Kiss in a Karaoke Bar......

I have married the most wonderful man, our first kiss was in a Karaoke bar during spring break. That was a funny story for another day... :)

We have had 8 years of a roller coaster ride, good and challenging. Yet at the end of each day I knew it would all be o.k. because my sweet Steve was beside me.

If Steve is o.k. then i'm o.k.... he is my safe place, my strength.

Steve lifts me up when the load of life gets heavy.

My sweet husband continues to make me smile, laugh and enjoy life. He always tries to see the positive in life and go for it.

Oh yes, he does drive me crazy with some things, and that is what makes me crazy in love with him. We are almost complete opposites, he loves to hunt ( me not so much) , he listens to OLD time country (me, well I love newer country so we compromise) and he will even choose to pee outside rather than in a house... (that drives me crazy)... Seriously I did not know how red neck he was until over the years! HA HA

Oh but man can he cook some mean BBQ and clean house!

I do like a clean and organized house so in that department we are good.

But a man that cleans... HUGE BONUS!

At the end of the day, just seeing him makes me smile. He loves me for who I am and doesn't try to change me. He thinks I'm beautiful with or without makeup.. his famous last words are always.. "just be COMFORTABLE"....

I love how easy going he can be, he lets me open my wings and fly with all my ideas, dreams and hobbies.

I love him with all my heart.

I'm so blessed to have such an amazing man and father for our children.

Happy 8 year Anniversary Babe!!

Comfort

It is imperative that we recognize that whatever has happened to us has happened to others. They have coped and so must we. We are not alone. Heavenly Father's help is near.

~ Thomas S. Monson

We're all in this life together. We have our share - sometimes it seems like an unfair share - of trials, disappointments, pain, and heartache large and small.

"But God will not leave us comfortless or alone (John 14:18).

Thomas s. Monson ~ "I bear to you my witness that He is there. He does hear and answer EVERY prayer. His son, the Christ, burst the bands of earthly prisons. Heaven's blessings await you".

Always on the floor...

O.k. so Hunter's bow and arrow ALWAYS ends up on the floor. It isn't just a toy it is the real deal, so I didn't want it to be broken.

I have been looking for something to hang it up on and I'm pretty proud of my find.

I was in Lowe's yesterday and came across this, It was PERFECT!

Now the bow is off the floor it won't get broken and it looks pretty cute under his name.

I Love it!!

$2.00

O.k. ladies, so i'm back to cutting coupons again( I took a break for a couple of weeks).

This was my big save for the week.

These yogurts cost $8.00 and I got them BOGO and had 2 coupons

and I only spent.... drum roll please.... $2.00.

( the crazy part of it is, if I could have found 2 more coupons.... it would have been FREE)

I'm pretty excited about this save!

Publix is having some good deals this week.

Go on Southersavers.com and have fun shopping and saving!!!

Guiding Light

I love this quote: It sure reminds me of what I need to be doing daily. I'm grateful for church leaders that guide and direct us.

"Moment by moment, breath by breath, our lives are granted to us and are renewed. So it is with spiritual light. It must be renewed in us on a regular basis. We must generate it day by day, thought by thought, and with daily righteous action."

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminds us how we can have spiritual light: “When I was a boy, I used to ride my bicycle home from basketball practice at night. I would connect a small pear-shaped generator to my bicycle tire. Then as I pedaled, the tire would turn a tiny rotor, which produced … a single, welcome beam of light. … I learned quickly that if I stopped pedaling my bicycle, the light would go out. I also learned that when I was ‘anxiously engaged’ in pedaling, the light would become brighter and the darkness in front of me would be [forced away].”

Elder Hales explains that “spiritual light comes from daily spiritual pedaling. It comes from praying, studying the scriptures, fasting, and serving—from living the gospel and obeying the commandments” (“Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light,” Ensign, May 2002, 71).

When we live the gospel and keep the commandments, we can have the Light of Christ with us always.

Henry Happenings

Ummm YES that is our KITCHEN TABLE!

Our little dare devil Henry enjoys climbing on everything!!!!! He keeps me on my toes, he is such a busy boy.

TOTALLY time for a BIG BOY BED!!! Hunter and Henry broke the crib like 5 months ago so Henry boy has been in a pack and play. Henry has now learned how to pull up the mat and gets into the bottom of the pack and play. I caught him on camera falling asleep with the mat pulled up. It cracks us up that he figured out how to change things up. Smart little dude.

Henry and mommy got to finger paint for the first time. Henry liked the feeling of the paint on his fingers. I thought for sure he would want to do it for awhile but he was done after the first 5 mins. He is so active that he just doesn't want to sit still.

Hunter and his buddy Christian had fun playing together this week.
They where actually chasing each other around in the kitchen it was the cutest thing. Hearing them laugh was precious. We are excited that they will grow up together.

OATMEAL CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

I tried this recipe off of the back of a Ocean Spray Craisins bag. It was a HIT in my family. Hunter said he loved them so much because they didn't take long to make and they baked in 10 min. Hunter loves to bake so he helped me make them, they turned out yummy and they are some what healthy.



OATMEAL CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

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INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Per Serving (1 cookie): Cal 135 (6%DV), Fat Cal. 54, Pro. 2g (4%DV), Carb. 18g (6%DV), Fat 6g (9%DV), Chol. 15mg (4%DV), Sod. 138mg (5%DV), Vit. A 47RE (4%DV), Vit. C 0mg (0%DV), Vit. E 1mg (2%DV), Calcium 16mg (1%DV), Iron 1mg (3%DV), Folate 5Ug (1%DV), Zinc <1mg (1%DV), Pot. 54mg (1%DV), Dietary Exchange: Other Carbohydrate 1, Fat 1.5

Special Dinner Guest

We got to have a special dinner guest over during the holidays. Our family found out the Hunter's teacher didn't have family in town, so we invited her to come for dinner. We had a great time getting to know her.

To add some more fun to the dinner we had Parker's family over also. Parker is one of Hunter's school buddies.

We have gotten to know Parker's family and we really think they are neat.

Hunter and Parker got to show Ms. Whitfield how to play the Wii. Then Hunter showed her his big boy FSU room.

It was a fun experience for Hunter to have his teacher come to his house.

This boy has skill

Henry LOVES to go in the cabinets and take dishes out. While I was cooking I was watching him in amazement. Look at all the dishes on the floor and now check out the tower he made. Seriously this kid has some skill to stacking. :)


This is what he made with all the dishes he took out. Crazy!!!!

Making Life Simple...

Making life more simple is a good goal to have right? Well, that is exactly what we are trying to do.

It started with getting a cereal holder. This way Hunter doesn't have to CLIMB on the counters and he can still be independent and get his own breakfast. He loves this new gadget.

Next, we are doing chores, trying to get Hunter boy to learn EVERYTHING IS NOT FREE! Mommy and daddy can't buy you everything and if you want it you have to EARN the money.

Honestly I was starting to feel like a maid. I was picking up after these boys ALL DAY! By the time I had one end of the house clean, the boys destroyed the other end. Chores!! Oh heck yeah, Hunter is doing chores. He actually likes it. Now he is my big helper.

Finally, if you where in our house for the past couple of months it was a nightmare trying to get Hunter UP and OUT the door for school.

So after talking to my friend Lauren she suggested a plan that they did. And let me tell you .... It has been a huge night and day difference.

When Hunter wakes up he has to make his bed, get dressed, brush his teeth, and be at the table eating his breakfast by 7am. If he is there all ready to go with backpack and shoes on he gets $1.00.

This has been huge in our home... no tears, no mommy and daddy feeling like bad parents, no yelling "lets go we are going to be LATE"! It is just a good morning.

I love it, and he is earning money to buy the things he wants. No more mommy and daddy just giving him everything.

These have been positive changes in our home. It is a new meaning to HAPPY new year!

We each have divine potential to create masterpieces within our lives here on earth.

That woman...

I was introduced to an older man at a wedding on Sunday as "oh you remember that woman". She is the one you called in the hospital.

The older man responded with a smile Oh yes! You are Haley's mom!

I loved how his sweet face filled up with the biggest smile when he said Haley's mom. It was like he had known me for all his life and knew my daughter as his own granddaughter.

It was all I could do to hold back the tears in my eyes when he said "Haley's Mom". That totally caught me off guard. I'm not use to being known to others as Haley's mom, Hunter and Henry yes, hummm that was a strange feeling. The brides mom saw me and immediately embraced me with love. It amazes me that such wonderful friendships have come from little infants that passed on to heaven.

What a beautiful and special connection to have... when they look at me they see and remember our dear Haley girl. Our families will forever be friends because we shared each others burdens and have grown from our little angels in Heaven.

Sometimes I'm reminded in the oddest ways that yes, I do have a daughter, I'm Haley's mom. I'm so use to being a mommy of boys, those stinky, stubborn, adventurous adorable boys that I love so dearly.

When I thought about it some more on the way home, I thought about the impact little Haley has had on so many people. My sister Audrey is on a mission and she shared Haley story with a member, who I have never met in Utah. It has amazed me that through one little girl in heaven, our family has connected with 3 new friends and her story has been shared to help others that have also lost infants.

We met Gina 7 years ago. She had twin boys, Daniel and Dylan, they died from complications. They all share a place with Haley on Our Heavenly Father's knee.
Through her I then met Amy, and a sweet lady named Tiffany. Who is a teacher at Hunter's School. What are the odds of that. Tiffany helped me out with Hunter and gave me peace of mind with school teachers in the future.

I firmly believe that people or should I call them earthly angels are placed in our lives for a purpose. They teach us, we love each other. We truly are "sisters" sharing each others burdens the good and bad life experiences.

I'm use to being a mommy of boys and having them watch me, but when I really thought about it. I have a little girl that is watching me, watching over me, helping me, loving me beyond my understanding. It makes me want to be "that woman" the woman with the strong testimony, is a daughter of God, an example of humility, Charity in my heart, compassion, patience, and unconditional love. I want her to be proud of me. I want to be a reflection of our savior. I know I won't be perfect , but I sure can try. I know I can do my best and the lord will cover the rest.

I'm Haley's Mom, the mother of a daughter so perfect that she was needed back in heaven. Wow, now that is pretty cool to think about. So when I think back now at the moment when I was introduced as "That Woman" I give a big smile and say yes that's me!!!

Just not gonna...

This new year I decided I'm not dieting, not stressing about what I look like, not feeling bad about myself or the love handles around my hips and belly.

I was starting to obsess over what I ate, getting on the scale ALL the time. When is enough, enough!?

Instead, I'm going to enjoy life, exercise when I can, make good choices of food for my body and my family.

I'm going to relax...find other area's of my life to put my energy, positive energy. Have fun with exercising, Steve and me are even going to try to do P90X, now that sounds comical doesn't it? Ha ha

This is me, this is my size, if I loose those my last 10 pds then I do. And I will have fun with it. But i'm NOT going to stress about it.

Awwww that really feels good.

Happy New Year!!!!

Christmas 2010 So blessed

Awwwww Christmas morning... fun times.
The guys just hanging out.
I love my Ashlea!!
Alisha is armed and dangerous.....

Sisters...Watch out!!! Hunter is geared up for dart wars.
Henry loves his new activity table.
Chicken for dinner?!?
Wii Wii Wii Wii ..................
Santa came!
Granny reading Christmas books.
Making cookies for Santa.
Books from Granny McFaddin.
Visiting with the Blackwelder Cousins.

Our Christmas was spent with the "White" side this year. We headed to Orlando and spent the night with Aunts, Uncles, Granny White and had a blast with the cousins.

We truly had a blessed Christmas. This year Christmas had such a different meaning with us have more of a Christ Centered Christmas. We really tried to focus on Christ rather than presents.

Of course Hunter and Henry totally scored with great fun items. Awwww the joy of Christmas morning when those little guys get to open presents and see what Santa brought them. So Special!

Sick!!

Well our family started the new year off sick!

Daddy had it first,then mommy and Henry...

I hoping Hunter doesn't get it, just in time for school to start back...

NOT FUN!!

Will post more pics of Christmas when we are feeling better.

Happy New Year!!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve we headed to Downtown Disney. We met up with Steve's brothers and mom, had some lunch and checked out the festivities. The Christmas decorations were beautiful. Of course Hunter and Grace where in heaven hanging out together.

MUD

Hunter said mommy "can I use the hose to get a drink of water?" The next thing I see is Henry is COVERED in MUD..... Hunter thought it would be fun to make a mud puddle and he was prepared with his rain boots but Henry decided to SIT in the mud as Hunter jumped up and down splashing him.... yikes!!!!

Boys will be boys!

Blackwelder Bliss

Our family got to spend the day with the my sister Bethany's family. The kids played dress up, opened gifts and me and Bethany stayed up till 3 am just chatting it up. Oh I miss my sister. What a fun Christmas surprise to be able to spend some time with them over the holidays.