Life Throws Curve Balls

So far, our year has had some really HIGH HIGHS and some really low lows. I'd say more curve balls than anything. When you least expect them- WHAM! Kinda throws you off the course. I sometimes wonder- why do we work so hard if we just keep getting pelted back to the ground? Why can't we be like other people- in the instant gratification, we'll deal with it later mentality? Fortunately, my husband is stronger than the trials and reminds me to stand firm in our beliefs and to stay on course.

Its funny how....not HILARIOUS funny....funny/ironic..... God brings about these like this. Seems like the closer you walk with HIM or maybe the more you grow in likeness of HIM, the more attacks we face. It really stinks! Another blow hit us about a month ago. It was a hard blow for any gal. I love how Dave Ramsey always puts it- a wife and a mother want to know that there is security. This "challenge" isn't a new one that we've never had to deal with before, but definitely not something anyone would call pleasant. God has brought some comfort and peace to my soul, but at times, I can't help but be sad or discontent with life. Maybe bummed is a better word. I'm already emotional, so take away some security- and believe me it is false security- and bam! water works! Its funny how when you're at a low, those Bible verses that Mom and Dad made us memorize slowly come back.....or maybe songs from church that you haven't uong in probably 10 yrs, "just" pop into your head. I probably haven't said some of these verses, out loud, in a long time and now its like they are clearer than ever.

God has blessed me with an amazing, hard working husband. Even when he's hit below the belt, which is sometimes daily, he continues to keep his head high, do his best and work hard for his family. If he's had a bad day, he doesn't come home grumbling about it. He pitches in, sees that I'm tired and helps around the house. My husband is a wonderful supporter. I don't think he feels valued very often outside the home, but around here he is our main man! The fixer of everything, the hero of his precious sons and a wonderful provider for his wife!

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him." Lamentations 3:21-25

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

God has never failed me or my family. He has fulfilled His promises and His faithfulness to us. We may not be taking the road we want to take, but I KNOW God is doing something here. I wish I could see the end result SOONER than later, but again- God is good. He is faithful. He answers prayers in a BIG MIGHTY way. I must keep my eyes fixed on Him. Not the unpleasantness of the circumstances. I tell God that it stinks! I tell God that I don't like the situation that we're in. I don't think that is wrong. Its what I'm feeling and its what my heart is aching to fuss and complain about, so why not tell Him? He already knows! I know life could be ten times worse and I remind myself of that daily... please don't think I don't know that! I KNOW it could be worse! I am so very thankful for EVERYTHING God has blessed us with, but the situation is tough for me and it isn't very fun! :)

So, if you think about me, pray for our family. Pray for guidance and wisdom, discernment and peace.

Please! Don't Shoot!

First of all, a confession needs to be made. I am a slacker. I should have never EVER waited this long to post about this awesome prize, but I have. I won it before I became pregnant, so I can't blame it on the baby "sucking my brain cells away". Therefore, I can only blame on myself- SLACKER! And I apologize to those whom it matters!

Ok....now that that is out of the way, do you remember this? Well, probably not, but I do. I opened up my email and found Stephanie's email telling me I had won! No lie! I seriously could not believe I HAD WON this giveaway. I had drooled over Ashlee's slings for a long time and just couldn't get myself to pay over $50 for a sling.

Little did I know..... I got the sling in the mail a few weeks later and man! now I know why people charge more for nicer slings.... they are of such nicer quality. I kept telling Hubbie, wow! wow! wow! its so worth that price! I even had my SIL ask if it was a good sling, worth the price, etc. I told her YES! I sure do wish I had had someone local let me borrow their Nest sling before purchasing my other ring sling.

I won this sling. I love the colors. I love the reversible pattern. I love the thickness of the fabric. Once I adjust Peanut in the sling, he's good. I don't have to fool with it, like my other ring sling.

Unfortunately, and probably one reason I have been such a slacker, I got pregnant shortly after receiving this sling....errr.....that doesn't sound right..... I'm not sorry I'm pregnant......but.....just didn't get a lot of time to use the sling, so I haven't been much of a babywearer. I knew being pregnant would affect babywearing a tad bit, but I never knew how much. I definitely miss babywearing Peanut. I look at my slings in the van and think...soon, poor ole slings, you'll be used again...soon. Sometimes when we're going to yard sales I'll quickly put Peanut in the Nest ring sling, but with my 32 wk belly of Baby Bean, it just has become uncomfortable and almost impossible.

I long to be that babywearer again. I'm sad that my days of babywearing Peanut are probably gone. If anyone wears Peanut, it'll probably be Hubbie and in a Mei Tai or Ergo. My torso is just so short and it would probably be a lot easier for me to wear the baby and for Hubbie to wear the heavier child, Peanut. I so loved leaning down and kissing Peanut's soft head while he was napping....so snug against my chest. It was just pure bliss. I am ever so very grateful for Stephanie's blog, who introduced me to babywearing. I am also very thankful for Ashley's slings at Nonny & Boo. I now know what it truly feels like to wear a REALLY good sling! I love it and cannot wait to get Baby Bean in it!

So, there, I finally did it. I finally posted about this awesome sling that I won back in November!

Now, if you're interested in these awesome slings, you'd better hurry! I am so sad to say, Ashlee is closing up shop and after the 31st, there will be no more Nonny and Boo! All slings left are 1/2 off! So hurry and stock up!

Here In Town! Thomas Live On Stage!

In March, Bubbie and I had the most fabulous day! We found out that we were going to get tickets to see Thomas Live On Stage! I could have wet myself- I was so excited! The tickets were a little pricey for our budget and I knew it would be a special treat that Bubbie would never forget! I quickly blogged about it here and we circled the date on the calendar!



The Lord was totally at work in this whole event- not only did we get 4 free tickets to see the show, we were also able to see the show in TOWN! When the ability to get free tickets was found out, the closest showing was in Atlanta, about a 2.5 hr drive away! We would either have to get a hotel room or it would end up being a long day trip! Another expense we really didn't want to pay for, but would have! We found out about two months before the show that it was going to be right in our own downtown! AWESOME, huh?! Nana offered to keep Peanut, so it was a special date night with our Bubbie!


The end of June FINALLY rolled around and Bubbie, Hubbie and I were in our seats about 20 mins before the show started. We had good seats and Bubbie was so excited to see his "friends"! Once the show started, Bubbie was mesmerized.

He did not take his eyes off the stage! Hubbie asked Bubbie several times if he wanted to sit in our laps- just to be up higher! Oh no! Not this dude! He barely paid us any attention! He was star struck! The show had a good story line. The trains moved, made noises and had faces that changed! The actors and actresses in the show were wonderful- very entertaining for little kids. I felt like, at times, the script for the actors and actresses was a little too long for certain kiddos. Maybe a tad too much talking!? Once the music started, no matter what song, every kid went to their feet and started singing! Bubbie was doing all the motions and hand movements that the kids were told to do! He loved it!


After about 45 mins to a hour, there was an intermission. This is the part that I thought needed some adjustments. Not sure if the intermission needed to be less time or not one at all, but after the intermission, all the kids were restless. Bubbie was almost bored during some of the "all talking" parts. The kids around the auditorium were louder, more fidgety and not as "intrigued" as they were earlier. Once the songs started and the storyline kinda picked up though, the kids were back to being enthralled spectators! The show finished on a high note and I think it was well worth the cost of the show!


The show overall was absolutely wonderful! It was even better that we didn't pay for it! I think it made the evening a little nicer! I took tons of pictures and it was a special evening for Hubbie and I to be able to share with our oldest!


Thank you to MomSelect for giving us the opportunity to attend this live show! If you h aven't already checked out MomSelect you really should! I have gotten so many wonderful blogging opportunities through them! Its fabulous!!!

Lu is Indecisive, If You Haven't Already Figured That Out!

If you haven't already figured out, I am indecisive. Not sure how I developed such indecisiveness. I am so afraid of making the wrong decision that I waiver....and since I am incredibly CHEAP, if it has ANYTHING to do with money- you can plan on waiting at least 30 minutes for me to weigh all the pros and cons.... ( The part about weighing the pros and cons would be my Daddy's fault!)

When Hubbie and I were first dating, he would ask me where I wanted to eat. We would sit in a parking lot or drive around for, no lie, sometimes 30 minutes to a hour- JUST trying to figure out dinner! My response to his question of "What do you want for dinner?" was ALWAYS "Something good and cheap!" Some things don't change even with time! That is STILL my response after 7 yrs of marriage and almost 9 yrs of being together!

When I wrote this post, I was dead set on a cloth diaper. It is a wonderful diaper and we still like it. On Thursday afternoon we began "cloth diapering experiment- take 2". I decided to try to cloth diaper Peanut for as long as I could with the diapers we already had. We have 3 "regular" cloth diapers (grobaby, urban fluff and kushies all in one) and then a lot of prefolds with covers. We have now done the cloth diapering for 5 days exclusively- no disposables at all- even when we've been out of the house. We have had to wash every other day- we could probably make it 2.5 days with the amount of diapers we have, but until we get the diaper pail and liner, we will be washing every day or every other day for the sake of our noses!

I was shocked when my husband came to me two nights ago and confessed his affection for prefolds and Bummis covers. I was shocked! My husband wants to take the "longer" route?! HA! Not that it really takes ALL that much more time, but I was just shocked!!! I really figured he'd like the all in ones, one size type diapers for the fact that it is easier, quicker or whatever. I then did the research on cost comparison and Kelli was right- prefolds are MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper. You did have to buy different sizes of prefolds and the "Gerber cloth diapers" in the stores ARE NOT the ones you are suppose to use, but still at less than $2.00 a diaper, can you complain?!

Since that night, I have changed my mind for the....hmmm....3rd time..... AT LEAST...... I guess we will be doing prefolds with the boys. If I do find some used all in ones or some pocket diapers at yard sales or at the Fall consignment sales, I'll probably purchase them(so if you see any locally, call me!), but for the most part, I guess we're going with prefolds!

32 Weeks and Counting

Last Friday I hit the 32 weeks mark of this pregnancy. I've gotta say, I look MORE THAN READY and I feel like it too. Not really sure why I am feeling so yucky so early. Maybe because I'm chasing Peanut who just turned 19 mos. Really not sure. I feel lazy a lot of days, but we have been on the go for the last...hmmmm.... we haven't had a day at home with nothing to do/nowhere to go in probably over a month. Every time I say "pj day" it hasn't happened, so I'm thinking I'm really tired and need to slow it down. In the last week to two weeks I've had braxton hicks contractions, back labor, nausea, dizziness, legs aching, foot cramps and trouble breathing. I've never had a "normal" pregnancy where the baby wasn't in any "danger". Bubbie was breech, so he never dropped, so I don't really know what that feels like and how it would affect my body. Peanut was a placenta previa baby, so he couldn't drop or move, so- again- never had a "normal" pregnancy before with no issues. Baby Bean is also my most active child in the womb. My gosh! This child needs to be some sort of gymnast. I'm not sure if he's cramped or hears his brothers, so he gets excited, but once he gets started it feels like he's doing summersalts. You can see my belly shake and move from across the room. And LOW, oh my goodness! You'd think he had a personal hatred for my bladder and all other organs! He'll kick and sit and squirm. YOWZER! Bubbie rarely ever moved. If he moved once a day, I was happy to know he was ok and still alive. With Peanut, he was more active than his brother was, but I never felt a lot of movement- just kicks and nudges.

Its been a while since my last doc appt. I had one last Wednesday and it was cancelled. I was kinda relieved because I had an afternoon appt. I hate afternoon appts and was hoping they'd be able to reschedule me for something in the morning. Unfortunately, they scheduled me around the same time of day and "squeezed" me in on the schedule. So I will be worked in sometime between after lunch and closing. Sounds like a fun afternoon, huh?! HA! Yeah, my appts are already 3 hrs long........ so it might be a record- 5 hrs! :) I am reviewing this book for Thomas Nelson Publishing, so I figured I'd save the book for the doc appt day and just read and write notes until its my turn!

When I do go in, we are going to schedule the c-section. The doc told me a few days that she was looking at, so we have a time frame, but I am really hoping that, based on my previous pregnancies, she'll schedule it for a little earlier. I've never had a pregnancy last longer than 38 weeks, so I'd really like to schedule it around then. If she makes me wait another week or closer to my scheduled due date, I'm gonna be bummed and can pretty much guarantee her that she'll see me BEFORE that date! I ALSO go into labor on my own. I ALSO go into labor BEFORE my scheduled c-sections. It never fails, so might as well go ahead and schedule it around the time I usually go into labor!

Onto more pleasant topics than c-sections, Nana found a custom baby bedding set at a yard sale a few weeks ago. It wasn't what I had "envisioned" for the room, but its very cute and well made. I love the colors and the brightness! I am really looking forward to getting into the room and starting to decorate it. My neighbor/friend Ashley also gave me a bedding set. It actually coordinates really well with what Mom got me. I plan to change the crib bedding from Ashley a little bit so that I can use it on the twin bed that we have for Peanut. I have a picture in my head and hoping it comes out nicely! I had better hurry and get to it!

I have a few dear friends that have offered to host a baby shower for me- either online or here in town, so I went ahead and made an Amazon registry. I really felt awkward doing it- just because its no 3 and the 3rd boy, but after talking to a few close friends, I feel like most everything I put on there were "nice" to haves and I'd rather get those things than clothes, so it'll give people- who DO want to give a gift, an idea especially family.

Speaking of baby gifts, we have decided to cloth diaper. I found a brand I really like- actually I don't really have a problem with several brands and designs. I am just trying to get the most diapers I can for the amount of money. We will probably do disposables during the first month for both boys especially since Peanut will be spending some time with Nana and Pops. I'd hate for Nana and Pops to have to do all that extra work. Once we get into a groove, Hubbie goes back to work, I'm able to do housework and the boys come home, we'll begin cloth diapering both boys again.

That is about all the baby news I can think of! Its getting close and I cannot wait to hold my precious third son in my arms!

Introducing the Smooshie!

When we came home from our wonderful beach trip a few weeks ago, we had a package waiting on us! Inside the box was a Smooshie and a bag of extra parts from One2One for the boys and I to review! The boys were so excited to begin the fun!


Smooshies are fun, colorful bodies with velco tabs in the leg and arm positions. You can interchange body parts such as legs, arms, eyes and mouths. We had a set of wings that Peanut enjoyed putting on as legs. Bubbie thought this was hilarious! Bubbie, who is 4.5 yrs old, enjoyed "making" the creatures and my youngest, Peanut, who is now 19 mos, enjoyed tearing apart his older brother's creation.

I think this is a wonderful gift for any child- boy or girl. It is definitely not a normal gift, but its a nice change from cars and trains and creative! Now that Smooshies are available at Joann's, its even easier to purchase extra parts and they are very reasonably priced! We might even get another one, so the boys won't have to take turns and maybe their creations would last longer than a minute! The boys pull their Smooshie out daily and play around with it! I love how I don't have to worry about parts to be swallowed or broken. If they are playing with their Smooshie, then its okay for me to run and do something else!

There is no limit to what you could do with these "cooky, cuddly creatures"! Check them out!




A big thanks to One2One Network for allowing me to review this fun, new product!

Going Crunchy!?

Now that I have finally decided on what cloth diapers I want to use with Peanut and baby Bean, I think I'm going crunchy or something?! How crunchy am I going?

Well, I'm not gonna recycle. Just don't have the time or space!

I do have a compost pile that Hubbie does so wonderfully on.

I'm not gonna start using cloth bags for all my grocery shopping trips. I do own about 5 of the cloth bags, but I always forget them and if I continue to do once a month grocery shopping trips- I am not quite sure HOW many bags I would need. Besides, I love having the grocery plastic bags to use in my bathroom trash cans as liners! Makes it super duper easy to change the trash!

I do want to make my own laundry detergent. Not only will it be the cheapest way to clean our laundry, but I also won't have to worry about what I'm washing my cloth diapers in!

I also plan to start making our own dish washing detergent. I told my friend Dana that I had been thinking about researching a homemade dish washing detergent that I could make and hopefully save some money. She, being a dear sweet friend, found the directions and posted it here.

I have started baking our sandwich bread again....errr....well, Hubbie did this week. He is becoming quite the baker around here. Ever since I've gotten pregnant I've only baked and cook what is absolutely necessary with a few exceptions when it came to my cravings....such as Monkey munch! Oh and I've stopped buying cereals. Really cuts into our monthly grocery budget- buying a box so that each person is happy, etc. and we need a box or two for the week and it just adds up! So I've started doing oatmeal or muffins for our breakfast.... thats kinda crunchy, right?

Hurting?

Right after Hubbie and I got married, I worked as a physical therapy aide for about a year. It was one of the best jobs I've ever had and also one of the worst jobs I've ever had. I really learned a lot doing the aide position. The people I worked with weren't always wonderful and the job was very demanding- both physically and mentally, but it was a great learning experience. I am very thankful for the learning of so many wonderful exercises. I feel like I have a "step up" when I have issues with my body, because I know what exercises to do for whatever hurt. Such as my sciatic nerve pain with pregnancies. When I quit the job at the therapy clinic I took my copy of all the exercise hand-outs home. Years later, I have gotten rid of them knowing that whatever you need to know is all online! Whatever your issue- back pain, tension in your neck, etc.- all those exercises are online such as website for back exercises. This website has it all and even offers a free trial and free exercise pages for those who would want to check it out first. Once you check it out and decide to pay the monthly fee of $29.95 you would have access to daily routines, video lists and much more. So check it out if you're in pain or wanna strengthen your back muscles!


This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.

Slow Process of Diapering

I began my research and chatting to bloggin' cloth diapering Mamas and local Mamas back in January. Slowly but surely we are realizing what we like. We are about 75% in the mindset to cloth diaper. I waiver. Hubbie doesn't care and will do whatever I want to do (isn't he the sweetest?!). Cloth diapering is such an investment- yes, it does pay off in the long run depending on what brand/type of cloth diapering you do(I truly believe this- if you buy a diaper that costs $24 dollars, to me, it takes longer to get your $$ back), if you get used, sale, clearanced diapers, or whatever, you'll get your money back quicker , but I want to go into cloth diapering 100% if we're gonna do it. I do care about the environment.. I say I don't, but I guess I don't want someone to think I'm a tree hugging crazed gal- not that it matters what people think! I do care, but I don't care as much as a lot of people. I don't recycle. I don't conserve water like I should- yes, I am one of those BAD people that let the water run while I brush my teeth! I'm sorry! But my main reason for cloth diapering is cost. Diapering Peanut isn't an issue(his monthly disposable diapering cost is about 23 a month- that includes wipes), it'll be adding another baby to the diapering and newborns use a LOT more diapers than Peanut does!


Through the learning process, Hubbie and I have decided that its silly- to us- to use anything but one sized diapers. They are really the coolest thing. The diapers will fit Peanut and Baby Bean and will last them through potty training- for BOTH boys. I have found several companies that do one size in pocket diapers, all in ones, etc. I really don't care about stuffing or not stuffing. Not a huge deal and only adds a minute to the actual diapering process. I did try prefolds and I am still on the fence about those. I have PLENTY of prefolds and covers, so doing that is the most economical way of diapering Peanut right now. He is so darn wiggly the majority of the diaper changes, I just don't feel like I get it good and tight. I've never had a leaking problem with them, but ya know... it just takes a little more work and time. I think it would be ten times easier to do a typical "diaper" design.


So, I bought one of these last Saturday at a yard sale for $5. The seller was a friend of my neighbor and I talked to her and picked her brain for quite a while. I learned all her tricks and why she bought what she bought. She, like me, bought some used diapers, but she wasn't a mom that only stuck with my style/brand. She had a little bit of everything.

When we got home from Mothers Day Out today and I found out that our plans were canceled for tomorrow (YEAH! A PJ DAY after about 2.5 weeks of constant going!), I decided to cloth diaper Peanut for the rest of today and all tomorrow, just to try out our newest diaper. As soon as I put it on, Peanut started to shake his head up and down! I laughed at him and he started to feel his diaper. I asked him what he thought about it and if it felt good. He smiled and shook his head up and down.

I think we have a cloth diapering lover on our hands! Can we say luxurious?! This diaper really is soft- softer than the prefolds or the all-in-one that we have. I think I'm sold on Urban Fluff! Now I just gotta find the money to diaper both babies in these!!!

Check It Out

A new recipe found in this book! Check it out here!

Home Security & Alarms

I don't know about you gals, but I hate when Hubbie goes out of town. Every time he goes out of town, its worse than the last time. I hear all sorts of noises. Last time Hubbie went away was for the user conference in San Diego and he was gone for 4 nights. It was madness! I decided to sleep with Bubbie one night and I woke up just KNOWING that someone was in the house. It wasn't like there was a noise like the door opening or someone bounding, but it sounded like someone was rustling through papers and closing things. I have never been more freaked out in my life! Needless to say, I don't sleep but a few hours each night when Hubbie is gone. The majority of the time, I break down and spend a night or two with Nana and Pops.... its just too miserable! I know I'm silly, but I guess I've just watched too many movies and have heard too many stories!

Anyway, last time Hubbie left, I swore to myself that we were getting an alarm system put in before Hubbie left town again. Thankfully he only goes out of town once or AT MOST twice a year, but its still a miserable time! I started talking to my MOPS gals about needing a security system and the majority of them said "GET A DOG and a system!"

Just saw this deal though- over at HomeSecurityFamily.com, they are running a special for the summer! Sign up for an ADT security home monitoring system and get a free system and a $100 rebate!

If you're in the market for a security system and monitoring, take a look at this deal!



This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.

Contest Winner!

A BIG thank you to the gals that entered my JumpStart giveaway!

We do have a winner!


Clara has won 3 mos of free membership at the JumpStart Virtual World! Enjoy!!

Lu's Thoughts On Sunday

I decided to start a Sunday rambling of things I've learned, seen and just a hodgepodge of information. Thanks for stopping by!

Heard: I heard a wonderful excerpt from a Max Lucado book this w

eek. It moved me so much- not sure if its what I needed to hear on that day or what. I can't seem to find it anywhere online, but did find this- posted below- which sounds VERY similar. So this MAY OR MAY NOT be Max Lucado.

"After living a "decent" life my time on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a courthouse. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor," he was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he

stared at me, he definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed very familiar to me. The corner door flew open and there appeared the judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as he moved across the room and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. As he took his seat behind the bench he said, "Let us begin." The prosecutor rose and said "My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell." He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole and, in the past, when I cheated others. Satan told of other terrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at my representative who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life ― couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I've done? Satan finished with a fury and said "This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise." When it was His turn, my lawyer first asked if He might approach the bench. The judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking I was able to see Him now in His full splendor and majesty. Now I realized why He seemed so familiar, this was Jesus representing my Lord, my Savior and me. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge "Hi, Dad" and then He turned to address the court. "Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wages of sin is death and this man deserves to be punished." Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed "However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine." My Lord continued with, "His name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from Me. Satan still does not understand yet, this man is not to be given justice but rather mercy." As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and replied, "There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all." The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down and the following words bellowed from His lips, "This man is free – the penalty for him has already been paid in full, case dismissed." As myLord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, "I won't give up, I'll win the next one." I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?" Christ lovingly smiled and said, "Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you...Paid in Full!"

Recommended Reading: Crazy Love

Fabulous Deal Site: Baby Steals and a new site coming soon....

Learned: God has taught me that maybe my dreams and wishes are not HIS dreams. That I need to desperately cling to HIS will for my life and surrender, which is VERY hard for me to do since I'm TYPE A and the planner-type!

Thoughts for the Week Ahead: We have an absolutely CRAZY week. Appointments, activities- something EVERY single day. Guess what? Next week ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and I love it! Cannot wait for us to have a long, boring week with some fun at the pool and playing at home! Bubbie and Peanut only have 3 more weeks until school starts and then it'll be time to get baby mode into high gear.

Check It Out: Last day of contest here! Enter!!!

Baking: If you know me, you know I love to bake(and I really need to update my recipe blog!). I found this site this week and plan on making a few things today! Yummy! :)

Who Is My Bubbie?

I thought I would take a blog post and try to capture each of my sons into some words that BEST describe him at this point in his life. I tend to focus on things he DOES and not necessarily WHO he is or has become! So, here it goes..... trying to describe my oldest son.

Bubbie, 4.5 yrs old, Summer of 2009

He is my thoughtful, deep thinking, vivacious little boy. He loves life and everything in it. He knows NOT ONE stranger! He has the best heart and such a sensitive soul. I've noticed lately that my precious oldest baby boy has turned into the "model, ideal oldest child" or in the words of one of my favorite authors, Dr. Kevin Leman- Oldest Children-

"Firstborns are natural leaders. They also tend to be reliable, conscientious and perfectionists who don't like surprises. Although, firstborns are typically aggressive, many are also compliant people pleasers. They are model children who have a strong need for approval from anyone in charge."

Yup! That's my Bubbie, who is quick and eager to please and tries to carry the weight of the world on his little shoulders.

I have been so thankful that I took him out of preschool last December. When that happened, Bubbie began to go back to MOPS with me. He also had to do a lot of "baby playdates" which I had been a little concerned about. Bubbie was my trouper. He has bonded with "babies" and enjoyed his time out and about with all my MOPS friends and their children.

He thinks EVERYONE LOVES TRAINS! My Bubbie use to take a week or two for CARS and then switch it up and become obsessed with TRAINS. Not this summer. My Bubbie has become ONE TRAIN OBSESSED LITTLE MAN! His whole world revolves around Thomas and his friends and doesn't understand why EVERYONE'S world doesn't revolve around the same characters. His sudden passion (really obsession is a better word) has gotten Peanut quite on board with the whole gang of Thomas the Tank Engine. Even Peanut requests for "choo choo" to be turned on the TV. Bubbie knows not ONE strange, as I have mentioned already. If you ask him his name or how old he is or even just say a simple "Hello!" HA! You've opened the door to my chatterbox's world! He will tell you his name, how old he is, who is with him (Baby Peanut is 1 and this- pointing to Mom's tummy- is Baby Bean) and what his favorite tank engines are! All in about....hmmmm..... less than a minute. My heart aches for my handsomest 4 yr old when I notice the odd glances at him from people who REALLY don't care about my little boy's passion! I don't want to break my little boy's spirit or heart, but sometimes, people JUST DON'T CARE! I have a hard time explaining that part to Bubbie! Nana made a good suggestion- tell Bubbie to only share about himself to "special" people! I might try it and see if this approach works!

In the last 6 mos my Bubbie has blossomed into a little boy. No more baby... if there was any baby left.... he is 100% my oldest. He is very thoughtful and a thinker. He has been working on his math and adding skills like crazy in the last month! If you tell him a story, he can usually tell it back to you, word for word. He has the best memory! He loves to be social and to chat while we are in the car, which is something that he and I started when I was working full time. We would chat ALL THE WAY to Ma/Pa's house and ALL THE WAY home. Didn't matter how tired I was, I wanted to know everything that this little boy thought, did or wanted to tell me.

He is the BEST big brother ANYONE could ask for. I am constantly amazed at his love and attention towards his brother. He is always willing to lend a hand to his younger brother. I don't know HOW many times a day I catch Bubbie being a fantastic older brother. If Peanut wants to brush his teeth, Bubbie is right there- putting tooth paste on the tooth brush, teaching him how to brush, rinsing the tooth brush off and turning the water off. All the steps. Bubbie covers it all. One thing that SORT OF STINKS is the constant TATTLING that goes on. I can't complain though. The majority of the time....well....really JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME that Bubbie comes to tell us something about what Peanut is doing isn't good. Its usually "MAMA! Peanut is climbing on the table! or MAMA, Peanut has your drink and is shaking it around the room!" So I mean, its usually BIG things, but just the constant TATTLING is draining... but that isn't Bubbie's fault. He's being a great big brother!

Bubbie has the best, BEST friends. They have the BEST time playing. I wish I could find a friend for him that was a LOVER of trains the same way Bubbie loves trains. Bubbie thinks ALL of his friends go home and obsess about Thomas the way he does. Unfortuantely, none of them do!

Someone from our old church called his charismatic- this is what Wikipedia defines it as! Pretty good description! Bubba, as Peanut refers to my Bubbie, has developed a LOVE for church in the last few months. The sudden closing of our church was a GREAT disappointed to my Bubbie. He had made two very good friends by being in small groups together and he loved to see his two buds at church or small groups every Sunday. One Saturday Bubbie told me, "Momma, I'm gonna wake up at 7:30 tomorrow so we don't sleep in and miss church tomorrow!" About broke my heart! (We had carelessly forgot to set the alarm the Saturday night before and assumed our children would wake us up at their usual waking time between 7-8.... Little did we know that they would sleep in and our whole family slept until almost 9) He is very eager to find a new church home and Hubbie and I desperately trying to find a place for our family to attend in order to fill that void for our son.

Bubbie started a new school this summer- just a 2 day a week program. I thought it would help both boys get accustomed to the school, teachers, etc. Bubbie has loved his new school. I am so thankful we finally found a good fit. He loves the kids and the learning. He adapted very well to the new surrounding. He is very VERY excited about "real" school starting in August. It starts in 3 weeks! I am very glad that we have switched Bubbie to the 3 day a week program. I had signed him up for 5 days in January and really didn't want to do 5. I can't seem to find a school that offers 4 days, which is what my heart was set on. Last week I asked the director to switch him and the Lord answered our prayers and an opening became available. I struggle with the decision of home schooling him or just the decision of WHERE to send him for schooling, but I finally feel at peace about our decision for the Fall. I feel...... at peace is the best way to describe it. I've struggled with Bubbie's preschool decision for so long and even after signing Bubbie up in January, I still didn't feel great about our decision. I was so wishy-washy and just wanted clarity. I finally feel what I was wanting and know that Bubbie could stay there. Its a good fit! Oh and another God- send, the teacher I met at open house/registration in January, the one I really liked, she'll be Bubbie's teacher! God is good!

I can't express how blessed I feel when I see my Bubbie. He is our oldest .... soon to be the oldest of three little boys. I can't wait to see what role Bubbie takes on once Baby Bean comes. He is truly a wonderful child. I am loving this little boy's stage in life- so open to learning and willing and eager to please. I never knew when I became pregnant with Bubbie that being a mother could involve so much work, but yet, so much reward! I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for my precious boy.

VBS

This week has been full of fun for my biggest Bubbie! He has been going to VBS at a local church. He has had the best time with his friend, S and I know they've learned a lot.

Bubbie has been able to tell us what he's learned that day. Its been so exciting to hear the stories in his own words and how he's been able to tell me about Pharaoh and Moses and how you don't need to worry about things because God is mighty! Oh and yesterday was all about how Jesus shed his blood to die for our sins. A part that really caught his attention in the story of Jesus' death on the cross were the holes in His hands and feet. I love watching him tell the story especially when he talks about Jesus being raised from the dead on the 3rd day! Oh my precious Bubbie! If I could just bottle you up and keep you like this for the rest of your life! His face lights up and glows!

The most difficult part of the week has been that we've all had to be out of the house by 8:30 EVERY morning! Notice to all you mommies who have kiddos starting school in a month or two- ITS HARD! Don't let the schedule thing fool you! Getting two kids, UP, dressed, fed and in the car at 8:30 is difficult. What made the week even harder is that the church isn't exactly close, so for the majority of the week, Peanut and I stayed out and about. It wasn't so bad, but I just had to have all bags and snacks and stuff ready to be out for the day which took planning and motivation!!! For the most part, the week flew by and I had some good bonding time with Nana while we shopped and drooled over fabrics and ideas for Baby Bean and Peanut's room.

I am glad I made the sacrifice of time, effort and gas to take Bubbie this week, but so glad that this is only for one week! Bubbie does go to preschool in about 3 weeks, but we've decided to only send him 3 days a week, instead of 5 days a week. I am SO glad we've made this decision after seeing how difficult it is with 2 and I don't even have the newborn yet! :)

Look What Baby Bean Gets

My wonderful SIL showed me a fabulous deal on BabySteals a few days ago! I had been shopping at my FAVORITE store downtown and had seen a pair of "baby legs" for $14. I liked them a lot, but decided that I could probably get a pair a little cheaper at Target, so I decided to wait. When I got home, my SIL told me that BabySteals' deal was 2 pairs of Baby Legs for $12.00 PLUS no shipping! :)

You KNOW I bought them! I got this set-

What a deal huh?! And a perfect accessories for any Fall baby! I can't WAIT to see them on him! Right about now I don't care WHAT he wears as long as the next 7 weeks hurry up! ;)

Hubbie is a little mortified that I would buy "leg warmers"! I have to laugh! Sounds like something any husband would say!

I think my SIL picked up a pair for her newest tummy baby!!! Still don't know the sex of that one, but I'm hoping for another boy!

I've Been Awarded!

Over the last two years I've been given "blogging awards" a few times! Nothing makes my day like a blogging award! I still do NOT understand why people come back to read my blog, but if I can offer encouragement, some enjoyment or a laugh at least ONCE, then I guess I'm doing okay! Thank you to everyone that stops by and reads my blog!

A LONG while ago, March to be exact, I was awarded "Kreativ Blogger" by Jennifer and I COMPLETELY forgot to do anything with it! I was blog reading yesterday and saw the post! Ooops! Thank you Jennifer for including me in this award!

Recently, Brandie has given me two awards! I really can't remember HOW exactly Brandie found my blog a few years ago, but it was during one of our Dave Ramsey FPU course giveaways and she was the lucky winner! I have enjoyed so much getting to know this mom of 3! They are doing awesome on their Baby Steps and I feel so good knowing that we were able to be apart of that!

Thank you Brandie for these awards!!!

NOW! for the hard part... passing these one! Geesh! Why do these decisions always seem the hardest?! I think I'm suppose to give these awards to like 15 people, but I'm gonna do this MY own way! I'll give it to 5 people- 5 blogs that I read on a regularly basis- that I love- have great ideas/tips/reviews- that I can't wait to go back to!

Lisa @ Just a spoon full of sugar

Steph @ Green Kiddos

Stephanie @ Olive Tree

Kristin @ Bits and Pieces From My Life

Dana @ Thoughts on Life and Dirty Diapers

Now that you've been awarded- share the love! Pass the award on to your favorite bloggers! Thank you ladies for some wonderful blogging! Keep up the good work!


Also, don't forget to sign up for the giveaway! Head over here!

South Carolina Beach Trip

Caution: Ridiculously LONG post with TONS of pictures!!! And sadly this isn't even half!


Last Monday we got up really REALLY early and made a short drive to the beautiful beaches of South Carolina. The boys did great driving up. We had a small hurdle of our portable dvd player breaking. Not so good with a 4 yr old and a 18 mo old during a car trip, but they did good.

We arrived at our condo around 11 and unpacked and ate lunch. We decided to go ahead and do naps and then we could do the beach after we woke up. The condo we were staying at was a God send. We usually stay at hotels when we're going to the beach because of the cost. Sometimes you can find a special rate on a hotel room on the beach or at least nearby. Everything that we could find was over $150 a night which might be a steal for summer time rates, but out of our budget. One of our wonderful small group friends suggested a place they stay- 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo- on the beach-and it was so reasonable. We were so blown away by the rate and the amenities, we booked 2 nights with her immediately. Two ways this lady saves on costs and is able to rent at such a great rate- she only rents by word of mouth, so she has a better chance of having good renters. She also doesn't make anyone pay a cleaning fee. You bring your own sheets, towels, toilet paper, etc. and clean the condo when you leave. I thought- shoot! I'll save $50 dollars to clean the condo myself!

So, after rest time, we headed to the beach.

We had a short walk over the boardwalk to get to the beach.... beautiful multi million dollars houses right beside our condo! Lovely to dream about!This was Peanut's first beach trip. He LOVED the beach.

The beach was a HUGE sandbox and the ocean- a HUGE TUB! He had the best time playing it in water with his daddy. Bubbie on the other hand has been to the beach and he did this trip what he did last trip- PLAY TRAINS!

He wasn't too interested in the ocean. He'd wade in or wade in and run out.

He went in a few times with Hubbie or me, but mostly- he stayed on the sand and played trains!

We were there for about a hour when I looked behind us and saw the stormy sky.

We weren't too concerned, because we had seen the weather report before leaving and knew that the whole week had chances of stormy weather. I didn't REALLY worry until I saw thunder down the beach and it started to sprinkle.... so we packed up quickly and headed back. TOO LATE!!! We got STUCK in the rain! It was horrible! We were walking fast on the boardwalk- couldn't run with the wagon and our bags. Everything got SOAKED! The boys weren't too thrilled to being pelted by the rain! Once we got back to the condo's overhanging, the rain let up a little. Our condo was great. It had 2 outdoor pools, a little deli/grocery store, an indoor pool/hot tub, tennis courts and a playground.

We quickly decided that being caught in the rain and being SOAKED called for some ice cream! Yummy yummy! The boys devoured their popsiciles! The rest of the evening was spent getting cleaned up, eating leftover BBQ (from the 4th of July dinner), reading books, swimming in the outdoor pool and playing with the boys. It was a great evening. We were all exhausted and were in bed by 10.

On Tuesday the boys woke up SUPER early! Man! Thats a rude awakening on a vacation day!!! We were all up and ate our yummy breakfast of Monkey Bread (recipe out of this book that Mandy suggested). We decided to hit the beach before lunch. We had great weather and the boys played and had a ball!










We headed back once the boys got restless, got cleaned up and headed out for lunch. Bubbie was SO excited! We were meeting his friends for lunch and he made sure and told EVERYONE between the condo and car who we were meeting!!! Everyone in the condo knew about Frick and Frack and our lunch plans! Lunch was good- the boys did well. After lunch we decided to drive down the road and just check out our location. Hubbie and I have been to the island several times. Its our favorite beach town, but we had never stayed in that location on the island, so we just wanted to check out our area. We found a Fresh Market, which Hubbie and I LOVE and don't go to very often. We decided to take a stroll through the store and waste some time before nap. We each picked out a treat for after dinner and then walked down to get..... guess what?.... more ice cream! The ice cream was a yummy dessert and a special vacation treat! At home I tend to do the "cheap-o-bo-neap-o" thing and buy a tub of vanilla and add in whatever people want! We don't buy ice cream often either... so the kids were tickled! After ice cream, we headed back to the condo for rest time. The boys rested well- THEY were exhausted! When we woke up, it was raining, so our beach plans weren't looking so hot... We decided to try out the indoor pool! Then we ate dinner, put the boys down for rest and Hubbie and I watched a movie.

Wednesday was, unfortunately, the day to go home. The trip was TOO short. I am usually not a travel kind of girl. I use to enjoy it, but since I've been married or maybe since I've had kids, its just so much easier to stay at home. I guess I've lost some "adventure" in me. Usually by a day or two- no matter what trip- I'm ready to be home! This trip was the first one in YEARS that I was very sad about having to go home. If we had any extra funds, we would have called the "condo lady" and begged her to allow us to stay another night. We were having that much fun. Just being away. Last week was an AWFUL week for our family. Hubbie worked A LOT. It was just one of those no-good-very-bad-weeks for us. It was draining and exhausting. I think this trip came at an awesome time and probably a God-thing. He gave us the perfect trip. A trip full of memories and pictures and just wonderful family time. We had such a great time just playing with the boys. No laundry or chores or bills or stress. No emails or phone calls to worry about.... it was just pure relaxation. It was HEAVEN sent!

So, we woke up and headed to the beach. Not sure WHAT WAS wrong with my child, but Peanut was a PILL. He's started some of the "terrible twos" which is killing me at times, but on Wednesday, he was really acting up. He wasn't having the beach that day. He was just DONE and ready to be home and to be able to sleep in his bed. We didn't stay as long as we had planned, but it worked out. We needed to get moving. We had to clean ourselves up, pack and then clean the condo before leaving at lunch time. We figured eating lunch and then getting the boys in the car for the drive home would be best. The boys could have rest time during the drive home.

So, we did just that. We decided to eat out once during our trip to the beach and since our wonderful friends took us out to lunch on Tuesday, we decided to eat out on Wednesday before leaving. We chose a place that, to us, looked kid friendly. HA! What a joke THAT was! We walked in and saw wine glasses. Later on I found out that we both though, "Wine? At noon? That doesn't seem "kid friendly"". HA!!! During the entire lunch, Hubbie and I kept saying- "Should we leave?" It was crazy! Our kids were the only kids. The lady kept pushing the wine. The lunch was SLOW. Oh and get this, the bill was INSANE! I cannot imagine why these people were listed as "kid friendly".... hmmm... yeah..... we should have left! We ate our dinner VERY quickly, paid the RIDICULOUS bill and left! I hate wasting money...... but I tried to remind myself, it was vacation. We never eat out at restaurants with the kids (we were reminded why!) and it was a vacation thing! So, there is my "unfrugal and horrifying money" moment!!! :) We had a good drive home. No rain until we got home. The kids were good.



All in all, this trip was one of my favorites. Hubbie was able to relax and enjoy this trip. He didn't get ONE work phone call- THANK YOU CO-WORKERS AND CLIENTS! The kids have wonderful memories of this trip that was fun and stress free!

Also, don't forget to head over here and enter to win 3 mos of free membership to the newest JumpStart 3D Virtual World! We love it! So will your kids!

JumpStart Review and Giveaway!

A few weeks ago I received an email offering for me the opportunity to review JumpStart's newest 3D Virtual World! I quickly emailed back! I was MORE than willing to do a review on the JumpStart Virtual World. I had entered a contest trying to win 3 mos of free membership on a bloggin' gal pal's blog not too long ago! I knew exactly what it was and knew that my 4 yr old, Bubbie, would have a BALL! He loves to play online and its a special treat for him to get to do so. He tends to stay on websites from PBSKids or Thomas the Tank Engine, but sometimes we worry about him being able to hop around too easily online. This virtual world is a GREAT solution to that! In addition to being able to go online and check out this site, I was also told we could do a little giveaway!

Once online, in the virtual world, you can design your own "Jumpee" and began to play! Because of Bubbie's age, we started with JumpStart's preschool- My First Adventure. There are also programs for kids up to age 8. Bubbie had fun exploring, coloring, earning coins and shopping with his "money"! I was amazed at how easily Bubbie was able to pick it up and began to play on his own! He was learning and having fun at the same time!




I also enjoyed being able to read JumpStart's blog! It has useful tips, recipes, stories and activities! Very fun with lots of good ideas to keep kids entertained throughout the summer!

"JumpStart is an award-winning adventure-based 3D virtual world that is super-personalized, wildly imaginative and really fun, but don't let that fool you - it also teaches math, reading, and critical thinking skills so kids get a real jump start in life." From the website!

So, back to the giveaway- JumpStart is giving away a free 3 month membership to one of my readers!!! Lucky y'all! The giveaway will run for one week- ending at noon on Monday, July 20th. I will be using random.org to be picking a winner on that date!

I think this is a fabulous way for kids to learn and have fun on the computer! Very safe and kid friendly! So tell everyone you know- whether they have a blog or not- to check it out and come by and enter the giveaway!

Now.... How to enter?!
Simply leave a comment telling me who would use this in your home! Make sure, if you're not a blogger, to leave your email address in the comments!

Its that simple! Just comment! Now, if you'd like to earn extra entries, here is how!

1 extra entry- Twitter and/or change your Facebook status to tell others about the contest. Make sure you add a link to the contest on HyperactiveLu. Don't forget to come back and add another comment to the blog telling me what you did and with the link!

2 extra entries- Blog about the contest! Tell everyone that reads your blog to come check out the contest!!! Again, make sure you comment TWICE, telling me that you blogged about it!

2 extra entries- Grab my button! Also, comment twice more so that I know you've done so!

Good luck to all!