With all of this time on my hands....

I have a ton of time to post!

I finally have internet again, so I will be posting as much as possible now! :)

I am enjoying my break a TON!  I get quality time with Macie {without having to worry about getting homework/projects done}, I've started to redecorate the house a little {let's just say spray paint is my new best friend :)}, and our house is A LOT cleaner.  I need to start taking pictures of my before and afters around the house, I guess.  There's a lot that can be done to make a dramatic difference while only spending a few dollars.  A few things that I have done are: 

spray painted two side tables--one in the living room and one in our bedroom--spray painted a clock in the living room, sanded and distressed a table that my Grandad made {many moons ago}, and I hung a couple of small shelves {that I have had for months and haven't had time to measure and hang}.

The list goes on, but I think I have accomplished a lot!

Each morning after Macie and I wake up, we get a little bite to eat then head outside.  I've made it my goal to drastically cut our TV time for the time being.  My reasoning is because the other day, Macie threw a huge fit because the show she wanted to watch wasn't on TV and there was nothing I could do.  I just turned the TV off and she went to her room to play--simple as that.  I hate that I let her get to "addicted", but it's so easy to turn on the tube while I'm trying to get things done {homework & housework}. 


Anyway, we're changing that!  More vitamin D for us--pool time, craft time, and just time to run around. 

Craft Time

Running Around (in our jammies)!

Pool Time!

Needless to say, we are having a lot of fun!  

Chris took the day off today, so we're just hanging out.  He mowed this morning and Macie and I removed the awful border in the master bath.  It ended up being a ton easier than I thought it was going to be.  I looked up instructions on ehow.com and all it said to start out doing is wetting the paper with warm water.  I was so lucky that worked because I would have been stuck with an even nastier looking bathroom!  

 {I'll post the after after whenever I finally paint}

We're having a busy, productive day and I like it! 

What a lovely day.

Early today, I ran to Ft. Worth to make a Hobby Lobby run. I needed some fabric to do a "project"--I have lots of projects on the list for my summer break! While I was there, Macie and I picked out some paints and crafts to occupy our mommy-daughter time. As soon as we got home, we started the fun stuff.
First, Macie had to give Tex a bone, then she played on the swing set for a while, followed by a short drive in her Barbie Jeep. Fun fun, but that wasn't the end of it...oh no.
We broke out the paints, foam letters, and card stock (to make pictures for everyone). I made Macie paint her foot so I could get her print for my keepsake. I LOVE it! As a matter of fact, I am probably going to frame it for the time being. :) She painted a picture for her Nana, Lolli, Hannah, Noah, and Tex (the dog).
So, right now she is busy sliding and swinging and I decided to take this time to write a new blog. I'm just sittig here listening to old '80s country music and relaxing in this near perfect weather. I just love the outdoors!
I am so blessed to have this day with my little special girl. Words cannot describe how thankful I am. So sappy, I know!
Enough with the sap, and onto the good stuff--pictures! Here's our afternoon wrapped into a few pics:

It's always nice to get outta town...

First of all, I apologize for any typos--our Internet is still out of order and we're STILL waiting on our service call...UGH! I do have a mobile option, so here it goes:

Sometimes the smallest trips can make the week. This morning, we got up and did a few things around the house, then got ready and headed out to Paradise for Brittan's birthday party (Chris' friend Bubba's daughter). We had a great time over there--Macie got to play with her buddies, Lilly and Brittan, and Chris and I got to spend time with our friends. A win win! I wish we could have spent more time over there, but we went over to my in-law's for a little visit too.

Going to the Pikes' is always like a trip to imagination land for Macie and I love watching her play! First, she always has to go check on the chickens. She and her Lolli stayed out there for a while and Chris and I stayed inside visiting with his brother, Matt.

The Berry Fairies visit every time Macie is at Lolli and PopPop's and they didn't skip today. Macie pick a bucket full!

She was pretty excited :)

Then we found some very hungry caterpillars--they ate a while dill bush and were working on another. One looked like it might have been in a food coma.

It was a really fun day!

We still have one day left of the weekend and no plans. I have no clue what we're going to do but I know I plan on sleeping great tonight. We stopped on the way home to grab some Melatonin (that mother-in-law suggested to aid in sleeping well). I took the stuff about half an hour ago, so I hope it works!!

Here's to a weekend full of smiles and great sleep!

With the mobile feature, the pictures won't post within the text so here are all of the pictures from our weekend:

 

Testing My Mobile Feature!

My Internet is currently out of order, so I'm testing out my mobile blogging feature!

This is a picture of a rose from my Granma's house. I snapped this pic on Easter Sunday. :)

Spring has sprung...

I know it has been a while since I last posted--I have just not been in the mood to share anything for a while.  I started school in January, which has kept me pretty busy (along with my PRESCHOOLER, yes she's preschool age now).   A lot has happened in the past few months and nothing positive has really happened....until now.  It's finally Spring!  We get to go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, and boy let me tell you, it has really improved my mood!  It's amazing what a little sunshine and heat can do for a girl.  Macie is so much happier now since she gets to go outside and run off all of her energy for most of the day.  She is to the age now (3 years 3 months to be exact) that I will let her play in our backyard without me outside with her.  I will just open the windows so I can see her while I get lots of housework done.  We have a huge fenced-in yard, so no worries! :)  She gets to play with our dog Tex and they have so much fun together.

Sunny days = Lots of outdoor playing! :)

Park Playdate--

Today, we got to take a trip to the park to play with Izzy, one of my best friend's daughter.  Tiffany, my friend, and her husband now live in Michigan so we NEVER get to see them.  Whenever Macie and Izzy were babies, not even able to walk yet, Tiffany and I would take them for walks around the same park we visited today--we were trying to walk off our baby weight. :)  Now Tiffany has a new little one, Noah.  He was born last month and is such a sweet little guy--such a good baby!  I really miss my sweet friend so much.  I wish I would have thought to take a picture of the two of us together today, but we were too busy talking and making sure our little ornery girls weren't getting into too much trouble. 

Playing at the park with old friends!

Look at this sweet guy--Noah

Here's our girls almost 3 years ago and today:

They're growing up too fast!!!

About 6 months old!

About 8 months old!

   



I am so glad that the weather is looking up and I hope it stays this way--life is so much more fun outside!  I think Macie and I will head to Wally World to purchase a new blowup pool for the year.  Too fun--stay tuned for our Spring/Summer adventures!  I hope you're all enjoying this weather as much as we are!!! :)

Busy Year Already

Celebrations!

As usual, we're staying busy.  We had Christmas - which was very hectic this year :( - then 2 weeks later, we had Macie's Birthday :), and now we've started a new year and Birthday parties have already started.  We've been to three since Macie's (three in one day, at that!) and we have one this Saturday, then my Grandparents' 59th Wedding Anniversary party on Sunday.

My Grandparents are such a sweet couple, I can only hope for a relationship as strong and happy as theirs.  They are amazing people and I am so proud and lucky to have them as my grandparents.

Wonderful couple!

I always dread January and the new year, though.  It is happy in many ways, but not only do I start another busy year of social engagements, I also start back to school after a long break.  Sometimes I wonder why I even went back to school because I love being a stay at home mommy/wife so much.  I know and always remind myself that I need to make $$$ one day too so that I can be a provider as well.  I just have a feeling that after I'm finished with school, I'm going to dread going to work because I just want to stay at home with my babies (hopefully we'll have more).  I'm going to have to look into careers that I can work from home, with my degree of course.  I know, I know....good luck with that.


Snow/Ice

So, we've had sooo many snow days this year.  What's up with that Texas?  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (always love free days off from school!), but it did get a little old when I could barely drive to the grocery store after being stuck at home for three days.  Our pantry was looking very scarce by the time I made it to trusty Walmart - that place was a mad house.

Macie really enjoyed having snow.  She would love to be a little snow bunny, for sure.  Every morning she would wake up, look out the window, and say, "It's snow Momma!"  After it was all gone, she was quite disappointed and sad.  It was so funny, but not funny, how sad she was acting.

Today we have another ice day.  This morning UPS called Chris and told him that they weren't running all of the cars, so he got a day off, and he told me that he didn't think it would be a good idea for me to drive to Stephenville for one class.  So I didn't :)!  We're just hanging out at the house now.  I'll work on some online homework in a little bit, but other than that I'm going to relax inside and stay as warm as possible!

Here's a little update of our lives in pictures:

Paxton's skating party (Macie's first time skating)

Ayden's jumping party!

First snow day, just a little icy.

Gotta keep busy inside somehow!

Our house...covered in snow - Second snow day!

Preparing for a snowball fight

A storage container made into a make-shift sled. :)

My angel making a snow angel.

TEX!!!

My buddy and me!

 

A video of Macie and Chris playing:

I would post more videos, but this one took forever.  I'll just stick to pictures (unless someone can tell me a faster way)!

Three Birthdays Already?

How does time pass so quickly?  I always heard, when a was a wee child, the adults talking about time flying and never thought twice.  All I was worried about was running around and playing with my friends. Now that I'm older (and wiser), I appreciate every single minute of my days.  Having a child makes even the seconds seems so important!

I can be filled with disappointment about something, look at my little girl, and know that there is she is so much more important.  Macie makes everything else seem so small.  I love that little girl so much!  Here are some of the many things I love about her:

-I love how she doesn't know the words to a song, but sings it anyway--oh to be a child again!

-I love how she'll get a present and remember who it was from months later.

-I love that she is very polite.

-I get so irritated with her when she talks back to me, but I love the way she is so confident in her decisions and sticks to them (even though mean ol' mom steps in for interference).

-I love the way she loves her babies, she's such a sweet mommy to them.

-I love the way she cuddles up to me whether I'm on the couch or in the recliner.  I dread the day she doesn't want to anymore!

-I love the way she doesn't want to sleep in her bed or our bed, but on a pallet on the floor of our bedroom.

-I love how she says "I love it" and says "thank you" whenever she gets something new.  It cracks me up!

-I love how much she loves our families and how she lets them know.  She's such a sweetheart!

-I love how she doesn't like me to call her pet names (even though I would really like to call her my sweet baby).  She won't even let me call her a princess, tells me "I'm Macie."

-I love how sweet she is with animals, she's truly an animal person (definitely gets that from her mommy!).

**I'm sure I could go on and on, but I'll stop there.  You get the point that I'm crazy about my little Macie!**

Well, my sweet Macie had her 3rd Birthday this weekend and I cannot believe we've already celebrated 3 birthdays.  Times does fly when you're having fun!  She had an absolute wonderful time with lots and family and friends.  She is definitely a very loved little girl.  The theme was Minnie Mouse and most of the decorations were handmade by yours truly.  I enjoy doing her party planning so much, even though I was extremely late letting everyone know about the party.  It definitely snuck up on me!  Anyway, we had a nice lunch, played a lot, she blew out her candles, we ate cupcakes, then finally opened presents.  Let me say, this little girl got a ton of presents and she remembers pretty much who gifted each of them.  It just amazes me!  I hope she grows up appreciating how much love surrounds her.

It looks like there weren't any guys at the party from the pictures, but there were.  They all hung out outside for the majority of the party!

Here are some pictures from the celebration:

Playing with the goodies!

Playing inside.

Everyone getting some grub.

One of Macie's friends, Ayden.

Sweet Birthday girl!

Some of the yummy sweets!

Cheese!

Grandma assisting in opening presents.

Opening Avery's gift.  She loved her new baby!

Loving new books!

Check out the mess!

Alyssa, perched checking out what she's going to 'try' and play with.

We had a wonderful time!  I would like to thank each and every one of the friends and family that were able to make it.  Macie has so many wonderful, special people in her life.  We're thankful for each of you!