Live,Laugh,Love - The Foote's

Trip to the pumpkin patch

2010-11-07T23:34:00.000-08:00

I love the pumpkin patch. There is something about the smell in the air, the crisp wind blowing through my hair and the miles of corn mazes and rows of orange pumpkins that just brings a smile to my face. As with many things in life, activities like the pumpkin patch become so much better when you get to experience the joy and excitement through the eyes of your children. I was not able to go to the pumpkin patch field trip with Addison's class this year but it sounds like they had a wonderful time. However, I did find a wonderful Friday morning a week before Halloween when the sun was out and Macy and I had some free time. So we meet Kristi, Jaren and Jocelyn at E.Z. Orchards and enjoyed a fun morning of running, running and more running. What else could one expect when you let two very excited 3 year old loose at a very fun pumpkin patch.

After a few hours of running, and sliding and climbing and peddling the trackers we did manage to find the PERFECT pumpkins. For some silly reason Macy was very attracted to all of the pumpkins that were covered in "warts" and Jaren really enjoyed the "wart" pumpkins that were green or "off" colored. I am all about embracing their free and untainted point of view as I know all to soon they will be among their peers and will quickly learn that these "special" pumpkins are not perfect in the eyes of the general population. Of course this mommy will take that opportunity to teach my child about beauty and the true source as well as the right and enjoyment of personal preference.....but that lessing is for another day. On this sunny day, Macy picked the pumpkin covered in warts and was very proud of her choice. Here are some fun pictures from that day. Enjoy!

Addison starts First grade

2010-10-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Addison started 1st grade at Butte Creek Elementary school on September 7th, 2010. I can not believe that she is old enough to be in 1st grade....to go to school and be away from me all day 5 days a week. But, she is doing great and has adjusted to the new school better then I could have imagined. She loves her teacher and has already made some new friends. We have all discovered that she has a very strong aptitude for math and has earned 100%'s on each weekly spelling test so far. She is currently working very hard on her reading skills and has started to discover the fun and joy in reading!

Addison starting 1st grade also meant that I started a new era. I now get to pack lunches each morning and clean the lunch sack out at the end of the day. Going through the backpack and working on homework each night and setting out clothes for the next day in an attempt to make the mornings (which neither of us are big fans of) smoother. I also have to make sure I watch the clock and get her to school on time as well as pick her up at the appropriate time. What time is that you ask? Oh, let me remind you how I found out....

Addison's First day of First Grade - September 7th, 2010

With tears in my eyes I walked away from Mrs. Gex 1st grade classroom at 8:30am. I knew this was the time school started because the many papers I had received from the school prior to school starting had clearly explained that the children must be in their seats ready to learn by 8:30am. I return home with Macy to begin our new routine, just the two of us. Everything is going well but I keep thinking to myself, those papers never said when school is out. I double check the papers, nothing at all. So, I make a very wise and educated conclusion; Myers Elementary was out at 3pm and when I was growing up my elementary school was out at 3:15pm so I will go to the school today to pick her up by 3pm and if I am early, well it will just be a bonus. So at 2:45pm Macy and I jump in the car and pull in to the school parking lot a few minutes before 3pm. I was very pleased to see that I did not have any trouble finding a parking space and scored a front row spot. My phone rings, it is Kenny ( I am sure he is being super dad and calling to see how Addie's day was) WRONG. He was calling to inform me that the school had been trying to get a hold of me for the last hour...because Addison gets out of school at 2pm each day. That's right, this is the mom that picked her daughter up 1 hour late on the first day of 1st grade. Good thing she is a sweetheart and let me off the hook pretty easy!

Here are some "classic" first day of school pictures to enjoy! My favorite is the one with Macy in the background. She was less then pleased to see her sister (and playmate) getting ready to leave for the ENTIRE day.

Oregon State Fair 2010

2010-09-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the state fair.....the food, the rides, the animals, the weird people and the fun little vendor stands that I always get suckered in by.... I love it all!!!! I have always loved the fair but the excitement and the joy of the Oregon State Fair really jumped when I had children that were old enough to start enjoying the fair too. We picked a date and most of the "DeLapp" family met up for a wonderful day of food, rides, food, rides and some more food and rides. That was pretty much the theme this year. :) I was so proud of Addison as she really conquered her fears this year and tried a lot of new things. She tried new "scary" rides, she let the lady paint her face and she took a few bites of food she has not eaten before. She is growing up and I could not be any prouder! Towards the end of the night Kenny and my Dad decided to take a ride of their own....on that human sling shot thing. It was crazy and Kenny's face was priceless (you get to watch it up close on a camera that is right in front of his face) Kenny and Sean also enjoyed a little moment of nostalgia when they took a spin on the good old zipper. Side note, the zipper was the only ride that I cried so hard and screamed so loud that they actually stopped the ride to let me off. In my defense I was so small at the time and I honestly feared for my life. The seatbelt was WAY to big and I was being tossed around like a doll in that wire cage. I was sure that I the front door was going to pop open and I was going to go flying out to my death........humm, I wonder where Addie gets her crazy ideas from?!?! Anyway, here are some highlights from the Oregon State Fair 2010!

Where did the time go....

2010-09-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

After visiting Kristi and welcoming my sweet niece into the world my summer seem to pick up full steam and truly take off. It seemed like the only time I was home was to pack, do some laundry and get my work hours in so that we would be ready to go to the next weekend or extended weekend trip. It was a wonderful summer filled with family, friends, water sports, camping, 3 different family weekends at the beach and a ton of wonderful memories made!!! I am so blessed!

Here are a few pictures from the last month :)

Welcome to the world Jocelyn!!!

2010-07-09T03:56:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to introduce you to the newest member of my family!!! Jocelyn Nicole Pierce came into this world on June 28, 2010. She is the sweetest little peanut and I thank God for giving this sweet angel to my sister! Welcome to the world Jocelyn!!!

We actually went camping

2010-07-08T03:32:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we packed up the car and headed over the mountain for a wonderful weekend of boating, bonding and fun with some friends. I know I have been pretty honest about my "love" for camping and so I figured it is only right to offer my honest feedback now that I have actually gone camping with my wonderful family of 4. So, are you ready.....I WAS RIGHT!! It stinks! Who on earth thinks it is awesome to work for 2 days before to get everything packed up and organized just to unpack it in some dirt, make everything you packed turn into something you will have to clear or wash when you get home and then spend the return week trying to clean and put away all of the "stuff" that took so long to pack up in the first place?!?!?! Okay, so Kenny and I did forget our own pillows which did not allow for wonderful sleeping conditions. Turns out a pile of "clean" towels is not that soft in the middle of the night. I also am not a big fan of the "natural sounds" of nature. You know, the birds chirping bright and early in the morning and the family of chipmunks that must have been working on their winter food stock pile as they made strange noises before the sun was even above our tent. The fact that you go to bed a little sticky from the fun, dirty and hot day and wake up with a frozen face because you are pretending that a thin tarp sewn together to look like a "house" is actually your "room/home".

BUT....yes, there is a but, I would camp for weeks at a time if it meant hanging out with our dear friends, laughing until our stomach hurts, getting to make amazing and lasting memories with my precious children and being able to swim and boat as I take in God's amazing handy work. Yes, there is a flip side to the camping coin and I must admit, I can see what everyone loves about it. So, I do believe that we will be doing a little more camping and a lot more memory making in the years to come.

Girls night out at the Ballet

2010-06-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

For the last two years Addison has been bagging me to sign her up for Ballet lessons. She is 100% sure she will LOVE it and can't wait to get started. I have been very hesitant to sign her up given her past participation record. But, after she turned the corner during the Upward Basketball season I started thinking that this might be the right time to go ahead and seek out a dance studio where she could try her hand, or should I say toes, at ballet. I had heard about a wonderful studio right here in Silverton that a friends daughter takes lessons at. So when the opportunity came up to go see the end of the year performance I figured it would be a fun girls night out for the three of us (Kenny took a pass on this event) and my secret hope was that the performance would make Addison even more excited about signing up for ballet in the fall. Well, my plan only half worked, it was a very fun girls night out for Addison, Macy and myself but when Addison saw that she would have to be on stage and perform in front of so many people she was NOT interested in signing up for ballet EVER. We are still thinking about signing up because as she puts it "she would like to learn the moves but does NOT want to go on stage". Macy on the other hand would like to know when it will be her turn to go on stage and has no interest in the learning/practicing part. I do have two VERY different girls and I would not have it any other way! Here are a few pictures of our wonderful girls night out at the Ballet!

Silver Falls - Happy Birthday Scotty

2010-06-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated my little brothers birthday with family and friends at Silver Creek Falls. After the wonderful potluck style lunch we all decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and hike down and around the falls. It was Macy's first time at the falls and the first time Addison successfully made it down and around the waterfall. I was reminded what a wonderful destination Silver Falls State Park is and since we are so close to it now, I am sure we will be returning to the falls very soon!!! Here are a few fun pictures of the day.

It is official....

2010-06-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

On Thursday June 3rd, 2010 Addison Elizabeth Foote graduated from Kindergarten. :) I can't believe next year brings all day school and I have mixed feelings about having her gone for so long each day. But, I do know she is ready and will do a great job in 1st grade.

God has really protected us this year and I can not say enough about how wonderful her teachers have been. I was very nervous to put her in public school but God knew just the right teacher to help make me feel better and to help Addison stretch herself, develop more independent and confident ways and help develop an understanding of how to just enjoy being silly. Ms. Powell is a teacher that truly cares about her job and feels privileged to be doing what she is hired to do and this attitude shows in everything she does. She is very creative and enjoys a more arts bases classroom which included theater, detailed story telling, creative writing, painting, exploring and a ton of singing. For the Foote house this is PERFECT! We are very arts centered and the girls have a lot of Kenny's musical passion in them. By having a teacher that tough in a way that Addison felt comfortable with and that made her not feel like there was always a "right" way to do things has really helped bring her out of her shell. She is still the same Addison and will battle the urge of necessary perfection her entire life but I think that Ms. Powell has given her a wonderful life lesson on balance.

Addison has been reading in the class all year but would never read to me at home. Whenever I asked she would shy away and refuse. I did not push the issue and knew it would come soon enough. Finally last week she offered to read me a book...and then another and another. I was so impressed and can not believe how far she has come. She is reading right along and currently loves reading anything Fancy Nancy. I love that we have another special activity that we can enjoy together and that will be lasting memories for a lifetime!

Lastly, Addison has always enjoyed just about everyone her age and this year was no different. But this year we had a chance to learn about how to share our feelings and help others compromise for the sake of the groups interests. She also had her first experience with a social situation that could not be resolved. It was such a blessing to me to watch her handle these situations with such compassion and grace. She was so sweet and is quick to think of the other persons feelings.

Kindergarten was a great experience and I again am reminded of the blessing and gift I was given when God gave me Addison as my daughter! Way to go Addison....First grade here we come!

Privacy Please

2010-05-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Many days I think that October 29th 2003 was seriously just yesterday. I am pretty sure this is true...and then reality slaps me in the face. Today was no exception. My sweet little baby girl, my first born, the one that made me a mommy. That little baby is growing up and it seems like it is going by so quickly. This morning Addison, Macy and I were in Addie's room playing and singing to some music on the radio while I hung up some clothes in the closet. Addison decided it was time to get dressed for the day and that is when it happened....this baby of mine asked us to please excuse her while she gets dressed. WHAT?!?!? Did I hear her correctly? So I said, oh, Addie I am your mom...it is not a big deal. To which she calmly replied, I just need a little privacy to get dressed please. What can I say to that? I am proud of her that she is working on her modesty but this interaction hit me like a ton of bricks. It was such a "big girl" moment, a "big girl" though and a "big girl" request. Where or where did the time go?????

Silly Mom...burglars are in your nose...

2010-05-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

So we have a little neighbor girl that has experienced more then she should have in her first precious 6 years of life. This is a very hard issue for me to try and find the balance between being Christ's light in her life and being a mother that protects her children from things they should not be exposed to by default. (more on this subject in another post) .

So, the other day the girls were playing in the backyard with this neighbor girl. I try to stay close because there is so much that is said and shared I feel like it is best to be right there to correct ALL of the girls regarding any given subject. Well, I walked away for a few minutes and came back to see Macy on the ground crying. It was time for us to go anyway and so I had Addie pick up their stuff and I picked up Macy and off we went. I waited until we were in the car to see what the issue was because I had a feeling that it was either 1. Macy was being left out or 2. Something was said by the neighbor girl and Macy got her feelings hurt.

Well, I was right it was #2. Macy actually did not get her feelings hurt but more along the lines of scared. I guess the little girl told Addison and Macy that Burglars come into peoples houses with guns and shot and hurt little girls JUST LIKE MACY. (Like I said, this poor girl has been over exposed to life for her age)

I take a breath and send up a quick prayer. How do I handle this. I don't think my 3 year old and 6 year old need to know the harsh reality of robbery and burglary. So, I start talking about how there are bad people in this world that do make very bad choices and have hurt people but they do not need to worry, they are safe and Daddy and I will always do our very best to protect them. Macy was really concerned about the gun issue and so I was trying to figure out how to explain that yes, guns can kill people but again, we will protect her and if you are scared we can always pray for God to give us peace and comfort. In the middle of my sad attempt to gloss over the harsh reality of guns and bad guys Addison pipes up and says "she is silly anyway, buglers don't have guns..." and I umm...uhh...what? (honestly I had no idea if I was going to lie or tell the truth) and Addison saved the day....she said "buglers are in your nose, they can't have guns". WHAT? "Mommy, they are in your nose...she(neighbor girl) is just being silly. "

Okay, so sometimes I am very very thankful for my children's innocence and their sheltered lives that allow them to remain innocent for at least a few more years. The fact is "Buglers" are in your nose and Lord willing we will never have an encounter with Burglars.

"This is just not for me"

2010-04-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

So I have always known that Macy is way more adventurous and significantly less cautious then Addison. This "free spirit" makes me laugh at times and shocks me at times but this last week...it freaked me out! Let me start from the beginning....

As in every household with small children a new battle develops after each and every holiday with the whoopers being Halloween and Easter. What battle am I talking about, the battle of the excessive consumption of holiday candy. I am a candy lover and so I can appreciate this attitude of extreme indulgence but as a mom I must at least TRY to limit the candy to replacing only one meal and possibly one snack a day until it is gone.

This year I had a wonderful idea. I would put all of the candy in a very large and heavy (takes both of my hands to lift it) Crystal salad bowl that we received for our wedding. I filled the bowl and then placed it on a higher shelf in the pantry.

It only took a few days for the girls to figure out that the bar stools could be used to get them to that high shelf and they would be able to successfully retrieve whatever had been put on it. So last Tuesday morning Macy waits until I am out of the room and pulls the stool over to start the morning off with some quality nutrition. Turns out that even on the stool the bowl was just barely out of reach....and that was not about to stop my little adventurer. She got up on her toes and stretched her arms out as far as humanly possible.....and then it happened. The toes slipped out of place and down she was going backwards off of the stool.......BUT WAIT, the CANDY....as she wraps her little fingers around the large and very heavy crystal bowl and pulls it down with her. I rush out to see what was going on and quickly pick her up to give her some love. I think she is okay but she is REALLY crying. I give her a nice long kiss on the head and realize my face is now wet. Oh you guessed it, she had pulled that Crystal bowl down and it had hit the top of her head before it hit the ground next to where she landed. For some reason my wonderfully comforting kiss on her head triggered her cut to really start bleeding and I mean BLEEDING. It was everywhere. On the floor all over our clothes and quickly soaking through the kitchen towel I had grabbed to put pressure on it. (Hey, I watch House, Grey Anatomy and Private Practice..I know what to do).

I give it a few minutes as I am trying to get dressed in order to look presentable (ish) in the ER. The bleeding starts to slow down and appears to be coming to a stop. So I asked Addison to get another towel and then maybe try and wipe up some of the blood on the floor for me. ....because I needed to lay down before I passed out. Okay people, I know what you are thinking but I can't control it. It was all I could do to breathe through the entire thing and stay in the moment and care for my baby. I am starting to feel better and so I sit up and call my medical friend (who is my life saver and does not laugh when I say silly things or ask dumb medical questions) . Of course I better take a look at the area to answer some of the questions.....so I do. I can see the cut, see that the bleeding has stopped and then...oh wait, I need to throw up....yes, yes I did. Then Addison comes over to see Macy's head. She takes a look and then says with the sweetest most caring face in the world "Mom, I really want to help you and I am sorry that Macy is hurt, but this is just not for me" and has to walk out of the room. I could not stop smiling for I know what she is feeling.

In the end, Macy (and Addison) learned a very good lesson that day and are now more then happy to just ask for some help if something is to high in the pantry. Macy's head is crusty and scabbed over now and appears to be doing fine. We have been careful with Macy's head (doctors orders) and I have created the fear of death as the consequence for not being careful with Macy's head for the next few weeks. (What, they needed to know I was serious) All will be okay and I have a funny feeling that this will not be the last injury for my adventure girl.....put I pray that Daddy will be home next time and so Addison and I can go hide in the other room. :)

Easter Weekend Fun

2010-04-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

Okay..so I am really behind...but I had to post the fun pictures from the AWESOME Easter egg hunt that Scott and Andrea's church puts on each year! It is a wonderful time and the girls love their Uncle Scotty and Aunt Andrea! :) This year we were blessed to have the presence of the Buck family with us! Fun fun times! Here are a few pictures. I still need to dress the girls up and get some pictures in their Easter dresses.....that weekend is always so busy, fun but always very busy and I never get a good picture of the girls...so this year, I did not even try. :) Praise the Lord, He is Risen!

Ants,ants and more ants...

2010-04-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

I love to see my girls learn and comprehend new concepts. I was privalaged to witness such growth a few days ago while we were all hanging out at home.

Lets start at the beginning. For those of you who do not know, Macy is in LOVE with spiderman (and Buzz Lightyear...but that is another post) but in real life she is deathly afraid of any insect, bug or stick that may look like it is an insect. So when the girls discovered ants in the playroom I knew it would be an issue. We had several nights of crying in fear of the scary ants and many prayers were said to ask for protection from the ants.

A few days after the first discovery in the playroom the girls discovered another set of ants coming in to the great room area (where Macy had spilled her juice). I killed the ants and cleaned up the juice and then explained that these are sugar ants and they WILL NOT hurt you. They screamed and did not believe me and the day went on..... a few hours later I was in the shower and they both came into the bathroom and Addison asked "so, what do those ants eat?" and "if one of them landed on my arm, what would they do?" I explained that they like sugar and food and they do not have the ability to sting, bite, eat or send you to your death. They seemed to be okay with these answers and ran off.

I was done with my shower and dressed and so I went to check on the girls and see what they were up to. Before entering the area I hear a TON of giggling going on. So I ask the classic mom question, "what are you girls up to?". They giggle some more and say "we are feeding the ants!!!" WHAT?!?!? I turn the corner into the great room area to see the girls crushing up crackers and tossing them in the trail of the ants and then they would put their feet in the path and have the ants crawl on them. They both giggle some more and explain that they want to feed the ants because when they walk on their feet it tickles.

I ruined their fun be cleaning up the food trail and explained that we do not want ants of any kind in our home and they are not to feed them anymore. I also purchased ant killer and have taken care of the problem for now. But as a mom I had to step back and smile. They are learning and growning and listening and exploring. I am so proud!

Spring Break tips???

2010-03-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

Oh no...I can't believe time has passed me by again and my last post was March 1st....ugghhh

So, I am working on few new posts. But for now, I thought since this is my first official spring break with a child who is normally in school everyday I better ask an important question....what do you do to make the break fun? Any great tips or ideas are welcome! :)

I have a question for you....

2010-03-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

Growing up in the church I can not tell you how many times I heard the term "faithful stewards" when someone was talking about financial decisions. I have developed my own understanding and personal convictions on this subject and will share just a little of what I think on this subject as it is necessary to set up my question for you. :) I believe that we are entrusted with HIS resources and that whether it is a small amount or a very large amount we are called to use the resources wisely. Some may choose to take that as not spending money on xyz, or abc but for me it is making overall wise decisions. Meaning that I think through a purchase before making it. Evaluate the reason for my desire to purchase it. Evaluate my need versus want (and I have to admit this can get sticky as an American many wants can be easily justified as needs). Evaluate the purchase in relation to my other financial obligations. Evaluate the purchase in relation to how it may further His work and further the Kingdom. Anyway, I think you get the idea. So, over the last 3 or 4 years Kenny and I have chosen to consciously make different financial choices that better reflect our hearts motive and what we SAY we desire to do with the resources that God has given us. I have to admit that there are times that I catch myself really feeling torn and I find the walk much harder then the talk....but we are convicted to change some of our bad habits and feel the sense of peace and freedom that comes with doing what we know to be best for our family. Anyway...all that to pose a question..... What changes or choices have you made to ensure that you are being a good steward of the resources that God has given you? I am looking for maybe fun or creative ways that you have found to stretch a dollar or to do something differently in order to make a wise financial decision??? I am looking for some fun tips that might be helpful to all of my 4 readers to adopt and enjoy! :) Thanks in advance for playing!!! :)

A fun day trip to the Coast!

2010-03-01T16:45:00.001-08:00

Yesterday after Kenny finished playing in second service we headed to the coast. Kenny, myself, Addison, Macy and Grammy and Papa (my parents) all piled into their suburban and went to play at the beach. We had lunch at Mo's, watched and chased the seagulls, played in the sand and then the girls finished the afternoon by learning to jump the waves with Daddy. This was a tradition in our family as I grew up. Mom would hold down the fort and all of our stuff while my Dad would hold our hands and walk right into the ocean. When the waves came towards us we would all JUMP as high as we could and most of the time fall right into the water. It was always so cold but sooo much fun. Kenny and the girls first started by going close to the water and then running away from the wave before it could catch them. They then removed their socks and shoes and rolled up their pants and waded into the water. At first the girls would get scared and Kenny would end up picking both of them up when the waves came but they did eventually build some courage and start jumping the waves. By the end they were both wanting to go again and again....but as a good mother I can only let them get so cold before pulling the plug on the fun .....I know, just call me party pooper. :) When they had changed their clothes into warm Jammies and were all buckled in their car seats ready to head home they both said with HUGE smiles on their faces... " THAT WAS FUUNNN" It really was a super fun day!

Today was a big day for us!!!

2010-02-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

Today was a big Mommy day for me and a big day for Addison too. Today she went home after school for a play date with her friend Lily. Oh, why you ask is this such a big deal....well, to be honest this is the first play date with a friend that I don't know very well. I know Lily from volunteering in the classroom every Friday and I have gotten to know her mom as we wait outside each day to pick up the girls from class but it is different then the way I know friends from church who have watched Addison and up until recently the girls pretty much had all their play dates with me in the background. :)

We arrange for this big event on Friday when I was helping in the class. The other Mom asked for our phone number and mentioned that her daughter has been asking to have Addison over for a play date. I gave her my number and then she actually asked our schedule. I thought to myself, oh, my, this is really going to happen. How can I have a child who is old enough to be discussing play dates?!?! Because I have a very busy week this week and they are leaving for a trip at the end of the week we decided that Monday was the day. The entire weekend Addison asked "how many more days until I get to go over to Lily's house?" To see her anticipation and excitement was adorable and scary all at the same time. We are entering a new stage I guess....

Addison just returned home and had a GREAT time!!! Both girls did the classic "when can we do this again" and tried to get us (the mom's ) to pick a date on the spot. Because of their trip I told the girls that we will look at the calendar and find a date that works VERY SOON. :)

Tonight I am making that long list of safety and privacy things that I need to go over again with Addison....because like it or not, she is growing up and independence is part of the process. Now don't even ask about sleepovers...that is WAY to much for me to comprehend. :)

She likes it!!! She really, really likes it!!!

2010-02-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

After a rough start to the basketball season it appears that we have turned a corner and are entering a very exciting and enjoyable stage in our 2010 Upward basketball experience. Addison actually asked all week when her next basketball game was and she arrived on Saturday morning excited, energized and ready to learn and play!!!! She quickly joined her teammates for a little chase each other around the gym before the game started. (this is not an official Upward activity but if you had a Kindergarten girl, you know what I am talking about) She actually got to be on the first group of kids out on the court and took to it like a fish in water! She was eager to listen and follow the coaches instructions and even started connecting the concepts of the game. She put her hands up to guard her "color" (they use Velcro colored strips to help them remember who they are matched up with on the opposing team) she went for the ball and attempted to steal it several times and she played offense like nobodies business. She attempted 3 or 4 shots and was so proud of herself for actually dribbling and shooting the basket that it did not matter AT ALL if they went in or not. She has come alive and is really enjoying her time at Upward and I am so happy! It did not really matter if she ended up liking basketball or not but to me I feel like she has just experienced a HUGE accomplishment in learning to deal with and overcome some of her major fears and anxieties in regards to new situations and new activities. I am so proud of her and know that this will be a life lesson that she will take with her for years to come....and she did it herself!!!!!

2010-02-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

So I have several framed sayings in my "office" area and thought it would be fun to share a few and let you ponder on how they relate to you and your life as we start a new month!

* Today I will translate the reality of my dreams into my ordinary day....in order to achieve extraordinary results.

* What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

* The jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be....because of all I may become I will close my eyes and leap!

* Peace: it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

* Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars..

What to do on a raining and cold day in Oregon ?

2010-01-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

I had to take a picture of the girls riding their bikes in a circle in the garage. They LOVE to do this and on a rainy day I think this is a wonderful option to get some semi-fresh air. It takes me back to my childhood days at my parents house. I too LOVED to ride my bike and then my scooter and then ride my roller blades in a circle for hours and hours during the cold winter months. I recall seeing how fast I could go, timing myself and making up games and competitions with my brothers and sister!! :) Can't wait to see the silly games and races that the girls think up in the years to come!

And if you are looking for some indoor fun....well you could always let your 3 and 6 year old try their hand at painting their own nails. :) I am very impressed that they both were very careful and did not spill or accidentally paint nail polish on anything else. I would say this was a successful day at the Foote Day Spa!!

We did it....

2010-01-24T23:31:00.000-08:00

So as you all know, my sweet little Addison has issues when it comes to organized sports. Well, I guess I should say it is not the organized sport she has issues with, it is her participation in the organized sports that causes her great anxiety and stress. So, by the grace of God and possibly some strange luck that was tossed my way she actually participated and enjoyed herself in our first actually game which was three weeks ago.

Last week, well, I was late and that was that....we all know by now that if she is late she is not going to adjust well (this is going to be a life long work in progress).

Okay, so this week, I made sure to invite all of our family members and even set my alarm for 6:45am to ensure that we would be EARLY. Which we were. So why did she not want to play this week??? Your guess is as good as mine. So I "helped" her participate in the first part of the morning which is a warm up / practice time. When it was time to huddle up and chat about the game she actually took a seat and in a few short minutes I was able to fade away to the sidelines and she played. She really enjoyed herself and says she is looking forward to next week. We will have to see. She did get some new basketball shoes (thanks to Uncle Alan) and seems to be looking forward to her next game and so I hold out hope that she just may participate. I hope she at least plays one more time because my camera died at the very beginning of the game this last week and so I would like to make sure that I have some documented proof of her participation :) I love this girl and I love that we are so different...it helps me see things from a new and different perspective. I am blessed to be her Mom!!!

Dr. Oz said to do it.....

2010-01-20T00:18:00.001-08:00

I have to share. Please know before reading any further that this may seem a little gross to some of you :) I started sneezing on Sunday night and did not stop for several hours. This is always my bodies way to get a nice nasty cold underway. I don't know why, but it seems like it always happens this way. Anyway, I had to work on Sunday and again on Monday afternoon and evening and it was so annoying with a stuffed up and off and on running nose and don't forget the head pressure that comes with a stuffed up nose. So I took some cold medicine on Monday and it seemed to work alright but I ran out this morning. So I looked in the drawers in the bathroom before going to the store and wasting a small fortune on medication and I found a product sample of the Afrin PureSea nasal rinse. So I figured it would not hurt anything and I am one of those people that waits until it is completely necessary before I take medicine and so if this more natural approach helped me I was all for it! I remember seeing something about this type of thing on Dr. Oz and so I knew it had to be a good choice. :) Wink, Wink.

The instructions state to do it over a sink or in the shower so I chose to take it with me in the shower. I followed the directions tipped my head to one side and pressed down on the valve. It was the weirdest feeling, I could feel the water run through my nostril and it came running out the other side and some went down my throat as well. (not sure if that was due to operator error or not) I repeated the process in the other nostril and then finished my shower. When I got out I could not believe how much better I felt and I could breathe. Seriously, it cleaned my nose out and even dried it up a little bit which is wonderful when you have a runny nose. I was more then pleased. The next questions was, how long will this last? The instructions state to do this up to 4 times a day or as you see fit. This lead me to believe that it was only going to help me for a little while and then i would need to do the process again. I was very surprised. I took Addie to school, took a nap, picked her up from school, made dinner and still clear and good to go. Seriously, it lasted all day!!! I am now sitting here at 12:32am working and can't believe that I am still clear. I have to say this stuff ROCKS. I will give it another try in the morning just to make sure I am cleaned out and good to go, but if this kicked my cold this quickly I am going to have to become a huge fan. I will keep you all posted as I am sure you are very interested in the progress of my runny nose. :)

Here is the description from the Afrin PureSea product website:

Nasal irrigation — or nasal rinsing — is the holistic process of flushing the nasal cavity with a liquid solution. The solution, often salt water, is used to wash the nasal passages and cleanse them of impurities. Afrin PureSea is the only nasal rinse to use a specially formulated, isotonic, sterile solution of 100% purified sea water for maximum comfort.

what is your Legacy?

2010-01-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

I know this song has been around for years but every time I hear it it makes me stop, sing along and then reflect on how my most recent actions, words and choices measure up to what I desire for my life and my legacy. I heard this song today and though as we are starting a new year this is a wonderful reminder to take moments out of your busy lives to step back and reflect...what legacy are you leaving?

**This song is actual on my playlist to the right of this post if you would like to listen to it as you read the words :)

Legacy by Nicole Nordeman

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one..

2010-01-10T01:41:00.000-08:00

My 2010 goals:

1. Maintain Balance....I know this is now a very measurable goal from the outside looking in (or maybe it is) but for me this means not over committing or over doing at the expense of joy. I feel like when I over do it all of my energy, excitement and spirit get sucked into all of the "other" stuff and rob me of feeling joyful and happy for each and everyday....every moment.

2. Create a piece of clothing for each of the girls and myself that we actually wear in public. :) Hey, its a start..... I hold tight to the fact that someday you will see people outside of my family wearing my designs!

3. Start up my prayer journal again. I had one for several years and found it recently. It is so neat to see the amazing work the God does in my life and the lives of the people I pray for and I can't wait to look back over 2010 and be humbled and amazed by Gods love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and protection that he provides each and every day.

4. Take a trip to Disneyland! I know repeat from 2009 but I think it just might be the year....if not you will see it on goals for 2011 :)

5. Take Macy on an outing once a week while Addison is in school.

6. Read with Addison for at least 20 minutes each day. She is really developing in her ability to read and I know that being consistent at home is going to make all the difference in the world.

7. Write and send hand written notes of encouragement to friends and family. I think it is fabulous to get a note in the mail and want to make sure the people I care about know they are loved, supported and cherished. (Again, a repeat from 2009, but I did not do well last year and will give it another try this year!)

8. Go on at least 2 getaways with Kenny. We use to getaway all the time, but it seems like trips have become a family affair and now both of our jobs keep us busy on the weekend....but I know how wonderful a little R &R is for us as individuals, a couple and as parents. Can't wait to review this in 2011 and see where we went!!!!

9. Start baking some Gluten Free items from scratch for Macy and me. It seems like Macy gets short changed because all of the gluten free packaged stuff is so expensive. I don't want her to have that feeling of being left out and so I better start experimenting and learning how to really prepare yummy bakery items that are gluten free. I think I'll start with good old bread and maybe some pizza dough :)

10. Be a part of at least 1 new community service or outreach project. Something that I am not currently involved with and something that gives back. I have thought about volunteering to help serve food on Thanksgiving at the Union Gospel Mission or something like that....it will be neat to see what God has in store for me in this area.

Now it is your turn.....what will you do in 2010?!?!?

Any thoughts....

2010-01-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

So last night I received an email saying that I have a new comment on a post from November about Macy's 3rd Birthday. It was from an anonymous source and my question is; WHO IS THIS? If this is a real comment, you can feel free to sign your name. If this is a spam type comment (which I don't understand the point) I find it to be a strange one. Anyone want to take credit for this one??? Just curious! :) Here is the comment:

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

January 7, 2010 12:49 AM

2010-01-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

So before I post my goals for 2010 I decided to be honest with myself and my readers and review my goals and evaluate my progress or accomplishments from 2009.....Here are my 9 goals from 2009.

1. Read the Bible cover to cover in 2009! I am choosing to read it in order instead of using one of those Bible in a year sets that includes old and new testament in each day. Just seems more logical to me. :)
UGGGGHHHH....not even close. :( I have to say that I made it until the middle of March and then started to fizzle out. Why? I don't know....to be honest it took more time then I had anticipated and I started feeling burdened by the commitment. I have to say that I am dissapointed that I found this to be a very difficult goal to keep and know that it is something that would only better my life and deepen my relationship with God. I have decided not to add this to the 2010 goals, maybe it could be a 2 year goal.

2. Successfully finish the Portland Marathon on October 4th, 2009. I have put this as a goal for several years, but every year I try to train to run it...it always ends when I pass the 5-7 mile section. The longer runs really do take a chunk of time on a regular basis, not to mention the resting and "fueling" that has to take place in order to run 15 miles at one time. Anyway, I know that walking 26.2 miles still takes a good amount of training, I just think that this is something that I could take the kids along for at times and is really a way that I could attain my goal! Anyone want to join me???

Nope...started training, made it to around 8-9 miles regularly and my knee started hurting again. Oh and after reading about walking verses running the Marathon I should note that I was training to run it. Never made it to summer and after feeling my knee pain again I have to admit that I am really not sure if this is in my future. We will see....

3. Not to be late dropping Addison off at school for the rest of the school year. I have been getting into a bad habit, and if you have followed my blog in the past then you know that this is not something that works very well for my little princess and honestly it stresses me out too. So, here is to being a better manager of my time in the morning. :)

I give myself a successful grade on this subjected. While I did do a lot better for the first few months at pre-school I did end up being late at least once a week in March and April BUT, I have not been late one time to drop off or pick up Addison from Kindergarten this year and so I feel as though I have improved greatly!!! I know you may question the fact that she is in PM Kindergarten but I still could easily be late either dropping off or picking her up...it is my gift, tardiness that is. :) So, I say that I have accomplished this goal and have greatly improved my ability to respect Addison and her needs and desires to be on time to school and other events.

4. Have an Elizabeth Quinn Designs party on my Birthday weekend with clothes to sell and future parties planned!
Obviously this did not happen but I am not giving up....I don't know how soon, but I do know that this is near and dear to my heart and I WILL one day design clothes for other people!!! I just wish I had a seamstress who would do the work for me. :) HAHAHA This is not the last time you will hear about my designs or a business in the clothing industry for me. I am just waiting on God's timing and his perfect plan to lead me in a direction that is right for my family and for my passion.

5. Have a family picture taken in our home. I know this might be funny, but it is something that I have wanted to do for several years and keep putting it off...

LAME....I still have not. :( I have the picture and the outfits and the setting all pictured in my head but to be honest pictures did not fall into the budget this year. I know it will happen in 2010 and will look forward to sharing it with all of you!!!

6. Go camping at least one time with the family! I know, I can see some of you laughing out loud...but I have come to the realization that the girls would LOVE it and it would be another great way to create family memories!
While this may be disputed, I am going to say I accomplished this one....no we did not go camping but I did offer 3 times and all 3 times the girls did not think it sounded fun. In fact, Addison was so disgusted by the concept of sleeping on the ground and was NOT at all interested in using public bathrooms that I decided that our weekend at the beach house and the weekend at a cabin at Detroit counts as accomplishing this goal. :)
7. Take the girls to Disneyland!
Summer of 2010....it is in the planning stages. Again, our financial state in 2009 did not allow for us to even consider taking a trip of this magnitude but I feel blessed that both Kenny and I have full time jobs now and we are looking forward to a trip to Disneyland in 2010!!!!

8. Hand write cards to friends and family "just because".

I am putting this on my goals for 2010. I could have and should have...but did not. I will do better and really do think this is special. I did do a better job of emailing and sending little facebook notes just because, but it is not the same and so I will make a more consious effort this year to hand write and mail cards to my friends and family!

9. Surprise Kenny with a trip or special event...he is an amazing husband and is always spoiling me with surprise trips and presents. It is high time that he receives the same pampering. :) **Better get going on #4 in order to truly surprise him :)

I was not able to fund a trip in 2009 but I do feel that I accomplished this goal in a smaller fashion. I did make a conscious effort to surprise him with little gifts, notes and acts of service to show him how much I appreciate him and how special he is to me!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was great! Kenny and I decided to not buy anything for each other and it was WONDERFUL! The girls were more then spoiled (as usual) and we had an amazing time with our families. We had the Foote Christmas on Christmas day and the DeLapp Christmas on December 26th and so we were able to spend almost a full day with each family. Tons of laughter, love and good food were shared by all. I love the holidays!!!! Here are a few pictures.

Glory to God in the highest

2009-12-25T02:25:00.000-08:00

Luke 2: 13- 20 (NIV)
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope that your day is filled with love and laughter!
~ Kenny, Teresa, Addison and Macy Foote

2009-12-24T06:38:00.000-08:00

I LOVE these girls!!!!!!!!

What if.....

2009-12-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

I was lying awake in bed last night after doing some late night shopping and I was overwhelmed with the feeling of "we don't need anything, we have so much already...just take it all back to the store and save our $$$" Does anyone else ever feel like this? I did not over buy or break the holiday budget, I just look around sometimes and wonder what on earth we would really need. Okay..if anyone has coffee or coffee cards coming my way that DOES count as a need :) Sorry if this is a little un-festive of me, but I would love the hear some feedback. I LOVE Christmas and the entire holiday season, but while the presents are fun to get I guess I just wonder why we all buy so much for each other each year? After several years of living penny to penny and learning to do without so many things that I had come to expect in life I have also learned the joy, peace and appreciation of living with less. I know the girls will be overjoyed on Christmas morning, but I do wonder, would they have just as much fun if the presents were not there? Again, I apologize if this comes across gloomy, it is not my intentions, I just wonder...what if? Feedback welcome! :)

Things Macy's Says

2009-12-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

Macy has been making me laugh lately at the funny little things she is saying and sharing and so I thought I would share a few with you too :)

1. The other day the girls were playing with Nana (Kenny's mom). While they were playing I heard Nana say several times, "I am going to kick your butt"...well, the girls are not allowed to say butt and have to say bottom because I think it sounds much nicer and cleaner. Usually if someone says something like that the girls both would say, "we don't say butt, we say bottom" and move on. Not this time. They both started laughing every time she said it, which created a ton of "butt" uses in a matter of minutes. I waited for the right moment and just reminded the girls that we don't say butt, we say bottom. They asked why Nana got to say it and I explained that this would be something that would be between her and her mom, but for the Foote house, we will say bottom. Fine, Fine, and off they went. A few minutes later Macy came into the kitchen and said very seriously, "Mom, I REALLY want to say butt." Her chocolate brown puppy dog eyes and her look of desperation was enough to make any one chuckle. It did not change the rule, but I did get a good laugh out of it.

2. Today the girls and I hit the pavement with my mom to finish up some Christmas shopping. We had already been out for several hours and both of the girls patients was runny very thin. Macy was telling me a story about something and Addison started to talk over her and interrupted and before I could even address the issue Macy turned to Addison and said "I was talking first and I was not finished, Zip it". Oops I wonder where she learned that term. :) HAHAHAHA

3. The other day Macy was playing dress up like mommy. She put on a shirt and some jewelry and then ran into my closet, grabbed a pair of high heels and loudly announced, "CRAP I am late"....again, you can't help but giggle when her little face looks up at you with a big smile...but again OOPS :) I better work on a new phrase.

4. Today after a very yummy lunch at Red Robin my Mom took her to the restroom on our way out. I guess she gave everyone a good laugh by counting out loud the number of poopies she was producing. "Grammy, I am going poopies, oh, wait I have two poopies" she says with great pride.

Macy is so funny and keeps us on our toes and laughing each and every day! What a blessing it is to be her mom!

Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree

2009-12-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

As always we went out to the Goffrier's Tree farm in South Salem to pick out our perfect tree. This year we pulled up and since it was SOOOO cold that day the girls were more then happy to just pick one that was already cut...well, I should say pick 3 that were already cut. :) When Addison was just 3 years old we let her pick out her very own little tree to have in her bedroom. It was so cute, she picked out pink lights, grammy picked up some very girly ornaments for it and all was just perfect. The next year we pull up to the farm and sure enough she goes right over and picks her tree out. And so it began. A new tradition that the girls each get their very own little tree for their bedrooms. I have to admit that I love this tradition and love seeing them decorate their very own tree with such pride and joy. This year was especially fun. The girls and I got all of the decorations out the week before we picked up our tree and so each of the girls had their "box". I decided to let them take whatever floated their boat. If they loved the decoration and really wanted to save it for their tree...fine by me. This turned out to be the best idea. When I go into their rooms and look at their trees I can see their personality and their stage of life right now. Oh yeah, and we also purchased a 4th tree for the entry way because Scott and Andrea's youth group were selling them as a fund raiser and who can pass up supporting their little brother and sister-in-law?!?! Here are some fun pictures of the trees!

Little People, Big World

2009-12-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

I was folding laundry and watching TLC yesterday and the show Little People, Big World came on. If you are not familiar with the program it is a show that follows an Oregon family where both of the parents are little people. Addison came into the room and said "hey, those people are small" to which I replied, "yes, that is how God made them. Some people have dark hair, some people have blue eyes, some people are very tall and some are very small. In this case God made them very special and they are very short and they are called little people. Isn't that cool how God makes us all special and unique." She agreed and then sat quietly watching the show for a few minutes and then said "hey mom, are WE little people?" I could not stop laughing. I explained that while we are shorter then other people we are not little people and that they are even shorter then us. :) While she looked at me with questioning eyes, as if to say, I think you are mistaken, she said "okay" and off she went to the playroom.

Déjà vu

2009-12-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

I think the pictures can speak for themselves....

Addison's Upward Basketball Team (which she bagged and pleaded to sign up for)

Addison....ON THE SIDE WATCHING

Does anyone remember some pictures like this last spring????? Click Here to refresh your memory.

Just call me a sucker

2009-12-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

UGGGHHH...I did it again. I fell trap to the silly concept of register rewards at Walgreen's. Sorry to all of you who love the game and actually find it rewarding and financially beneficial but this has not been my experience. I always enter the store with coupons and a plan in hand and leave with regret and remorse. Here is what happened this evening. I read online about a register reward deal for contact solution. I HATE paying for contact solution and am always interested in finding the best deal on it. So the "deal" was to pick up a 2 pack of Renu contact cleaner for $9.99 and you would receive a $9.99 Register reward. So I went for it. All seems fine but here is where my great adventure took a wrong turn. When I went into the store I see a sign that says spend $25.00 and get $5.00 back instantly. This prompted me to pick up the circular and the coupon book at the front and just skim over the deals...which I fell prey to. In the end I did end up with $19.00 in Register Rewards to use as cash at my next shopping trip and I did get a lot of good prices for all of the random stuff that one would pick up at Walgreen's BUT I still have significantly less cash in my wallet now. So my beef is this, I need to remember that over the past three years we have lived without so much and life has gone on just fine, a good deal that is "free" when you subtract register rewards is really not FREE...it is cash out of my pocket and "Walgreen cash" in return. I can see how if one was diligent and very conscious of all of the ins and outs of the Walgreen's programs that between the rebates and the register rewards that you could eventually start getting a good amount of stuff truly for free, but I know myself and this area is just not something that I see myself being diligent and conscious about on a regular basis and so I have once again suckered into the actual trap that they have set...I have given them cash for a slip of paper that will force me to come back to Walgreen's and spend more money on something else that I see and would like to have ...because remember, I now KNOW first hand what one can do without and still get by just fine. : ) Okay, enough of my ranting....my goal at this point is to use my $19.00 Walgreen's Money to purchase some other stuff that will give me Register rewards and keep rolling that over until I get tired of being diligent and conscious of the Walgreen's ads and bargains. Wait, can you do this??? Can you use RR and get RR??? UGGHHH Just call me a sucker!!!!

What are you going to ask Santa for....

2009-12-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

The other day I asked the girls, so, what are you going to ask Santa for this Christmas? They both took a minute to think long and hard about it and then Addison answered......a box of Cheez-its. I have asked her 3 times since then and she has answered the same way. I think this may be a sign of our financial state in the Foote house, but I have to say that I can see the blessing in it. I love that she can find the joy in the little, simple things in life and that she did not have a list of every toy and doll that she sees on the commercials and at the store. Don't get me wrong, she does say "oh, I want that" to EVERY commercial that we see that may be remotely related to dolls or toys or anything with a child in the commercial...but when asked What SHE was going to ask Santa for she said...Cheez-its.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

Last year was the first year that I decided to take the girls around the neighborhood to do some good old fashion trick or treating and as expected, it left a very positive lasting memory. So as the big day approached their excitement grew as my mommy nerves started twisting inside of me. I normally have a few crazy and very unrealistic (but still very real to me) thoughts and daydreams about the poison or the harm that could come from taking candy from perfect strangers. But 2009 brought a whole new scare...H1N1 Virus. Seriously as if it was not hard enough already for me to think that this fun childhood tradition was harmless I now had to add on a virus that is the talk of the town and spreading rapidly. To be honest I did not connect Halloween and the H1N1 virus until I was watching the news (okay, maybe it was Entertainment Tonight) and they shared that even Dr.Oz was not going to allow his children to go trick or treating this year because of the concern regarding the spreading of the H1N1 virus. So I gave it my best shot and tried to convince the girls that we should just stay home and watch a fun movie on T.V. and I would take them to the store in the morning and let them pick out as much candy as they wanted...even the BIG bags. They did not even consider my offer. In the end, Ryan and Tara called and we went around our neighborhood with Ryan, Tara, Wyatt and Kellan. It was really fun and by nothing short of a miracle the girls did not get poisoned, poked or sick.

Pumpkin Patch Fun...2009

2009-11-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

I LOVE fall. I LOVE going to the pumpkin patch and I LOVE the fun that my children have at the pumpkin patch. I LOVE the chill in the air, the smell of fresh rain and the Autumn colors seen in the pumpkins, gourds, hay bales and the corn mazes. I LOVE fall!!!!

Miss Addison turned 6!!!!

2009-11-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

After trying to get over the fact that Macy is 3 years old, two weeks later we joined our little baby Addison in welcoming her 6th year of life. I can't believe that the time has moved so quickly and that my sweet little newborn that I took pictures of everyday just because I was so amazed that she was mine has grown into a wonderfully sweet, sensitive and kind 6 year old. She was so excited that I caved and let her have her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Just another item to cross off the "I will NEVER do that" list. :) I am so impressed with her decision making skills (most of the time) and am proud to watch her make such "good choices" each and everyday. She rarely gets in trouble anymore and many nights when I am tucking her into bed she announces that she did not go to time out at all today! I also am so impressed as I watch her care for other people, she has such a tender heart and really tunes into other peoples needs. She frequently volunteers to give up a toy or share her treat to help someone else feel included or to just make them feel special. I am so impressed with the way she plays, cares and teachers her little sister each and everyday! She is doing a wonderful job in school and is such a sponge for learning right now...I think she is going to pass me up in the intellectual world soon if she keeps this pace up. :) She has always been a little fashionista (praise the Lord) but it has been fun watching her "create" her outfits each day instead of me "helping" her pick out her outfits. I love the pride that I see in her eyes when she enters the room in the morning in her latest creation. I also love that she still enjoys snuggling up to me to watch a movie or read a book. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work in her classroom once a week and love that she still thinks it is "cool" to have me there and to give me hugs and hold my hand in front of her friends. I know this time will come to an end...I just pray it is not very soon. :) I think Addison turning 6 is just another reminder that they grow up so quickly and so I am doing my best to cherish and enjoy each and every moment, to love being a mom to a 6 year old and a 3 year old and try not to jump ahead...for those days will come to soon on their own.

Macy is 3 years old....WHAT?!!?!?!

2009-11-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

I can not believe another year has come and gone and my little tiny baby is 3 years old. In true fashion, the post is a few weeks late and I am aware that her birth date is October 12th but if anyone knows me, well you know my gift for being carefree when it comes to timeliness. :) She picked a Candy Land theme for your party and had a blast! I have included some pictures from the birthday party!

NOTE: I decided to write a letter to Macy so when I finally get around to digitally scrapping this blog I will be able to include it. You are free to read it if you wish, but feel free to skip it if you would like...don't worry, I won't know. :)

Macy Quinn,

I can not believe that you are 3 years. You are growing and changing each and every day. Over the past year you have really developed into your own person. You are very fun loving and silly, silly, silly. You love to laugh and to make other people laugh. You don't mind being the center of attention but do not HAVE to be the center of attention. Such a perfect balance between confidence and humility. You do not like to sleep when it is bed time and try every trick in the book to stay up as long as possible. Your favorite trick is to go potty over and over. About 3 months ago you decided that you wanted to wear big girl panties and so we let you try them out and shocked us all when you automatically started going on the potty like it was "normal". You only had a few accidents in the first few weeks and after 4 days of wearing panties during the day you were spending the night at Grammy and Papa's house and told her that you could wear your panties to bed also...and you did GREAT! So in a matter of 2 weeks you had gone from crying when I mentioned going on the potty to acting like it was no problem at all, in fact I can't think of the last time you needed help. Depending on your age when you read this, I am sure you think it is silly to document the details of potty training, but if you are a mom now you totally understand that potty training is a big deal and a GIANT accomplishment in your early years of life. :)
You don't mind paying the price when you make a mistake or make a bad choice, in fact most of the time you sit quietly waiting for the timer to go off. You LOVE your sister and play together all day everyday! You were old enough to sign up for Puggles this year and can't wait until Wednesday night! You are a very free spirit and an independent thinker and will try just about anything once. This may be an issue as you grow up but I am already praying that you will yield to the Holy Spirit at a young age and this will be a characteristic that will allow you to be a bold witness for Christ. I love you more then you will every know and am so thankful that God allowed me to be your mommy!!! Kiss,kiss, kiss....hey, you stop wiping off that kiss (one of your favorite things to do when I kiss you on the cheek, just another great sign of your adorable and amazing Independence.)
Love tons and tons forever and ever,

Mom

What is in a name???

2009-10-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to take pictures of these two special friends for a few months now. As with everything else, I think that I will never forget these little details of life with a 3 year old but sadly I know I will. So here is the background story:

For many years Addison had this very creative way about her when it came to naming baby dolls or new stuffed animals that we welcomed into our home. She would name all baby dolls Baby and the animals would usually get the correct name also. So, for a cow, it would be cow, duck we might go for duckie. She would become offended if someone asked her for her babies name after she had just told them, it was BABY. She has since grown out of this and has started to create names for her stuffed animals and babies but this really has been a recent transition. SO, when Macy started receiving special baby dolls and stuffed animals I figured she would just copy what she had learned from Addison and take the obvious choices for names. She did do this the first few times but then these two stuffed animals came into our lives a few weeks apart and they were special from the beginning, why you may ask, well, because they were the first two items to get REAL names from Macy. She loves these guys and sleeps with them almost every night. The cow is named MOOOOO and the Kitty is names Shugua'(think gangster version of Sugar) or Sugar depending on Macy's mood. :) Though, we may need to look into renaming the cat to Miricle because Macy just informed me (2 days in a row) that Sugar was a cat and has turned into a dog. She will not listen to reason on this issue and so I am now just going along with it and stating that it must be a miricle as a cat can not turn into a dog. Have I mentioned how much I love these silly girls of mine!!!!

2009-09-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

I was preparing for Mom to Mom this Friday and included our verse for the year in the document I was preparing. I wanted to share it with you all because I think it is very relevant and it was very uplifting to me as I wrote it today! I hope it is an encouragement to you as well.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A day at the river

2009-09-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning we packed up our swimsuits, towels and a large cooler and headed out for a wonderful day of family and friend fun on the Willamette river. We are lucky enough to have some friends who have an awesome ski boat and are very willing to share there toys with us. :) Andrew and Kenny have been hitting the water a ton this summer and so they decided it would be fun to include the wives and kids this trip. :)

I can't believe what a beautiful day God had given us yesterday, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, the girls were in GREAT moods, we spent the whole day with dear friends and I started the day with a Starbucks....what could be better. :) I have to note that Addison showed much improvement from our last boat trip and she actually enjoyed herself this time. New situations are always hard for her and so this time she knew what to expect and was able to really enjoy the day. I could not believe that she would hang out on the back platform and play in the water with Macy and Reese. As expected Macy was fearless and would have jumped right into the river if we would have let her. Kenny's wake boarding skills have been improving greatly over the summer months and he was rocking out on the water yesterday and I know he was having a ton of fun! I tried wake surfing for the first time yesterday and had a blast! It is a work in progress for me to find the "sweet spot" and be able to go without the rope for more then a few seconds but I think it could be something I would enjoy trying again.

We finished the day off with a BBQ of Salmon and Chicken and some yummy wine. Here are some pictures from our day of family fun!

Addison is in Kindergarten

2009-09-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

It is official....Addison is a Kindergartner. How can this be possible, I don't know. I feel my baby in my arms and now she is starting the school journey. WOW, where does that time go?

Last Saturday I kept a DeLapp girl tradition and did an official "back to school shopping trip" in Portland. It was always a fun day that I looked forward to every year from the time I started kindergarten to the year I graduated from High School. My grandma Finley, my mom and my sister and I would always make a day of it, hit the road early, go to all of the major malls in Portland along with Nordstrom Rack, T.J. Maxx and anything other great store that we deemed worthy of a stop. :) We would always have a fun lunch and usually dinner and then head home with very tired bodies and feet and a trunk full of wonderful deals and treasures. It was such a fun way to get excited for the school year ahead and a special day for us to bond and hang out before the hectic schedules of the new school year kicked in. Last year we introduced Addison to this wonderful tradition but this year she really understood the concept. It was so adorable to see her actually pick EVERYTHING that we purchased. I was so amazed at how she really thought things through and would work on making outfits and mixing and matching to get the most "bang for her buck"....I have to say, as a fashionista / shopaholic, I was very impressed! :)

The first day of school ended up being much harder for me then I had expected. I had taken her to preschool last year and did not have a hard time leaving her but this year was very different. I think the reality of the situation set in. The fact that she will always "go to school" year in and year out from now on. The fact that slowly she will be with me less and less and that she will be learning things and experience life without me was actually very hard for me to stomach this year. As we walked up to the school she was holding my hand so tight, she was very nervous but quickly she recalled meeting her teacher the week before and then she met another little girl in her class, she hung up her stuff and sat down to play puzzles with her new friend and then she said it...the words that I thought I wanted her to say but the ones that hit me hard "you can go now Mom"....I waited a few more minutes just to make sure and she looked at me with her sweet little eyes and said it again "mom, I said you could go"....and so I went. As I walked out the front door and past the playground IT HAPPENED. The tears won and my heart was heavy. I was excited for all of the amazing first that are to come, but sad for this signals a passage into a new stage in life. Welcome School Years!

Foote Household Words

2009-09-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

My mom keeps reminding me that I must record these common Foote household words before they go away and I forget them and I know she is right. So, her are some of my favorites right now:

puuter = computer "I am working on my puuter" *Macy Age: 2 1/2

case.a.dilla = quesadilla "Mommy, I want a case.a.dill.a for lunch with extra cheese, please" Macy Age: 2 1/2

member = remember "I member you said that I could have a treat after quiet time" Addison Age: 5 1/2

last night = ANYTHING in the past. Though she says the words correctly she could be referring to something last week OR last year. I know she will quickly grow out of this and so I correct her in a very gentle way, but usually let it slide. Addison Age: 5 1/2

What soon = when or how soon "What soon will Nana and Grandpa Foote be here." Sadly Daddy has been correcting her and this is now only used in moments when she has does not have a chance to form her thoughts before speaking. Addison Age: 5

oozzz me = Excuse me "ozzz me, I burped". Macy Age 2

I am going to do my best to post new Foote words as they come along. I think I forget that kids really do grow up quickly, and even though I think I will never forget some of these funny and unique words or events that make me laugh and smile, the sad reality is that they will grow up, I will grow old and lose my mind and have no recollection of these funny and amazing times with my little people....and so I shall blog now to help me remember. :)

Someone has been listening outside the door....

2009-09-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

The other day I was checking in on Addison and Macy as they played in their playroom together (which has stayed clean since the big redo) and I hear my little mini mommy Addison give Macy some sort of instructions. Macy responds back with something else and then I hear it.....Addison changes her tone of voice and says "you would like more Macy, is that correct?" You see, when I am working part of my quality assurance points that determine my tier level for my schedule each month is based on accuracy. We are required to spell and read back all information that is given to us. So, if you were standing outside my door at any given work hour you would hear me say, "I have that as Teresa Foote T.E.R.E.S.A F.O.O.T.E, is that correct?" over and over and over, is that correct? Is that correct? Is that correct?....you get the picture. :) I guess they really do watch and in this case listen to everything we say and do. :)

I love these girls!!!!!!!

2009-08-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

adjusting...adjusting....adjusting

2009-08-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

As most of you know by now, I was hired on a month ago to work as a customer service representative for a wonderful company that allows me to work from home and gives me control over my weekly schedule. I really do enjoy the work and the situation could not be more perfect for us!!! But as with any household change there is always going to be a need for some adjustments. As far as adjustments go and the degree of adjustments that we have had to make, I have to say that they have been very minor.

The first and hardest adjustment for me right now is the early morning shifts that I signed up for. In theory this is a wonderful idea. I can get up at 5:30am and work a 4 hour shift without much disruption to my day. BUT I forgot about that feeling of panic and fear that comes over you when you go to bed. You know, the one that makes you nervous to fall asleep in fear that you will not hear the alarm clock in the morning and you will miss your shift. In my case, it is especially difficult as I work from home and don’t have a co-worker or boss that will call me if I was 15 minutes late. I am starting to adjust and have not missed a shift…yet. Along these same lines, I am so thankful for the freedom to sign up for the shifts that best meet my needs, but we are still experimenting with different shifts and weekly schedules to see which shifts work best for our family. I am not sure that the early morning is going to be my first choice. While I do enjoy the fact that I don’t miss out on much during the day, it really does make me TIRED.HAHA Maybe this just takes some getting use to and maybe, just maybe I should go to bed earlier…we will see.

The other adjustment that has been different and was something that I did not predict when taking on a full time job is the way that my husband has really started helping around the house. I have always known that he is very good at housework as he was trained very well by his ultra clean freak mom but I did not know that by taking a job this would trigger a different side of him. Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT complaining and am SOOOO thankful and appreciative of all that he has been doing. So, what is the adjustment you ask, well I have to admit that after being 100% in charge and responsible for all domestic duties for the last 6 years I sometimes find myself feeling lost and out of sorts. It is strange to not know exactly when the dishwasher was emptied last and which cup or dish is currently clean/dirty. Again, I am not complaining and it has been such a blessing and an amazing help to not feel overwhelmed with a new job and all of the work that goes into keeping our house running and cleaned, but I think I shocked myself when I started feeling out of sorts over this issue. Not to worry, I have started to settle into the routine and pretty soon I know I am going to hear Kenny ask me “are you legs broken” “is it so hard to put your dishes in the dishwasher?" HAHAHAHA

I am looking forward to seeing how this change positively impacts our family and what the future holds!

The Thinking Face

2009-07-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

The other morning the girls and I were driving along and we were trying to figure out who's birthday was coming up next. Addison kept asking as I was trying to figure out the correct answer and finally I said:
ME: "well, I don't know, I think it is Uncle Ryan's next, but I am trying to think about everyone and when their birthdays are."
ADDISON replied: "well mom, if you are having trouble thinking or if you need to think really hard, just put on your thinking face. Let me show you..."

Here is a picture of the "thinking face" that she so graciously showed me again that afternoon so that I could get a picture. Have I said how much I love my silly girls!!! God has truly given me two adorable, precious and perfect gifts to care for!!!

Splash City

2009-07-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday any and all "Foote" family members were invited over to Kenny's aunt's and uncle's home for a pool party! I was super excited when I heard about the party because we don't get together often enough and I knew it would be a blast for the whole family to just hang out and play at the pool. As I predicted it was a BLAST! It was great to catch up with some family members that we don't see as often and to watch all of the kids play together in the pool! Here are some pictures from our poolside fun!

My DaD is RaD

2009-07-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Warning: this is a shameless post about the love Addison and Macy have for their daddy!!! :)

I found this amazing and PERFECT t-shirts for the girls to wear on Father's Day that said "My DaD is RaD". They both have "My DaD RoCKs" shirts and love to wear them, so why not go for another great public announcement shirt that states how they feel about their daddy!!! :) I am going to have to have them do a little photo shot in these shirts because I did not do a very good job of taking pictures that day...but I have one with Addison and the treats she made for Papa and Daddy!

I also wanted to post a couple pictures from this weekend. If you did not get a chance to read that post...take a moment and read it, it will help the pictures make sense. :)

I don't think I can say it enough, I love the way my girls look at their Daddy!!! I remember feeling the same way about my AWESOME Dad and am so happy that they are blessed to experience the same thing with Kenny!

Playroom Organization Makeover

2009-07-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

So it has been awhile since I talked about the playroom but I think I am ready to make a statement about the playroom for all the world to hear....READY? It is clean and has stayed clean and everything in order and put in its place for over a month AND the kids have been here. :) Seriously, I did not think any amount of cleaning or organizing would actually have a long term (meaning more then two days) impact, but somehow the stars aligned and my latest attempt at reorganizing the playroom has worked!!!

So, what did I do differently this time you ask? Well, I was a little more honest and a lot more disciplined as I evaluated the purpose and set up of the room as well as being honest as I went through the toys and books. I decided to make a list of the 4 major activities that the girls would like to do in their playroom (if it was actually clean). They helped me brainstorm and then narrow down our list until we had 5 categories. I know, I said 4, but all 5 of their interests seemed very important when discussing the topic with them. :) Our list consisted of, Kitchen/Table play, Barbie House and Little People, Dress up, Arts and Crafts and Books/Reading. See, all of the areas seemed necessary, right??? Okay, once we created the categories I posted 5 signs on the walls around my living room and entry way, one for each area. We then worked together to remove EVERY SINGLE ITEM that had been in the playroom. If the item could not fit into one of the categories, it had to go into the Goodwill, Garage Sale or trash pile.(side note: I did put a box of baby toy stuff in the attic for another baby and the girls have their baby dolls and Polly pocket stuff in their rooms.) Once we had everything nicely categorized it was easy to draw a diagram and then have Kenny help me rearrange the furniture and such to reflect our 5 stations. It is still a decorating work in progress. I am working on some cool art and pictures to take over the brown walls but for now, I will show you the organizational part of the "makeover". :) From a MESS, to an empty room/work in progress to a wonderfully organized and fully functional playroom!!!! The girls love it and are doing a much better job of keeping everything put away and picked up! I thinks I am going to call the playroom organization makeover a success. :)

A FULL week in review....

2009-06-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, this week was super busy and ended up being full of wonderful events and opportunities.

The week started with a fun family celebration at our house to recognize the amazing Dad's in our lives. We had a wonderful BBQ and enjoyed just hanging out and catching up with my siblings and parents. It was especially sweet this year for me because this was the first year that Addison TOTALLY understood the concept. She is so sweet and caring anyway that this kind of holiday is right up her ally. :) We made special paintings and cards for Papa and Daddy. Made some homemade treats as gifts and then when we were at the store she had to get a bag of Daddy and Papa's favorite candy for each of them. I have always felt blessed to have such an amazing Dad that always had and always will hold a special place in my heart and I feel so grateful that I can see the girls feeling the same way about their Daddy. :)

Monday we started a fun filled week of Vacation Bible School. This was the first year that Addison was old enough to attend and it was a HIT!!!! Because I was helping (at the registration table..haha) they had a special little program for Macy too. Both of the girls LOVED the whole experience! The teams were not split up by age group and so Addison's team was made up of a mix of ages from K-5th grade and that turned out to be really good for her. They loved to help her feel comfortable and she loved to be cared for. :) Macy really enjoyed her time too. Each night before I left her room she would say "mommy, did you sign me up for church again tomorrow?"....it was cute!

Wednesday was a big day for me. I went on my first job interview since I quit working at Country in 2003. I have to say that I was SO NERVOUS!!!! It seems like it has been FOREVER and a day since I was in the professional setting and really had to prove myself in a professional and educated way and it was a little nerve racking to say the least. The good news, I got the job!!! :) I am so excited! I have been praying for an opportunity that would allow me to help bring income into the family budget but not at the expense of missing my kids and family all day everyday. I was willing to make some sacrifices because we really needed to have some additional income, but I kept praying that I would find a dream job that allowed me to stay involved in some of the activities that are run during the day time hours, be able to be with my kids most of the day AND have a pretty good paycheck with benefits. :) I know, I was dreaming but as we all know, God is much bigger then my silly list!!! He has provided a wonderful position that allows me to work from home most of the time and I can set my own schedule!!! I have training next week and am really looking forward to it!!!

Friday was a day that I was nervous, unsure of and just plain scared of. A few weeks ago I took the girls to see the Dentist. It did not go well to say the least. Addison freaked out and would not even let them clean or look at her teeth. She did cooperate enough to get some x-rays of her teeth. Turns out she had two cracked teeth and two cavities that needed to be addressed. Because of the way she freaked out at the idea of a cleaning the Dentist recommended we just do everything all at once at the Surgical Center while she was under general anesthesia. Because Macy watched Addison freak out at the idea of cleaning her teeth she decide that she would do the same thing. Macy has browning on the top part of her two front teeth and the Dentist said that he could fix the brown spots and clean her teeth the same way at the Surgical Center. I have to tell you that I was more then a little concerned about this procedure and did think it was a bit drastic for a 2 and 5 year old. So, I did some research and consulted with a Dentist that I know and trust and came to the conclusion that this would be the best way to have everything fixed at the same time, they could do it to the best of their ability without crying kids biting their fingers and hopefully the girls will not develop a fear of the dentist in the future. So, long story short the girls were CHAMPS!!! They were amazing. So brave, so sweet and obedient. Kenny and I were so proud of them and even the nurses and operating team could not stop singing their praises. So it all turned out okay, but I will NOT be doing that again! :)

Okay and the last big event of the week....Macy and I have switched our diet to a gluten free diet. It was time. :) We are both feeling so much better already and even if the Doctors results did not convince me, Macy's actions have confirmed that we are on the right track. We switched on Monday morning and on Tuesday afternoon she had already learned to say "I can't have Gluten" and she came to me with a HO HO in her hand and asked, "does this have gluten?" When I told her it did she just said "okay" and set it on the table. She did not even say a thing while her sister sat there and ate one in front of her. This leads me to believe that she was not telling us how much her tummy was hurting her. So we are adjusting well with this new diet and discovering new yummy foods that we can eat.

Wow...that was a full week and turned into a long post. :) I am looking forward to a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Happy Father's Day!!!!

2009-06-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

What Makes a Dad
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so,

He called it ... Dad

~~Author Unknown.~~

Happy Birthday Kristi

2009-06-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTI!!!! I am blessed to have the best sister anyone could ever ask for and am thankful that we are able to walk through life together. Kristi, you are an amazing mother, wife, sister, daughter and friend! I love that we are raising our babies at the same time and get to experience motherhood together! I hope you had a wonderful day and get spoiled all weekend!!! LOVE YOU!

Feedback welcome!

2009-06-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have a problem. My sweet, funny, easy going and silly Macy is obsessed with potty talk. She attempts to incorporate poopy or poop head or pee pee into EVERYTHING. Seriously, we have ignored it, we have told her that we do not talk like this in the Foote house, we have put her in timeout for it....but it is still around. A few weeks ago she rolled a nutri-grain bar into a yucky brown roll and tried told her very girly older sister to "eat her poop". She will be playing with her dolls and then stand on top of them and say "pee pee on your head". People in the store have stopped and laughed as she is getting in trouble for "potty talk" and several have said "oh, I've been there". So, I take it that this is some what normal, but my question is, does it pass, do we have to really stay onto of disciplining her for it or is it just a phase? Feed back is welcome (but, PLEASE keep it clean...hahaha)

The tale of two daughters and their Daddy...

2009-06-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

So Kenny took a quick trip with his brother to meet up with his parents and help his dad celebrate his 60th birthday. He left Thursday afternoon around 3pm and will be back on Sunday afternoon. This is not unusual for Kenny to be gone over a weekend as he sometimes goes to Bend to play at my sisters church or he will be at the studio all weekend helping with a recording. So why is this time different??? I have not idea....but IT IS :)

It all started around 5pm on Thursday afternoon. We were driving to the store to pick up a few items and Addison starts saying, "oh, I miss daddy". My first thought is, that is so sweet. I explained that he was on a trip with Uncle Ryan and would be back in a few days. Usually this will be the end of the conversation....Not This Time. I do not know how many times we have talked about missing daddy. Yesterday we took some baskets and went out to pick some strawberries. While picking strawberries the girls both found the "perfect Daddy Strawberry". We went to the park last night before bed and after playing with me for a little while they both started saying, "Daddy has taken us here before and I wish he was here now". And then the ultimate missing daddy event came last night as we were getting out of the bath and ready for bed. Yes, they were both very tired from a fun and full day. Yes, the crying is contagious and they feed off of each other and Yes, once a 2 and 5 year old get something in their heads it is hard to change courses (especially when extremely tired) but still....this seems extreme. Addison started the subject by saying she missed daddy which quickly turned into an all out crying, no make that balling fest about how much she miss daddy and she wanted him to come and tuck her into bed. She wished he could come home right now. She wants to get in the car and drive to see him. She just missed her daddy. After about 15 minutes of Addison crying and crying Macy joined in. She agreed "I really miss my daddy" "I want to give Daddy a kiss goodnight". It was so sweet to hear that they love their daddy and wanted him around, but after awhile even the thickest skinned mommy has to start wondering, is it me??? So I finally said, "I miss daddy too. Did I make you mad? Do you not want me to be here?" To my relief they both quickly explained that it was not me, they want BOTH of us to be home with them. They want BOTH of us to tuck them in at night and that is why they miss their daddy.

I tried to help the situation by calling daddy and having them talk to him before bed, but he was not answering...which lead into more crying. :) I finally found a framed picture of Daddy with Addison when she was younger and she tucked it into bed right next to her so that she could look at it until she fell asleep. We prayed together for daddy. For his safety and a quick return to us and with Macy we prayed that daddy would be strong and the "bad guys" would not get him. (she has been worried about the green eyed man/bad guys ever since watching Bolt). I do find it wonderful and adorable that they love their daddy so much. That he holds a special place in their hearts that only he can fill. I feel blessed that I had and still have a daddy like that and I know how special that relationship is!!! I pray that Addison and Macy will always feel this way about their daddy and that they will always know how lucky and loved they are to have Kenny as their daddy. :)

Now we will wait for our daddy to come walking through the front door on Sunday and let him know that he is not allowed to go anywhere ever again. :)

Addison's Preschool Graduation

2009-05-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that a whole school year has already past. If this is any sign of how quickly the future will go and how she will grow up in a blink of an eye, well, let me be the first to say I DON'T LIKE IT! I am so proud of her and love to see all of the amazing things she has learned over the year, I just don't like thinking that in a blink I will be sending her to Middle School. Anyway, this post is not about me, so let me get back on track.....

Addison had an amazing first "school" experience. She LOVED her teachers and they did a wonderful job helping her feel loved and accepted. If you know Addison, this is the ticket to getting through and helping her develop intellectually. Mrs. Rose was a saint, always welcoming Addison with open arms (literally) and helping Addie transition from my hand to hers. Mrs. Brown was the perfect balance of love and compassion mixed with high expectations and a strong belief and understanding that Addison could do a lot more then she let on. :) I thank the Lord for giving us the perfect teachers to help start the school years adventure on the the right foot!

The end of the year program was ADORABLE! Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Rose work with the kids to memorize a ton of songs and I am always impressed with the fact that the kids know all of the words and motions to each and every song! They did a GREAT job! Addison's favorite song from this performance was the 7 days of the week song. I personally loved the chubby snowman song (which was the classes favorite song and the reason a winter song was performed in spring). I also was blown away that most of the children knew all of the words to the alphabet song. It was pretty long and each letter was followed by the sound it makes and then 6-8 examples of words that start with that letter. It was pretty impressive. :) Addison has made some great friends over the past year and we look forward to seeing them in the years to come.

On our way home from graduation I told Addison that she had done such a wonderful job this year and I thought it deserved a special dinner. I explained that she could pick ANY restaurant she wanted to and we would go there for dinner. She squealed with excitement and clarified that she was able to pick ANY restaurant she wanted. I hesitantly agreed, yes, ANY restaurant, but was hoping we were not going to be breaking the bank for our preschool graduation celebration. She squeals again and says, YES, I want to go to McDonald's. :) HAHAHA We met Grammy and Papa at McDonald's that night and had a fun time. And no end of school celebration is complete without a fort in your room! This day will always be one full of wonderful memories and happy little girls! :)

Here are some pictures from graduation day!

What's a girl to do?

2009-05-21T08:21:00.001-07:00

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.Matthew 6:25-27 New International Version

This is just what I needed today! Lately I have been constantly thinking about what we are going to do to "get back on top"....I can't believe I am even admitting this, but sadly it is true. I am not a fan of worrying about money and how everything is going to work out, yet this is exactly what I have been doing. While planning is not a bad thing, worrying and wasting away the amazing days and "hours" that God has given us is not okay.

I also love the reminder "..is life not more important than food and the body more important then clothes?.." WOW!!! My Creator really does know my heart. I can justify that worrying about basic needs is necessary, but He clearly uses basic needs as His example....

Thanks you Lord for knowing me and loving me enough to care for every part of my life!

Need something to do???

2009-05-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Having trouble filling your day? Just looking to avoid cleaning up that mess in the kitchen? Here are some great new sites that I am loving. :)

TipJunkie is full of fun, very "doable" ideas for all kinds of occasions!
http://tipjunkie.blogspot.com/

Fabulous Fun Finds is just that...full of great giveaways and FABULOUS product reviews! I have been entering everything lately, keeping my fingers crossed that I just might win something....this girl really does LOVE to win!
http://fabulousfunfinds.blogspot.com/

The Organized mom site is very insiring and has given me some WONDERFUL ideas to keep my family on track and organized in every area of our lives....I mean, I need to stay organized if I am going to be able to have time to check out these sites on a regular or semi-regular basis. :) HAHAHA
http://www.theorganizedparent.com/servlet/StoreFront

Hope you enjoy!

a cute little lion cub

2009-04-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

...when the enemy is tempting you with sin that seems so sweet- it’s ultimate goal is to “grow up” and destroy your life.

Another great reminder from Praise and Coffee!!!! If you have a moment, hope over and enjoy. I was not sure that it would be very relevant today as the title "is an affair knocking at your door" did not really seem applicable, but she goes on to talk about all kinds of sin.....go check it out, here is the link!!! :)

Introducing my new system

2009-04-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am going to share with you my new and improved system for cleaning and and staying "on task" each week. It has been three weeks of learning and adjusting but I think I have found the system that works for me! Here are the steps that I took to create my new system!

1. Realized that my current routine was NOT working. I would go in a cleaning frenzy, clean the WHOLE house top to bottom and then feel entitled to slack for a few days (or so) after....which is where the new mess came and then back to the cleaning frenzy...you get the picture. I know I have shared with you before that I have a husband who would prefer to have a very clean and organized house (way more then my natural inclination and desires fall) and so I do my best to create an environment that he enjoys. He does not ask for much and so when he does express his preferences I do my best to meet it.

2. Next I started thinking and doing a little google research. If I was serious about a more permanent change I needed to give it some real thought! I analyzed my goals, my weekly schedule and the things or activities that keep me from accomplishing my goals. After looking at many different approaches I decided to copy this chart from The Motherload at the Mom Advise blog.

3. Now the real work, filling in the chart. I made one master list of all of the tasks that had to get done each week. I made a short list of tasks that had to be done EVERY DAY and then a long list of everything that should be done at least once a week. I listed out all of the items that would allow my house to really be clean and picked up everyday. So, even if it was not on my regular radar at the present time, but was something I felt should be in a weekly schedule I added it to the list. I then decided how frequently some of the tasks needed to be done. For example, my floors really should be mopped twice a week, so I put down a 2 next to that activity. I also included specific tasks that I wanted to add to my week. (like blogging, sewing and grocery shopping)

4. If you are a puzzle solver, planner, outside of the box thinker this is when you get to have fun, if this is not you, well, you still have to do it :) HAHA Make the master list! I started by writing down the everyday tasks on the first few lines of each day. Next, I started thinking about the "flow" of my tasks. Like, I have to sweep the whole downstairs before I mop. I should dust before I sweep...you get the picture :) I started assigning days for each task. The tasks that need to be done two or three times a week I evenly spread out. The key to a successful chart is to not only take into account the tasks that need to be done, but also the way your week usually runs. For example I am very busy and away from the house almost all of Wednesday and when I am home for a few hours I don't like to do much....so I have sweeping, bleaching the kitchen sinks and blogging on my Wednesday. My Tuesdays are usually at home and so I have a ton of the "extra" tasks on Tuesday. So be honest with your ability to do all of the tasks given your known schedule.

5. Lastly, you will see a section on the Mom advise chart that had a "to do list" spot. I fill this in with one time activities that I need to fit into my week. For example, I have been meaning to frame and hang some pictures upstairs, I also needed to work on the end of the year Cubbie order....you get the idea. For some reason having them listed off helps me to accomplish them, maybe because I don't forget about them. :)

6. Post it, share it and be proud of it!!! I am still working on training myself to really stick to my lists. Some days I don't want to do anything, but I see quickly why skipping even a day will have a negative impact on myself and my family. It is funny, I use to think taking time to just relax helped me be a good mother and wife, but turns out that if I do my "job" first I will have a happy family, a clean house and still have time to relax and play!

Next up.....I am going to try meal planning. :) Char gave a wonderful talk about meal planning at m2m and it has inspired me!!!! :)

Soccer Balls....

2009-04-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

We have completed two weeks of soccer and while we have not played a ton each week, we have made some GIANT steps in the right direction! :) The first week I am pretty sure the whole thing was WAY more then she had pictured in her head and she was pretty overwhelmed. Remember, this is my observer, the one that likes to know and understand all that she is being asked to do or try. She becomes very reserved and nervous until she feels comfortable with her ability to predict what is going to go on in any given situation and that she will be able to successfully achieve it. So, back to soccer....the first week she went out and played two of the games (attached to Daddy's leg) but when they started playing a game where you get tagged and have to hold another child's hand we were done. :) She played on the side with Kenny for another 10 minutes and then we went home. So we made it 40-45min. of the 1 1/2 hours session. :) On the way home we struck a deal that she had to stay the WHOLE TIME the following week. So, that was Friday night and she technically stayed the whole time...just not participating the whole time. (well, i am going to let the trip to Albertson's with Papa because we can't stand to use a port-a-potty slide :) ) She played about the same amount of time and again the holding hands game was the end point BUT I told her that she had to stay and watch the 3 on 3 scrimmage games that they play the last 45 minutes and I think that was good. Between pointing out how pretty the clouds were and using blades of grass as pretend confetti for the "surprise party" on my head, she seemed to have some interest in actually playing. So, the new deal of the week, she is going to play in a scrimmage game next week.....only time will tell if the clouds and daisy chains will win or if she will actually give the game of soccer a chance. :)So, here are some cute pictures of other little girls playing and my princess having a blast on the sidelines! Oh, I do love her so!!!!

Addison the Rock Star!

2009-04-06T20:21:00.001-07:00

It is official, we are a rock star family! Case in point:

Today during quiet time Addie came in to help me fold and put away the laundry. She grabbed a few items from the pile and ran to her room. Upon her return I saw that she had picked up one of Kenny's hats and some sunglasses. She struck a pose and announced:

Addison: "I'm a rocket star!" followed by some very serious and very radical air guitar moves.

Mom: "Cool rocket star girl, but even rocket stars have to obey their mommy's and be quiet while Macy is sleeping"

Addison: Looking at me with eyes that said, you are seriously wrong and a little weird, "No, sorry, rocket stars don't have moms"

NOTE: This may sound kind of sassy as you read it in written form but the tone and the attitude really was very innocent and with much confidence that rock stars just don't have parents....like I was being silly even suggesting it. :) This is what make it funny to me! She will grow up soon enough and she will know that it is called rock star, not rocket star and she will be sassing back intentionally not responding innocently, so for now, I will document and cherish these moments! :)

Here is a picture of her outfit....with attitude!

Discipline!!!!

2009-04-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

I have a new motto and wanted to share it with you.....

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments"

So, my current goals:

1. stay on track and make the weekly cleaning chart a normal and expected part of my life. (I will share my new chart and how it is working at the end of this week)

2. Start seriously training to RUN the marathon in October! I have a training book that actually does not make me feel overwhelmed at the required time commitments....so I am going for it! This is one of those things on my "one day I will do..." list and I really want to check this one off!

So.....I must be disciplined and stay focused on my tasks at hand, and for me, this is hard. :) I love to do a little of EVERYTHING and just enjoy the moment....but that does not help me keep my house consistently clean nor does it allow me to cross that finish line in October, so discipline is my new buzz word and I am pretty excited about the challenge!

Anyone else have some goals they would like to share? I would love to hear them and help encourage you!

Current ponderings....

2009-03-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

I have several topics that float around in my mind but I have not come to any conclusion on...so, I figured it might be fun to see if anyone else had some thoughts, tips or findings on my current ponderings. WARNING: They are random!

1. How does one really figure out their child's learning style? I am looking for some good info and/or observation techniques to figure out how to best teach and help educate my children.

2. What do people do to stay conscious and on top of house chores? I am looking for a good weekly chart that would be "doable" and keep me on track. I currently go in and out of the cleaning mood and so my house gets really clean and then REALLY messy and sometimes if I ignore it for to long, it becomes pretty dirty. :( I saw a link once to a weekly chart but can't seem to find it. I think it is time to schedule my duties!

3. I MUST drop 10 LBS.....i really would love to do this by getting back on track with my training for the Portland Marathon...but my question here is, when do you exercise? I can't seem to find a good spot that allows me to really follow through...oh, maybe this is just my excuse, but I am still interested in feedback. :)

4. How much time do you (or "this one friend that you know") spend watching TV and/or on the Internet in a day, what about over the week? Do you keep them off during the day or check in every once in awhile. As I have shared with you before, I sometimes lose a ton of time in "Internet World" and am always questioning the best balance for our household. :)

5. Lastly, the million dollar question...anyone doing something smart from home to make some extra cash for the family? I know, this is one that we are all searching for, just thought I would ask :)

Okay, now it is your turn....any and all tips, thoughts, links and feedback are greatly appreciated! :)

Never give up....

2009-03-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have told many of you this story but want to write it down because it seems like I will remember all of these silly little things, but then I don't. Someone reminded me of something the other day and I had totally forgotten about it....anyway, back to the story.

Addison has a strong need to understand situations and new activities before participating. She does not need to control the situation or others, she just needs to feel confident in herself before even attempting to try something new. While this is good sometimes at other times I have to strongly encourage her to be vulnerable and give something a try. So Kenny and I have been praying and talking about how such a personality would do with the normal extracurricular kid activities. You know, soccer, softball, basketball, dance, gymnastics, piano. All the fun things that Kenny and I loved doing as a child and the things that help shape and mold us into who we are today. We did not want it to be a miserable time for her but we were sure that she would actually enjoy these things if she could just give it a try. So, we decided to keep talking about soccer or T-ball for the spring. The first 10 times anything was mentioned she FREAKED OUT! She was 110% in disagreement with our ideas. :) I was getting pretty frustrated and so one day on the way to school (I know, I need to work on my timing) I told her she WAS going to do Soccer or T-ball and the choice was up to her. If she did not make a choice in the next 2 days that Daddy and I would just pick one for her. She said nothing. The next day we were driving in the car and she announces, Mommy, I am going to play Soccer balls and it is going to be FUN! I was so excited that we talked it up for the next week. Daddy is going to help her and it is going to be super fun!!! I signed her up and we are ready. So, that brings us up to the story...

The other day the girls and I took a walk around the block. We live at the bottom of a hill and so we walk up a large hill and then come back down another one a few blocks away. Addison starts running and announces she is practicing for Soccer Balls.(yes, it is called soccer balls)
I said: "okay, do you need a ball?"
Addison: " No, I am practicing my running because you have to run a lot in soccer balls.:)"

On our second lap up the big hill she leans over and props her little body up against a rock retaining wall and starts saying:

Addison: "I really want to give up, but my daddy says we don't give up".

She repeats this phrase several times, adding in a:

Addison: "oh, my, I am really tired, but..." here and there.

When I make it to the same spot she is resting at I smile and agree with her statements. I was internally very proud of her statement and hope that this would be a motto she would use through out her life....and then she turned to me and said:

Addison: "Mom, i am not talking to you...."

If you need to know who she was talking to I will remind you of this post. To give you a hint, she lives in a very imaginative world of her own. (and I love it!!!) :)

Here is to a wonderful first Spring Soccer Season!

Keys and Money

2009-03-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Keys and Money. These are the two new concepts that my sweet little angels have grown to understand, now we need to work on the details of these concepts. Let me give you a few examples:

Macy has grown to really understand that keys can unlock things. You need keys to get into the house, start the car or open up a secret box. The perceived power of this has developed a healthy fascination/obsession with keys. She will take random keys and put them in her bags or in her bedroom. It really is fun to watch as she learns new things but now we need to work on the concept of ownership and one key for one lock. :) A few nights ago she was saying that she wanted to go see the Doctor because she needed more medicine. (she loves medicine and had just finished her antibiotics for an ear infection). I told her that it was closed and they had all gone home. She said "oh" and ran off but returned very excited a few minutes later and said "you have keys. So we can go to the Doctor and you can use your keys to open it". She was so proud of herself for figuring a way to get some medicine. I explained that I did not have keys and that only the Doctors had keys to their office, she just said "oh, okay." and ran off. I am pretty sure she figured I was just feeding her a line. So we will now work on the Key details.

Money is Addison's new concept. She knows what money is but has not really understood that it can run out and that you have to work to earn money and then you spend that money on things you need (or want). A month or so ago she did not understand why Daddy had to go to the Studio all the time and why he did not want to stay and play with her. We had a pretty good conversation about the concept of working, getting paid and the necessity of money to be able to eat and keep our house warm.... So, a few weeks later she asked if I would buy her a toy when we were at a store and I said no. She asked WHY??" and so I told her that it was a little to expensive and that I did not have the money for the toy and the stuff we needed. She was quiet for a minute and then turned to me and said, "well then you need to go get a job and make money so we can have lots of money and can come back and buy stuff". OH DEAR! Now we are working on priorities in life, what really matters and the fact that money and stuff does not make you happy. :)

My little girls are growing up! :)

Sometimes you just have to laugh....

2009-03-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to laugh. I personally think this is a gift from the Lord, when life seems to be crazy he reminds you of the wonderful gifts he has given and then he gives you something to giggle at. :) Yesterday was one of "those days"...

I was the first one to wake up yesterday morning at 8:17am and we needed to get Addison to school by 8:30am, I had Wednesday morning Bible Study and Kenny had a session at the Studio at 9am. Off to the races would be a good turn for how our day started....

School went well, Bible Study was great. I then took the girls and meet with the Bride of a wedding I am coordinating. We returned home in time for a late nap/quiet time. I started preparing for 2 meals that I had agreed to take to families from Mom 2 Mom. I forgot about a dietary need for one of the families which set me back a good half hour...but I did get it done. :) Next I had to deliver these meals....one to Monmouth and the other to South Salem. The Mapquest directions I received from that wonderful site was WAY off. Remember I am already running late and have hot food that 2 families are waiting for. I call the Monmouth family and quickly get turned around and headed in the correct direction. Meal one, DONE. Now, to South Salem. I decided to take the back road from Independence to South Salem but missed my first turn off. I finally found my second option and made it to the second house. I was late for Cubbies by this point and since my job is to check in the Cubbies it really is not a good idea to be late. So, we start down Commercial Street and came to a very slow moving traffic jam. GREAT! I figured it was just the time of day and that it was to be expected. But I was wrong! It was a BEAVER in the road. Oh yes, I said BEAVER. :) Several people had stepped out of their cars to create a "guard" around the Beaver to keep it safe. One guy was on the phone and I assume it was to an animal shelter or something (what do you call for a "lost" beaver?) The protective area around the beaver had forced 4 lanes of traffic down to 2. I finally made it to the church and the rest of the night was history. :)

But with such a crazy day, I was given some wonderful gifts. First, I was given the opportunity to serve in a very tangible way by providing meals to families that really could use the help right now. When we were driving from Monmouth to South Salem my girls rolled down the windows in the back seat and we all just took in the beautiful sun shining down on us, the wonderful cool breeze and the glorious country scenery! It does not take long in God's beautiful countryside to easy any stress that may have built up from the days events. Yet, I am human and sure enough, I was starting to feel bad about being late to Cubbies. I am lucky enough to have some wonderful people who faithfully show up to help out and in last nights case, to cover for me! But back to the wonderful gift of laughter....just as I was starting to stress again I waited in a traffic jam for a BEAVER. Tell me, who would not laugh at this?!?! I could not help but giggle at the situation. It is times like this that I thank God for the little things in life. For laughter and the ability it has to relieve my stress! What a glorious day I had yesterday!!!

So, why share this with you?!?! I guess it is a reminder to us (myself included) that there usually is a silver lining and we serve a loving and caring God. He meets us where we are at and is an active part of our everyday lives! Go out and enjoy God's goodness!

Good Morning!

2009-03-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

I am working on some posts and they will be up soon, but until then I thought I would give you a favorite passage of verses to think and relfect on:

Phillipians 4:4-8

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The Mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee...

2009-02-12T08:16:00.001-08:00

I came acrossed a wonderful post at Sweet Pea Cakes, Etc. and found it worthy of passing on! I have seen/heard this activity played out before my eyes, but each time I see it I am reminded of life and priorities. So go check it out! Are you caring for your golf balls or letting the sand monopolize your time?

Here is the post: The Mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee

Valentines Day ideas???

2009-02-05T08:06:00.001-08:00

Hello All! I know I have been a little quiet...sorry. I really have been working hard on having balance and not spending tons of time on the computer and surfing the Internet. I feel like I have started a new routine that is much more balanced and I am happy with the results this action has had in the other areas of my life. :)

But I am here looking for some great ideas......so I am hoping that you all have not given up on me and that you will leave some comments :)

My question is, what do you do to make your valentines day special for your hubby? As with most people across the country, I am not overflowing with the green stuff right now and am looking for creative and inexpensive ideas to make the day special. Over the last few years it seems that we just look at each other and say Hey, Happy Valentines Day....he usually will bring home flowers or something of that nature and we may go out to dinner. Don't get me wrong, this is all wonderful but I am wanting to do something a little more personal and special to let him know how great he is! Okay, so any ideas are welcome! :) Thanks in advance for your help!

It is time for a change....

2009-01-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

As I read through Genesis again I am reminded of an amazing transformation that was done and is still at work in my soul. This change is in the concept and view of my role as a woman, wife and mother. I am called, no, I am CREATED to be a helper. To be my husbands helpmate! A few years ago in BSF we studies Genesis. I was transformed by the truths that God was speaking into my life....and it has been an amazing gift to learn such an important truth at the time when I was a mother to just one little baby and just starting to stay at home. Anyway, this has become a passion of mine since that BSF year and I really could go on and on about this subject, but the point of this post is not about the overall creation and calling of a wife and mother but rather how well I am doing in these roles right now.

Follow me here....last week I was blessed with the opportunity to help out my sister and her family and while all was so much fun it was a good amount of work too. (Kristi, if you are reading this DO NOT think that I am saying it was anything but a blessing to help serve you and your family, SERIOUSLY) anyway, I worked at keeping the kids out of trouble, keeping the laundry up, cleaning the house, making meals and helping my sister recover. The thing is, that did not leave a ton of time for me to do my Internet "stuff". I checked it in the morning, maybe at nap time and then sometimes in the evening. Guess what....life went on, I was totally fine and still felt "in touch". Guess what else, I kept the house clean, the laundry done, folded and put away and we had wonderful meals in a clean kitchen. :)

Okay, now we have to go back a few weeks before I left for Bend. I could not understand why I could not keep this house clean, the laundry was piled up and I was frustrated. I thought maybe I was just involved in to many activities or I was watching to many TV shows....when the real issue was right in front of me. Why I did not realize that the good old computer sucked away to many valuable hours out of my day, I am not sure. Most likely it is because I like it. :)

So we returned on Monday afternoon from Bend and I was pretty sure that my theory was correct, I was not being the best helpmate I could be because I spent to much time online. So on Tuesday I stayed away. Checked my email quickly in the AM and then did not go back until the kids were all in bed. Checked a few other sites and then enjoyed a night with my hubby watching American Idol. :) Hey, I did get a lot done. I cleaned up the girls rooms (Addie's was a BIG mess) cleaned and reorganized the playroom, did 5 loads of laundry, cleaned all the dishes and kitchen area and pick up the rest of the house all while taking care of my two little girls and my nephew (who needs a little more supervision then the girls). Wednesday is always really busy. School and Bible study in the morning. Home for lunch and naps and then back to church for Awana. So that brings us to today, Thursday. I woke up and needed a cup of coffee. So I said to myself, I will have a cup of coffee, read a few blogs and then get going. Well I am tired today and those are the days that the internet really sucks me in. I start reading and looking and clicking and soon my kids are "bugging" me during my important internet searches. HELLO, it is time for a change. Look, it is 10:58am and I have pretty much been here the whole morning. Sure I made the kids eggs and toast and put the dishes in the dishwasher...but what else could have been done by now??? So, it is time to change my habits, create a new routine and today is a wonderful day to start! I think I will do the same schedule that I did at my sisters house. I will allow myself 15 minutes in the morning with my coffee. I can choose to watch a DVR show or log on during nap time and the same goes for my evening unless Kenny is home that evening, then I will stay off of the computer (as this drives him crazy to have me on the internet "all the time".) Why have I written all of this for the world (or my 3 readers) to read, well, one, it always seems more real when I write it out and share it with people who can call me on my activity if they notice me online too much. Two, I hope that just maybe someone reading may stop to reflect on their own habits...it is always good to regularly reflect on your life and make changes if needed. So, I will end this post with a few questions, what do you need to change? What area in your life needs a little tweaking? What practical steps can be taken to be effective in helping you be successful?

Bath Tub conversations with Macy

2009-01-18T16:47:00.000-08:00

One of the perks of coming over the mountain to help care for my sister is that my girls get to enjoy tons of quality time playing with their cousin. Jaren is a 1 1/2 year old adorable little boy who is so fun loving and easy going! The three of them have really enjoyed every minute together and have played nonstop. playing nonstop does have a few repercussions. First, they become VERY tired by dinner time but the cure for such a problem is an early bedtime. :) Issue one, solved. The other repercussion is that they become very dirty and sweaty but a bath tub full of toys is a wonderful cure for this issue! Here is a conversation that happened yesterday during bath time :)

Macy kept poking at Jaren's "part" that is not the same as hers. My sister sees this and says:

Kristi: "Macy, don't touch his privates. They are not to play with"

Macy: "Where is mine?"

Kristi: "You don't have one, God made you differently. You are a girl and girls don't have one of those."

Macy: "Oh, mine just has not grown in yet." She says with great confidence.

Kristi: "No, i am sure that you will not receive one. God did not give you one and you will never have one. "

Macy: "yeah...mine is coming. It just has not grown in yet." She was not emotional about this. She just wanted to explain to Kristi the facts so that Kristi was not confused.

Kristi seeing that she was not going to win this conversation just ended it with..okay. :) HAHAHA

This is just one of those comments you must record. :) Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Please join me in welcoming another girl!

2009-01-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it is official we have another girl in the house and her name is Kylie! :) Many of you know that Addison has had an imaginary best friend named Harianna for several years now, well I think that Macy decided that she needed an imaginary best friend too. After some serious thought and a few experimental names we have landed on a regular name and persona. Please join me in welcoming our newest member of the Foote family...Kylie Foote :) More great stories and adventures to come in the future!

Hi, Ho, Hi Ho its over the mountain we go...

2009-01-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning I received a phone call from my mom telling me that my sister had gone to the ER with some tummy pain and some breathing issues. Within a few hours it was discovered that her issue was a very enlarged gallbladder and that she would need to have her gallbladder removed. They quickly prepared her for surgery and by Saturday afternoon she was a little lighter thanks to losing her gallbladder and in a good amount of pain thanks to losing her gallbladder. :) So, sister to the rescue. It was not very hard to convince me that I needed to pack quickly, get the girls ready and head over the mountain to help care for Jaren (1 1/2) and then help care for Kristi when she returned home. Before I go much further I must note that she has a wonderful husband Sean but he works several jobs and has very full days everyday and really can't miss much work...just wanted to give him fair credit because he has been a ton of help also! :) Okay, back to the details. Kristi ended up staying in the hospital until Monday afternoon thanks to some issues with the meds and some issues that the surgeon was concerned with regarding some tube issue and some drainage. She is now home but very sore and not able to do much. She was instructed not to pick up anything over 10 LBs and to take it easy. So, as of now, the girls are loving the time with their cousin and i am having a ton of fun with my sister and brother-in-law. I am working on my nursing skills and feeling out how it is to have three children. :) Hope everyone is having a good week and I look forward to seeing everyone when I get back! :)

p.s. Thanks to Christine and the cubbie crew for covering for me on Wednesday and to the Mom to Mom team for helping my new table not feel abandon on Friday :) You all rock and I owe you one!

Getting serious about my goals!

2009-01-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

So....I started another blog. No, I am not replacing this one just creating one with a specific purpose. :) You know, other people have created a blog specifically to post news and updates of a pregnancy or follow their treatments or recovery from some illness or injury, well, I created one to help me accomplish the first two of my 9 goals I set for 2009. :) Hey maybe i will end up with a third to show some of my EQ design stuff. :) Anyway, back to the current post objective, if anyone is interested in following the progress or joining a growing group of us who are committed to reading the Bible in one year and/or walking the Portland Marathon on October 4th, 2009 feel free to stop by! Make sure to sign up for the feed thing located on the top right of the page and you will stay up to date all year long. :) Seriously, the more the merrier!! I think it would be fun to have some passage discussions and even if you have not been reading along, you could read the section that we are covering and join in. Hope to see everyone there (and here too) :) The new blog is called Partners in Crime...click here or cut and paste this link info...

http://partnersincrimegroup.blogspot.com/

Goals for 2009...

2008-12-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

I know that some of you find the new years resolution concept to be a frustrating process but personally, I love the new year. I love the idea of setting new goals...or a "start fresh" point. I love the excitement and anticipation of the wonderful accomplishments and achievements that lay ahead in the year year to come. Oh the possibilities! So, without further adu' here are my 9 resolutions for 2009. (I just came up with the "9" thing, as it is my favorite/lucky number and since it is 2009...)

1. Read the Bible cover to cover in 2009! I am choosing to read it in order instead of using one of those Bible in a year sets that includes old and new testament in each day. Just seems more logical to me. :)

2. Successfully finish the Portland Marathon on October 4th, 2009. I have put this as a goal for several years, but every year I try to train to run it...it always ends when I pass the 5-7 mile section. The longer runs really do take a chunk of time on a regular basis, not to mention the resting and "fueling" that has to take place in order to run 15 miles at one time. Anyway, I know that walking 26.2 miles still takes a good amount of training, I just think that this is something that I could take the kids along for at times and is really a way that I could attain my goal! Anyone want to join me???

3. Not to be late dropping Addison off at school for the rest of the school year. I have been getting into a bad habit, and if you have followed my blog in the past then you know that this is not something that works very well for my little princess and honestly it stresses me out too. So, here is to being a better manager of my time in the morning. :)

4. Have an Elizabeth Quinn Designs party on my Birthday weekend with clothes to sell and future parties planned!

5. Have a family picture taken in our home. I know this might be funny, but it is something that I have wanted to do for several years and keep putting it off...

6. Go camping at least one time with the family! I know, I can see some of you laughing out loud...but I have come to the realization that the girls would LOVE it and it would be another great way to create family memories!

7. Take the girls to Disneyland!

8. Hand write cards to friends and family "just because".

9. Surprise Kenny with a trip or special event...he is an amazing husband and is always spoiling me with surprise trips and presents. It is high time that he receives the same pampering. :) **Better get going on #4 in order to truly surprise him :)

This is going to be a wonderful year of new adventures, memories being made and relationships developing, growing and deepening! Welcome 2009!

Where have I been???

2008-12-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

I recently started to read The Shack by William P. Young and found a paragraph that sums up the way I have felt the last few weeks....

There is something joyful about storms that interrupt routine. Snow or freezing rain suddenly releases you from expectations, performance demands, and the tyranny of appointments and schedules. And unlike illness, it is largely a corporate rather than individual experience. One can almost hear a unified sigh rise from the nearby city and surrounding countryside where Nature has intervened to give respite to the weary humans slogging it out within her purview. All those affected this way are united by mutual excuse, and the heart is suddenly and unexpectedly a little giddy. There will be no apologies needed for not showing up to some commitment or other. Everyone understands and shares in this singular justifications, and the sudden alleviation of the pressure to makes the heart merry.

I think this pretty much sums up how I felt during the snow, ice and rain we had over the last few weeks and I have loved every minute of it. It could not have come at a better time during the year, it really did allow myself and my family to really relax and enjoy the season! :) On Sunday my in-laws headed home and my wonderful hubby surprised me with a few days away (just us! ) I am now back in town, just took down my Christmas decorations and am feeling refreshed and ready to get back to the routine! :) Hope everyone had a WONDERFUL season! Here are some fun pictures from the snow.

Have a very Merry!

2008-12-19T19:50:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Festival of Lights 2008

2008-12-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

After much begging, convincing and bundling I managed to get my hubby and my parents to help take the girls to the Festival of Lights parade downtown! Last year the girls, my mom and I were shopping downtown when we realized that the parade was going to take place, we made a few calls and the guys met us to enjoy the parade. It turned out to be a hit. Though Macy slept through the whole thing last year, Addie thought it was fantastic and I decided that the parade would be a fun FREE Christmas time tradition. So I put the date and time on everyones calendar this year, but the cold weather was making some people in our party a little worried. It turned out that it was really not that bad. We all put on some snow gear, hats, gloves and jackets and everyone seemed to stay pretty warm! The parade was fun and the girls managed to convince Papa and Grammy to buy them a souvenir. Of course they picked silly blowup dolls, but what can you do, they were so excited about their choices. :) HAHAHA Here are some pictures! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season!

Addison's Preschool Program 2008

2008-12-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

Last night was a fun and adorable evening! Addison had her first school Christmas program last night and it was fantastic! I was so impressed that my little baby sang EVERY word and knew every motion. She was so confident and proud! What a big girl she is becoming. I was such a proud mommy last night and am looking forward to many more wonderful concerts and performances in the years to come!

p.s. All the other kids did a wonderful job too! :)

Christmas Tree 2008

2008-12-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

I was going to wait until I had the tree up and all decorated to create this post...but I am taking a long time to get around to cleaning up the living room and decorating the tree to perfection and so I decided to just give you a few great pictures from our tree hunt! Every year we head out to Bates Tree Farm in south Salem and purchase a magnificent tree (seriously, they have only beauties!) from Tim and Mary Goffrier. For the last two years we have taken the hike, walked around the trees and ended up picking one that Tim had already cut for us down at the bottom of the hill. :) I like the walk and the experience of checking out many wonderful trees while I capture some great pictures of the season....but in the end, the mess and possible frustration of the men in the group getting down on the ground and cutting the tree down, well, I am okay leaving that tradition to the past. :) We ended up with one noble for our front room (kenny likes the noble) and then two little cute trees (yes,that is what they are called) for the girls rooms. Last year Mary gave Addison a little tree for her room and so this was all the girls could talk about on the way to the tree farm this year....i hope we don't end up having a dozen children, wow, that would be a lot of trees in one house! :) HAHA Here are some pictures...hope everyone is having a VERY MERRY season!

P.S. totally off subject, but I must note....did I miss a memo or is it just crazy luck that three of my friends chose the SAME Christmas blog background this year?!?! I know, a bit random, but you know me. I am all over the map. :)

Where did the time go???

2008-12-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Wow! I knew that Thanksgiving was super close to Christmas this year, but I guess I did not think to prepare for the fact that the day after Thanksgiving I would start feeling behind and overwhelmed as Christmas seems SOOO close! I feel like I need to pick up the pace on the gifts that I plan to make, I now wonder if that fun night of crafting and the other fun night of cookie baking that I had planned to host will even come to be? I want to enjoy this season, take it in and laugh and play with my family and friends...but it seems impossible to stop feeling overwhelmed. So, what are you doing to help meet all of the "demands" of the season while still being "in the moment" and enjoying the reason for the season?

The power of a song

2008-11-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

I added a new song to my playlist and want to share with you why. Yes, it is a good song and Rich Mullins was a wonderful artist, but this song is special!

Let's go back to the fall of 1995 and the winter of 1996. If anyone asked me where I was going to go to college I would proudly say "somewhere far away!". I wanted to go where NO ONE knew me! I thought the adventure would be awesome and I would have a chance to just be "this girl named Teresa". To most people this idea would be torture, but for me, that sounded like a fun challenge. I picked a school in Nashville, which kind of broke my rule since Kenny was already in Nashville (he is a year older then me) but I did not pick his college. So I decided that works. :) Anyway, I was all set and ready to go and then in the spring of '96 reality set it. AHHHHHHH, what was I thinking? I was excited but for the first time a little, no, more like a lot nervous. I was driving home from South Salem High School the week before graduation and this song came on the radio. I remember it so clearly because it was a gift from God. The perfect words to express how I was feeling and the perfect answer to my concerns. As the tears rolled down my face a wonderful peace also came over me. I knew the peace was my savior, but it was not until years later that I full understood why....

Fast forward to 2006. I know that I had heard this song many times between these two sets of years, but until this moment, I just sang along and enjoyed the song. In October of 2005 Addison turned 2 years old. This was a wonderful time to celebrate my precious daughter but this also became a really hard and depressing time for me. You see, I had a plan. A plan that included another child by the time that Addison turned 2. I had done my "research", thought long and hard and had decided that a 2 year gap is "just right". So a few months after Addie turned one, we started trying to conceive. We tried and tried and tried. NOTHING. We tried everything. I became a little obsessed with the process and at the time could tell you every detail and every option and finding on the whole "how to conceive" process. What was wrong. I even resorted to pleading, trading, bagging God. NOTHING. I had been so mixed up inside. I was feeling depressed because I had such a longing in my heart for another child. I wanted another baby so bad that my heart truly ached. I was so sure that this was the direction of my life. What would I do? Be a stay at home mom to 1? I just could not accept this as an option. Then it happened. Addie and I were driving in the car and this song came on. The tears rolled down my face! It was the perfect reminder, the perfect comfort the voice of the Lord using the SAME song to speak to me as he had ten years before.

Recently in a time of weakness I began to panic a little over our current situations. I was mulling over some wonderful master plans that I decided needed to be made for our future to be successful. (oh, how foolish I can be some times:) ) And it happened, I can't believe that they still play this song, but sure enough I heard it again! This time I did not cry, I laughed out loud and then sang at the top of my lungs. Thanking my Lord and Savior for his promises and for the amazing gift He has given me, a soft place to fall, a wonderful place to hide when I need it and most of all for being the only One truly in control of my life. You see, I have come to understand that the reason this song touches my soul and speaks so powerfully to me is because my "issue" has always been and I am sure will always be, control. I want to control my life, I think I can successfully and very brilliantly keep all of my ducks in a row. I know what I want and I will get it. This song is my reminder that I have to surrender my whole life to Him and really, why wouldn't I want to? He will hold me and be my prince of peace! Oh, the feeling that comes over me when I surrender and welcome that peace is more then I deserve and truly all that I need and want. If you have free moment, click on the song in my play list and enjoy!

Okay, now it is your turn, do you have a special song? I would love to hear the story behind it! :)

What is the impact of your marriage?

2008-11-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

I know that I send you to the Praise and Coffee blog more then any other blog, but I know why....because I love the way she believes in the sanctity of marriage. The way she challenges me to strive for excellence in this area of my life! Here is a little piece of todays "Two shall Become One" post. Good food for thought! If you would like to read the rest of the story....go here! :)

* How has your marriage (good or bad) affected those around you?
* How would others describe your marriage?
* How would your children describe your marriage?
* How would your children explain "what a Godly wife is" by your example?

Kenny Surgery info!

2008-11-16T15:44:00.001-08:00

I know that many of you have already talked to me and I have already shared this info with you. But for those who are not aware of the details, I will fill you in now :).....

Kenny has had Kidney stone issues since our first year of marriage. His father and grandfather have had MANY kidney stones and it seems that he has inharitated this lovely issue. :( He recently had a very bad attack and it turns out that TWO stones where trying to pass at the same time, became lodged together and created 4 trips to the ER and a trip to pre surgery, which must have scared the stones enough to exit his body just moments before his scheduled surgery to remove them. All sounds great, but in their search to see what the problem was they descovered two large kidney stones that were still in his kidney but appeared to be too large to attempt to pass "natuarally". Thus, the surgery....

On Thursday we went into the hospital to have the two large stones removed. While they were preparing him for the surgery, they discovered that he has an irregular heart beat. They had to run an EKG to make sure all was going to be okay during surgery. Everything was fine, according to the DR that talked to us about this "Kenny is young and healthy and will most likely not see any effects of this issue until we are old and gray and then he MAY need a pacemaker". Okay... :) The surgery went well and the stones were very large and confirmed to the DR that this was the correct and only choice for safe removal. :)

The recovery has not been as smooth. I guess that when he was in the Recovery 1 area (where I am not allowed) each time they would give him pain medicine through his IV he would stop breathing (sorry to Beth and others who received my miss info...just stopped breathing, not as bad as I thought) Because he did this three times they had to stop giving him pain medicine in his IV. The gave him 1 Vicodine when he was able to sit up and swallow but he was still in A LOT of pain. :( The decided it would be best, if I could get him to the car and get him in his own bed, he could just sleep off the pain. Well, we got home but he was NOT sleeping. He was in a ton of pain and I was not sure what to do. Long story short, we learned that he has an adverse reaction to Vicodine and it makes him nauseous and increases his pain instead of helping with the pain. After a 9pm call to the DR we switched pain meds and that began to help remedy the situation.

Today he is doing much better! He finally had a full night of sleep last night! Praise the Lord! He still has a stint in and will not have that removed until Thursday. So if you see him and he is walking funny, it is the stint. :) Thanks you all for your prayer and support! Your love is greatly appreciated!

Who is ready for Twilight???

2008-11-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

My "Team Edward' shirt is clean and waiting for the big night! Is anyone else SUPER excited for our silly movie? I can't wait! What's the plan folks? ? It has been a while since I read the books and watching the trailers has gotten me all excited again! :) YEAH!!!!

Friday Roundup

2008-11-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been one of those weeks. Nothing specific or really extra exciting, but a lot of this and that. So I decided to cover the high points of the week all in one post! Hope everyone had a wonderful week and will have an opportunity to enjoy your family and friends this weekend!

Mrs. Domestic resurfaced: Kenny has been working his buns off to get the studio open and so this has left myself and the girls home bound a little more then normal this week. I forget how much I love being domestic. We ran out of bread and I did not have the $$ or the vehicle to run to the store and so I pulled out the bread machine that my mom had passed on to me a year or so ago and whipped up a loaf of yummy homemade bread. WOW, how easy and delicious! I think this will be a new addition to my weekly routine! I love knowing all the ingredients that went into the bread and it was so easy...oh, and don't forget the amazing smell that fills the house when it is cooking!

The bread machine and homemade bread is only one little way that I was reminded of God's mercy and love this week. It seemed like every time I turned around He was meeting our needs. I ran out of contact solution and was worried about finding the $$ to get some more when I looked in the drawer and saw that I had picked up the two pack last time. (I never buy the two pack). Next little sign; I was feeling a little bummed for Macy, as it seemed like we had serious slim pickings for her clothing. I know this seems silly, but if you know me, you know that I do love fashion :) Anyway, Macy seemed to have a pile of mismatched stuff and I was not sure how this could be....after all my mom and I shopped like crazy for Addie at this age?!?! :) HAHA I was putting away a box of stuff in the attic and decided to look in the storage boxes that I thought were all 3T and 4T clothes. You are right...I had overlooked not one but TWO boxes of clothes. Thank you Lord for meeting my needs and even my wants. :) Anyway, I feel like I could go on and on about this subject this week, it just kept slapping me in the face. I wonder, do I just fill my days so full and end up being so distracted that I miss spotting these little moments? I am not sure, but I do feel grateful for my Saviors loving hand in each moment of every day! How I am SOOO blessed!

I have been bitten...by the Christmas bug. I decided that I should really take advantage of my time at home and start planning my Christmas list. I decided to daydream a little and surfed around on the Internet to a few sewing and craft sites that have homemade ideas for the holidays. I am hooked! Seriously! I have so many great ideas and think that the timing could not be better for me to work and improve my sewing skills while saving some $$ AND making perfectly personalized and homemade Christmas gifts! I have already finished a few items and can't wait to show you my handy work! Who knows, maybe some of you will be a lucky recipient. :)

On the sewing line, I have been tossing around a more specific direction for an Etsy store....I am thinking of trying to sell items that have been repurposed. I have found some great ideas online and have some great ideas in my little noddle....we will see what comes of it!

Let's see...what else this week??? Oh, yeah...we have a new President. Not much to say on this subject. I agree with Char and am pretty disappointed, this is not how I dreamed it to work out but I do agree with Rochelle who did remind us that while many of us did not vote for Obama, it is a moment that will go down in history. Our children will read about the first black president in their history books and for that, if nothing else, we must take note. :) Enough said about this ! :)

I had my first ever parent-teacher school conference today for Miss. Addison and I must say that I was very proud of her! Her results were wonderful and I am in awe at the big girl that she is turning into. Sometimes I just don't know what happened, where did that baby of mine go? :) She is such a healthy mix of confidence and shyness. She will do great in school! I think we will always be a work in progress in the shyness and confidence area but she has already made big strides and is willing to work and grown in these areas. What more can a mom ask for!

To finish this post off, I figured I would share a few blogs and sites that I have been into this week....

- This family is just starting down a crazy and unexpected path and their faith and strength in the Lord will move you! Check them out and keep them in your prayers!
- Here is my favorite crafty/sewing site right now! If you need any great gift making ideas this would be a great place to start!
- Thanks to Randa, I found this great site called Smilebox and love how quickly you can just add your pictures to some cute scrapbook layouts....seriously, it takes minutes! Now to figure out if you can use them and print them in books at some of those other printing sites....any thoughts?
- Oh and what do you all think of my music box? I waited and debated but finally decided to go for it. I will do my best to change the songs regularly. But at least I set the play list to random, so you won't get the same song each time. :)

Have a fabulous weekend!!

Happy Halloween 2008 !

2008-11-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

So, believe it or not, last night was the girls first real experience Trick or Treating. No, I am not against it, we have always been involved in the carnival at church and they were just as happy to run around in their costume with their friends and collect a little candy at each game. I guess they really did not know what they were missing. :) So last night we decided to just do the good old fashion around the neighborhood kind of Trick or Treating! We practiced all afternoon saying the necessary phrase and then I explained that we must say Thank you and NEVER say that we do not like something that someone has so generously given. We were set.....

Off we went to our neighbors house. A perfect place to start! They were so sweet, gave out candy AND play doh and the girls just stood and stared. They did manage to say Thank you and we went on to the next house. It only took two or three more houses for both of them to really "get it". They were so cute! I was so proud to see them always saying thank you and only taking one candy each. About an hour and a half later Addison said, "I'm tired mom, lets go home." I explained that if we went home, she would not get anymore candy. (can you tell that I am a candyaholic?) She quickly reply, "that is okay, I have enough!" Since we were a block and a half from home I agreed to carry her on my back while my little Macy insisted on walking...and wanted NO PART of going home. I think she has my candy addiction :) As we would walk past houses with porch lights on Macy would point at it and then ask if we could go there. Of course I let her!

A fun night was had by all and we are already looking forward to next year and our new found fun....Trick or Treating! :) Here are some pictures!

5 years ago today....

2008-10-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, where does the time go? I can not believe that 5 years ago today my life changed forever! I became a Mom! Oh, how I remember it like it was yesterday, 9 months of praying and wondering and daydreaming of what that would be like and it all came true when I had my sweet little Addison Elizabeth on October 29, 2003! She changed my life and forever I will be thankful! :)

Today, Addie is a sweet, gentle, cautious and silly little 5 year old. She is in her first year of "school" at Sonshine School and attends 3 mornings a week. She is such an amazing big sister who loves to be mommy's assistant and yet can break loose and have a blast with her friends too! She is an observer and does not like to take a risk or try a new situation without a little time to take in her surroundings. She has an AMAZING imagination and each day we are honored to have as many as 4 additional little girls and sometimes a few pets all over to our house to play. (Note: they are not easy for me to see *wink*wink* ) She LOVES headbands and creating wonderful outfits to wear. I am so amazed at the little person that she is becoming and can't wait to see how she grows and changes in the next year!

Addison, I love you tons and tons, forever and ever! Happy Birthday!

We love the pumpkin patch!!!!

2008-10-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

I know I have said before, but I must say it again, I LOVE fall! I love the colors, the clothes, the smell, the temperatures and all the great special days that our family has in the fall. As you can guess, the pumpkin patch fits nicely into my LOVE of fall. :) I am always amazed at how much fun my girls have at the pumpkin patch and it always seems to be a wonderful backdrop for some great fall pictures of my little pumpkins. Here are some pictures from our second and third trip to the pumpkin patch.

The first trip was with Addie's class for their first field trip. The second trip was for a wonderful birthday party. (BTW...if anyone is looking for a wonderful fall birthday party idea, check this out! It was awesome and not to spendy) Finally the third trip was yesterday with a couple of wonderful friends and their boys that are Macy's age. We went while the older kids were in school and it turned out to be such a special Mommy and Macy day! I think this will be it for the year....but I do still have a few days, so we will see. :) Enjoy the pictures!

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Check this out ladies!!!! A MUST read!

2008-10-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

I was super blessed by the truth that was written today over at Praise and Coffee and I wanted to pass the link along. Please, if you have a free moment, hop on over and read this wonderful post. I love the way she lovingly reminds me of the truth that God has instructed us in the ways of marriage and being a wife. Enjoy! :) I am off to honor and respect my husband by cleaning the house up. :)

The birthday extravaganza!!!

2008-10-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

After much debate the girls decided that they thought it would be fun to have their birthday parties together this year. :) I was really not all for it until I realized that this would truly be the only time that a big combined birthday extravaganza would make sense. I am thinking that next year Addison's party will become smaller and a little more girly and Macy will be in a very different stage then her older sister. So if we ever were going to take advantage of the fact that the girls birthdays are only a few weeks apart, it would be this year. We decided on a cooking theme and my ideas began to flow. As always I seem to be full of more ideas then time to actually accomplish them, but in the end I was pretty happy with the way it turned out and the girls said they had a blast (which is really what matters, right?!)

We had the party at 4pm and decorated place mats, made individual pizzas and decorated cookies. It was a full house and the volume was loud, but a good loud. You know, a loud that comes from a ton of little kids having fun! It was a fantastic day and I hope will be one that the girls will remember for many years to come! Thank you to everyone who helped out and made this day extra special for our two little princesses. Here are a few pictures from the day. :)

Say....

2008-10-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned Pastor Pete at Cross Point Church in Nashville before. He has a blog called Without Wax that I enjoy to read and this week was no exception. I really love the way he applies the principles of the Word to our own personal lives. He always justs puts out a question and allows the Holy Spirit to work. This week he asked the question, Who needs to hear something from you? What do they need to hear?

Instead of trying to give you my take on what he was saying I decided to just give you the original. Since I know that many of you will not click over to a link, I have pasted the full post right here. I do hope you will take the time to read.....

Proverbs 15:4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

There is an element of power in our words and it’s not accidental. Our Creator has shaped our hearts and souls to be impacted by the words of others. It’s part of your design.

I’m not even going to pretend to understand this spiritual principle but you certainly can’t ignore it. The words that come out of our mouth float through the air and land on souls impacting the course and direction of their life.

GOD HAS DESIGNED THE HUMAN SOUL WHERE YOUR WORDS WILL EITHER DESTROY OR BUILD UP ONE ANOTHER.

Knowing this I want to ask you: Who has God placed in your life and what do they need to hear you say.

Husbands what does your wife need to hear you say?

Wives what does your husband need to hear you say?

Parents what do your kids need to hear you say?

What do your employees, friends, neighbors need to hear you say?

EVERYONE needs healing and your words can bring the healing they so desperately need.

'Say' Music Video from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

1st Field Trip for the Foote Family :)

2008-10-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I was told that Addison's preschool class was going to take a trip to the pumpkin patch. I remember Loving field trips when I was in school and I also remember enjoying having my mom come along. So we signed up and today Addison and I went with her preschool class and the other two preschool classes to E.Z. Orchards. It was so much fun! We all bundled up and were very lucky to have a very nice morning to enjoy the hay ride, pumpkin patch, apple orchard, corn maze, petting zoo and a warm donut and apple cider to finish off the morning. I was very impressed with the items and activities that were included and can't wait to go back with Macy! :) Here are some fun pictures from the day. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Macy!

2008-10-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where did the time go? I can't believe that baby Macy is 2 years old today. At the same time, I can't remember life without her. She is such a sweet, loving, calm, easy going and fun loving little girl. She loves to try ANYTHING and has not found the concept of fear yet. :) She LOVES her sister and they play together very well. She also loves her daddy and her uncles and her Papa. If this trend keeps up I fear that she is going to be our boy crazy girl. :) HAHA Thanks to having a talkative sister, she is an amazing talking and seems to catch onto any new concept that she is introduced to. I can't wait to see how she grows and changes this next year!

Happy 2nd Birthday Macy Quinn!!!!

We Love you tons and tons forever and ever!

Daddy, Mommy and Addison

Going home from the hospital :)

Bonded at first sight :)

First Birthday party :)

We started a new tradition this year...Birthday eve P.J.'s :) My girls have a very deep love for jammies and so we decided to start a new tradition and give them new jammies each year on their birthday eve. :) Macy loved her Minnie Mouse P.J.'s and Addie can't wait to see what her Birthday jammies look like. :)

Facebook anyone???

2008-10-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

So my sister told me that she signed up for a Facebook account and so I decided that I would go and sign up too. Kenny has a myspace music account and has made some good music connections there but it has not been anything that I have enjoyed. I signed up once, never put anything on my page and just used Kenny's page to read other peoples stuff. Hey, you know that is why you all sign up for any of these sites :) HAHA Anyway, I always felt a little old and a bit to normal for myspace. I would look at peoples pages (no not any of my friends) but some people I know and think that it was really targeting a stage of life that I had already passed. I did not have a desire to post playboy bunny backgrounds and/or make up some silly sayings that related to some stupid think that I had done the night before.. Anyway, back to my point.....I joined facebook and have actually been enjoying it. While I feel like I spend time just trying to figure out how all of it works and what to do with the garden points and the gifts that people send me I must admit that I am enjoying it. I love the fact that it has a ton of people my age and that everyone is being real..you know, posting things like, I am baking cookies and ignoring my house work. I also must note that I LOVE flair and am sad that I worked so hard on an AMAZING flair board and then the new facebook format will not allow me to cover the whole side of my page with my fantastic flair buttons! If you have a facebook page please take the time to check out my flair tab! :) I also must add that it has been fun to get an idea of some old friends current life habits. And just today I have found the item that will keep me up late at night and addicted to Facebook for life (or until they start charging)....Tetris! I love Tetris and have ALWAYS loved Tetris! If you don't hear from me for a few days, come over to facebook and check out my high score! :) If you don't have a facebook account, sign up! It is free and amusing at the least! :) See you over there!

In loving memory of Glen DeLapp

2008-10-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Wow, I just spent a half hour filling in all of the painful details of the last few weeks and then realized that I don't want people to waste their time reading about the sickness that took over my amazing grandfathers earthly body but rather I want people to meet him for the first time or have a chance to reminise and give thanks for the amazing Godly man that I was blessed to have as my Granpie D!

As many of you have heard me say over the last few weeks, the passing of my grandpa D is the closes experience I will have from what I think it may be like at my parents passing. I can't remember any major (or many minor) events in my life that he was not there. He was the only babysitter that I have any memory of. I don't think any major vacation was complete without Grampie in the mix. He never missed a softball game, band concert, football game or anything else I decided I wanted to participate in. As I look over the mental picture of my childhood I now know what a lucky girl I was. To have a grandpa that was so excited, proud and loving of the girl I was and then the woman I am still working on becoming. He helped form and shape many good parts of the person I am today! As I remember story after story of events or talks that have left a lasting impact in my life I started noticing a general pattern, a characteristic that shines through. This characteristic is love. He LOVED life,people and his Lord. He loved life because he always knew that each day was a wonderful gift from God and another chance to glorify His name! He love people because we are all Gods creation. He always had a spring in his step, a sparkle in his eye and as I grow and mature (I know it is such a work in progress) I have started to appreciate and understand this cocept. People are special and if our maker and savior loves them and treasures them then who am I to not do the same? Grandpa D demenstrated this love for people in many specific ways but here are just a few specific examples.

I don't think that a sunday went by that the DeLapp family would not meet at the rounder in the center of the northex at Salem First Baptist and make the BIG decision....where are we eating lunch? Since time began (at least my life time ) we would all go to church and then enjoy a wonderful family meal together at the resturant of choice. I think I have eaten at just about any and all of the major resturants in town thanks to this wonderful tradition! You may be wondering how this has anything to do with the way that Grandpa showed his love, but it was in the everyday acts that I think it shined the brightest. I never noticed as a child but it was my grandfather that always paid for the group and when I say group, I mean the CREW. I could always count on a warm greeting and welcoming hug to myself and anyone who I or my siblings may have invited to join us that day. I think back and remember going to restaurants and needing a table for 14 -16 people. Anyone was welcome and it was Grandpa that made such an effort to greet and love each and every person that came along. He would always greet them with a compliment and a "we are so glad you could join us" along with a warm embrace. He would make every effort to find out something special about each person. To listen and learn about whatever they were currently into or excited about. If someone had something down to say, maybe about a job or situation, he would always try to encourage them or give them an uplifting story or saying that always seemed to hit the nail on the head. I now know that he always knew what to say because he genuinely loved each person that came with us. If we said they were friends, then they were friends to him too.

Another great memory is the love and confidence he showed when he came to cheer me on at all of my softball games, from little league through high school. Each season he would quickly learn the names of the other girls on my team and he would always offer positive words of encouragement. Not just "you can do it" kind of statements but rather specific positive attributes that he had noticed and knew would help build that girls confidence and spirit. He would notice how someone had really done a great job on a long ball catch or an amazing hit that came from a quality swing. But I must say that my favorite softball memory with Grandpa D was when I was in little league he would yell out a monetary amount that he would pay if that batter could successfully hit a double or a home run...for example, "Gracie baby, I will pay you $10 dollars if you get a double and bring in that run".....and he would always pay up!!! It would always make myself and my friends smile and sometimes we would make some extra cash :) Such a fun loving man!!! :)

When my sister started High School my parents started to volunteer in the youth group. This lead to my grandfather bring his boat and his driving services to the annual Summer Splash event. I was recently reminded by another volunteer at Summer Splash that it always amazed the adults that we could have several amazing, state of the art ski boats for everyone else to use but the kids would always want to line up and go on Grandpa D's old yellow boat. I don't think it was for the boat.....what a testament to his personality, when teenagers lined up to be with you on your old boat....WOW! :)

I could go on for days, maybe even months with wonderful and amazing stories about my loving grandfather but I will leave you with something more current. When I became a Mom myself I was lucky enough to still be in the same city as my grandfather. He lived with my parents and thus allowed me to see him and talk to him several times a week. I am so happy that my children were able to experience his love and sparkle. He worked so hard to help teach Addie to wink and say hickahockabachatalk, and play peak a boo with Macy. When we would leave my parents house any given night I would go in to Grandpa's room to say goodnight and give him a kiss. He would always tell me to take good care of my babies and give them lots of love and kisses. This is the exact last phrase that he gave me on the night of his passing. He was close to a mumbling state but when I leaned in and kissed him goodbye, I told him that I had to get the babies home to bed and he mumbled the exact phrase to me as he would have done any other night. When I responded by saying I will take good care of them and give them lots of love he moved his arm and tapped my hand to let me know that I was correct and that is what he said. Wow, in the end, really only hours before his passing he is still passing out love and amazing words of wisdom. What an amazing man! Thank you Grandpa D for being you, for loving me for me! You will truly be missed but I know that your wisdom and spirit will live on for generations to come!

P.S.
If my parents are reading this I want to let you know that from my eyes you two are doing an amazing job as grandparents and I know that you hold a chunk of the girls hearts just as Grandpa D did for me! Keep up the good work, it is amazing what all of that silly play and fun little sayings turn into as they grow up! I know, it is not work, it comes naturally to both of you and I am forever grateful!!!