"Look mom, I'm doing it!"

We are so proud of our eldest daughter SK. The past few weeks have been huge stepping stones for her. She has turned 5, started homeschooling, took her studs out and enjoys wearing new earrings and she can now ride her bike with out training wheels. She does an awesome job! Her little "sis" is catching on and figured out how to peddle her bike as well. I see some family bike riding outings in the near future!

Potty Training our little Princess

We are in the process of potty training our youngest princess. She is doing really well and it really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. When I ask her if she has to go potty she says, "No". Of course, when I make her try she will usually go and then say, "I done". She looks oh so cute in her little panties.

She is also our little comedian and makes us laugh all the time. She is so busy these days trying to keep up with her "Sissy" and loves annoying playing with her. I know SK gets tired of her and so I am thankful that we both get a little break during little pr nap time. I have to say SK is a wonderful big "sissy" and is always willing to help her and is very patient with her. I know will make a great mom one day (many, many years from now!).

I am also very proud of my hubby who just accepted a new position! Way to go Babe! He will be working from home which will be so nice. No more 45 minute drive to and from work! He will start in September after we take a little family vacation to Pigeon Forge, TN.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Preparing for Homeschooling

As most of you know I will be homeschooling SK this Fall for Pre-K4. My mom helped me find the resources I needed and we put together an amazing board I will use each week. I found this idea on another mom's Homeschooling blog. I like it because it does not take up too much room as we will be using our dining room for a classroom. I am looking into getting her a little desk to use as well. I hope my enthusiasm lasts throughout the school year. We will have a theme each week, a letter, number, color or shape, Bible Verse, Bible Character, patterns, calendar time, clock time, Word of the week, and we will focus on her personal information. We will also be making lots of crafts!!! We actually found most of these items at the Dollar Store. It is amazing how many teacher supplies they have there. I also created binders with folders in them for each subject. I think SK is excited and I think she will really excel by being able to move at her own pace. I just have to make sure I keep it all on the Pre-K level. I will keep you posted on how it goes! By the way, my mouth feels a lot better and I am starting to get used to my braces, so thanks for all the prayers!

"Braces, Glasses and Ibuprofen"

So, I feel 13 again today! "Why?", you ask. Well, I entered the world of braces today. Yes, I am 29 and I have braces again! Go ahead and say it, I know what you are thinking....."Metal Mouth!"....."Brace Face!"...the list could go on and on. This morning I took the girls over to my in-laws and then headed over to the Orthodontist. I was very nervous about the appointment and was hoping it would not cause me too much pain.

Looking into the mirror after they had placed the brackets on my teeth all I could think of was the new "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie and the scene of the little boy with the braces and headgear trying to eat some candy. Thank goodness I don't have to wear headgear I think my little girls would be pretty scared of their mommy. Of course, the worst part of all is that I have to have 4 teeth extracted due to crowding. I inherited a small mouth from my dad, thanks dad! I am not looking forward to that appointment at all.

I am in pain right now and will be taking Ibuprofen consecutively for the next several days. So if you think about me, please say a little prayer for me. It would be much appreciated! This picture completely describes what I feel like when I look in the mirror.

Humor of the Day: The Orthodontist gave me a pill to take prior to my appointment that would cause my mouth to be dry. The form said to not wear contacts since the medication causes your eyes to be dry as well. So I wore my glasses today. As they were working I would take my glasses off and then put them back on to look into the mirror above me. At one point I (all in "Trisha" form) freaked out and was like, "Oh no, where did I put my glasses?" I thought they had fallen to the floor since they were not in my hand. The assistant looked at me and laughed and said, "They are on your face sweetie." We laughed and I felt like a complete moron! I could totally here D saying, "Only you babe!" So yes, today I am wearing braces and glasses! Nice!

July Family Reunion

We had a great time visiting with my parents and sisters this past month. We spent lots of time relaxing at the pool and eating dinner outside. Every meal was grilled, and it was all delicious! We were each in charge of a dinner and we each had set times for clean-up duty which my little sister K supervised. It worked out really well. The guys went golfing one day and a few of us went to Carowinds to ride the roller coasters. I got extremely sick and had to sit out a few rides, thank goodness I felt better after we got home. We also went to the driving range one day! That was hilarious! Thank goodness we don't get our golfing skills from our mom! The girls went out one day and did what we love to do most....go Shopping!!!! We all bought something and came home with Starbucks in hand! The best surprise of all was finding out that our little sister and her husband are having a boy in November!!! We were all thrilled and screamed with excitement as we cut into the gender cake and saw blue! We threw them a baby shower and I was thrilled to be giving them all of our baby stuff. No more babies for us....hopefully! I love spending time with my sisters and parents and I am so thankful for the relationships we have and cherish each one of them.

"My Dad"

My dad is an amazing dad. He always has been and I am sure he always will be. He is a very strong Christian with strong morals and great integrity. He has always been a very hard worker and has always sacrificed to make provisions for his family. He is kind, honest, forgiving, devoted, funny, loves to sing silly songs he remembers from his childhood, loves to collect guns and coins, he is a great story teller and I will never forget all of the "Big Red" night time stories from my childhood. He loves Mocha shakes from Arby's, his favorite sub is Ham and Swiss and he loves Tuna fish sandwiches, he is a saver, not a spender, he has always enjoyed yard work and is very good at it, he likes a clean house, he loved his Nanna very much and gets teary eyed thinking about her, he loves my mom more than anything and still gives her kisses in the kitchen and foot rubs every night, he loves giving great, big bear hugs and enjoys getting a back massage when I visit them, he calls my mom "Patty Sue" when she spends too much money, he talks to himself a lot, especially when working outside or working on a project at home, I like to think he is pretending he is on "This Old House". He is "Papa" to two grand daughters, one grandson and one more baby on the way. He holds a very special place in SB's heart. He is the father of three beautiful girls who love their dad and most importantly love the Lord. He has been through a lot the past couple of years, but he continues to believe in our God who is greater, stronger and higher than any other. I am proud to call him "Dad". Happy Father's day, dad! I love you!

Girl's Night out!

Our young Married's group at church had a "Girl's Night Out" last night. It was held at one of my friend's homes and we had such a great time. I was able to talk with some sweet ladies and get to know some of them a little better. We had some yummy desserts, chocolate covered strawberries and coffee. Of course, drinking coffee at 9:00 at night didn't allow me to fall asleep until almost 1:00 a.m. Oh well, it was worth it. I love being able to get out and come home refreshed. I am so thankful for my new sisters in Christ.

I am also just starting a new Beth Moore Bible Study. It is called Living Well by Loving Well. It has been great so far, as all her studies are. Although, I think this one is going to "hit home" just when I need it to! Have a blessed weekend!

I miss the Sunshine!

We have had so much rain this past week. I was glad for a chance to get outside yesterday for a little while and let the girls play. They need to be outside just as much as I do. We don't do well being stuck inside. They play so well together and love riding on their Power wheels jeep. I am looking forward to the weekend when it will be warm and sunny!

I am so excited for our trip to Florida. Just a few more weeks and we will be on the beach with the Sunshine! I have so many fond memories of our many trips to my grandparents condo in Florida. I hope my children enjoy our time down there as I did growing up. I think the smell of the flowers is one of my favorites and seeing all of the Palm trees. Another reason I am so excited for our vacation is that I get to see my sister and her son. I know this is a much needed vacation for all of us. I can't wait to start packing the bathing suits and sunscreen! Yipppeeeeee!!!!

Spring Time is Here!

We have really been enjoying our new church home. We have been there for almost three months and feel we are starting to connect to several families. I have enjoyed helping out with kid's choir and nursery. I think Wednesday nights are our favorites because we get to dive into God's Word and be challenged together as a couple along with our peers. I am looking forward to our ladies retreat in Hilton Head this June. I know it will give me great opportunities to get to know many other ladies as well.

SK is playing soccer for the Family Y and she is loving it. She scored her first goal the other week and was really excited about it. SB enjoys watching her, but I know she would rather be on the field with her sister.

The girls and I are so excited about this warmer weather and we try to get outside to play as much as possible. Hope you are enjoying your Spring!

"Rejoice in the Lord always,I will say it again Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

New Year, New You!

The past few months have been a huge accomplishment for my spiritual life. I have prayed diligently for the Lord to give me a greater desire for His Word and to spend time in it every day and for Him to teach me and give me understanding. Since then I have been very consistent in reading God's Word daily. Thank you Jesus for answering prayer. I am not being boastful in any way, but I think we should encourage each other more to be dedicated readers of His word and to spend quality time with the Lord. Having children makes it difficult to find that time, but if you really desire it, the the Lord will make that time available for you.

More great news: We have been serving at our church for 8 years and this past January we have been led to visit a new church. We loved it from the first time we tried it and have found the church family to be extremely welcoming. We have felt refreshed and really loved on. I am so excited! I am excited for new friendships, new areas of Spiritual growth, new areas to serve and accountability for both D and I.

Congrats D!

Well the new year has started off great for our family. D has been incredibly blessed with a promotion at work. He is now the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer). The promotion was unexpected and has been a great challenge for D. He loves challenges by the way. He is hoping to hire someone to replace his old position and that should make things a little easier on him. He is also enjoying his hobby right now which is http://securityonion.blogspot.com/. If you go there and don't understand anything that is okay. He is a wee bit smarter than the rest of us folk! This past weekend the girls and I took a trip to Charlotte to help my parents move/settle in to their new apartment. We had a great time with Mimi and Papa and the girls enjoyed "breaking in" their new place. We are still praying for my dad to find a job and that the Lord would continue to provide for them during this time.