So ready for the beach...

Sunglasses... check... Margarita Bucket... check... New Books... check... Float... check cell charger... check

I am so excited! And Ava Grace is excited to be going to visit Bray Bray and Sarah. They are going to pick strawberries, they are going to the zoo, and who knows what else!

Yay for Memorial Day Weekend!!

Book Ideas...

So, I am going to the beach for Memorial Day Weekend!! YAY!! I am so excited. It is just going to be my sisters and me. NO KIDS! I sound like such a bad mother saying that... but every mom knows that you need a break every once in a while! I will miss Ava Grace like CRAZY!! But will enjoy getting my tan on in the pool for the weekend!!

With that said, I need some new book ideas. My fav books are all books by Sophie Kinsella - the Shopaholic Series and the Undomestic Goddess.

So, please give me some titles of good books that I should buy for my alone time in the sun. I am going to the book store in a couple of days to stock up!

Pretty Flowers

Check out my pretty flowers from my sweet hubby and lil Ava Grace for Mother's Day!

Ava Grace gave me a dozen yellow roses and hubby gave my a dozen red roses!! I was very surprised!!

Mother's Day Quotes

"A man's work is from sun to sun, But a mother's work is never done." -Anonymous

"The most important handshake of your life will happen when your newborn infant's tiny hand grabs hold of your index finger." -Anonymous

"When you can see the handwriting on the wall, you are probably the mother of a toddler." -Anonymous

"To love children is to love God." -Rhonda S. Hogan

"Separation anxiety happens to babies at nine months; to mothers their whole lives." -Anonymous

"Little boy to his mother: 'Before I tell you what happened, Mom, remember the Lord will never give you more than you can handle.'"

"A pediatrician was once asked by a mother what was the best time to put her children to bed. He replied, 'While you still have strength.'"

"A mother's life is easier than you think. All she has to do is: Accept the impossible, Bear the intolerable, and be able to smile at anything." -Anonymous

"A little girl once asked her mother: 'If Daddy can't get all his work finished at the office why don't they put him in a slower group?'" -Anonymous

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! I hope everyone has a great day with their families!

Happy Tears

Well, I had a moment tonight with Ava Grace. I usually let her stay up a little later than usual on Friday nights with hopes that she will sleep a little later on Saturday morning. We played and had so much fun tonight. Before she went to sleep we read about 10 different books. Seriously! We read that many! I would read the book and then she would turn the pages and act like she was reading it. She is so funny! Then as I was getting ready to get up from her rocking chair and put her in the bed she grabbed her Famous Blankee and started cuddling to go to sleep. Ava Grace is usually a really good snuggle bunny - but at night we try to do the whole nighttime routine and put her in the bed and let her go to sleep on her own. We found out that if we rock her to sleep every night that she starts to wake up in the middle of the night and cry - I think it upsets her because she went to sleep with us holding her and then she wakes up and we are gone. Anyhow... tonight I decided that I was just going to rock her for a "little bit!" And she fell asleep in my arms...

While I was sitting there looking at her sweet little angelic face I just started crying out of nowhere. It is just amazing to me that God gave her to me. That He trusts me as a mother to one of His children. I can not imagine my life without her. I know I am not a perfect mother and I am sure I don't always make the right decisions but it is so comforting to know that God is by my side in the decisions that I do make to pick me up and put me back on track when I fall short of His wishes. I just sat there and prayed to God to please just take control of me and my life. To help me make the right decisions with Ava Grace and with my life. To take any negative thoughts that I have and wipe them from my mind. I want to see the positive in everything and everyone and live my life for Him. I want to thank Him a million times for giving me the gift of being a mother. After I finished praying to God something amazing happened to me. The burdens I had on my heart really were lifted. I could BREATHE - seriously after I finished I took a deep breath in and everything felt clear in my heart, mind, and soul. I didn't feel so bogged down. I felt light.

I know this is a long post. But as soon as I put my little baby in the bed I knew that I needed to share this feeling with you. Everything that we are able to do, the friends and family that we have, the things that we have, the places that we get to go... it is all a gift from God. I know He has given me these gifts for a reason.

I cried some powerful happy tears tonight. Thank you GOD!!

Week 1 and 3 lbs lighter!!

So... I kinda unofficially started a diet last Thursday. I always have to say unofficially because that does not make me feel as deprived. It is not really a certain diet but I am just limiting how much food I take in. I really want to lose 10-15 pounds and I am really determined right now. Then I am going to reward myself with a shopping trip and a new bathing suit!

Basically I am just not eating as much during the day and I am eating my regular supper at night. I have also been doing ab, butt, and leg exercises. And the BIG ONE is I have been drinking HUGE amounts of water every day.

Why did I start on Thursday? Well, besides me just getting in the right mindset last Thursday... I also thought about it and I have always started a diet on Monday. Then when I get to the weekend I am really wanting to cheat. So - Thursday was the golden day to begin. This week I am going to try to walk more to burn some more calories.

Well I weighed this morning and I have lost 3 pounds! YAY!! Hopefully I will update you with more good news on my blog next Thursday!!

Night Night!

Blog = Stress Reliever

I am not really sure what it is about blogging and reading other blogs - but it is really a stress reliever for me. I love it! I have not blogged in a while and boy can you tell! So here goes...

Well, last week and weekend was crazy. Some others and myself gave a baby shower for my bestie Stephanie on Saturday and it was Super Fun!! She got lots of really great stuff! She has already had a work shower and then this shower was her 2nd. and guess what?!? She STILL does not have any bottles! So... I am going to get Baby Brycen some bottles this week! Poor thing! Then Saturday night my sister had a surprise 30th Birthday for her husband and it was a lot of fun. It was at Mellow Mushroom and I LOVE PIZZA from there. It was so good!!

Sunday was a fun and relaxing day! We went to church and then we went to Kyle's great aunt's for Mother's Day. They always do it the first weekend in May. We ate lunch over there and it was yummy! Ava Grace got to play with Chloe Beth, Andrew, and Austin so she had a great time. Then we left there and went home and Ava Grace took a LONG nap! YAY!! and the best part was that I went to sleep too! That made it a perfect Sunday!

This week has been a little crazy with my computer and work. My computer has been acting CRAZY! Shutting off when it is not supposed to and coming on when I don't ask it too. It seems that it is a tad bit possessed but I think it is getting better. So, with that said I better get back to work and get some kids signed up for camp. Hopefully the Swine Flu will not mess things up in the cheerleading and dance camp world!!

Have a good day!