My Happy Ever After

2013 Hello to all our family and friends! We pray God blessed you with another great year! As always our life was a bit of whirlwind and we loved every minute of it!  This was by far the most eventful year for us so far! In January we adopted a puppy who needed a home and Tim named him Maverick. Maverick is a pit bull/border collie mix and is the "smartest dumbest dog" you will ever meet. Protective of his family, yet chases his own tail! Maverick loves Asher and accepted Laila like his own baby, he can't wait until Asher wakes up every morning and snuggles on the floor with Laila, sometimes even sharing his beloved tennis ball with her! We sure are blessed with a dog that fits well into our family!  An opportunity presented itself for us to move into a bigger home for about the same cost.Three weeks later we went from a tiny little townhouse with no basement to a 4 BD 4 BA home with a finished basement, a driveway and a yard with woods! Church family hel...

So recently I was feeling overwhelming pressure to be supermom. I guess I forgot that Asher was 6 months old before I even started doing my hair and make up again and this time I expected to bounce back having a high energy 4 yr old and a new baby, oh and two businesses, a husband, a huge house and a crazy puppy. My sweet husband tells me that he doesn't care if the house is clean, but I know he enjoys it when it is and I want him to appreciate a clean home. My mom (what a wise woman) recognized that I was feeling the effects of peer pressure and encouraged me to leave a certain facebook group. I wasn't sure if that was the reason for the way I was feeling but I have FINALLY learned after 25 years I should probably do what my mom suggests. So I did and a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders (thanks mom!) Now I am pursuing my own version of "crunchy" and healthy. I want to make a lot of things myself but I feel like I need to get my housewife skills under contro...

I don't think I experienced a significant amount of peer pressure until I became an adult. Now I have "Pinterest Pressure" and you all know what I'm talking about, I have "Crunchy Pressure" which is similar to Pinterest Pressure where all these moms make everything homemade and organic. I have pressure (that I put on myself) to have a immaculate home perfectly organized. I want to look professional at all times without the hours of work it takes to look that way (like most moms.) I want to have a hot meal on the dinner table, a smile on my face and looking sexy when my husband comes home from work. I want to have a successful business doing hair for the clients I love while our children play peacefully and put each toy back in it's place when we are done. I want to have a successful business and reach top earning potential with Juice Plus+ knowing all there is to know, being a creative team leader and inspiration to all. I want to scrapbook our lives, qu...

It's not a vitamin, it's not a meal replacement. It's fruits and vegetables! Juice Plus is fruits and veggies that have been picked at their ripest state and maintained at a low temperature to ensure preservation of the phytonutrients within them. They are then dehydrated and the powder is put into capsules and gummies! Did you know we are supposed to be eating between 7-13 raw fruits and vegetables every day? I don't know about you but we certainly can't afford to do that even if I could get my family to eat that much! Juice Plus+ is a supplement designed to bridge the gap between what we should be eating and what we are eating in fruits and vegetables. They take 25 fruits, vegetables and berries and put them into a daily capsule or gummy. It's so easy, so affordable and it can help you in sooooo many ways. Here are just a few ways Juice Plus+ can benefit you: Many many people are coming off high blood pressure and high cholesterol medications JUST bec...

Well Asher turned 4 in May and is changing tremendously every day. I have never 'babied' him or talked down to him so he has an incredible understanding and vocabulary for his age. Sometimes we forget he is only 4 until we are exposed to other kids his age and realize how advanced he is. People have always complemented his intelligence and as any mother would, I take pride in those compliments! However it is official, my baby is now a boy. As the saying goes, "Noise with dirt on it." Asher's feet are no longer kissable, snuggles only happen when he has just woken up or about to go to sleep and trying to stall it. Oh and he's asking me questions like, "what does mercy mean?" and "what is sin?" While I am thrilled to share with him I often question if I'm screwing this up. Looking into those big blue eyes I see my entire world, I love that boy more than anything on this earth! (Besides his sister.) I can never put into words how deeply ...

I have never been happier! it's true that God has let us come to a place where we rely 100% on him for everything. Not on faith because we're super spiritual but because we have no other options. It's a stressful place to be in when you think about it in the natural. Spiritually we are learning so much! Despite what could be a horrible situation, we have chosen to worship God and give Him credit for what we do have. That includes all the time we get to spend together as a new family of 4, the amazing friends we have come to know, the house God blessed us with, our parents and grandparents, each other. Normally this would cause a full on anxiety attack, not being able to plan out my money and know what's coming and what's going. Yet I have never been happier. I just love that I don't have to work 40 hours away from my babies and that I get to get to know my husband better and find new ways to make him happy. To spend time with my 4 yr old and teach him, to bo...

we've been doing great :) Each night has been different, some nights Laila sleeps great, others she fusses for a while. Some mornings Asher sleeps in, others Laila is up early! One night Laila slept for a 6 hour stretch and another for 5 hours! We've started calling her "princess" and of course lots of other cute pet names, Asher imitates us which is adorable. Laila really is a great baby, for the most part she really only fusses, rarely cries and when she does it's because she's hungry. We definitely have a snuggle bug on our hands :) More often than not she'd rather snuggle with us than sleep on her own. At 7 Days old she had her first Dr's appointment and has gained 1oz and just shy of an inch which they said is ahead of the game. We also got ourselves adjusted at the chiropractor which felt amazing! Scared Daddy a little though. That night we went back to our Community Group from church, it was so great to spend time with our friends who have ...

So Laila proved to be just as stubborn as the rest of her family but thank God came on her own and with no pain medication! I've had a few rounds of false labor in the last weeks and we tried all the "labor inducing" tricks they say to do. Nothing worked!  We have been surrounded with well wishes and prayers for a healthy and quick delivery. Along with a couple "you're still pregnant?!" comments ;) Sunday our friends at church were very encouraging so we took their advice and had some "married time" and went on a 2 mile walk which started up some regular contractions. I was bummed they fizzled out to be irregular overnight, but they never truly stopped.  Monday, Asher and I ran errands, did some housework and hung out while Daddy worked. We were invited to dinner at a friend's house from church and thoroughly enjoyed great fellowship and food! I started to notice my contractions were becoming more regular and intense so I started ti...

A little man that I know turns 4 on Thursday... I blinked! Now he's a little boy and no longer a baby. Exactly 4 years ago I was 10 months pregnant with HIM and today here I am waiting on his sister to arrive. That precious little boy was not planned but has never been unwanted. I was only 20 but I gave him everything I was able to and did a complete turn around in my life for his sake. Many people felt bad for me being a single mom but I didn't! My baby is what made me who I am and I wouldn't want it any other way. I never minded waking up every 2 hours to nurse my little miracle, it gave me more time to marvel over how amazing he is. I never minded taking him EVERYWHERE I went because it was more time I got to spend with him. I cherished each stage of life that he came through knowing it would only happen once. We lived with my parents when he was born and stayed there until he was 18 months old. Asher did everything early, I was so proud. I was complimented where ev...

So here we are 3 days late. Baby is doing great and aside from not sleeping much and difficulty moving/getting comfortable I'm doing pretty well myself! Some say you have to be miserable at the end but I think it's mind over matter. I will NOT be miserable. Of course I am anxious to have my little princess in my arms and for her Daddy to experience the miracle of childbirth and becoming a parent. However I know God has much better timing than I do! Princess Laila will be here very soon and our lives will be turned upside down before we know it. Until then I will enjoy my time with my big boy who is almost 4 and getting things done around the house. I've been saying for a week now I'm going to scrub the kitchen floor... It seems I am on "babywatch" with all my facebook friends who have been sending very encouraging and thoughtful comments my way, I  love it! The comments like "hurry up" are truly irritating because I believe my little girl will be...

I'm so excited about taking artificial food coloring from our diets. I have talked to some friends who have done this with their families and seen phenomenal results. I hope to see the same in mine!  Tim and I started paying attention to labels to see which foods we have already contain food dye. Some things surprised us while others I could've sworn would have dye in it, didn't. Until we started looking at labels I thought it was going to be a difficult transition but now I don't think it'll be so hard! So we've pulled all the food to the front of the cabinets that has dye in it so we can eat it up and get it out of the house! We're not buying anything else with dye in it and I'm excited about it! Another thing we are going to be doing is substitute our regular oil for coconut oil and finding more ways to incorporate it into our everyday foods. This is another thing I have been hearing great things about and look forward to sharing our res...

So things have changed a bit since I last posted anything. Tim had a job offer and then at the end of the first week of training they retracted the offer saying he wasn't up to their standards. We believe there was something fishy about the situation but regardless we are dealing with the cards that were dealt to us in the best way we can. Thanks to social media Tim has gotten a few side jobs both in plumbing and just being a second set of hands on home improvement jobs. God has been providing in ways we didn't expect, while we're still pretty behind in bills, we know God has His hand over us and will take care of us! We have a little less than 3 weeks until my due date, everyone and their mom feels the need to comment on how big my belly is. This weekend my Inlaws have a shower planned for us which we're really looking forward to! After the shower I will know (officially) what is left to buy for baby and can complete the final preparations! I hope to be completely r...

I don't remember that 'I'm running out of time' feeling when I was pregnant with Asher.. This time I have said, "I have so much to do, so much motivation and so little energy." I find myself overdoing it many days which result in lots of pain! Contractions, cramps, aches and swelling. However if I'm not being productive I can't handle it =/ Many have asked what we still need to prepare for baby, I don't know if it's out of curiosity or if it's because you'd like to know what to buy. So I thought I'd publicly post my list and you can satisfy your curiosity if you'd like: Must have's: -stroller -bassinet or co-sleeper -coming home outfit (but Daddy and I are going to pick this) -laundry basket -bouncy seat -swing -crib sheets -changing pad sheets -diaper holder hanger thing -highchair (or highchair that sits on a regular chair) -towels (the thick ones) -wash clothes (the thick ones) -desitin -bumbo Really w...

let the mountains move! Tim and I had felt moved in a certain direction with his job and took a HUGE risk. The risk did not pan out and now here we are with him unemployed and me not getting much work. I'm 35 weeks pregnant with bills overdue and supplies for baby's arrival waiting to be bought. I'm devastated and heartbroken that we're in this place. I know God will provide and He already has for some immediate needs. Please pray with us for direction, comfort, peace and a new and better job for Tim! If you didn't know he's a licensed journeyman plumber and looking to make $22 an hour or more. If you have any needs or know of anyone who could use Tim's services he offers very reasonable prices and quality work! Even the smallest of jobs you can send his way helps put food on our table and a roof over our heads. My work doing hair has slowed down considerably as well. I enjoy the time off my feet but at this point I need any income I can get. I would al...

In two weeks I go for my last bi-weekly check up and then I go to every week! Yikes! On one hand I feel like I have all the time in the world to prepare for baby girl on the other hand I feel like she'll be here anyday and we're not ready! This pregnancy has gone by so quickly, I guess we've had a lot going on to pass the time. I have officially gained a total of 8 lbs, baby girl is measuring right on track and head down! So lots of tiny toes in my ribs, ALL THE TIME. Now that we're mostly settled into the new house my mind is wandering to all the things that need to be done before baby comes including that I want to get Asher on some kind of routine with mama/son time to prepare for homeschooling in the fall. I want to have meals frozen and planned, a full pantry, you know, prepared. I'm on a mission! For those of you who are church goers, you'll understand. You know that feeling you get in the midst of the worship service where you just feel God surroundin...

Well I wouldn't say we're "settled in" yet but we are mostly unpacked and that settles my anxiety! All that's left to unpack is the little stuff like decorations, my scrapbooking stuff etc. With so much space it's easier to keep it clean and decluttered, Tim and I are getting pretty good at cleaning as we go and encouraging Asher to do the same. Friday was pre-move day. I spent most of the day packing last minute stuff, making phone calls to set things up in the new house and change addresses. Oh and let's not forget cleaning, my mom, myself and two of my siblings went to the new house to clean the kitchen and bathrooms. It was more work than I anticipated but it gave me a chance to spend some time with my Mama and get to know the new house and where everything was. We brought over some of our fragile stuff and friends from church painted the kids bedrooms for us. Asher's bedroom went from pink to beige (with already blue/gray carpet) and Laila...

Funny story, I turned Tim down many times before I finally gave him a chance. The main reason I gave in was because Asher thought the world of him. I met Tim in March 2011 and started getting to know his best friend. By April I realized that was going no where and Tim decided to express interest in me. BUT, he wasn't a Believer so I didn't give him a second thought. As time went on and we developed a friendship, my baby boy, my everything came to love Tim and ask to see him everyday. Asher was just about to turn 2 and would stand at the front door waiting for "Timmy" to come, when he did that little boy would giggle and light up, he couldn't move he was so excited to see him. Tim reminded me a lot of Asher's biological dad which was both good and bad. Bad because it scared me, I was worried I would get attached to him and then he'd leave me. Also, Tim was pretty "worldly" in his lifestyle and I just don't have time for all that, I needed...

It seems everyone asks, everyone but my mom and husband who know better ;) Really what do you say to that, "I feel great, everything is just peachy!" or "My back hurts, my hips hurt, I can't sleep, I need a midday nap which frustrates me when I could be being productive, I'm emotional and can't help it, I can't wait until she's here." So usually I just go with "Good" or "pregnant." For those who really care to know, here it is. Tomorrow I'll be 28 weeks (yikes!) For those who don't know that's 7 months and just 12 weeks from my due date. I'm dealing with your typical pregnancy pains and troubles so really nothing to complain about, I don't like being doted on. However I don't like people expecting me to function at full capacity either so you're damned if you, damned if you don't ;) So with 12 weeks to go I want to at least START preparing for my sweet little girl. We have almost nothing...

God is most glorified when you are most satisfied in Him. However the devil also attacks the strongest at that time as well. Well guess what, he's not going to win in my house! God has truly blessed my family, not in material possessions or financial gain but in the joy of the Lord. I have a husband and son who love God and do whatever it takes to serve and worship God. I thank God every day for loving and saving my husband, I've watched him turn into a different person in the last two years and I am in awe of what God can do. Today I'm particularly filled with joy and I want the world to know! I am learning soooo much in my relationship with God and changing who I am to be a better, wife, mother, friend and steward of what God has given us. I am loving the peace and joy it brings. So I encourage anyone reading this to find a way to share the joy of the Lord with someone in your life and see what happens :)

So everyone posted their resolutions and reflections over the last year and hopes for the new year. I've had a few thoughts but haven't had the chance to sit and put them all together. So here it is! The message at church on Sunday really confirmed a lot of things on my heart and mind and encouraged me in what I'm learning in my walk with God. The majority of it was about how if you want something you have to set your mind to it so your heart and mouth with follow. Lately I have been thinking of all the things I would like to have done around the house and how organized I want to be. I tell people I'm much more organized in my mind than I exhibit in person. Well not anymore! The other night I got super motivated (while hubby slept) to deep clean! Things that I don't normally clean or even get into. What I really want to do is make more room and better organization of the space that we have but in order to do that I have to do some "behind the scenes...

Everyone is probably thinking I'm crazy for getting a puppy at 6 months pregnant but I knew if we didn't get one now it would probably be about 2 years before I felt like we could take that on. This particular little guy needed a new home due to unfortunate circumstances in his previous owners home and I couldn't get his little face out of my head. I saw him online and thought about it but we decided against it and I felt really sad about it. The last time we considered adopting I felt relieved when we decided against it. The next day he was still looking for a home and I kept thinking about him. So I started doing my homework on expenses, the type of dog he was and what we would need initially to adopt him. We arranged a playdate with him and knew he probably wasn't going to leave. Sure enough he's ours! He's so cute and so little, he loves to play (like any puppy) but he also knows when it's time to settle down and snuggle. Very quickly he learned he c...

I love my job but I'm entering a new season of life and a new season in my business, there are lots of changes coming up! I'm bittersweet about them though, I founded my business on the unique feature of traveling to my clients and this year I will be giving that up. I do hope I don't lose anyone over it but I can't see myself bringing two children with me to appointments or trying to find childcare for both of them, especially since I will be breastfeeding Laila and unable to leave her for long at first. After baby Laila is here I will be working part time and hope to book that time solid so I don't have to turn anyone down. I really look forward to spending more time being "Mama" to my kids and just working on the side. I hope to enjoy the best of both worlds! For those who know me, you know I'm a planner. I like my lists and my organization. So I've struggled over how to schedule my maternity leave. When I had Asher I took very little appoin...

Our first Christmas as a married couple didn't go at all like I had thought it might. Then again, things usually don't. For the first time I felt stress over the holidays and realized why so many are "Bah Humbug" about it. By the time the weekend before Christmas arrived I was an emotional, unrested mess! I cried so many times over things I can usually get over. Tim and I were unable to buy gifts for each other this Christmas and were hoping he would get a bonus check at work so that we could. As it turns out, every single employee but him received one. I felt like the grinch stole Christmas so I curled up in a ball and cried.  I bought Asher too much. We stuck to our budget but in the end he has so much stuff that he's overwhelmed. Next year will be different! Now to clean, organize and find places to put all the new stuff away! I received some of my favorite things from my family, my mama bought me a beautiful sweater and K-cups for my Keurig! My sis...