Decorating The Christmas Tree

Lots of things going on this Christmas season which means as soon as our tree met our house the decorations came out. I wasted no time!

Cary's mom was so great about keeping track of his Christmas ornaments. She passed this box along to me a few years back.



Since this is our first year of Ellery actually knowing what the tree is and that she can actually put decorations on and take them off, I decided we would put "soft" and easy ornaments at the bottom of the tree.







Every morning she comes into the living room and says, "TREE!!" I love it, such a joy.

Thanksgiving

We've had a very busy weekend.

My mom's brother, Ken, and his wife, Ann, drove down from Michigan to join us and my grandparents for the holiday. It was a good time visiting with them, I don't think we've seen them for 3 years.

I have been searching the Black Friday deals in hopes of finding something to get me out of bed at 2 AM. Unfortunately the "big" gift for Ellery this year has not been on sale so I took advantage of some Thanksgiving day sales at Michael's craft store. Friday morning I got up and went back to Michael's just to take advantage of another special, only available on Friday morning. However, I got there after a stop at Starbucks and around 8:15.

Then it was rush, rush, rush to get packed and headed out of town to visit with Cary's parents at the farm.

A new tradition for Ellery is a "hay ride" down the farm from the house to the cow fields, about a mile back on the property.

Granddaddy just got a new tractor and Little Miss LOVES it!



Brilliant me, forgot a coat. Don't know what I was thinking but thankfully Sweetie gave me this lovely camo coat. Although it's not SUPER attractive it's incredibly warm. I wore this jacket every day of our visit.





Amos loves the farm. We didn't really let him out of the trailer while in the cow fields because there were a couple of huge bulls that didn't look like they would tolerate our herding dog in their territory.



Random story about Cary and hunting. He visited the farm a few weekends ago and shot his first buck (GO SWEETIE)!! This visit he decided he wanted to hunt wild turkey or coyote. Take a moment and imagine me straight faced shaking my head like "Really? Unbelievable."

Well I came into the den on Saturday afternoon and he was on the computer and out of the blue I heard the most horrific sound. Cary was researching sound clips of dying animals to play on the computer, outside, in an effort to attract the coyotes.

The "cotton tail in distress" sounded more like someone was beating a rabbit in a cotton sack with a golf club. No joke. I didn't even know rabbits had vocal cords, but let me assure you that according to the sound clips he made me listen to I learned something new about these cute furry animals. Imagine a baby shrieking combined with the sound a puppy makes when someone steps on it's tail.

Break my heart!

Needless to say, you will not see any pictures of triumphant kills because apparently the sound of a dying bunny is not loud enough from a laptop soundboard to attract wild coyote.

I'm just glad I don't have to listen to it any more, ever again.









The gentle rocking of the trailer as we were heading back to the house, in addition to the warmth of snuggling up to Granddaddy put Ellery to sleep.




We wrapped up the weekend with the traditional cutting of our Christmas tree.

And the lovely camo coat makes another appearance.



This is one of my favorite parts of our weekend in the country.



It's so exciting taking Ellery back each year and watching her interaction develop.





Cary and I had a few in depth discussions about our tree this year. Since it's going into our new house, which has lower ceilings, it also requires a more narrow diameter base. It's so crazy trying to pick a tree out in a HUGE field. This one looked soo small in its original home, but now that it's in the house it's a perfect size.



Cary and I were commenting on how relaxing of a time we had at the farm this weekend. Walter & Lynn are fantastic grandparents. They love to actively play with her and plan special fun events for her, like the hay rides. We just sit, Cary read every magazine he has been hoping to read for the past 3 weeks and I get started on the blog book. When we arrived we both sat in the barn, "hunting," but we were really just taking an opportunity to sit in peace and quiet to clear our heads. When we leave the farm we feel like we are heading home with quieted hearts and cleared heads. It's not very often you get a chance to clear your head when you have a toddler. Thank you Mimi & Granddaddy.

Shortbread Cookies

Any time my grandparents visit, or I visit them, it's a MUST to learn some new family recipes.

This visit it is Shortbread Cookies. There is nothing like learning how the dough should feel when the expert is around. I love that the recipe Grandma gave me is something like, "oh 1 C to 1 & 1/4 C sugar, just depends on how sweet you like it. Anywhere between 2 & 4 C of flour, just feel the dough and make sure it's not too dry."



This woman never quits. She will be 80 in March of 2011, has lukemia and as a part time job takes care of women who are anywhere from 3-5 years older than her. Grandma drives them to the grocery store, takes their walkers in and out of the trunk, gets the ladies in and out of the car, shops with them then takes them home and sometimes cooks and cleans. Talk about a servants heart. What a woman.



"G Pap" is a good cushion for watching a movie and nibbling on fresh baked cookies.

Time With Friends

Sometimes too much time passes by with out seeing good friends.

On the spur of the moment we made several calls to see if some friends could come over for a cook out.



Our friend Tammy (who is due with her first baby the first of April) and baby Ryder. She had a baby in her arms all evening!





Raleigh (Tammy's husband) and Cary were in charge of the grill.



It's crazy to see our kids, 3 of the children at this table were born with in months of each other, big enough to eat dinner at an adult table.





I don't know. There is something about having a house full of children. I LOVE it! They were running up and down the hall. The house was loud. Kids were laughing and crying and my heart was so full.

Nap

HAD to have a nap this afternoon.

Ellery woke up approximately 45 minutes into her nap just crying her eyes out.

I refused to get up.

What DID get me up (a long time later) was the thought of my Sour Patch Kids.

They make me happy!!

It was one of those afternoons; the kind where I had to PRAY my way past the time (for my patience and tone of voice) otherwise Ellery was going to suffer the consequences.

I called Cary to find out when he would be home and about 15 minutes later he walked into the door with these,



They definitely helped!

Christmas Planner

I made this book today!



The idea originated from my friend Courtney.

You can copy our idea here.

I totally listened to Christmas music while cutting and organizing my materials.



This book is gonna be awesome because I have a place for everything I might need this season!

Coupon folder on the inside cover and a receipt folder on the back cover.



Lots of great tabs for lists, addresses, menu recipes, etc.





I think the best part is being able to have something tangible to look at next year and remind myself how this Christmas worked!

You should definitely try it!

O-M-G

I found these little boots at Walmart this afternoon for $12.

I DIE for these boots!

This picture just kills me, I mean those chubby legs are too much for this Momma.

13 Weeks

I know, there's a belly and no head. Trust me, it was the best option! Cary doesn't take the best belly pictures.

I am addicted to Sour Patch Kids.

Pizza and fast food are NOT. MY. FRIEND. Please, if you are around me and I suggest one of these things as a snack or meal do NOT let me eat them. No joke...

I must have had my first craving tonight because I had..HAD...to have these items.



This past weekend I experienced overwhelming exhaustion. Sunday morning, when I should have been working in the nursery at church, I headed to Patient First.

Well, 3 hours later, 4 needle pokes and a threat for IV fluids later I was ordered to bed rest.

This pregnancy hasn't been nice to me, YET.

Friday I was tired but very nauseous. My reaction is to stop eating & drinking for fear of a bad stomach thing I've been battling too frequently lately.

I felt a tad worse on Saturday but forced myself to fulfill prior commitments. I slept over 12 hours on Saturday night.

Cary had Mono as a kid and I asked him if this was how he acted, cause that's exactly how I felt. I could not stand in the kitchen for more than 15 minutes with out feeling like I would fall out right there.

Sunday morning I knew I was worse.

When I went into the doctors they told me I was EXTREMELY dehydrated, which was obvious when they tried 3 times to draw blood with no success and finally got it from my hand. I had this problem when I went into the hospital to deliver Ellery. You think I would learn!

He told me I have a virus and thankfully he gave me anti-nausea meds. That little pill gives me the ability to eat and sleep. It's great! I'm also very thankful he let me go home and drink instead of giving me an IV, which is what he was tempted to do.

I was told to stay in bed all day on Monday. You know you are sick when you are in bed for 2 days straight and it's not a dreaded place. Last night when I did emerge from the bedroom, Cary came home from work and said "Wow, you REALLY didn't do anything today! That's good Sweetie!"

Today is a completely different story. I have cravings (obviously), standard energy and no nap (although a little one would have been nice, but Ellery woke up early). I'm still keeping a close eye on my diet and overall health.

Every day that is considered a "healthy day" is an amazing blessing. I loved every moment I shared with Ellery today. There was finally energy and patience for a toddler and no matter how many crocodile tears she might have shed I enjoyed even those ordinarily challenging moment.

Alright! On to week 14 (and my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving)....bring it!

It's Time

I finally feel ready to share this news. 13 weeks in the making and a roller coaster of emotion over that time but now I am in a place where joy overshadows the fear and thankfulness claims my heart.

Around May 20th of 2011 we will be adding another person to our growing family!!

This first trimester has been filled with all day morning sickness, lots of anxiety and fear and sort of disbelief.

This is how we found out:

One Friday night I was cleaning up after dinner and happened to walk between Cary and the TV several times. Once I finally sat down he turned to me and said, “Sweetie, is there any chance you could be pregnant?” I said, “Umm, there’s like a 95% chance I’m NOT pregnant. Do I look fat?” Yea, that set a whole new conversation into motion and it took him some time to crawl out of that one. But I will say it got my wheels turning.

On Monday afternoon, and the weekend of half hearted calculations, I went to the store to pick up a test. Cary came home from work and I told him that we were taking a pregnancy test. He joined in my skepticism. We walked away and he made us wait in the kitchen the full 3 minutes.

I have to chuckle because as we walked down the hall to the bathroom for the results we were high-fiving to the comments of “Here goes to a negative pregnancy test!”

As I turned the corner I saw 1 word, my jaw hit the floor and I said, “SHUT. UP!” right about the time Cary looked at the test. We were in shock, probably me more so than him. I think Cary was just excited.

So here we are. I have been battling fears of a miscarriage this entire first trimester and have failed in letting those anxieties take control of my mind at times. But after seeing this precious one yesterday I am rejoicing in the Lord for His goodness. My heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness. May can not get here fast enough. My belly can not show signs of this growing little one fast enough for me. I am just so excited to have another baby and I just praise the Lord for our blessing.






In case you are curious:

Yes, I do have a bit of a baby bump.
No, I have not taken any belly pictures yet (but will very soon).
Yes, I ran a ½ marathon pregnant and sick. My mother was not happy with me about that either.
Yes, we will probably find out the gender of the baby (cause Cary NEEDS a boy).
No, I don’t think we are done yet.
No, Ellery does not know or really understand about another baby joining the family.

I'll be sure to keep you posted as to how things are developing but as for now I can not eat enough food, my energy has finally returned along with the departure of my nausea. Happy days!

City Of Oaks Half Marathon

Our weekend in Raleigh was organized as a girls weekend away with a 1/2 marathon race thrown in, for fun.

Friday night, Jaclyn and I headed out for a dinner on the town. A friend who lives in Raleigh recommended the restaurant Sitti. What an amazing recommendation! It was Mediterranean style cuisine that was to die for.



I loved that we arrived at the restaurant after 8:00 in the evening, had a 1/2 hour wait and as we walked up to the bar a pair of chairs opened up. We sat down, ordered drinks (virgin for me of course) and had appetizers.



The best thing about my relationship with Jaclyn, other than a 20+ year friendship, is that we NEVER seem to run out of things to talk about. A 3 hour road trip, unpacking and settling and then going out to dinner and not a dull moment. I love that girl.

We didn't eat dinner until after 9 and got home after 11. Seriously, how long has it been since I've done that? Don't know, would have to check the blog to find out!

Saturday we drove the race course & picked up our race packets. These balloon statues were outside the packet pick up room and it reminded of college sorority rush. Goofy pictures were in order.





Unfortunately much past this moment I did not document photographically. But here's how the race broke down.

Although the nasty cold was improving daily I did not make the final decision to run until Sunday morning. I knew I would run on Saturday, out of sheer determination, but Saturday night was really rough, physically.

We began the run and as expected the course was full of long slow hills. About mile 6 I heard Cary's voice, from our conversation the night before, "Sweetie, I know that if you get to mile 6 and find that you are pushing yourself too hard that you'll listen to your body and take it easy."

That was right about the time in the race I could tell I was not recovering from each hill as quickly as I should and that I would not be able to maintain the current pace. Mile 7 came around and I told Jaclyn to keep strong and go ahead. She was concerned about me and I told her I would be fine.

As soon as she took off I felt my heart lift and a big smile come across my face. I knew she would attain our goal. I knew I would finish the race. But I also was very proud of myself for listening to my body and taking it easy. Truthfully I sort of became a diva on the course, making sure my nose was tidy (it ran a LOT on the course) and my outfit looked cute! I walked a lot but also didn't let myself stop running the last 2-3 miles.

A couple things that surprised me:

1-I was sick and STILL did not "suck wind" like those other racers pushing themselves around me.

2-It's amazing how much I've learned from Cary. He taught me how to run downhill, like let your legs go and feel like you're about to loose control. I would FLY past other runners just going downhill and they never caught up (even when I walked).

I realized, while walking, that as competitive as I can be with myself this was one race where I really didn't care when I finished. I knew I would finish. I had done my work in training and this was a celebration of the summer months of running.

The Richmond Marathon races are more fun, but it was a good experience to race out of town.

I don't know when I'll do another race, but I will do another one...

Official race results:

Jaclyn 1:59:19
Leah 2:09:14

Home Sweet Home

We are home!!

We both had a great weekend.

I did the race! More on this later....

Jaclyn attained our goal of completing the race in less than 2 hours and I came in a few minutes later at 2:09. But the most important thing is that we raced happy.

Now, on to some dinner and an early to be evening with my Sweetie ( I mean I have been up since 4:30 this morning people )!!

We leave this afternoon.

I slept better last night than I did any other night this week, which makes me hopeful!

I am feeling a tad bit better but still trying to decide if it's because I have so much to think about, plan, pack that I'm not letting myself acknowledge the fact that my nose is still running and I'm still coughing (maybe a little less so far today than yesterday).

After my quiet time this morning I would like to think that I am at total peace with running or not running. But that peace will be tested Sunday morning. Either way my greatest desire is to have a definite feeling of "Yes, run." or "No, don't."

I can be so indecisive sometimes it can drive both me AND Cary crazy.

Overall this weekend will be great, regardless of a race. Cary is taking a good friend and Ellery to his parents house in the country this weekend. I've been telling Ellery about her upcoming trip for the past few days and this morning I said,

"Ellery, guess what today is!"

"Mimi? Cow?"

"YES!! You get to see Mimi & cows today! Good job."

I'm not making this conversation up, people. She can answer questions and it's amazing what she remembers.

Soo, off to pack 2 females and get it together.

Ugh (updated)

Sunday morning is the Raleigh 1/2 marathon.

Jaclyn & I have been training since May or June. We began training for a full marathon but then mid summer decided life would be better running the 1/2.

This is all great and dandy with the slight exception of the nasty cold I have this week. Truthfully Ellery & I have been pelted with illness over the past 2 weeks and every day I pray this cold is the last of it.

Yesterday, while planning the trip to NC with Jaclyn I was adamant about my attendance & participation in this race. I believe I'll be healthy enough.

I'm BELIEVING that I'll be healthy enough...I wont even speak the feelings of "what if I can't run."

UPDATE:
I realized this post might come across a bit strong willed. That's how much I'm holding on to this race, this is my stubborn side coming out. But I'm realizing that maybe I need to let it go. Jaclyn wants/needs a HEALTHY race partner and if I'm not healthy enough to run I will at least be there to cheer and encourage her to meet her goal. We'll see how it goes and I will have to be fine with either outcome.

Flu Shot

I was given my flu shot on Thursday of last week. Yea, in case you haven't gotten it yet be ready cause your arm will hurt for days after.

Ellery went into the pediatricians for her flu shot today.

The brilliant doctor mentioned ice cream! I don't say that sarcastically at all, I believe ice cream is a fantastic treat for visiting a doctors office.

Swirl soft serve ice cream with rainbow sprinkles is very good, for baby AND mommy!

Halloween Night

At the last minute we decided to not take Ellery trick-or-treating.

Yea, we got lazy.

But she didn't seem to mind!



We dressed her up in a tutu from her birthday party and last year's costume, which made her happy.

She just greeted every kid at the door and then followed them out into the front yard, like she was going to go play with them. Which means we had to reign her in a few times. But I still think this was the best decision for this year, not taking her out.



As a distraction from the candy bowl that was within reach when she was sitting on the sofa, we decided to feed each other grapes!



I love that I can wear the Halloween "cat" ring that was a decoration for cupcakes that Mimi bought a few weeks ago.