Cruising with the Crawfords

WOW...

2011-05-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

So much to update on! My birthday was last month and it was amazing! There were great dinners and many surprises. I will have to update that soon. That will be another post in itself, once I get all the pictures uploaded.

But today it is onto another topic that has struck the Crawford household.

On Tuesday morning I woke up feeling great, the only weird thing I noticed was when I was brushing my teeth, the left side of my tounge felt weird. It was nothing to alarming so I just blew it off and went about my day.

As Tuesday progressed, the left side of my head began hurting very badly. It was like a migrain head ache, but only on the left side. I had so much to do at school that I just popped some advil and went about my day. But, my tounge was still bothering me and now the left side of the inside of my mouth was numb. I thought maybe I was allergic to something and sent Dr. Jane (a very close friend and amazing doctor) a text. She told me to let her know if any other symptoms occured.

Wednesday morning at 5:00AM my alarm goes off for bootcamp. I could not get out of bed. My headache on the left side was so bad - so I stayed in bed until it was time to get ready for school. When I went to the bathroom that is why I starting freaking out. My left eye was not blinking correctly and when I tried to brush my teeth, the left side of my mouth would not form to spit. Then I tried to smile - and that is when I LOST it. Tears flowing everywhere. My smile was only on the right.

I called Andrew into the room and showed him what was going on. He didn't even know what to say, but "Call Jane." I left her a message and tried to continue getting ready for school.

To make a long story short, the nurse at school sent me home before the 8:30am bell even rang. I was a mess. Anytime someone would stop me in the hall I would loose it. I was just really scared.

I got into the doctor at 9:15am and my best friend Christy went with me so I would not have to be alone. Turns out I have Bells Palsy. Work has been very stressful latley and it obvioulsy caused my immune system to be shot. She said it is virual and they began treating aggresivly with steroids so hopefully it will not get worse before better.

I am thankful that I caught it early and so thankful for all my sweet family and friends who helped me through and checked on me throughout the day yesterday. It was deffinitly a crazy rollercoaster ride. I am very happy that it is nothing 'serious.'

I'll keep you posted on the changes of my face!!! Stay tuned for some more up-beat posts soon! :)

It's over... but not for long!

2011-04-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

So boot camp was great! The month is over! It definitely challenged me and pushed me harder than I normally push my self when I work out. WE SURVIVED! But not only did I survive, but I signed up for another month. I am addicted. Truly 100% addicted and want to tell everyone about my experince. Here are the reasons I fell in love with working out this way, especially with TEXAS BOOTCAMP.

1. It is in the morning so I do not miss time with Wyatt - he is still sleeping.

2. My workout is done before my day starts and it makes me feel great throughout the day.

3. I eat so much better, because in my head I think - " I don't want to ruin that great workout I had this morning!"

4. It has been amazing time with sweet friends. We laugh a lot and push each other to try harder than we think we can.

5. Our trainer is wonderful!

6. We work every part of our body!

7. The workouts are never the same, so we don't get bored.

8. I have seen results!

9. I don't have to re-shower later in the day. I hate getting ready more than once a day!

10. Texas Bootcamp is a Christian Company. At the end of each work out they read us a bible story with a short lesson/devotional. Talk about great way to start my day - healthy body and healthy soul! :)

You should seriously think about Boot Camp! I know 5:30AM is early, but it has worked wonders for me. I NEVER, EVER imagined I would be a person to wake up and go work out. I actually turned my nose up at people who did and I thought they were truly crazy! I had every excuse in the book - including a really good one... "I have had 3 major knee surgeries and there are just things I can't do anymore." Not ONE time did I have to stop a workout because of my knee. And I could not be more excited to see my body being able to workout like I used too! They have workouts 6 days a week - and you can attend any session (morning or night). I am so excited I found something I love. Working out is no longer a frustration for me! We have a week off next week and I plan to run/work out to keep my body going until the next month starts! Whoo Hoo for feeling great!

Beautiful Spring Day with Wyatt

2011-04-02T12:22:00.001-07:00

This morning we woke up to a BEAUTIFUL DAY! I could not even excercise the thought of staying in doors. While Wyatt was eating breakfast I took a morning run and then came home to show him the surprise I bought him yesterday, Sidewalk Chalk!

We played outside for over an hour - coloring on the sidewalk. Here are the things we colored; dinosaurs (t-rex), baseballs, soccer balls, footballs and wrote all our names several times! Then we decided we wanted to have a little family outing. We headed to Corner Bakery - definitely one of my favorite places to eat in the whole world!! We sat on the porch and enjoyed the weather even more! Wyatt scarfed down a grilled cheese and a cup of fruit while Andrew and I had our favorite salads! We then decided to take Wyatt to try out Putt Putt for the first time. We play "golf" all the time outside in our driveway so we thought this would be a great idea. He was given a little golf set at his birthday and I normally stand at one end of the driveway; him at the other and we just hit it back and forth. Needless to say I was wondering how he would handle putting the ball in the hole! Here are some pictures below! He loved it! Daddy teaching him how to hold to club.

YEAH! He got it in!

He looks like a pro!

He is such a big boy - and doesn't he look soo cute in his new boat shoes?! :)

Daddy and Wyatt taking a break!

Me and my sweet little buddy!

Wyatt had a small meltdown at the 18th hole. He was not very happy that the ball was "gone." He kept getting on his stomach and looking into the hole asking where it went? It only got worse when we had to return the golf club. He just did not understand why anyone would give him a ball and club and then take them back! :)

This is how Wyatt plays Putt Putt - I think I like his method!!! :)

Boot Camp Week 1

2011-03-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Boot Camp Week 1 was great! Sunday night I did not sleep AT ALL. I kept waking up thinking I was going to sleep past my alarm clock or that I could get there and not be able to do anything asked of me. Little did I know, none of those things were going to happen. It turned out to be wonderful! I will be honest, Monday after the workout I began thinking - "Is this really worth the money?" It wasn't 'that hard.' But Wednesday morning was a completely new boot camp. Monday they were just warming me up. I already feel better about myself and have been eating soo much better this week. This weekend we went of a camp out with our seniors from church and I definitely did not eat well... but I look forward to getting back into my healthy eating habits from last week and working out hard. I have been sore and there are times; like 5:00am when I doubt what I am doing. But it is all worth it! It also helps that Jill, Christy and Ashley are there waiting for me every morning. We have had great bonding time and laugh soo much! I honestly think I am addicted! Looks like I will probably be signing up for another boot camp this summer!!! Looking forward to Week 2! I will keep you posted!

Miss You!

2011-03-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

So there are about a million more pictures where these came from. Basically we lived 3 years inseparable from one another. I think there was a time period, that we saw each other everyday and if we didn't for some strange reason, we talked on the phone about 5 times that specific day. We new everything about one another - the good and bad.

So I miss you Lyns! There are days when I wish Denmark was only 20 minutes away so I could meet you for coffee, have a slumber party and stay up all night, drive down the road with the windows down dancing/ rapping to whatever song was on the radio, eat without any thought of what we were eating, go shopping and buy the exact same clothes in a different shade of grey, hear someone use our name in the same sentence- "Oh Jodi and Lyns," because they knew we were a pair and pray together.

I love you best friend! I pray for you daily and can't wait until one day we are living life together again with our little families. God is doing amazing things in you and Martin's life and I love being a part of it- even from across the ocean!

Miss you TONS!

*I mean really - we could be sisters, look at those pictures above!* :)

Zoo Time!

2011-03-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

Wyatt and the monkeys!
We took the kids on the train that goes over the zoo. You get to see animals you can't see while walking. Wyatt kept saying, "OOO look at those leaves!" He cracks me up!

Ellie and Wyatt would not sit on the gorilla statue. It kind of freaked them out! So we opted for a picture on te bench!

They loved their cool sunglasses!
Yesterday morning - Jill and I woke up early and took the kids to the zoo. Going to the zoo is probably one of my most favorite things to do with Wyatt. Wyatt loves to be outside and loves animals, so it is the perfect combination!

The Dallas Zoo has added a bunch of new animals and the new African Safari section is so great for kids. They can see Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Gorillas and Giraffes all up close. I mean face to face! You can eat lunch right next to the lions - they are literally on the other side of the glass. And you can feed the giraffs. They take a huge piece of leaf out of your hand! Such a great experince for them! We have been several times and will keep going back. Everytime we go they have added more!

When Andrew can get the day off - or on a really pretty Saturday, we are going to try to hit up the Ft. Worth Zoo!

Spring Break as been fun soo far! Can't wait for the rest of the week!

Oh I LOVE HER...

2011-03-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

Today, Christy came over to bring me lunch and I started thinking about how much I love her as a friend. If you have not ever had a best friend, let me know and I will find you one! There is nothing like a true best friend who really knows you emotionally and spiritually inside and out. Girls need love from other girls! I look back at ALL of my best friends (because I have soo many) and see how God has strategically placed them at times in my life when I needed them the most. Each one of my best friends are so different, but all love the Lord and me whole-heartedly. Sweet girls I would not trade in for the world; Christine, Kari, Rebecca, Lynsey, Deighton, Cobb, Ashley - all are girls that I love so much and need in completely different ways. I love that God has given me sweet girls to help me through stages of my life.

But today, meet Christy! I did not think I was looking for a new friend at the time I met her. I would have never imagined that God was about to Rock my World through this friendship. I had no idea He was about to grow me, mold me and shape me into a new person - teaching me to love in a new way, and forming a friendship that is so in-tune with God.

I met Christy at church, through Ashlee Cobb (who I love dearly). Cobb came to me 2 years ago in November to ask me to talk with her friend Christy. See, Christy had lost her Dad and her friends were not sure how to "help" her, or even how to love on her. If you have never lost a parent you don't know what it feels like - and that is totally understandable, but it is hard to even speak to people who don't know the anger, fear, suffering, and sadness you are experiencing. So I loved that Cobb reached out to me.

I called Christy and we met for dinner - and it was a dinner that lasted a very long time. That dinner turned in to several more. I was able to walk her through the grief and show her that what she was feeling was okay. BUT, God was teaching me through all this. He showed me that there were sooo many things in my life that went back to my mom's death that I had not dealt with. Things that I kept inside because I was supposed to be "okay." I didn't have anyone from the outside to walk me through when I lost Mom. I wanted to be okay for my family, and I didn't turn to anyone. So as it turned out - 3 years after Mom died, I began the last stage of grief acceptance! WOW.

I remember thinking, "God what is your plan in all this?" But now I see. He wanted me to trust Him again. To rely on Him again. To learn to communicate my feelings. To learn to not have to be "strong." To learn to not have to fix everything.To be open to suffering and to learn to love myself in a new way so that I could be a Wife and Mom like she was!

I feel like Christy and I have known each other for years. I needed her these last two years and I thought I was the one who was needed. :) Oh was I wrong. I have gained a best friend, one that I won't ever let go! So Christy - You are stuck with the Crawfords! We are honest with one another, hold one another accountable and laugh TONS together. If you put us in the same room, things get a little crazy. We just think the same in sometimes the craziest of ways - and many times we get weird stares!

When we hang out - it is for hours! I don't think we can hang out for an hour and be "filled." Our time together last a really long time. So today when she showed up to bring me lunch, I knew my after noon was going to be amazing.

She is a a part of our family! Wyatt adores her! I mean adores! And Andrew loves her like a sister. She can be in our home any time and there is never any awkward time.

So I just wanted to introduce you to one of the most selfless friends I have had. Someone who can love me even when my heart is dark and angry. Someone who can step up to the plate and tell me I am wrong. Someone who loves the Lord so much she is okay with having hard conversations. Someone who loves my family. Someone who I can be completely inappropriate with and not feel judged!

We love you Christy! Thank you for loving me so much!

These Pictures about Sum who we are! :)

FUNNIES!!!

2011-03-08T21:16:00.001-08:00

Tonight I went and put a t-shirt on. The t-shirt that I happened to put on was The 'Antler' & 'Claw' shirt from the Ranger's Last Season. Wyatt is in love with the Rangers - and Josh Hamilton to be exact.

When I walked in the room he said, "Nice Shirt Mom.... Nice Shirt!" :)

Whenever we watch any sporting event; football, basketball or hockey

- Wyatt asks, "Where's Josh?!!"

The last several months have been hard without baseball, he asks to watch it regularly! Glad it is about to start again.

We have learned that Wyatt picks up on our mannerisms and saying more than we know. Whenever he does something a crazy 2 year old does without thinking, Andrew will say,

"Wyatt, Come on Buddy."

Tonight Wyatt threw a ball at Andrew, but he wasn't paying attention. He wanted his Daddy to catch it.

-Wyatt yelled, "COME ONNN... COME onnn!"

We could only laugh!

Last but not least, his vocabulary is growing like crazy! He was watching a commercial on Nick Jr. and they showed something slimy.

- Wyatt said, "Mom that is disgusting!!!"

So crazy my two year old is using that word!

Lots of blogging this week - it's because the only part of my that doesn't feel awful is my fingers, and I am not good at sitting still. So enjoy the reads!

Listen up Moms!

2011-03-08T15:01:00.001-08:00

Hey Moms, or Soon-to-be-Moms!

If you are looking for a good Bible for you child, this one is amazing! I have read Wyatt a Bible story every night since the day he was born. The Aylor Family introduced Andrew and I to this Bible last year and we got it for Wyatt. Not only does Wyatt love the story, but he is learning the lessons that are supposed to be taught when reading the Bible. It is not just written as a story, but written to guide little hearts to Jesus.

My favorite part of this Bible is how at the end of each story; stories from the Old and New Testament - there is a connection that points you back to our Saviour. It shows the importance of Jesus and what is better than that? Wyatt loves reading his Bible and my favorite thing to hear him say at the end of his prayer each night is, "Thank you Jesus, I love you Jesus!"

The Lord is already molding his little heart and I know that reading this Bible to him is teaching him to be open to God's word!

Boot Camp.... YIKES

2011-03-08T14:13:00.001-08:00

I actually cannot believe I did it, but I signed up for a boot camp! Ashley and I have been telling each other that we were going to "get in shape." We started running periodically and realized quickly that we needed much help! So, we bit the bullet and signed up for a month long Texas Boot Camp. You should check out the website, it is pretty hard-core and I am very nervous!

I used to be a very athletic person. I played soccer growing up, could run for miles and was able to participate in any sport with ease. I took pride in my body and it just came natural to me. Then I had a baby and lost track of how long it had been since I worked out, and let me just tell you I am pretty awfully out of shape.

So here I go. I start on March 21st along with my sister Jill and two of my best friends Christy and Ashely. We will be working out at 5:30AM every morning. CRAZY right? I am not a morning person, but will have to become one because with a two year old at home, this is the only time I can work out without missing sweet time with him (as a working mom!)

So if you see me after this starts and I am walking funny, don't make fun. If you see me standing all the time, just know it is because I will be unable to sit because I hurt so badly, so dont bother asking if I would like a chair. AND, if you see me standing at the bottom of a set of stairs like I might cry, just ignore me... I will eventually make it up to the top! :)

I am going to blog through the month and let you know how things are going. Does anyone want to give me some insight on boot camp? Anything I should know before going in? If you have done one, what did you think?

Here goes nothing!!!

Hoping all this illness is gone so I can work out 100% in just a little over a week!

Dreaming

2011-03-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

Right now I am laying in bed with sweats on and the blankets pulled up as far as they can go. The flu has zapped my body and I am basically incapable of doing anything but sleeping, blowing my nose and using my fingers to type. The rest of my body hurst too bad to function. But I am dreaming; dreaming about next week. Next week is Spring Break and that means the start of LAKE SEASON. Definiftly one of my favorite times of year.

I will say that I am angry that I have the flu, I hate being sick and feeling so dreadfully awful. This last month has been hard for our little family. Andrew came down with the flu during the snow week in Februrary, which then turned into a scary week of severe pnemounia. Talk about ill, my husband was miserable. I have never seen him hurt so badly. I did everything I could to sooth him for two weeks, but the only thing that worked for him was sleep.

Then, literally the day Andrew was feeling well enough to get out, Wyatt came down with a fever. Turns out he had Strep Throat and an ear infection. Now, two weeks later I have the flu. Our family does not get ill this easily, so to have it all come at once was not easy! So you can only imagine that I am dreaming of being on that boat in the picture above. We look so happy, free from illness, free from stress, free from snot, and so very tan!

So next week I pray that the sun is shining and our family is free from illness. I will not be completley happy until we are at the lake, relaxing, eating yummy food, sleeping in late, sitting on the patio, and spending lots of quality time with family!

You know you are blessed when...

2011-03-06T16:47:00.001-08:00

This weekend was supposed to be filled with girl time. Andrew went out of town to go skiing with the boys and I had the weekend all planned out! I was looking forward to some sweet time with my girlfriends. I definitely got sweet girl time, but it was nothing that I would have ever expected. The flu overcame me. Here is the story of my weekend. Deighton and I

You know you are blessed when...Ashley and Deighton agree to eat pizza at your house because you started feeling bad while shopping during the day.
We were supposed to look all pretty and go out to eat Friday night, without babies (which is a big deal). Instead, the girls offered to go home, order a pizza and have wine while I laid on the couch and had sweet conversation with them for hours. Those are best friends.

Jasmine and I

You know you are blessed when.... your childhood "sister" spent all day on her 30th Birthday Saturday, shopping with you at Canton, only to get home to a friend running 103 and could not move (me).

Jasmine then spent an hour on the couch with me while my other friends ran around getting me medicine. She talked to me to keep my mind off feeling horrible, and was the sister I always knew her to be.

Jill (my sister) and I

You know you are blessed when.... your sister shows up at your house with Jasmine, after they were supposed to be having a girls night out for Jasmine's birthday, to give Wyatt a bath, and put him to sleep. Then to get a hold of the doctor, find out her sister (me) has the flu and to sit at a pharmacy for over an hour late at night waiting on my perscription.

Sh is my best friend and best sisters a girl could have. I love her more than words.

Ashley and I

You know you are blessed when... you were supposed to be spending the entire weekend with your best friend, being free and having fun, to spend two nights doing whatever our little hearts desire, to only end up taking care of a two year old, driving to the store to get your friend medicine, driving to the dealership to pick up your friend's car, staying the night 3 nights in a row, and waking up with Wyatt at 6AM in the morning so that your friend can rest.

I love living day to day seeing this sweet friend! She truly is amazing.

Christy and I

You know you are blessed when... your sweet friend shows up Sunday morning to relieve Ashley from Wyatt duty. Then, to take him to the playground, feed him lunch, buy and bring me lunch, buy and bring me Gatorade, put Wyatt down for a nap, take Wyatt to eat dinner, give Wyatt a bath and put him to bed.

Seriously, this friend has the most giving heart. Couldn't make it some days without her.

I realized this weekend that I struggle with people "doing" things for me. Especially things that I consider to be my tasks. I kept apologizing to these girls for ruining their weekend. They were so gracious to love me soo much. Each one of them is an example of what God calls us to be for our friends; selfless. They exuded God's love to me this weekend, and who am I to say "don't give it to me." I love each one of them dearly and am incredible blessed to be filled and surrounded with people in my life who would drop their priorities to take care of me. Thank you girls for a blessed weekend, I know Andrew is thankful for you being here for me. I truly enjoyed the quality time with each one of you, even if I was looking awful, coughing, and laying in bed the whole time. God has taught me to thank him daily for the people in my life and know that I am not in any situation alone.

My Valentines...

2011-02-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

Valentines... well I normally am not a mushy person; but today I am so very happy to have a Holiday were I just get to love on my boys! The last two weeks have been absolutely crazy! First of all, the snow! I mean come on Texas weather, I do not remember the last time we were stuck in a house for a week because it was 16 degrees outside. The time with Wyatt was wonderful, but the fact that it brought the Flu and Pneumonia into my home was not so wonderful.

Andrew got the flu the week of the blizzard which then turned into Pneumonia because he went to work every day in that icy weather. I have never seen my husband so sick. I was scared for several days because he could not even function. Needless to say, he lost a lot of weight and I was basically a single mom for 2 weeks. I took Wyatt to several basketball games, and to eat out of the house in the evenings to just get him out of the house so Andrew could rest. Finally, Andrew woke up yesterday and looked somewhat like himself. He was able to go to church and actually hang out with us!

BUT, illness has struck our house again. Wyatt began running fever yesterday, YES.... the day Andrew started looking better. I mean COME ON, REALLY?!! I took him to the doctor and he as Strep and an ear infection. As soon as I got home from the doctor I began cleaning our house! I want all these germs to LEAVE my house for a very long time. I am just praying that I am not the next one to go down.

I will say though, it has brought a little joy to be at home today with Wyatt. Just to be the one to snuggle with him and love him when he needs his Mommy the most.

So Happy Valentines to my boys! I love them both very much and would do anything for the both of them! I love my little family more than words can express, and even the Flu, Pneumonia, an ear infection and Strep can't take the LOVE away from my heart for these two guys!!!

Happy Valentines Day Andrew and Wyatt!!!

PURSES have arrived!

2010-12-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

Aren't they just beautiful and made with so much love!

Hey ladies, the purses from Haitian Creations arrived in the mail today! What a wonderful surprise right before Christmas! Christy and I could not be more excited to throw this party. We are planning the party to be held in January, after Christmas settles down! I had no idea the purses would come so early and have been trying them all on in the mirror since opening the box! Get excited because we want to sell ALL 50 purses in the box!

Support these beautiful women and their families in Haiti and save some of your Christmas money for a purse! Party date is to come!

What's for Dinner this Week?!

2010-12-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

Monday: Mariano's with the Dooley Family

Tuesday: Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup & Corn Bread

Wednesday: Bertolli Meal

Thursday: Talapia & Red Beans/Rice

Friday: Hockey Game with Youth Group - Something at the Game

Saturday Lunch: BLT Sandwiches & Soup

Saturday Dinner: Jenny's Wedding!!! :)

Sleepless nights, bleeding hands and a funny little guy!

2010-11-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

See this sweet little face in the middle? That is my little stinker! I sure do love him, but we have some days and nights that are very eventful!

Yesterday:

1. Woke up to a very sleepy little guy because he did not sleep AT ALL the night before. Andrew held him on the couch from about 2am to 5am.

2. Had a long day in the car going to East Texas for Thanksgiving. Again, not helping the fact that he is incredibly exhausted already.

3. Last night, Andrew went to the store... of course while he was gone, Wyatt grabbed a Christmas Ornament off the tree, smashed it in his hands and when I entered the room I saw a massive mess and bleeding little hands. I was really freaked out at first, but once I got them washed, I realized it was a bunch of little paper 'like' cuts. Those are actually the worse to have, so he was pretty upset for a little while. Needless to say, I hope he no longer messes with the tree!

4. ME: "Wyatt, it's time for bed!"

WYATT: "I watch movie!"

ME: "Okay, 5 more minutes."

WYATT: "No, 2 more minutes Mommy!"

ME: "okay." (with a giggle!)

He makes Andrew and I smile daily!

5. Another sleepless night and a low grade fever. :( I seriously have one of the sweetest little guys. He is always giving hugs and so nice to others, BUT when he does not feel well, he turns into a little monster. He just demolishes everything. He does not cry, or get upset, but the opposite. He goes crazy hyper! The doctors have always told us he has a high pain tolerance and it can be pretty scary since we never know when he is 'really' sick. So, as time has gone on these last 2 years, we have learned to watch the little signs that he does not feel well. Here they are; not sleeping, demolishing everything in site, and sometimes a fever. Looks like we are headed to the doctor this week and who wants to bet it's another ear infection?

Side story to #5: A month ago, we were noticing some of the signs that Wyatt did not feel well. We decided to take off work and keep him at home, determine how he was in the morning the next day and then take him to see Dr. Nale. Well that night everything went crazy. He did not sleep all night, instead, kept waking up vomiting. I thought he had a stomach virus. I mean I am not a doctor and he had no other signs, just throwing up everything. THEN, the next morning I was laying on the couch with him waiting for the doctor to open when I noticed something all over my shirt. It was coming from his ear! Yucky-gooey stuff on my shirt. I began to freak out! I knew in that moment that his ear drum had busted. We headed to the doctor as soon as they opened and the doctor confirmed the problem. He was vomiting the night before because his ear hurt so bad. I know this makes me sound like a bad mom, but when you have a child that never cries about being hurt and is not running a fever, how was I supposed to know?! I felt AWFUL! So like I wrote above, we have to watch for the smallest signs because our little man is powerful in the no pain department!

I would not change being a mom of this little 2 year old for anything though!

What are we eating this week?

2010-11-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

We are looking forward to eating home all week this week and getting back into the habit of working out each day! We have planned a yummy week of meals below! Feel free to steal any of our ideas!

Sunday Lunch: The Veracruz Beach Wrap

Sunday Dinner: Baked Chicken, Broccoli & Rice

Monday: Shrimp Alfredo & Salad

Tuesday: Crock- Pot Tex Mex Pot Roast

Wednesday: Frozen Pizza & Cesar Salad

*CHRISTY COMES HOME FROM AFRICA!* :)

Thursday: Vegetarian Chow Mien & Egg Rolls

Friday: Mexican Chopped Salad & Bean/Cheese Nachos

Saturday Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes & Bacon

Saturday Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches & Ranch Dip with Chips

Saturday Dinner: Andrew's Work Christmas Party - La Hacienda Ranch!

Funny things a little 2 year old said...

2010-11-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Wyatt and I ran errands this morning! I had a ton of things on my to-do list and am proud to say I accomplished all of them!

Here are a few funny things he said today:

Wyatt: "Mommy, I love you!"
Me: "I love you MORE Wyatt!" (a joke Andrew and I say all the time)
Wyatt: " NO WAY MOMMY! NO WAY!"

.......................

Me: (leaving Old Navy) "Wyatt, now we are going to the grocery store."
Wyatt: "ONE MORE Mommy... only ONE more!"

I died laughing. We say this to him all the time, never thought he would turn it on us!

.....................

We were in Kroger and I was just talking to Wyatt like I always do. Wyatt was busy making tons of friends, like he always does in the store; talking to every person we walked by. The store was packed by the way!

Me: "Mommy has to potty, we need to hurry!"

To every person we passed...
Wyatt: "My Mommy pee pee.... Mommy pee pee!"

I did not even know how to respond! Oh how I love this little monkey. He brings a smile to my face daily! Spending time with him is one of my favorite things to do!

Shower for Deighton and Baby Leilani!

2010-11-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

Me, Deighton & Ashley
It's a GIRL!

Flavored Milk!

Cookie Jars :)

Deighton's favorite cookie!

Sprinkles CUPCAKES! YUM!

My sweet friend Deighton had her baby on Wyatt's birthday; 11/18/10! I was so excited and Wyatt was enthralled by her when we went to visit them in the hospital. What a great birthday gift, and such a beautiful blessing. She is a beautiful little girl, just like her mommy! God has added a precious angel to the Gongora family!

Ashley and I threw Deighton a shower the weekend before the baby was due. So below I am going to post some of my favorite pictures, and then show you sweet Leilani Rheese!

We did a cookies and milk shower. I got the idea from Kirby Apels blog! It turned out to be a hit and I fell in love with the idea! I will definitely be doing something like this shower again and changing it up with some new ideas I have! Throwing showers is so fun!

Welcome Leilani Rheese Gongora! We love you and your mommy!

My little monkey turns 2!

2010-11-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

My little guy turned 2 on 11/18/10! I can't believe he is 2 already. Time has gone by so fast. God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams! We love that he provides Wyatt with people who love and want to grow him into a little Godly boy! Thank you to everyone who came and participated in the celebration of Wyatt!

Here are a few things Wyatt is doing these days:

Repeating everything you say!
Favorite lines, "What's that noise?" and "Come play with me Mommy/Daddy!" (I love this one)
Dancing... he dances and sings to EVERY type of music!
IS IN LOVE with SPORTS. But wants to watch the Rangers every night! We are having issues since baseball season is over! Trying to convert him to football or basketball for the time being!
Wears a baseball hat everywhere!
Will play with any type of sports ball available.
Prays for every person he knows at night time! This brings tears to my eyes every night!
Sings with me when I rock him at night!
Is obsessed with cheese and popcorn!
Favorite meal = rice and beans, corny dog or yogurt
Asks questions = "What's that?" "Where?"
Says please, thank you, and yes ma'am!
Has the funniest little personality! Hilarious
Beginning to test us! :)
Counting and singing ABC's!
Loves reading books!

There are so many other things! He is growing so fast! It is hard to keep up with everything he does! We sure do cherish these moments with our little guy and thank the Lord daily for him!

We love you Wyatt Jeremiah Crawford!

Here are some pictures of his 2 year old Wyatt Earp Cowboy Party!

NASHVILLE 4 NEW YEARS

2010-11-19T12:23:00.001-08:00

If you didn't know, I have an amazing husband! His birthday just so happens to fall a few days after Christmas, December 28th. In my family we think Birthdays are a BIG deal! I have always wanted to do something Big for him on his birthday, but it normally turns out to be dinner because the Holidays are just so crazy! So, I got together some of our closest friends and planned a trip to Nashville for New Years! It was supposed to be a surprise, but I can NEVER seem to keep surprises from him. He always seems to figure them out.

So, when we were talking the other night and he said, "Jodi I know what you have planned for my birthday!" I decided to just let him be in on the planning! We could not be more excited! The group going is; Me, Andrew, Cobb, Christy, Kathryn, Steve and Frush! What a fun crew... and people we love dearly!

If you have ever been to Nashville and know of somewhere yummy to eat, or something we MUST see, let me know! I am counting down the days!!!

HAITIAN CREATIONS PURSE PARTY!

2010-11-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! So I know I have not blogged in a while, but I am going to get back into the swing of things! My sweet friend Christy just got back from Haiti and after reading the Hendrick's Blog we both want to have a PURSE PARTY! If you don't know what a Purse Party is, read Heather Hendrick's Blog. She is an amazing women of God, living with her family in Haiti as Missionaries right now.

Check out the details of a Haitian Purse Party.

NOW, here is the thing, I am on the waiting list through Haitian Creations for a party. Read about it on the Haitian Creations site! BUT, I have to give a number of people I think will attend. We already have a large number of girls who are so excited to support these women in Haiti. If you would like to be apart of our Purse Party, please leave a comment or email me at jodi.crawford@risd.com.

Haitian Creations is such a wonderful organization, spreading God's love and helping the women of Haiti to provide for their families!

Let me know if you want to be apart of our Party!

EEEK

2010-07-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

That is how I am feeling right this minute! In a good way! I wrote the first semester of Reading Curriculum for my district; Elective Reading 8! About 10 minutes ago I submitted all 3 six weeks and could not have been more happy to hit send!

I was excited to take on the challenge and even more excited to know that my first semester is planned out and I did it! But wow, it became daunting at times and there were MANY nights I went to bed at 2 in the morning with a completely FRIED brain!

It is FINISHED... and I must celebrate! :) HMM.. How should I do that?!

A Book You Must READ!

2010-07-14T19:39:00.001-07:00

If you want to be challenged in your walk with the Lord then read this book. BUT beware, Francis Chan is very blunt and states exactly what the Bible says. He backs up all his words with scripture. I love it! It is just what I needed at this time in my life.

God is so good and I have been taking advantage of all the blessings in my life, instead of praising him for what He has given me

. I have avoided God because there were several things in my life that I was not willing to give up yet.

This book challenged me beyond words and my heart is booming with desire to spread the word about this book so others can fall in love with Jesus again. Chan is constantly directing you too the Word. He does not want you to focus on what he wrote in his book, but instead guide you to God's Word to see the truth.

Go get this book, borrow mine, or tell me and I will get you one. It will rock your world in a way you might not like at first, but in the end will bring all the glory to our Heavenly Father!

Fun Time with Ellie Jane

2010-07-14T13:17:00.001-07:00

The two little munch-kins below can be a handful together, but they sure do love being together. They are 2 months apart and it has been so neat for Jill and I to see them grow, learn and play together. The laugh, cry, sing, dance and play together so well! They are always going to be best friends! We are so thankful that this summer we have gotten to spend so much time with them,and to make things even better they are moving 10 minutes away from us so we will get to see them all the time! Here are a few pictures of some of the time we spent together! NO Wyatt does not take a passie and NEVER has... but when he is with Ellie he likes to play with one. Silly buddy!
SEE.. she has a passie too!

Little punkin's!

They loved the new section of the Dallas Zoo. It was wonderful!

The Dallas Art Museum - FREE Tuesday!

Such a cool place to take pictures!

Playing on the art sculptures. You can outside, I promise! :)

We love Ellie Jane and Aunt "Dill" as Wyatt calls her! Look forward to more fun times together!

The 4th!

2010-07-14T13:01:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July! We went to the Lake, this time to Andrew's family's lake house on Cedar Creek! Wyatt loved his new red sunglasses, and even wore them at bed time!
One night we decided to play with fireworks. Wyatt was not scared of them, but fell asleep watching them. He also fell asleep on the 4th during the crazy firework show going on around us. I guess loud noises put him to sleep!

"Gaddy" and "Grammy" with Wyatt

(We were calling them Granddaddy and Grandmommy, but this is what he calls them! )

I love my sweet husband. I cannot say enough how amazing he is! Sometimes I wish we could spend all our time together because we have so much fun! :) Next week just the two of us are taking a vacation to the beach and I am looking forward to some quality time with him!

Look at that smiley little guy! I love that he says "CHEESEEEE!" for pictures! We are so blessed. Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!

Ideas?

2010-07-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love being outside and doing fun things around Dallas during the Summer. It is the perfect time to spend with family. What are some fun things you have done in the area? Museums? Shows? Free Events? Summer Events? Kid friendly activities?

I want to make a list so that our family can do something "different" at least 1 time a week together this Summer! We love quality time together, but it is always fun to try new things and Wyatt loves to be out and about!

Please give me some ideas so I can get a Family Fun Calendar together!!!

We are BACK!

2010-06-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am BACK! The last two months of school were so exhausting. I had to take several things off my plate so that I could be a good wife, mother and teacher at work. So I took a break from blogging, along with several other things. Now that it is summer I want to get back into blogging. I love to blog and to keep up with friends!

To start things off, Wyatt is now 19 months. I can't believe it. He is such a big boy. Here are a few fun things he is doing these days:

Talking in complete sentences.
Asking questions; (Where Daddy? Where Mommy? I eat "nack?" Go swim?)
Counting to 5!
Singing and dancing every chance he gets!
Taking off his clothes! He wants to be naked all the time!
Now yells "WHOOP" and "GiG'Em Aggies!"
Still in love with CRASH... his stuffed Duck
Repeating everything!!!
Loves to drink from a juice box
Wants "fries" for every meal. (But only gets them like 1 time a week, if that!)
Learns a new word and knows how to use it every day!
Gives Knuckles
Gives ALL kinds of kisses (butterfly, fish, Eskimo... and several others we have made up)
Know tons of animals and the sounds they make. His favorite right now is an Alligator... "chomp chomp" he says!
Talks about Jesus and the Bible throughout the day and can tell you Bible stories. His favorite right now is "Baby in waater" AKA Moses in the Basket on the Nile!
Prays every night by repeating me and giggling!

Sweet Smile! I love this little man!

On the boat with Granddaddy!

I had to take a picture in his swim diaper before the pool! It looks like a SPEEDO! Yes, I put swim shorts over it before we left!

Wyatt loved the Rodeo!

We are loving the pool time, late bed times, and all the time we get to spend with family and friends. Summer is my favorite part of year!!!

Easter...

2010-04-15T20:26:00.001-07:00

Wyatt and my niece Ellie Jane had so much fun hunting Easter Eggs together. Here is a few fun pictures of their full evening. I just love these two little guys to pieces!

almost here..

2010-03-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

So sorry I have not posted in a while. The last three weeks have completely zapped me. I am looking forward to Spring Break. It is right around the corner.... 3 more days of school and I am free for a little while!

Here are the things I need to post about:

TAKS... UGH it is running my life right now.
Chi Alpha! :)
Wyatt and all his new words.
Girl's Night Out
My new obsession... Baking and Country Dance Lessons

I will upload my pictures and start blogging tonight. My husband has been away since Thursday Skiing with buddies and we are so looking forward to him coming home tonight! We have missed him soo much!

Hope you are having a good week!

Meal Planning Monday

2010-02-14T17:24:00.001-08:00

Monday: Tacos, Mexican Rice, Beans, Cake Bites for dessert! (We got these for Valentines from my Mother- N - Law... amazing!) Learn how to make HERE. I can't wait for the next party so I can make them!

Tuesday: Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread

Wednesday: Tomato Soup, Tuna and Tomato Sandwiches

THEME NIGHT for Youth Bible Study is "Favorite CHIPS night!" What kind of Chips would you bring??

Me = Salt/Pepper Kettle Potato Chips

Andrew = Nacho Cheese Doritos

Wyatt = Cheese Puffs

Thursday: Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Red Beans and Rice, Squash and Zucchini

Friday: Chick Fil A (I have the Junior High Dance at my school!)

Saturday Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon and Waffles

Saturday Lunch: Day full of errands and shopping.. grab lunch & out for Dinner

Sunday Lunch: 11th Grade Youth Lunch Out

Sunday Dinner: Southern Living Chicken Parmesan Pizza and Cesar Salad

Couldn't ask for anything more...

2010-02-02T09:12:00.001-08:00

Words cannot express how much I love those two boys above! They bring joy to my life daily. But this post is about my amazing husband. I really could not ask for more. Not only is he dedicated to our family and whole heartedly serves the Lord, but he also serves me all the time.

I have not been feeling well since Friday, since I seemed to be getting worse every day, I decided to go to the doctor instead of my usual of taking NyQuil for a month. I left the doctor yesterday morning with two shots, an antibiotic and nasal spray to rid me of "walking pneumonia!" I could not believe that I had this. I knew I felt bad.... but never imagined I was that sick. Glad I went in.

Needless to say, when I got home from work yesterday (because I took off last week 2 days because Wyatt was sick, and just cannot take any more time away from the classroom right now), Andrew was cooking dinner. He made the entire meal, cleaned up the entire kitchen, played with Wyatt while I laid on the couch, got Wyatt ready for bed and then sent me to take a bath and go to bed. I was in bed by 8:45. When I woke up this morning he had done ALL my laundry, ALL Wyatt's laundry, straightened the house and put all the clean dishes away.

I do not think I could be taken care of any better than this. Andrew always helps around the house, but he took away ALL responsibilities of mine so that I can rest. Thank you babe for loving me so much, and serving our house. Wyatt and I couldn't ask for a better Daddy or Husband!

I love you!!!!!!!

My taste buds are gone...

2010-01-31T17:20:00.000-08:00

Man, I caught either what Wyatt had, or something from school. I started feeling bad Friday morning. I thought it was just a stuffy nose and would go away, but each day it has slowly gotten worse.

Friday night I sat on the couch, ate Chick Fil A and watched Julie and Julia after a full day home from school taking care of Wyatt who was really sick. Loved the movie by the way.

Saturday I took 26 kids to work with Habitat for Humanity, got my nails done with some church friends and then crashed at home. Andrew brought be McAlisters and a LARGE sweet tea and rented two movies. What an Amazing husband! Then again... crashed.

Today I have felt the worse. I am hoping it is over since I cannot take anymore days from school, or I would rather not. Andrew and I woke up to head to church this morning and it was a chore getting ready. I was exhausted and coughing up a storm. We got to church and our wonderful Friends sent us home and took over my teaching for the 11th grade class. We are very blessed.

Needless to say, Since I have been sick I don't have taste buds. I hate it!!!!!!!! I crave things and can't taste what I am eating. Maybe Ice cream will fix it?!! Have you ever been sick and can't taste anything? It is the worst.

So say a prayer that Wyatt is sooo much better tomorrow, and that I wake up refreshed. GO AWAY ICKYness far away from our home.........

FOOD!

2010-01-31T09:59:00.001-08:00

Sunday Night: Crock Pot Chicken, Potatoes, Carrots

(chicken breast, potatoes, carrots, 1 can cream of chicken, 1 can rotel, cook everything in crock pot ALL DAY on low)

Monday: Guacamole Turkey Burgers, Fixin's, Chips and Dip

Tuesday: Fajitas, Nachos, Rice and Beans

Wednesday: Frozen Pizza

(we love these!)

Thursday: Spicy Shrimp and Rice, Broccoli

Friday: Mexican Food Out

Saturday Lunch: Sandwhiches, Chips and Dip

Saturday: Dinner Out with Family

Sunday: SUPER BOWL PARTY with THSM - Frito Pie and Cookies

Sick

2010-01-28T09:14:00.001-08:00

Ear Infection, Virus in his chest, Fever, Croup.... No Fun! My heart breaks when he is so sick! Say a prayer that my little man gets better QUICKLY!

MEALS

2010-01-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

Monday: BBQ Cupcakes, Baked Potatoes, Broccoli
(I went to Bunco last week and did not get to make this meal)

Tuesday: Mexican Cornbread Casserole, Chips & Home-made Salsa

Wednesday: Tuna & Tomato Sandwiches, Chips & Ranch Dip

Thursday: Spaghetti, Salad and Bread

Friday: Family Dinner Out

Saturday Lunch: C-C's Pizza for TOPS Field Trip after Habitat for Humanity Job

Saturday Dinner: MEXICAN Out

Sunday Lunch: Left-overs

Sunday Dinner: Crock Pot Chicken, Potatoes, Carrot's, Squash and Zucchini

Get your Blog ALL PRETTY!

2010-01-20T10:06:00.001-08:00

Ashley AKA Great Grabbie is one of my sister's friends from College! She has designed 2 of my blog pages now and is in the process of re-modeling my blog again! I love her, she does some great work and at a good price! Go check out her blog page and look at all the options for your blog home! Blogs are always better when they are pretty!

Ashley also makes cards! I love them... and they are so easy to stick in the mail and send out to friends and family for any event. She made Wyatt's birth announcements, my friend Lynsey's Surprise Party Invitations and Wyatt's 1st Birthday Party Invitations! You can check out her cards here!

Go look at Great Grabbie's Designs and give your Blog a Make-over!

Stuffed Pepper's Recipe

2010-01-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

4 large green peppers
1 lb ground turkey
1 can rotel
pepper
onion salt
1 slice of bread
cheese

Start by cutting the tops off of the peppers and cleaning out the insides. Throw away tops. Place the cleaned peppers in a large skillet of boiling water. Boil the whole peppers for about 10 minutes or until soft.

While peppers are boiling brown meat. Add pepper and onion salt to meat while cooking. After meat is cooked, drain excess liquid from meat.

Place meat back into skillet and add the can of rotel. Let the meat and rotel simmer until the most of the juice is soaked into the meat.

Stand the peppers up on a baking sheet. Fill the peppers with the meat/rotel mixture.

Tear up the slice of bread and place a few pieces on top of each pepper. Then put a dab of butter on top of the bread and sprinkle with cheese.

Cook in the over at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until bread is crispy.

Remove and serve immediately.

I always serve the stuffed peppers with Red New Potatoes. It is one of our favorite meals!!!

Hope you enjoy!

Gettin' Thrifty

2010-01-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Andrew and I have been doing really good when it comes to buying groceries. We have been playing the games! Andrew is now the grocery shopper in our house. Yes... I have an amazing husband. He is way better at this grocery game than I am.

We will have to start taking pictures and showing you guys what we get. But the main stores we shop at are Kroger, Albertsons, CVS, Walgreen's, and Wal-Mart. It is so neat to have your pantry and fridge stocked with so many different things. It makes planning meals easy. At first, things you buy are random... but after a while they all come in handy. Now when I want to make a recipe, I just have to run to the store for 1 or 2 things that might cost a dollar! Love it!!!

Here is our FAVORITE money saver we have found recently.

Kroger has a new ad once a week for buy something and get something free.

Last week it was:

Buy.... 3 boxes of Nutra-grain Bars (which Wyatt eats for breakfast) - $7.00
Get ....1 Gallon of Milk, A dozen eggs, 2 rolls of cold biscuits, a loaf of bread and a package of Gravy ALL FOR FREE

This week:

Buy.... 1 sliced brisket (packaged where it could be frozen, or re-heated) - $10.00
Get..... potato salad, a large BBQ sauce, ranch style beans and a 2-liter drink ALL FOR FREE

We will definitely be doing this weekly! We have basically gotten two free meals from what we bought, and have been able to make many more meals using the other things that came with it! If you have any THRIFTY buys you know about, let us know! I will post the KROGER free meal each week so you and your family can enjoy!

Let's Eat!

2010-01-17T17:01:00.001-08:00

Monday: Brisket Sandwiches, Potato Salad, and Ranch Style Beans

Tuesday: Chicken Roll-Ups, Broccoli, Bread and Salad

Wednesday: Pizza and Salad

Thursday: Barbecue Cupcakes, Baked Potatoes, Bread and Salad

Friday: Quick Dinner... Leader Meeting at Church

Saturday: Cooking Night with the Bazaldua's (our Best friends!) - We are going to all cook dinner together at their house. SOO fun! We want to cook something with steps that is yummy.. any ideas or suggestions ??

Sunday: Crock Pot Roast, Potato's and Carrots

* we do not keep dessert in our house, or Andrew and I would eat it for dinner instead of our meal. But we do keep a bag of Oreos in our fridge and many nights after dinner we each clean our plates, put them away and have 1 Oreo each. It hits the spot and it fun to watch Wyatt enjoy it! Nice little treat!

He makes my heart melt....

2010-01-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Today I had a meeting after school. When I walked in the door Andrew was cooking dinner and Wyatt was playing in the living room. I was talking to Andrew, and Wyatt realized that I was home. He peeked his head around the corner and threw is hands in the air. In the sweetest, happiest voices he yelled... "Mmaama...mama!!!"

Yes I almost lost it. Sweet boy has learned my name and loves to use it. But it is moments like these that make my heart melt and I never want to put my little man down!

Meals this week!

2010-01-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday Night: Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans

Monday Night: Stuffed peppers and red potatoes

Tuesday Night: Spaghetti and salad

Wednesday Lunch: R&D Cafe with my ladies! *I had to put this because we get out of school early and as a teacher we don't get to eat lunch out much! :)

Wednesday Night: Chicken Salad Sandwiches and chips

Thursday Night: My Father - In- Laws Concoction - Chili, rotel, ranch style beans over rice

Friday Night: A surprise dinner for a special youth girl!

Saturday Lunch: Sandwiches or Leftovers

Saturday Dinner: Family Dinner Out

Sunday Lunch: Purdy's Hamburger Joint with the Youth Leaders

Sunday Dinner: Crock pot Chicken Tacos, rice and beans

SHALOM

2010-01-09T13:01:00.001-08:00

Last night we headed to S&S Tattoo Parlor to get my memorial tattoo in honor of my mom. Here is Andrew and I when we first arrived!
My sweet friend Christy and I!

My stomach was churning and I was sweating bullets at this point. I was so nervous about it hurting. It does hurt, but in a weird way. If I can have a baby without pain meds, I can get a tattoo, right?! Right! :)

Before....

Here goes nothing..... this is the stencil.

Working hard. It took Josh (the tattoo guy) about 20 minutes total. It went by really fast.

The finished product!!! I love it. If you read the post below you will understand the meaning behind it. Josh did a wonderful job. The worst part was when he colored in the design and the closer he got to my pinkie toe, the worse the pain was. But in the end it was worth it!

Josh and I! He is covered in cool tattoos!

Then, Christy, Andrew and I headed to the Blue Goose to meet some of our sweet friends for dinner! It was neat to have them a part of my special night. Above is me and Kathryn!

The Group, The Aylor's, Cobb, Christy, Me and Andrew, and Frush!

My sweet friends. I love them! They are always there to be silly with me and pray for me in a time of need. They are true friends in the Lord. It was special to share this time with them. If you notice above, every time we are together we manage to dress a like. Last night was the color purple, and tall boots! :)

I love my new tattoo. It is a new addition, like a permanent accessory.

I love you Mom!

Bittersweet!

2010-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

The letters above spell "SHALOM" or peace in English. It goes beyond the meaning of peace between two countries or to make peace as Americans see the word. This is a peace from God.

Friday is 4 years since my mom went to be with Jesus. January 8th is always a bittersweet day for me. I have always thought of this day as something to be joyful in, rather than be filled with sorrow. So tomorrow I am going to get the Hebrew letters - Shalom tattooed on my foot in honor of my mom. I was always nervous about getting a tattoo and I still am. But I have grown so much through this process and to me it seems like another step towards healing. So Me, Andrew, and one of my sweet friends Christy (who has also walked with me through losing a parent since she lost her dad a year ago) are going to the parlor and then my sweet church friends are going to meet up for dinner to celebrate.

I choose the day she passed, not only because it was the day she got to meet Jesus, but it was also the day that I learned who I was in Christ. I truly have become full of Him since my mother's passing and have learned that He is the reason I live. The Lord has healed me, and just like the word Shalom, has made me complete in Him.

"Shar Shalom (prince of peace) is one of the names the bible uses to describe the messiah; Jesus Christ."

Isaiah 9:6 The Son of God is completely perfect in all things.

And because he completely perfect, he has made me complete and has promised to fulfill me all of my days.

So tomorrow say a little prayer for me and rejoice in knowing that my mom is sitting next to Jesus, and he is waiting for all of us to come running to him in open arms every day!

Pictures will follow!

Updates and Pictures!

2010-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Well we had an eventful Holiday season. I put several pictures below, but they still do not sum up the crazy time. Starting from November 18th - New Years we went from one party to another. It was a blessing to spend time with family and friends that we love. The picture above is the day Wyatt turned 1! I cannot believe my little man is already a year old. We celebrated by going out to eat with family to Good Eats, home style cooking. Wyatt loves mashed potatoes and macaroni so we thought we would treat him on his special day. Then the following Saturday we had a MASSIVE 1st Birthday Party. It was Camo themed, with camo cake, bounce house and about 50 friends and family. I was in awe by the blessing poured over Wyatt that night and to see how many wonderful people God has placed in our lives to love our little boy.

Wyatt is walking, dancing, and saying several words like; mommy, daddy, ball, dog, baby, hi, go... go... go, and his favorite no, no, no! He uses the word no for everything even if he wants something! He points, blows kisses, waves, gives great hugs, smiles all the time, and has developed the silliest personality. He will giggle and laugh just so you will. He is constantly trying to be a little ham.

On the other hand, Wyatt has become a picky eater. He used to eat everything on his plate or put in front of him. Now we are only able to get him to eat about 5 things on a regular basis. But he loves milk!

Christmas was so much fun this year with Wyatt. He was pretty much only interested in the Christmas Tree, the wrapping and balls. Everything else was looked over. The picture above sums up what he did for a month. All he wanted to do was stare at the tree and take the ornaments off. He would say, Ball.... go?! He also loved reading the Christmas Books and Bible stories about Christmas time.

Wyatt on Christmas morning playing with the wrapping paper instead of his new toys!

It was so fun that we had a white Christmas! When we woke up Christmas morning it was beautiful. He was not so sure about the snow, so we just sat him in it and took a few pictures!

Wyatt's Uncle Travis got him this cute outfit that he wore on Christmas Morning. The scarf was so cute on him. He was a preppy baby!

Wyatt in front of Grandmommy and Granddaddy's Christmas Tree! Christmas morning was hard to keep him still enough to take a picture!

Christmas was wonderful. Christmas Eve Day we spent it with my side of the family, and then went to Grandpa Gesino's house for dinner that night. Christmas Morning we woke up and had our own little family Christmas and then headed to Andrew's parents, where we ate and opened presents. The day after Christmas we spent it with Andrew's dad's family, and Sunday we spent it with my mom's family. It was 4 days full of Christmas! But we loved every bit of it!

Andrew also had a birthday! It is the 28th of December, so we just keep the party rolling! Here is Andrew and Wyatt blowing out a "lighter." We forgot the candles to his cake, so my sister improvised. I have an amazing husband! I cannot believe we are 26 and have spent the last 8 years together, 2 in a half of them being married. I have watched him form into a Godly husband and his love for the Lord grows everyday. I am blessed to have him lead our family! Hope you had a wonderful birthday babe!

Wyatt and Ellie Jane! They are best friends! While celebrating Andrew's birthday,they decided to play with some brushes. Ellie used hers to brush her hair and Wyatt used his as a chew toy! :)

My Sweet little man!

Bath Time for Ellie Jane and Wyatt. Don't you love how the cup was in the perfect place in the picture above! :)
In the picture below, Wyatt looks so much like his daddy. This is also a face of a little boy who knows he is playing with something he is not supposed to. :)

Wyatt has a love for books. He received soo many on his birthday since we asked for everyone to bring a book instead of a card! It is fun to have all theses books with names of the people who love signed in the cover. Every night before bed we read a bible story out of his baby bible book, and the I let him grab one off the shelf to read. This is probably one of my favorite times during the day with him!

I just had to add this picture to the bunch. This was taken the other day. If you look closely you can see ALL the curls coming out the side and back of his hat. Wyatt's hair is getting soo long and his curls are soo cute. I am not sure I will be able to cut them, and for sure am not going to do it any time soon!

There are just a few of the pictures from the last two months. If I added ALL of them we would be here for days! Since I am determined to keep my blog updated, I will be able to add more pictures as we go! :)

Goodbye 2009... Hello 2010

2010-01-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

WOW... I have not blogged in a long time. I am excited for the new year. 2009 was a full year, very busy! Andrew and I have taken on several responsibilities this year and know the Lord is leading us in wonderful new ways.

Here are a few of my resolutions for 2010:

Get Healthy and In Shape (everyone says this.... I am determined)

SLOW DOWN

Spend more quality time with friends and family.

Keep in touch with people.

Learn to say NO!!!!

Have Weekly outings or assigned FAMILY time with Wyatt and Andrew!!!

GROW more in the Lord.

Take Cake Decorating Classes.

Take Cooking Classes... i love to cook

Scrapbook Wyatt's WHOLE first year.

Invest more in the lives of my youth girls.

2009 was not only a hard year, but wonderful things happened as well. I learned a lot about myself this last year and some were not so wonderful:

I learned that I cannot do everything and sometimes I need to stop and take time to sit and be with the Lord.

I learned to relax and do a little something for myself sometimes. Without this I lost myself in doing things for others.

I have fallen in LOVE with motherhood!!!! Wyatt is amazing and this first year of his life has been what has brought me so much joy. We are truly blessed by him daily and thank the Lord for such a wonderful son regularly.

I have learned to be more assertive and not let everything "go." This was huge for me and I think it was one of the areas in my life where the Lord was teaching me most.

I have made LONG LASTING relationships with several ladies and would not trade their friendship for the world.

I learned that I am not even close to being healed from loosing my mother.

I have fallen in love with my husband more and more everyday. He has held me through this tough year.

I have fallen in love with my relationship with my mother in law drastically this year. She has stood next to me this first year of motherhood and she is like a best friend and mother to me.

My heart for missions has grown EXPONENTIALLY.

My love for students has grown.

I have learned that I am NOT supposed to teach in a "classroom" forever. Students, teaching are in the picture somewhere though.... if that makes sense, just not sure the plans.

I have become obsessed with Sweet Tea.

I learned that some relationships must be withdrawn from your life to be healthy in the Lord.

I learned I cannot fix everything or everybody.... the Lord is the only one winning that game.

I learned to show my love to people.... outright, blatantly.... :)

Those are just a few things. You will hear more. I PROMISE to keep up. Pictures of Wyatt are to come. He is soo big!

Meet Doc

2009-11-15T16:55:00.001-08:00

Meet Doc.... this is the newest member to the Crawford Family! He arrived about an hour ago and we are having a blast already. Cal, our 6 year old black lab loves him and Doc is following Cal's every move.

Our son Wyatt now has a best friend named Doc, like the movie Tomb Stone! Look for more pictures of our sweet family!

blahhh

2009-11-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

You know the days when you wake up and don't feel well so your day is already starting off badly? That was today for me. I have had a stuffy nose for a week now and just feel yucky. But today was the worst I think.

It did not help that:

- I got to school and a student broke my computer.... the computer I was showing a video on that is connected to the projector..... It did not start working until 3rd...
- By the end of 2nd period I had sneezed 100 times and no longer could breath out my nose.
- On my way to lunch I was carrying my lunch and dropped my fruit cup, which busted all over the hallway floor.....right in front of twoVeteran's Visiting.
-By 5th period I had sneezed 100 more times.... and used half a box of tissue.
-At the end of the day I felt WAY worse than I did when I got to school, and had an emotional break down at 3:35 when Ash walked into my classroom.
-By 4:00 I was used to breathing out of my mouth, had a headache, and had sneezed A BILLION times.

Tonight, I am taking Tylenol PM and hitting the sack. AND... I know that I should not, but I have to resort back to using Nose Spray. (Sorry Dr. Bacak if you are reading this I won't be able to sleep tonight without it!)

Goodnight and tomorrow I hope to have somehow lost all this stuffiness, sneezing and feeling yucky!

Do you look like this when....

2009-11-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

YOU EAT AN OREO???

Wyatt had an Oreo for the first time the other night. This is how he ate it! I am not sure how this happened but it did and I took the time to get some pictures! I think my child is one of the messiest eaters I have ever seen! Oh well, he is precious anyway!

WALKING! OH MY!

2009-11-09T18:31:00.001-08:00

First of all, yes my baby is going to be one on November 18th! I cannot believe how fast the year has gone by. I love this new stag of life; all the talking and learning new things. But it is bittersweet, because I do not want my baby to get bigger. He is still a snuggler and a baby who is full of laughter and smiles! He has started a few new things though.

1. WALKING..... YES, last Monday night Andrew and I were playing on the floor with him. We had seen him take one step on Halloween night, two nights before this; and he had been walking along furniture and standing on his own in the middle of the room for a while. BUT nothing like this. He picked up his favorite ball and threw it across the room. All of the sudden he stood up and started walking. He literally walked across the entire living room without falling or anything. Andrew and I were in shock and so excited. I ran and got the video camera and proceeded to tape him for 20 minutes as he threw the ball across the room and would walk to get it. There is no turning back now! He is getting faster by the day.

2. Eating people food and rejecting baby food.

3. Pointing at everything.

4. Talking all the time and repeating words and sounds we say.

5. DANCING.... this child loves to dance and let me tell you, he can SHAKE IT!

6. Gives wonderful kisses.

7. Knows how to say "NO!"

8. Has learned to throw fits.... this is new! :)

9. Sits on the floor with cars and rolls them around saying VROOM VROOM. It must be a boy thing because we have never taught him this. He did it on his own!

10. IS ATTACHED to mommy and daddy!!! This is soo new to us. He has always been around so many people since he was born. We work with youth and are with them constantly at church. But in the last month he has become very attached and aware when mommy and daddy are leaving. He is not a screamer, and does not cry for long when we leave, but he makes the saddest face and clings. :( It is not easy! I know it is a phase, but it is not easy to leave him anywhere. He always has to be aware of where we are in a room. If not in the room, he is looking for us!

His birthday party is in two weekends and is going to be a big bash. All the family and friends who have loved on him so much the last year and invited! I will be posting pictures after the party! :)

Halloween...

2009-11-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is my Little lion! He was so cute in his costume. There are not a tone of pictures with his "mane" on because he was not too fond of it. But the ones we got are very cute!
I loved the tail!

We had a very fun Halloween night. We decided to have family and a few close friends over for a cookout. My dad and Judy came, Amanda and Randy (Andrew's parents'), Jill, Ellie Jane and Chad, and Joanne and Landon. (Ellie Jane was a pumpkin and Landon was a character from Gabba Gabba!) Then some of our friends that are like family came as well. Trent, Ashley and Ryan! It was a night full of LOTS of food and laughter. Wyatt also took his first step that night and everyone was watching. I will never forget it!

The picture above was about 8:30. He was exhausted from all the food, friends, and pictures and so ready for bed! Wyatt had a good FIRST Halloween! :)

SYTYCD

2009-10-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

I love this show! I am totally addicted and have pulled Andrew in with me. I get so excited when Summer comes because I get to watch this show! I almost jumped through the roof when I found out they were doing a Fall season too. If you don't watch this, you should! It is so entertaining!!! I love, love to dance; so this show just makes me smile! All that to say........

Andrew and I are going to SYTYCD on Wednesday night! Aren't you jealous?! We are going with our best friends Nick and Rebecca who are just as into the show as we are. It is the TOP 12 dancers from this last Summer season. I cannot wait to see them. Our seats are so close! I feel like a little kid waiting for a surprise! Just one day away! I will let you know how it goes.... I KNOW IT WILL BE AMAZING! :) Pictures to come.

Thank Goodness it is GONE...

2009-10-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

See this sweet face? Well he had the flu last week. I felt helpless. There were several days when Andrew and I would just hold him and that is all he wanted. They are not joking when they say it hits these little ones really hard. He could only play about 20 minutes and then he would want to take a break and cuddle. He would crawl over to wherever you were sitting, put his hands up to be picked up and curl into a little ball with his head on your chest. There was no patting, rocking or bottles... he would just fall right asleep! We knew he did not feel well after he did that several times. He is an active little guy, and that is just not normal! BUT, We took full advantage of the snuggle time!

So last Thursday I noticed that Wyatt was not himself. I left work early and took him to the doctor and found out that he had a double ear infection. We started him on antibiotics that night. Friday he was fine, no fever, just fussy because his ears hurt. Last Saturday morning he woke up with a fever. By lunch time he was throwing up. I was pretty worried since he did not do this before and we had just been to the doctor. He got worse on Sunday, so Monday morning we were right back in the doctor's office and still running 102. The test came back positive and they put him on tami-flu. The next two days were not too bad. Still high fever and lots of cuddling. But on the 3rd day, the effects of the medicine he was taking started to take toll. His poor little bottom was covered in a rash and he would cry every time he was changed. It breaks your heart to see your little one hurting. I am so glad it is over!

He is a whole new baby today! Smiling, eating, laughing, and playing for hours! A Big thanks to my mother in law who watched him Thursday and Friday during the day so that Andrew and I could get back to work. I am so glad it is GONE from his little body!

So far, Andrew and I feel fine. Say a little prayer that stinking flu bug does not creep up on us!

Meals are BACK!

2009-10-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so now that my life is finally back on track I can start cooking and going to the store like a normal person! We have been eating frozen foods and fast food for a long time now. It is great to be back in the game!!!

Monday: Southwester Wraps, Black beans and Spanish Rice
Tuesday: Stuffed Peppers and New Potatoes
Wednesday: Crock pot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
Thursday: Dinner for Deighton's Birthday at THE PORCH!
Friday: Mexican Food Out!
Saturday Lunch: Pizza
Saturday Dinner: OUT
Sunday Lunch: Soup and Tuna Sandwiches
Sunday Dinner: Crock pot Chicken, Rice, Squash and Zuccini

I AM STILL HERE!!!!

2009-10-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

YES! I am still here! My life has been in FAST FORWARD these last 6 weeks. I have tons to update everyone on, especially the little guy! By the end of the week you will be caught up on the Crawford's! Check back..... if people still even check my blog! :)

Meals for the week..

2009-09-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

So last week our meal plan totally changed and we did not end up eating three things I had planned from the week. So we will be eating those meals this week. It is kind of nice not to even have to think about it and already have some planned!

MONDAY: LABOR DAY - Lunch COOK OUT at our house with friends!
(Chili Dogs, Chips, Dip, and Birthday Cake for Ashley)

LABOR DAY - Dinner COOK OUT at the In-Laws house!
(everything you can imagine)

TUESDAY: Crispy Chicken Strip Salad and Bread

WEDNESDAY: Turkey, Avocado, Tomato and Cheese Melts with Soup

THURSDAY: Shrimp and Vegetable Fettuccine with Bread

FRIDAY: Grab Dinner - ADULT LEADERSHIP NIGHT

SATURDAY: Whatever we can make at home!

SATURDAY NIGHT: Out to eat! HOPEFULLY MEXICAN!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ON MY MIND!

2009-08-29T20:50:00.001-07:00

I have to start this post with the picture above! He is so peaceful in this picture. Wyatt was only 1 week old here! This was his very first Aggie game. We played TU and lost... but I am glad he got to experience one of our loves in the first week of his life. Can't you see the excitement on his face!? I know this started his love for the Aggies and College football just like his parents! HA!

Yes, you got that right! Wyatt is wearing football overalls and to be exact, he is wearing football overalls with a MAROON football on them. We are gearing up for AGGIE FOOTBALL! WHOOP! I love Aggie Football, even when we do not win. It is one of my favorite things to do, sit with a bunch of friends and watch our Aggies play. Andrew and I had season tickets for 2 years and then Wyatt came and we had to get rid of them for obvious reasons. (a newborn baby could not handle 120 degree heat and standing soo much) But we look forward to the day when Wyatt can attend his first Aggie Game at Kyle field. It will be a proud day for his Mommy and Daddy!
I think he is trying to say "GIG'EM" here! ;)

To be completely honest, I love ANY College football game. I could watch it all day long. It might have to do with my husbands obsession with it, but over these last 7 years we have been together, I have also fallen in love with this time of year! So YEAH for Football season!

AND... "Beat the Hell Outta WHOEVER Aggies!"

P.S. Thanks Aunt Lyns for these cute overalls! Wyatt loves them and we MISS you!

Hungry Anyone?! Here are our MEALS!

2009-08-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Turkey Melt & Avocado Sandwiches and Tomato Basil Soup

Monday: Shrimp & Vegetable Fettuccine, Bread

Tuesday: Chicken Crisper Salad & Bread

Wednesday: Sloppy Joe's and French Fries (you gotta love it!)

Thursday: Homemade Vegetable Pizza

Friday: LAKE HOUSE for the weekend!!! Grillin' Out on the water!

The first week!

2009-08-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

The first week of school went okay. I was very busy. Lots of "stuff" that had to be accomplished before the first week was over. I do already love my new position as Campus Reading Specialist. I was a little nervous in the beginning, but the things I am doing are perfect for me. I love writing lesson plane, creating documents, and coming up with new ideas to help out teachers. The Lord knew what he was doing when He led me to this position.

I still have 3 classes of reading, and it is going well too. I look forward to getting to know these students and hoping that they succeed this year!

I am also actually enjoying being back at school. You know you were meant to teach when after the first week you are exhausted, but also very excited. So, no matter how much I have questioned going back this year, the Lord knew what was best for me! It has also been great to get back with my teacher friends. This year is going to be soo much fun and I think we are all going to mesh well. I cannot wait to see where this year leads all of us! I will keep you posted!

Meals?

2009-08-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well this week I do not have to worry about meals thanks to my wonderful husband. Yesterday he left and went to the store to get a "few" things. Little did I know that he had planned out the entire week of meals. When he came back he told me that since it was my first week back to school, and things would be crazy he decided to plan the meals, go to the store, and is going to cook every night! I have the best husband in the world!

Thanks babe, you are so amazing to me! I love you soo much! I appreciate the help and support you give me every day! The Lord has truly blessed me with you!!

Meal Planning!

2009-08-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Monday: Ground Turkey Enchiladas, Re-fried Beans and Spanish Rice

Tuesday: Fish Tacos, Mango Salsa, Avocado and Black Beans

Wednesday: Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Okra

Thursday: Pizza and Cesar Salad

Friday: Our Night out! ;)

Saturday Lunch: Sandwiches and Chips

Saturday Dinner: Somewhere fun out!

Sunday: Stuffed Green Peppers, Potatoes, Salad, and Baked Bread

* if you have not noticed already... i love pizza! i am a little obsessed with it. So Thursdays we have pizza. we used to order out, but then fell in love with a few of the frozen pizzas from the grocery store. they are really good, cooked on my pizza stone and soo much cheaper, OH and healthier! i always make a salad to pair with it. i never get tired of it! it is easy and i look forward to it while i watch my favorite thursday shows during the year!

rise and shine...

2009-08-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

So I guess Wyatt has changed his sleep schedule to get me ready for school. It is a good thing, but right now at 6 in the morning I am not liking it so much. He normally goes down at 8:00p.m. and sleeps until around 8:00a.m. the next morning. This week he has been waking up between 5:30a.m. and 6:00a.m. I am not sure why his schedule all the sudden changed, but it has put my into a whirl wind of reality checks. School is back.

I know so many people hate the fact that teachers get off for the summer. TRUST me, we hear the comment all the time, and yes after a while it gets pretty annoying. BUT, to our defense.... take care of 150, loud, emotional 7th and 8th graders on a regular basis and you would need a break too. Seriously at the end of the year in a school building you can cut the tension with a knife. The kids are exhausted and turn into terrors. There is nothing like it. I do not care how many adults you deal with, you can at some point, close your door and have a few minutes to yourself... for us, we cannot do that. We have KIDS all day long! So anyway... my new comment I say to people who do not like the fact that I get off in the summers.... "Become a Teacher!" HA.... Then you will get the same days off as us and get our wonderful pay! SARCASM.....

So now... I will vent about not being ready to go back. This year I have several reason I am not as excited to start the year. I do have a little joy in my heart as I get to re-arrange my classroom and hang up new decorations. Meeting the kids and seeing the dynamics of my class is always a plus, and I also love being with my teacher friends every day. It is definitely a blessing to work with fun people. BUT, I also have to take my son to someone else everyday and this is not fun for me. This summer has been a blast, watching him daily, playing with him and watching him learn new things. So I am going to miss that. But teaching calls and my job as reading specialist is calling as well. Nerves have set in for the new position. I am ready, don't get me wrong, but I have butterflies in my stomach about getting everything organized. Working out my schedule and figuring out how I will be utilized best in each subject area. The first 6 weeks of school will be trial and error as I figure things out, and this is un-settling for me. I like to have everything ready to go, organized and in place. My new position will not look like that for a while and I am trying to learn to be okay with that.

So as I sit here early this morning, I have so many emotions and "to do" lists going through my head. I am going to try to set those aside until Monday morning, and have one last weekend of total freedom.... no school worries, and play with my little man. I just want to hold him all day long!

P.S. I also get secretly excited about this time of year because I get NEW SCHOOL SUPPLIES. New school supplies make me so happy. Fresh pencils, brand new markers, fresh packaged notebook paper, dry erase markers that do not run out, staples, tons of colored paper, Crayons that have not been used... oh the joy it brings me. It does not get much better than that!!!!!

Cooking!

2009-08-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Here are the recipes I told a few of you that I would post. I need to figure out how to link the recipe when I post my meals on Mondays. That way everyone will have them and not have to ask.

(Katy... how do you link another post? Or create a seperate one that does not pop up automatically? I see you do it on your page and cannot figure it out!)

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

4 bonless skinless chicken breasts
2 c sour cream
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 package dried onion soup

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over the top of the chicken. Cover with lid and cook 6-8 hours. The chicken falls apart and breaks up.
Serve over rice and veggies. (I cook broccli)

Bacak Southwestern BLT Wraps (one of our FAVORITES)

1/2 c salsa
1/3 c frozen corn, thawed
6 (8 in) tortillas
12 turkey bacon slices, cooked and broken in half
Butter lettuce leaves
1 avacado mashed (I use several since we love avocado)
4 t fresh lime juice (3 mini limes)
1/2 c mayo
1 t chopped fresh cilantro
salt to tast

Stir together salsa and corn. Set aside.
Make avocado lime sauce by combining avocado, lime juice, mayo, cilantro, and salt. Top warm torillas with lettuce, corn salsa, bacon and drizzle with avocado lime sauce.

(I also make black beans and spanish rice for sides)

One more tip!!

I made a Chocolate Cake this week and read that if you add a package of pudding mix to the cake it will make it moist. It WORKED. So yummy! You can use any type of pudding to any cake for flavor and to make it so much better.

We make the Southwestern Wraps on a regular basis. It is a great meal and so easy. Also, during the school year I try to have several nights with crock pot meals. I am hoping to do at least one a week. I have a great crock pot book with soo many varieties of meals. Andrew and I normally eat out every Wednesday night since we have church, but if I could plan our crock pot meal to be on Wednesdays we could save so much money!

Sorry it took me soo long to post these. I look forward to seeing everyone else's meal ideas! Yeah for cooking!

I needed a change!

2009-08-11T19:29:00.001-07:00

BEFORE

So I have always had long hair and I really love it, BUT... I needed a change, something new for the year! Wyatt was a motivator in this change since he loves to pull hair and was always, as I put it... "all up in it!" I called my sister Joanne who is a wonderful hair stylist, made the appointment yesterday and at noon today went to get it cut off. I had to make the decision quickly because I have been known to change my mind at the last minute. I have never had short hair so it is hard for me to get used to. I do miss my long hair a little bit already, I think every time I cut my hair I will miss it...

but I LOVE the new do.

What do you think?!

AFTER

I am obviously not made up in this picture. I actually went on a walk before taking it tonight. But you get the idea. It will be easy for me in the mornings and my head feels so much lighter! ;) So this is my new look... if you hate it, please don't tell me! Ha... I can grow it back out in no time if I get tired of the short look! For now... I am pleased! ;)

Poop?!!!! YIKES!

2009-08-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER....

If you do not like POOP stories... do not read! ;)

This is the face of a little stinker. Really, tonight he stunk. We were eating dinner and Wyatt was having some snacks in his highchair. He is always a mess, so before I even started to clean him up I started the bath water. Good thing I did that! As I took him out of his high chair I realized that it was not just food coming from his shorts. He had pooped out both sides of his diaper. YIKES. The doctor told us that the antibiotic he is on for an ear infection would cause diarrhea. Well.... it has kicked in and we definitely had poop everywhere tonight. This is not normal poop either. This is nasty, leaky poop. YUCK. I was thrown into the world of boys, poop and motherhood tonight.

So I laid him on the bathroom floor and start stripping him from all his dirty, yucky clothes. Some how he managed to squirm around the bathroom floor, smearing his nasty poo everywhere. Including on me! So picture this... running bath water, a naked, squirming baby covered in poo, wipes, a tile floor, and a mother yelling for her husband who was in the shower. It was definitely a scene from a movie!

I finally managed to get him clean enough to put in the bathwater and was trying to wipe the poo from the floor and off of me when he struck again. I realize now that it was my fault for what happened next. Take a naked baby and lay him on a cold tile floor and eventually he is going to have the urge to pee. Well... that is what happened. Wyatt peed. But let me just tell you, he did not just normal pee. He peed like a race horse. It was shooting everywhere! I did not know a baby of his size could pee that high, and for a moment I was actually impressed! ;) But then I was shot back into reality when I realized my cute sandals were soaked with pee and both the bathmats were covered as well. I then stopped what I was doing and put my little guy in the tub, still yelling for my husband who had no idea what was going on.

I bathed him, put his pj's on and let him play in his swing while I cleaned up the mess in the bathroom. The funniest part is when Andrew got out of the shower he had no idea what had gone on. I wonder how he would have handled the situation!? I laugh just thinking about it! Andrew is not big on poopie diapers, especially ones that spu!

We both survived... him more than me! I wish you could have seen him. Wyatt was smiling, laughing and saying "Da Da" the whole time! He thought he was pretty funny! This will definitely be a story to go in the baby book.

I should title it....

"Squirming Poo Boy and the Fountain of Pee"

Meals... Meals... Meals...

2009-08-10T15:21:00.001-07:00

So my friend Katy always posts her meals for the week. I have gotten a few good recipes or even ideas for dinners that way. I thought I would start posting my meals as well and then we can get ideas from each other. Going to the store with a list saves me so much money!!!! I LOVE to cook, especially new things, so if you have any favorite recipes post them in the comment section for me! Once I get back into the swing of things during the school year, I normally cook wonderful meals every night! ;) This week I went pretty simple!

Meals for the Week!

Monday: Creamy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice, Broccoli and Dinner rolls.

Tuesday: BLT Sandwiches, Potato Salad, and Kettle Chips

Wednesday: Frito Pie

Thursday: Veggie Deluxe Pizza and Cesar Salad

Friday: Mexican Food... probably Mia's! ;)

JBelle Photography ;)

2009-08-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got family pictures taken. We were introduced to Julie Riggins (the photographer) by our sweet friend Kathryn Aylor. Julie is amazing and our pictures turned out better than we could have imagined. We will be using her for a long time coming. Here are two from the photo session. If you want to see ALL of them, send me a message in the comment section and I will give your the directions and the password. ;)

Check JBelle Photography out! She is wonderful! Oh... and if you use her, tell her you heard about it from me! ;)

http://www.jbellephotography.com/

Update on the Little Guy!

2009-08-09T20:17:00.001-07:00

Wyatt is now almost 9 months old! I cannot believe how big he has gotten soo fast. He has the funniest little personality and is still amazing baby. I have loved being home with him this Summer and the thought of going back to school with out him with me all day makes me a little sick to my stomach. But I know the Lord has a plan for us and I am blessed to have a little guy who adapts to any situation. Here are a few fun things we have done this summer and a few of his new little quirks!

He has a new face he makes. I love it! He crinkles up his nose and blows out air. He knows we love it and every time you hold up the camera he no longer smiles but makes this face! The things he will do for a laugh! ;) Wyatt's hair is also getting so long. The back and sides are now curling up just like his Daddy's! It is so cute and I hope it just keeps curling. The top of his hair is soo long. So this summer we have given him a Fo-hawk! He looks precious with it, don't you think?!

Some of our sweet friends for NY sent Wyatt a shirt. I had a little photo session with him on the porch! Notice he is clapping?! That is also new. He claps at everything that happens. ;)

Little stinker... those two words should sum him up! The picture above is the face we get when he is caught. He has now learned to crawl, or army crawl. It is a sight to see and since we have wood floors he is quit fast! His favorite thing to do is crawl under things; his swing, the table, or even the couch. We are constantly finding him in new places. Talk about re-arranging your house..... Oh, and he also follows Cal (our Lab) everywhere he goes. Good thing Cal lets him climb all over him. Wyatt will sometimes even chew on Cal's paw. I think it must be a boy thing! ;)

What is summer without baseball?! Here is Wyatt and I living it up at a Rough Rider's game. He is so content with being outside. He would stay awake for hours. He even rolled down the hill at the game... not on purpose, but he came up smiling when Andrew finally stopped him! ;)

My cousin Anne and I took our little boys to the Zoo. We went early in the morning the other day and it is the BEST time to go. I recommend it to everyone. It is not hot, there is NO traffic to fight inside or outside the zoo, and the animals are soo lively! Wyatt actually got to see elephants, giraffes and monkeys up close. The trainers even trained a chimpanzee right in front of us. It was very cool. But the picture above was the best of all. I have NEVER been this close to a Gorilla. She was the oldest of the gorillas at the Zoo and we were informed that she loved children. She would follow the kids from window to window and was very content to sit and watch their every move. I was enthralled. Andrew (my cousin's son) and Wyatt loved it. How neat is that?!

Last, but not least was Saturday night. We took Wyatt to his very first wedding. Andrew's cousin Kevin married a sweet girl named Taren and it was a very pretty wedding. Wyatt was so good, as always. The best part was dressing him up. Look how cute he looks in his button-up shirt, khaki's and stylin' little shoes. He is going to always be the bested dressed... (again just like his dad!) He enjoyed being passed around at the wedding and having so many people oooing and awwing at him!

I have so many more pictures! I am the crazy picture lady. This is probably the reason why Wyatt knows to smile when I hold up the camera! ;) He is doing so well and growing so fast. I love watching him form a personality and figure things out on his own. The Lord has truly blessed us with this little guy! Enjoy the pictures, I promise to update sooner!

What a wedding!

2009-08-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have not posted anything in a really long time. I have had a wonderful summer and plan on living it up this last week. But we have been going crazy since the beginning of July. To start things off, my best friend Lynsey got married to a wonderful Dane named Martin. Their wedding was in Durango on Blue Lake Ranch, and it was a week long fun of everything you can imagine! My In-Laws kept Wyatt for the week( who we love dearly for), which allowed me to focus on Lyns (the bride) and also have a vacation with my husband. It was fabulous making all new Danish friends and seeing how the Lord can bring so many people together. We played Danish games, had wonderful fellowship, ate amazing food, took in the beautiful scenery and even went white water rafting! So fun! Here are some pictures of our time in Durango!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

YEAH YEAH for Giveaways!!!

2009-07-13T09:13:00.001-07:00

Look at these cute bags! I love them. Katy is giving this away on her blog. Her mom makes such fun bags, burp clothes and aprons. Here is her mom's link...

.http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7054675

I think that if I do not win this giveaway I am going to have to order one for Wyatt. What a fun bag for him to have! I love the idea of it being his church bag... no name tag involved! ;)

Mom's this is a great bag for your kids. Anyone, this is a great gift! Go check out her blog!

http://thelinkhome.blogspot.com/

Red, White and Blue...

2009-07-07T08:47:00.001-07:00

Wyatt and his life jacket for the boat!

Wyatt sitting with Daddy during the Fireworks. This picture is priceless, both looking up at the sky at the fire works.

Ellie Jane and Wyatt!

He is good at "cheesing" for the camera!

Here are just a few pictures of The 4th of July at the Lake. It was great to spend the weekend with the family at the Lake House, go out on the boat and eat lots of yummy food! We had a blast and loved celebrating the 4th!

yuck....

2009-07-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I started feeling yucky. Not sick, just tired and a stuffy nose. I thought it was just because I have been going constantly every day this week. BUT NO... last night it hit me. My whole body ached, I could not breath AT ALL... and I was shaking uncontrollably from being soo cold. Andrew literally had to wrap a blanket around me and just hold me. I have not felt this sick in years. I am not sure what I have, but today has been miserable. Having a 7 month old and feeling like this do not go hand in hand. Especially one who wants to play ALL DAY LONG. It also did not help that he normally takes a 3 hour nap in the morning, and he only slept for maybe 45 minutes. ;(
Flu? I don't know, but I never thought I would get this sick in the middle of summer in JULY. If I am still this bad tomorrow I will head to the doctor. But say a little prayer that I get so much better. This weekend is The 4th of July, one of my favorite Holidays, and the whole family will be at the lake. I do not want to feel like this there!

YUCK. YUCK. YUCK.

Water, water everywhere!

2009-06-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

My child is in love with the water! He is happy out of the water, but put him in the tub or a swimming pool and he goes to town. He could literally play in the bath tub for hours. I have to take him out once he has splashed ALL the water from the tub onto the floor or all over me. He thinks splashing is pretty funny! Andrew and I both love the water, so it fits in great with all our summer plans.

Wyatt and I have also been going to a Water Babies class through the city of Richardson. It is a 10 day class and they teach the babies to be comfortable in the water. Since Wyatt was already overly comfortable, he took to the "skills" with no problem. I am in the water with him and it is so fun to see him get excited when we sing a song or go under the water. YES... Wyatt goes under and comes up smiling! He has even learned to blow bubbles, it is great! The teacher has taught us safety skills and I have shown him where the SAFE PART of the pool is. Wyatt even was dipped under the water, let go and came up practically on him own. ( No I am not a crazy mom... the teacher guided us to do this and I was right next to him. The whole thing was about 5 seconds!) I am happy that he is not afraid. To be honest, some of the kids are screaming at the top of their lungs, and some of the mom's are to afraid to even try the skills. I want Wyatt to know that the water is not scary, and to trust that I am not going to do anything that will hurt him. He has taken to it wonderfully, and I look forward to keeping up swim classes until he is older and can swim on his own! Yeah for summer and pool time.

Wyatt thinks it is pretty cool to splash himself, me, and all the other parents and children that come near him! I have a feeling I have a joke-ster on my hands! ;) I don't have any pictures from class, but hopefully Friday Andrew will come and get a few of us in the pool!

Father's Day!

2009-06-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

I could write for pages and pages about this wonderful man. My husband is amazing! It was such a great Father's Day, one that we will always remember. Wyatt is saying Da-Da on a regular basis and watching him and Andrew play together brings me so much joy. I know Andrew will lead Wyatt in the way of the Lord as he has already led our family in that direction. Thank you babe for being such a strength in our family. Thank you for loving the Lord with all of your heart and only relying on Him. Wyatt and I love you MORE..... ;)

Jesus... Mascot or Master? Beach Camp 2009

2009-06-22T11:57:00.001-07:00

Church camp this year was amazing! Andrew and I came home totally exhausted, but overwhelmed with how wonderful our Lord and Savior is. He is constantly teaching us and reaffirming the fact that we love and are supposed to work with youth. It is a blast to hang out with them, be silly with them, weep with them and watch them grow in the their walks with the Lord. We are blessed to be able to serve under such amazing staff at The Heights and love that our family gets to serve the youth together. Here is a slide show of Panama City, Florida Beach Camp 2009! Enjoy!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

2 Years and Counting!

2009-06-10T13:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary to us! We have been married 2 years yesterday, 6-9-09! Wow, it is crazy that is has been two years already. I still remember every detail of planning my wedding. It is neat to think back two years ago at how different we were as a couple. The Lord has grown us into one. I am in awe at how He has changed our lives and the two of us. We fully give our ourselves to him daily and trust that He will provide. We do not worry or stress because we know that ultimately God is in control. It is amazing to have this feeling of peace. I thank the Lord daily for giving me a loving husband, one who goes to the Lord for all the decisions in our lives. I am blessed and cannot say enough about what kind of husband and father he has become. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. We have so much to be thankful for. We have been given a beautiful baby boy, a house, and wonderful friends and family. The last two years have been amazing and I look forward to growing together as a family under the protection and direction of the Lord. Happy Anniversary Babe!
Eating at a nice restaurant in the Gaylord.

The view from our room. The Gaylord is amazing. You never have to leave, one stop shop. It has food, entertainment, a pool, spa and so much more! I recommend it to everyone. It was a great weekend with Andrew, very relaxing and much needed! I love my husband and am so happy to say the last 2 years have been wonderful. I cannot wait for many more to come! ;)

Race for the Cure... Get Your PINK On!

2009-06-10T13:35:00.001-07:00

Wyatt enjoying his first taste of this frozen treat. He LOVED it!!!
Right after the 5k at the Plains Capital Bank Booth. ( Andrew's work)

He is such a little stinker!

Worn out....

Our family woke up last Saturday morning and went to Race for the Cure. It was really fun. Wyatt rode in the jogging stroller and talked, laughed and smiled the whole way. He loves to be outside. Andrew's parents joined us for the race, and one of my best friends Kelan came along as well. It was such a pretty morning, there was even a nice breeze which made it so much better. It felt good to be out there walking with tons of survivors. I had the desire several times to hug some of the women I saw walking, knowing they are still battling cancer or have just beat it. My mom passed of breast cancer 3 years ago this last January. It is crazy that it has been 3 years already. But it seems like I just saw her the other day. I love supporting such a great cause, and walking with other women as they struggle through such a hard time in their lives. Our family will always support breast cancer research, I know my mom would want us out there fighting to save lives. We walked in honor of my mom and her life, but we also walked in hopes to save many lives.

I want Wyatt to know my mom and honestly some of the best times I remember with my mom were the talks we had while she was sick. Stripped of health, weight and hair, and bearing all of herself to me. Breast Cancer was apart of the last 7 years of her life and one day I want Wyatt to know how she handled this battle with so much Grace. She would have loved our little man with all her heart, and Wyatt would have loved his Grandma. She loved the Lord with all her soul and if Wyatt takes anything away from her life, I hope it is that he loves our Jesus as much as she did.

Go Race for the Cure!!! ;)

FREE Photo book!

2009-05-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

So I was playing on one of my favorite Blogs - Money Savin' Mom and found this website. I just ordered a photo book with tons of photos of Wyatt from birth to 6 months. Guess how much I paid for it? $4.95!!!! CRAZY... Go get a book for yourself. They are great for memories and so fun to have around the house!!!

Go here: http://photobooksetc.blogspot.com/2009/05/get-free-photo-book.html

ENJOY... I know I will!

Can you do this?

2009-05-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this picture. This is Wyatt's new, favorite toy! He sure does love his feet.

Isn't he so cute?!

I was tagged..

2009-05-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here goes nothing...

8 things I am looking forward to:
- summer
-Beach Camp '09
-my best friend's wedding in DURANGO!
-sleep
-having Wyatt all day long ;)
-laying out
-eating lunch somewhere other than the teacher's lounge
-summer nights

8 things I did yesterday:
-taught 7th and 8th graders
-bible study
-called a friend to vent after a long day
-watched Wyatt try to crawl
-ate Whataburger
-took a long bath and read a good book
-had Starbucks before school
-hung out with my hubby

8 things I wish I could do:
- leave work and travel the world
-run a marathon or half-marathon
-sing
-get a spot on "So you think you can Dance!"
-have time, supplies and patients to scrapbook
-eat WHATEVER I wanted and never get fat
-LIKE to work out... (like is the key word)
-own a bakery

8 shows I watch:
-Greys
-Private Practice
-Biggest Looser
-House
-NCIS
-Two and Half Men
-America's Next Top Model
-Top Chef

8 People I tag:
-Ashlea C.
-Christine P.
-Jenn B.
-Jen H.
-Lyns W.
-Kathryn A.
-Ashley J.
-Kendel

leaving with mixed emotions

2009-05-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am going out of town. I leave tonight and will not be back until Monday evening. It is going to be a fun and relaxing trip. Something that will do me some good. I have been really overwhelmed and mentally and physically exhausted this last month. But I have never left Wyatt before for this many nights and been this far away from him especially out of the state! So I am having some mixed emotions. I know everything will be okay, but boy am I going to miss his sweet face and cuddling with him. I have always been a person who gets homesick real easy, being away from my parents when I was younger, and now Andrew does it to me. Now being away from both my guys is going to be hard, but I think it will be a wonderful time of being away from stress and hanging out with sweet girlfriends. It will be such an exciting trip. If you have kids, does it get any easier leaving them?? I know it is worth it and much needed but....I have to leave him again in July for Lynsey's wedding in Durango, so I am hoping this will show me that, I CAN do it! ;) It is great being a mom and loving someone soo much! I just keep thinking how excited I will be to kiss my husband and hold Wyatt Monday night!

Wyatt and Andrew are going to have a guys weekend. It looks the boys will be hanging out. I am sure at some point Andrew's best friends, Uncle Abe, Uncle Ry and Uncle Stevo will be hanging out with the two of them. This could be a good and bad thing! HA. Not really...they love our little man so much. It will be fun for Andrew and Wyatt to have precious Father/Son time together. I cannot wait to hear how it goes, AND YES, I have the best husband in the world!!! ;) The picture below I think sums up what their weekend will look like! A little relaxing going on. If only the X-BOX and HALO were in the picture... it would be the perfect scenario!

Pray I have a safe trip, enjoy myself to the fullest, and NO worries (I tend to do that a lot). I am blessed to be able to take a trip like this with girlfriends. LA is going to be soo fun! I will see everyone when I get back!

My newest purchase...

2009-05-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, Oh , Oh... I am so excited about my newest purchase! A few months ago my sisters and I went to the zoo. We saw this lady carrying around her 2 year old on her hip in a sling. I did not think anything of it at first, but then she stepped into the water foutain with it on. I was totally surprised. In my mind I was thinking, "WOW she is going to ruin her sling, and a cute one at that!" When she emerged from the water fountain my sister noticed that the sling was mesh. I had never seen anything like this before. They now make slings that are waterproof so you can swim with your baby or walk around with them in the summer to play in the water. How cool is that?! I just ordered mine yesterday and cannot wait to get it in the mail. Wyatt is a little chunker and this summer at the beach it is going to be perfect. I will be able to use my arms but keep him close by and safe. It will also be great for the swimming pool. It also excites me because this now means that I will be on a beach in Florida in exactly a month! ;)

Here is the website... http://store.theslingstation.com/watercarriers1.html

Hope you enjoy it as much as I am going to! ;)

My 1st Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a good day. Everything came full circle and I finally believed I am a mom. YES, I know this sounds silly, but being celebrated yesterday for the things I do for Wyatt was wonderful. It is so amazing to be a mom. As soon as you have a child your heart grows so large. It is amazing the love, patients and compassion that you can exude. I love it. It is the best job in the world. I get so excited when people tell me they are pregnant now. I cannot wait for them to feel these feelings. The Lord created mom's to fill these needs for our children. It is amazing to watch your life unfold as you grow into being a mommy. Something so great could only be pieced together so perfectly by our Heavenly Father. I would not change anything about motherhood and I hope to be the mommy that God has called me to be, fully and faithfully trusting Him with my children's lives.

I awoke yesterday to my little man and Andrew. Wyatt was laying next to me in his boppie pillow with a full smile and Andrew had a full plate of breakfast and juice on a tray for me. Breakfast in bed! It was wonderful and it could not get much better than waking up to my two favorite boys. BUT the day did get better. We headed to church, our Pastor gave a sermon and it truly honored all the moms sitting in the sanctuary. It brought joy to my soul to see so many women joined together in one room, sitting next to their families and all being honored on this day. It was neat for me to look around the room and see so many women that I admire.

The Lord has placed several role-models for me to follow after as a mother and many of them go to church with me. A few at church are; Jan Margrave, Peggy Edwards, Kim Singleton, and Kathryn Aylor and Sandra Kitchell. Each have invested in my life since I have had Wyatt and I love to serve with them. I have also been given so many wonderful examples outside of church, the Lord has been so good to place examples in my life since my mom died; she was my ultimate example, the one I strive to look like. I hope to one day love the Lord and serve Him as a mother like she did.I wish I still had her to go to for advice, but looking back on her life and knowing that she went only to the Lord for her answers gives me so much peace about her not being here. Here are a few more ladies that I love dearly. If you know any of them you will understand why my heart longs for their friendship, advice and support. Sarah Mann and Jenn Bacak! These two ladies have prayed for me and loved me through some of the hardest times in my life. Both have sat on the floor with me and wept as I struggled with the loss of my own mother, or even cried over a silly boy in high school. I long to run my house as they both do, in total compliance and trust in where God leads. Thank you both for growing me into who I am today. The Lord has truly blessed me.

So, back to my day.... after church we had dinner with Andrew's family to celebrate his mom. Then we headed back home where I was able to take an UNINTERRUPTED 2 hour nap. When I awoke from that, Andrew and I watched 2 movies. It was so relaxing, just a day with my sweet family. No stress or worries. It was a wonderful first Mother's day! Oh and Wyatt got me a charm for my charm bracelet that says Mommy, and a gift card to do a little shopping! ;)

Thank you boys for such a blessed day. I love you both very much!

IT IS ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!

2009-05-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be a long post. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about the pranks that have been going on at school between us four teachers below and one of our assistant principals and the officers on our campus. They started the whole thing by playing a cruel April Fools joke on me, scaring me big time. Once they started that.... it was on. I got the girls together and we have not stopped since. It really and truly is a lot of fun, and is how we are making it through the last couple weeks of school. The picture below is of the first prank. Late one night we got dressed up in our fun attire, with water guns and drove to our Principal's house. We then proceeded to sticky note and cellophane wrap his LIMO...aka mini van! We were so sneaky that he had no idea it was us until the next week. But eventually our cover was blown and the war was truly on!The next week we decided to pull a little prank at school. Since sticky notes seemed to be our trade mark we waited until our principal was gone for the day and snuck into his office. We then put TONS of colorfully sticky notes all over his office. When he returned the next day, he was totally surprised. The funny part about the whole thing was that he left it in his office for over a week. Kids would be disciplined in there and he even had a parent conference. Too funny! Here are some pictures of his office below!
We popped keys off his keyboard to spell out a message!

We were so proud of our sneaky work!

Then it was Officer B's turn. We had to get the head principal on our side to get him. He was the only other person with a key to his office. We decided to use an air compressor and blow up tons of black and pink balloons and stuff his little office with them. We also left our trade mark sticky notes every where. At this point in the prank, they had not gotten us back. They just kept "talking trash!" So we just kept pulling pranks. We left him a little message below.....

Theee.5!!! (Deighton, Kelan, Me, and Ashley)

In Officer B's Office! He was totally shocked when he opened his door at 7:15 am the next morning. All four of us even got a hand shake from him because he was impressed. He was totally not expecting us to get him like that!

Yesterday was our pay back. I walked into my classroom, on Monday morning to find my room re-arranged and totally cellophane wrapped. Here are the pictures of my room below. All four of our rooms were done the same, except mine was the worse since they consider me the "ring leader!" Hey, you mess with me and Theee.5 Posse comes after you!!

I thought this was hilarious that they put my A&M water bottle in the middle of my room covered in wrap!!!

I will admit, they got us, and it was good. BUT, I do have to say they copied our cellophane idea and the worst part of it... they paid off the janitors to do their dirty work so they would not be on the cameras. At least we perform our own pranks. Turns out this morning when we arrived at school, the other Principal's offices were cellophane wrapped. By doing this they tried to frame us and make it look like we got them back and did something to the other office members. We only have it out for them two and no one else! TOO bad all of us left school early yesterday and not to mention we are WAY to good at this to copy their little pranks. They better watch out because now they have it coming.

"IT IS ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!!!"

New Tricks

2009-05-01T08:07:00.001-07:00

This is the face of a little boy who has now figured out how to get places on his own. He is so proud of himself in this picture. Yes, Wyatt can now roll everywhere. He has been able to roll from his stomach to his back for a while now, but last Tuesday while playing on the floor he flipped to his stomach and he has not stopped since. It makes me sad to think he is moving all over the place so much now. I mean a few months ago he was my little infant. Now he is a fat baby flipping from his stomach to his back and from back to stomach, over and over and over again to get something from across the room that he wants. He has learned quickly! This new trick has also made it difficult to change his diaper. He thinks it is pretty funny to try and turn over right in the middle of being naked. If I could figure out how to put videos on my blog, I would put up the latest one of him rolling around on the floor playing with Cal, who by the way is his very best friend. The best part of all of his rolling is that every time he pops up on his stomach he looks around for someone to cheer! Gotta love the new trick.

On a side note; we have learned that Wyatt is going to be one silly little boy. He loves to make people smile. Andrew and I went to the mall yesterday evening and the whole time he was making silly faces and laughing really loud as we walked through the mall. Every person that stopped to talk with him would get a funny face; a tongue sticking out, bubbles being blown making a moater boat sound, or a flirty eyebrow raise. He likes to be the center of attention. He makes us laugh all day long.

THE END! ;)

My 25th Birthday!

2009-04-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful 25th Birthday! I have been celebrating it since Thursday April 23rd! I started off with a little HH with my Hubby, Ryan, Kelan, and Ashley at El Fenix! It was great! Then Friday night I celebrated with my family. They all came in town and we went to Love and War in Texas. It is a fun restaurant with a live band. We sat outside and ate lots of great food. Here are some pictures of that night!My sister Jill and Jas!My oldest sister Joanne, nephew Landon, and my sweet little boy!

My sweet best friend Rebecca! Her and her husband came to dinner. They are truly apart of our family. Nick and Andrew are also best friends, and they are Wyatt's Godparents! We love them dearly.

My little buddy!

I love my husband. On my actual Birthday, which was Monday the 27th, he bought me a cookie cake with candles and him and Wyatt sang me Happy Birthday. It was so sweet. I seriously have the best husband in the world. He loves me just like God loves the Church. I thank the Lord every day for him!

I celebrated with Andrew's family on Monday night. We went to dinner at a place called Kenny's Woodfire Grill. It is so yummy. Before your dinner they bring you pop-overs and they are amazing. I had Chilean Sea Bas in tomato basil sauce with potato cakes. Oh, and I can not leave out that I had my favorite salad in the whole world; tomato - mozzarella! MMMMMMM ;)

Then Tuesday after school my sweet girlfriends and I went to celebrate at Taverna! It is a great Italian food place in Uptown. We had so much fun talking and laughing!

My last celebration is this afternoon with the Language Arts department at my school. Kristin, our department head and sweet friend's birthday was on Monday as well. We have the same bday which makes us incredibly awesome!!! HA! ;) We are heading to HH at our favorite place, Amigo's! It is much needed after this long TAKS week.

Thank you everyone for such a great week and a half of birthday! I loved it! I am the big 25... whooo hoo! ;) So much good food and drinks this last week and now I much slow down and work it all off!!!

Softly call the Muster, comrade answers 'here'...

2009-04-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

"We gather today, Aggie all, to recall our past, and strengthen our ties to honor those who have passed before us.... We come today to confirm our commitment, our love for this place and all that it represents."

Jack M. Rains, Muster Speaker 1984

Muster is one of my favorite traditions at A&M. It reminds me how committed Aggies are to one- another. I wish I was able to be in College Station today because Dr. Gates is the Muster Speaker this year. But I will honor Aggies here and remember how important and special Aggie Land and all the people who are apart of it are to my heart. I love being able to share these traditions with my husband and both have a mutual love for such a great place. So today in Dallas, we will..... "Softly call the Muster....."

http://muster.tamu.edu

Go, read, and learn if you have no idea what Muster is. It is such a great thing and everyone should know about it!

5 Months and Growing...

2009-04-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Wyatt is 5 months old today! I can not believe it has gone by so fast and how much he grows every day. He is in the 95th percentile for height and weight and is very much a healthy little boy. Last time he went to the doctor (2 weeks ago) he weighed 19 pounds 10 ounces. He is definitely hitting the 20 pound mark soon, or already has. He is such a happy baby, laughs,smiles and is just a joy to be around. Here are some of the things he is doing at 5 months.

*Sticking his tongue out. (like the picture above... you do it to him, he does it back)

*Rolling all over the place.

*Sitting up (in a few weeks he will be sitting without ever falling over)

*DROOLING...

*Loves to play with your hands.

*Crosses his hands like he is praying.

*Laughs hysterically at ANYTHING.

*Reaches for your face.

*GRUNTS LOUDLY when he wants your attention.

*Eating from a spoon

*Reaches for Cal (our dog) and plays with him.

*Kicks.... ;)

*Loves to cuddle.

*Sleeps 9 hours!!!!!

*Smiles so big when I go to get him from his crib. (definitely one of my favorite things)

*Can hold himself straight up on his tummy.(if those knees came up, he would be crawling)

* Follows Andrew and I no matter where we go. He will look all over a room until he sees us.

*Giggles when you make his bottle.

*HAPPY with anyone who loves on him!

There are so many more things. Those are just some of my favorites! He is such a wonderful baby and we are so blessed by him every day!

We love you Wyatt Jeremiah. Happy 5 months!

Little Orioles Fan..

2009-04-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

Wyatt already loves baseball, just like his daddy! On Monday we took Wyatt to his first baseball game at Ranger's Stadium. We normally would have on Ranger's attire, but this night they were playing the Orioles. If you know my husband, you know he loves the Baltimore Orioles. Last year for his birthday I took him to Baltimore to see them play at Camden Yard and our dog is named after a Hall of Fame Oriole - Cal Ripken Jr. So here is Wyatt decked out in his Orioles outfit, sitting in his first stadium seat! He loves to be outside, and he was so content the whole game! He was so interested in all the people and what was going on over head on the score board. It was kind of ironic that we sat two rows from the field next to the Ranger's dugout, but next game Wyatt will wear some Ranger's gear.

Wyatt and his daddy! Both avid baseball fans!!!

He LOVES the camera!

So towards the end of the game he was knocked out!!! All the craziness of the surroundings wore him out. It was such a good night and fun for us to take him to something we love so much. I can not wait until he can truly enjoy it like we do! Oh, and P.S. The Orioles won 10-9!!!!! ;)

Wyatt also had some of his favorite people come to the game with us.... Grandmommy, Grandaddy, Uncle Abe, Uncle Ry, Uncle Stevo, and Lauren! He was very excited to have all them there! He loves you all soo much and he is so lucky to have you in his life!

He has RISEN!!!!

2009-04-13T10:27:00.001-07:00

I love Easter! It is normally such a happy day, full of bunnies and candy, and most importantly worshiping our Father in Heaven. Do not get me wrong, it was a great day in the Lord, but the weekend was a little emotional for me. I struggled this weekend wishing my mom was here to experience Wyatt's first Easter. The pain of not having her here will never fully go away on special days like this. I did a lot of thinking this weekend and reevaluating who I am in Christ. I was amazed at what the Lord taught me.

But he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecution, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

- 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10

All I need is the Lord. HE is enough for me even in the hardships. I took time to thank Him for all the blessings he has given me. My mother is with the Lord right now and I know one day I will rise to see her again. That brings joy to my heart that only God can give. It brings joy that not only does He hold me in times of need, but in my weaknesses he makes me strong. He has risen and I am to celebrate this wonderful gift. The best gift of all.

Here are a few pictures of The Crawford Family Easter

Sweet Friends and some Strollin'

2009-04-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend Andrew went on a guys weekend for one of his best friends birthdays. Since he was gone, I had some of my best friends stay with me. I can not explain this first picture just yet... but know the pictures that go along with it are soon to come. This is just a little example of the mischief we got ourselves in. We are Jr. High teachers and last weekend we took on the role and behavior of our students... hehe! We were driving around town and "saw" someone we were not supposed to see. We almost blew our cover from the picture above. So we decided to make a sad face. Turns out our cover WAS NOT blown. We are sneakier than we thought.. ha!

One of our fellow teachers, Christine has had a tough year. Her son was diagnosed with epilepsy and they have been struggling with getting it under control since August. His name is Jake, and he is one of the cutest kids I think I have ever seen. On Saturday at the Zoo there was a "Stroll for Epilepsy." We took our TOPS/Umoja Kids to participate and show our support. It was such a fun time and we wanted Christine to know we cared about what was going on in her life. I am truly amazed at her strength and trust in the Lord through all this. She is an amazing lady. To learn about Jake, go to http://all4jake.blogspot.com/ .

Strollin at the ZOO. (Really riding the turtle! ;)

Ashley, Kelan, Me and Deighton
("Enid, Estella, Edna, and Eleanor") ;)
We like to call ourselves "Theee.5" It is a silly joke and does not mean anything really. I love these girls so much. All three of them have taken the time to invest in my life and to help me go through some of the struggles I am been dealing with. It is great to be able to work with people who not only care about things that go on at school, but truly love you as a person and are willing to take on your life issues with theirs outside of the classroom. We have connected so much this year and I would not give up any of them. Thank you girls. You have a special place in my heart. I love that we can be 13 again when we are together. I look forward to soo many more "EXCELLENT" times to come! hehe

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend with sweet friends. I have not had that much fun in a really long time. We have a fun weekend trip planned for May, so look forward to seeing some crazy pictures of us. LA here we come! ;) Oh and if you are curious, a description of our mischievous behavior is soon to come. MUUUAHHHHAAA.....

I hope to be this woman...

2009-04-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

" Be the kind of woman who, when your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says,

"OH CRAP, she's up!"

A friend sent me this qoute today and I fell in love with it! What a great way to start out each morning. I want to be so in love with the Lord and so willing to follow Him, that the devil freaks out as my feat hit the floor running in the morning. I hope to live this way!

Wyatt is 4 Months!

2009-03-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Man our little guy is growing so fast. I guess "little" guy is not the right word, more like big, chunky guy! He went for his 4 month check up and now weighs 18pounds 9 ounces and is 27 inches long! I can not believe how big he is. Wyatt is such a happy baby and so easy. I could not be more blessed. He has the laid back personality of his daddy, he takes everything as we go along, and has the silly personality of his mommy. He likes to laugh at himself a lot! The doctor said he has the motor skills of a 6 month old and he is already sitting up by himself. It does not last a long time, after a minute or so he leans forward, but the doctor was shocked at his abilities! He never stops talking and making noise and is the happiest after his belly is full! You can just look at him and he gives you a big smile. He can brighten up your day in one second! Hope you enjoy the recent pictures of him!

Yeah for the new jumper!

At his Me Maw's (the sweet lady who keeps him) house during the day he has learned to love the jumper. Andrew and I went and got one for him and he goes crazy! The expression on his face says it all!

He is so cute in his hat! I pull out the camera and he is ready to smile!

Sweet Sweet Boy!

I love this pic. It looks like he is saying "ROCK ON MOMMY!!!!" Man we have a genius! He He! ;)
Wyatt and I wore green on St. Patrick's day to celebrate! My fingernails were even green!

One night after eating cereal! It is all over his nose! Also, isn't his shirt great? "I YELL AT MIDNIGHT TOO!" We are brainwashing him early!

Wyatt started eating food this week! He was not so sure about it at first, hence the squash all over his chest, he literally spit it out. But now he gobbles it down and does not want me to stop until it is bone dry!

Hopefully I will get back into blogging. I took a break from everything over Spring Break!

SWAGBUCKS are ADDICTING

2009-03-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

So I saw this on so many other peoples blogs and it is addicting. I search google ALL the time for school related articles and new interesting things to teach my classes. Sometimes I even google silly things. I am a google-fanatic. So now I am going to become a Swag-fanatic. I have already gotten tons of points. It is kind of fun knowing the more you search the more you get back. It is fun watching your swagbucks go higher and higher. All you do is enter your email and start using their search engine. ;) Try it out!

http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=383374

Wyatt's Dedication Day!

2009-03-04T10:48:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Best Friends!

2009-02-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

I do not need to say much! These pictures speak for themselves! My favorite is the first one! My two sweet boys! WHOA!
Wyatt thinks Cal is the best! He was all clean from Cal's loving bath!

Man I was a crazy blogger today! I had tons to tell from this weekend!;) Hope you enjoy the last 3 posts!

NO NO NO!!!

2009-02-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

Wyatt was laying in his bed last night playing with his mobile while I was picking up the house! When I walked into his bedroom, this is how I found him! AHHHH... my son will NOT suck his thumb. A pacifier is totally fine with me, I can take that away... but a thumb is not something I can get rid of! Every time I see this happen from now on... I am sticking a pacie in his mouth! He is so cute though isn't he?! But no thumb suckers in my house!!! ;)

Chi Alpha '09 - REVOLUTION

2009-02-24T10:24:00.001-08:00

Chi Alpha was this last weekend! This year I was behind the scenes, running errands and helping out the staff any way I could. I love to serve in this way and it was great for me to "relax" from teaching and just serve the Lord in a different way. I have been very emotional and struggling myself with certain issues and did not feel I could give the girls 100% of myself to them. SO this is where the Lord lead me to help. I enjoyed it tremendously. Christy was a "groupie" with me this weekend and we got to spend time together helping out and hanging out. I so needed this time with one of my sweet girlfriends. The Lord has put us in each others lives for a reason these least few months. It is so neat to see how our lives are all written and intertwined with one another. How could you not love a God who meets ALL your needs, especially with friends!

Me, Kendel and Christy

Me, Christy, Ashlea, & Kendel
Some of the greatest, godly friends I have!

Me and Christy, One of my new favorite people in the whole world!

Christy and I at Corner Stone Baptist Church! We took pictures of the students performing soo many service projects. They did an amazing job. We cleaned out Clothes Closets for the homeless, painted playgrounds, cleaned soup kitchens and cleaned the area around apartments in South Dallas. It was neat to see how humble our students were when working in this area of town. They were so willing to do anything asked of them and I know they learned from it. Each of them were able to give a little bit of Jesus to a community that needed their help.

Me and Ashlea

Love, Love, Love her!

Andrew got to work with the 11th grade boys! This is where we teach throughout the year. He loves these boys. I think he goes back to being in 11th grade when he hangs out with them. I love watching my husband mentor and form relationships with these boys. The Lord has given him such a heart for high school boys and it is great to see him working with them. He was exhausted at the end of the weekend. Spending the night with 12 boys all weekend does not get you much sleep! But he enjoyed every minute of it!

We adore our Youth Group at the Heights!

FYI: Wyatt stayed with this Grandmommy and Granddaddy! We were so ready to hold him at the end of the weekend!

Shopping Fun!!!

2009-02-15T17:20:00.001-08:00

So I have the best Mother-n-Law a girl could have, and Wyatt has a WONDERFUL Grandmommy! He likes to go shopping with us. Let me just tell you that Amanda and I love to shop! We can not help buying all the cute clothes in the stores and all the fun accessories! We found these sunglasses today in Gimboree and had to buy them! Wyatt seems to think they are pretty cool as well! He is one COOL DUDE! ;) What do you think?! We could not resist!

My Valentines... XXOOX

2009-02-14T20:32:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to share a few pictures of Wyatt on Valentines day. He has gotten soo big. I am so incredibly lucky to have two Valentines who love me. The Lord has blessed me abundantly. Happy Valentines Day Andrew and Wyatt... I love you both more than words can express.