to conceive thing differently next time around.

Here are some of my positive take aways and lessons:

• I don't need to try so hard. I spent way to much time on pregnancy message boards, and I spent WAY too much money on pregnancy tests. I almost literally drove Frank crazy with the process this past month. In future cycles I really just need to chill out. I am only going to test once in future months at a late enough point to register accurately.  
• I found a good OBGYN. With us in insurance limbo, I was worried that I would not be able to find an OB that I really liked and felt good about. I went to Vanderbilt OBGYN at One Hundred Oaks and felt really good about their facility. They even have high-risk doctors there that can monitor me, as I had a pre-term birth with Carson. 
• I am probably not going to tell anybody for a while when I get pregnant again. The hardest part of yesterday was contacting all the people that knew and telling them I was no longer pregnant. 
• I really just need to trust God on this one. My timing is imperfect. Heck! I don't even know what perfect timing looks like. I really just need to let God handle the things in my life that are out of my hands. 

Well I'm off now to go about my normal day. Geez it feels good to blog again. 

Have a blessed Wednesday,

My Thankful Jar

I'm back!! Did you think I was gone for good?? I am totally slacking with blogging these past few weeks. I have no excuse for myself, other than that I have been spending more time doing other things--primarily reading. I have noticed the following trend: when I am blogging I'm not reading as much, and when I am reading a lot I don't devote much time to my blog. I'm not sure why these two hobbies cannot coexist, but for some reason I haven't managed that balance yet.

Despite my lack of updates on here, I have been being fairly creative. Specifically, I have been taking a ton of pictures with my new camera and doing some editing on PicMonkey. I love messing with pictures.

One project I decided to take on this weekend was a Thankful Jar. I know a lot of people have been posting what they are grateful for on FB in November. Since that is not really my style, I decided to do something more personal for my family.

I saw this idea on Pinterest about using rub-ons to create a Thankful Jar. I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and found a jar for $5. I couldn't find the Rub-On's I was looking for so I just bought some scrapbooking stickers themed for Thanksgiving. I also bought three Thanksgiving themed Scrapbooking Sheets. I walked out of Hobby Lobby for $10 total. I came home and cut the scrapbooking paper into strips and adhered the stickers the side of the Jar. Easy peasy and pretty cute--if I do say so myself.

So tonight we sat down and wrote out what we are thankful for. I have been doing this with my gift list all year, but it is really nice to have Frank involved.

I thought it was really nice that Frank said he was thankful for me. It was just kind of nice also to stop and take a second to think about what we are grateful for as a family. I really look forward to taking a few minutes each day throughout the month to acknowledge how blessed we really are.

I haven't decided what I am going to do with these strips of paper at the end of the month. I saw a suggestion to create a chain out of them and put them on the Christmas tree. I may put them in a special scrapbook or something.

Okay, so just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about blogging. In fact, just about every day I think of something I want to blog about. The problem is when I actually have the time to blog--I read instead. I do have a lot to post about though. My plan is to get caught up on lots of things here on my blog before I find myself in 2013. I started strong with my blog in 2012 and I want to finish the year up in feeling good about my progress as a blogger.

Thanks for sticking around :)

With a grateful heart,

Honeysuckle Hill Farm

One of my favorite things to do in October is visit a local pumpkin patch. This year we visited Honeysuckle Hill Farm in Springfield, TN. We had such a great time. 

Carson was pretty excited, but slightly overwhelmed at all the activities going around him. See his half-clap and half-whattheheckisgoingon expression?

I was bound and determined to get some good pictures on this trip. Carson was bound and determined to be as tricky a little subject as possible. Here he is thinking, Oh no Mom-I'm not going to give you the pleasure of taking pictures of me on this spider-web thing!

He did finally submit and get on it, but of course all my attempts at good pictures on here were worthless. After the spider-web, Carson wanted to go on the Corn-Popper.

The only bummer is that Carson had to wait in line. He actually got bored enough to allow me to get the camera pretty close to his face. Here is his whenamIgoingtogetonthecornpopper face.

And just because he stood still for more than 2 seconds, here are a few more pictures.

Finally, it was time to get on the Corn Popper. As long as Daddy was close, Carson had a great time. I caught this picture of them in mid-air:

Next we went and checked out all the pumpkins. I love pumpkins, just saying.

Of course no trip to the pumpkin patch is complete without pictures of loved ones on or near some pumpkins:

Aren't my men handsome? I am so proud. Next we went off to the sand-pit. Carson really liked the sand-pit. I am ashamed to say that I think that this was Carson's first interaction with sand <hangs head in shame>

 The sand was cool for a grand total of 3 minutes and then he spotted a ball. When a ball comes into the picture things get serious. See that intent face?

The next few minutes were spent trying to keep Carson and the ball in the confines of the sand-pit. Once we realized that was a lost cause we moved on to the swings.

Gosh he is so freaking cute! I know he is my son and all, but I really love looking at his sweet face! After the swing, we went to check out the animals.

First we went to look at a cow. I didn't get the cow in the picture, but I did get Carson's priceless expression. This face may only be obvious to me his mother, but can you see that his facial features are slightly excited? I think this is a ohmygoshwhatisthat face.

Next we went and saw a donkey, Carson was really excited (and shocked) that the donkey actually stuck his head out of the gate and allowed himself to be petted by children:

See that sweet smile from the side?

Next we went to see a goat. The horns were so cool. Carson liked it too.

After the animal section we went to play on some huge tires. It was at this point that I felt like Carson was getting sick of the camera--for real. I think this is a Mom stop it already face:

Actually, I did manage to put the camera down for awhile. After the tires, we went on a hayride, which I did not take pictures of, because Carson needed a picture break. I did bust out the camera once we made it down to the pumpkin patch.

There were so many pumpkins to choose from. I am not sure what the Carson's pumpkin choosing criteria was, but he seemed to be very selective.

Each pumpkin had to be carefully examined:

Finally a selection was made:

Carson took his final selection over to his Daddy:

I even caught Frank picking out a pumpkin (he really is a kid in his heart):

We had such a great time. My very favorite part of this whole experience, was simply getting to watch Carson and Frank together.

Thank You God for my beautiful little family.