New Shoes and Ice Cream!

Today ella and I headed out shopping with Kev's Aunt Pam-Pam (actually sounds more like Pee-Pee when ella tries to say it). We headed over to Southern Belles which is truly the most beautiful children's boutique. I have to admit that I have a real weakness for all things smocked, cute, and monogrammed. If I was rich I think I could do some real damage in that store...and believe me you'd have to be rich to do so. I love dressing ella cute. I feel like it is my job to find her cute clothes...on a budget. I do also realize and tell her everyday...that "pretty is as pretty does!" I do want much more for her than to be "cute!" But......We were so blessed that my sister loaned us all of my niece's dresses. What a blessing. I literally have so many beautiful hammy-downs (not sure how to spell that one)! I also like to sew and have found some easy dress patterns that turn into the cutest little jumpers...esp. with a monogram on them! So all that to say that we were in the most beautiful children's store admiring all the beautiful things. We went there because Aunt Pam had a dental patient who had on a super cute pair of shoes...and she said we just had to get ella a pair. She is a great Aunt like that. She spoils us often! They are so precious and will look super cute for the spring and Easter. They are the white ones with light pink flowers. I am so thankful for how the Lord blesses us more than we could ever ask or think...even in the little things like cute shoes.

After purchasing the shoes and ella almost destroying the displays (the lady needed her to get out of her stroller to check her shoe size)! I mean really lady...do you know what you are asking??? Seriously I think at one point she had 5 different shoes in her hands and was running off as fast as she could. It was quite an ordeal. I ended up hauling her out of the store kicking and screaming! What can I say...my girl knows a good pair of shoes when she sees them. We made it out the store ALIVE and headed over to good ole Baskin Robbins. I must give you a little background. I worked at one for about 4 years...all through high school. I know every flavor and used to eat it ummm...Way too much! The one that I worked at closed several years ago! I seriously hadn't had BR in years. I got my favorite....Peanut Butter and Choc. and ate the rest of ella's cookies and cream...my second favorite. It was heaven. So...what is your favorite BR flavor???

Please keep praying for Forester and his family.... Whitney especially! There is nothing harder for a mommy than to have a sick child. They need our continued prayers.

Update On Forester

Forester is out of surgery. They were able to remove the tumor. Please continue to pray as he has a long road ahead of him. I just hate, hate, hate this. Things like this are not supposed to happen to "my friends or my neighbors!" I can't stop thinking about Pete and Whitney and how hard it must be to see your child so sick...after a day of brain surgery. Please pray that the Lord will fill them with peace, comfort and hope! I know they have tons of people praying for them and from the increased activity on my blog today I know you are too! I am posting a link to Whitney's blog where she is posting updates. It will help you better know how to pray form them. Thanks!

http://thebradburns.blogspot.com/

Update

Please continue to pray for our sweet neighbors. They are a great christian family and have three small kids...the youngest being almost 3 months old. Their oldest was diagnosed with a brain tumor this morning and will have brain surgery tonight or in the morning. This is serious and they really need our prayers. I know they are in shock at the whirlwind of today and I know they are relying on the Great Physician. Please pray for Whitney as she is trying to care for and nurse a baby while being with Forrester. Please pray that they will be able to remove the tumor and it will not have spread. Please pray that Forrester will make a complete recovery and return to being a busy seven year old very quickly. This is yet another reminder to me that life is so....up and down! We never can know what the next day will hold for any of us...but we can know the ONE who can get us through. Please pray for them! (Whitney I hijacked your picture off your blog...I hope you don't mind!)

Prayers PLEASE!!!

Hi, I am asking you to pray for our next door neighbor Forrester. He is in the first grade and has been diagnosed with a brain tumor this morning. He will have an MRI at 1:30 today! Please pray for the Lord to do a miracle in his little life today! Please pray for him and his entire family!!!

We're Communicating!

Ella and I have been communicating for quite a while...I know the tired face, the scared face, the mad face...the excited face. She's also done great communicating with her baby sign language...although this took a while and I was sure I must be doing something wrong...she finally caught on! (This is a funny side note....when ella starting signing my dad thought it was strange that I'd teach her sign language before she could talk! I think he thought I was being an overachiever and trying to have a really advanced child! They didn't do that kind of thing when we were little! Mom and I finally explained to him that this would help her communicate with us before she was talking!) So needless to say we've been communicating just fine!

After Ella taking her sweet little time with talking....we've all of a sudden we have had a language explosion! Which is so much fun! I love asking her a question and hearing a sweet reply! Today we were heading out the door and I said, "Do you want to go to Mimi's?"...and I heard the sweetest little yes! She is also saying: Papa, Mimi, Addie, Jack-Jack, Mommy, Daddy, She-sha (jessica), Ry-Ry(Ryan), Joy (which doesn't sound quite like it yet) Chad-chad, Pam-pam, Keys, juice, baby, na-na (no), bear, ball, owie (ow), bun (bunny), and will now repeat many words when asked too! She is finally also now saying many of her animal sounds. She knows: kitty-says ow instead of meow, doggie-ru, ru, cow-mmmm, lion-rah, duck-kak, kak. For horse bobbles up and down like she is riding a horse! Ella is also telling me that she has "pee-pee!" This shocked me the other day and I thought surely I had heard her wrong but then she started taking off her diaper! I got the message real quick! I am definitely not thinking that she is anywhere ready to potty train...I actually think she just likes trying out this new word! It is kinda nice now to know when she is ready for a new diaper! Okay, so that is the update on my beautiful and smart daughter who I love so much! Sorry if I've bored you but I know I'll want to remember this one day! And by the way I refuse to be one of those moms who walk in on meet the teacher night and the first thing they tell you about their child is that they are "advanced!" Parents....please don't do this...teachers HATE that! I am just so thankful for this little girl who can now communicate back with me!

Wordless Wednesday

A Day at the Park

This is great!

People watching..she gets it honestly!

The tunnel!

Daddy to the rescue! Sorry kev..I just couldn't
leave it out!

I can't believe how fast she is growing!

The other week we were blessed with gorgeous 70 degree weather all week. It was beautiful outside and felt like spring was in the air. Nothing makes you feel better than a warm sunny day after many cold ones...and I am well aware that many would not think our weather to be all that cold...but to me it is!

We decided to make the most of it and headed to a local park. E was terrified of the swing...she wouldn't even sit in my lap and let me swing with her. She wanted to climb UP the slides...and really I felt that she might still be a little too small for this particular park. Most of the slides and climbing toys were way high...I let Kev climb around with her. At one point she went into a tunnel that was actually the bottom of a tunnel slide(sorry if that makes no sense but I don't know how to explain it any better!) So she was walking in the tunnel in the flat part and here comes some big kids sliding down to right where she was at. It was a bit scary I must admit. Super dad saved the day and crawled in and scooped her up before she got taken out! WHEW! I never new this whole park thing was so dangerous (maybe I am just an over-protective mommy??) It was an adventurous and beautiful day!

Our Valentine's Day

My little Valentine!

Steaks YUM!

Cupcakes! I've eaten way too many!

Happy Valentines Day!

My cheap and easy Valentine Wreath!

Less than 10.00 and no glue, wire, etc..

I meant to post this on Saturday but I have been a bit of a blogging slacker lately! It takes way too long for my camera to upload pictures...I think I am doing something wrong. Oh well, it is finally done.

We had a rather quiet and relaxing Valentine's Day. Kevin let me sleep in a little...8am which was great..while he entertained the miss priss! I don't know the last time I've slept that late and it felt great. I got up and made some yummy strawberry cupcakes with pink icing and valentine sprinkles. Kevin had his usually busy morning with Upward Basketball at church. Ella and I just took it easy. I made a huge pot of vegetable beef soup and cornbread for lunch...it seemed right since it was cold and rainy outside! After lunch ella and I napped while Kev worked on school stuff! Later we ran to the mall to get a birthday present for my almost 8 year old niece and we returned home for Kevin to grill us steaks. He was in charge of dinner for Valentine's Day! We settled for a relaxing dinner at home which is much easier with ella. Kevin grilled some yummy steaks...and I decided to help and whipped up some mashed pot. (poor guy I think he thought we were only going to eat steak!) He'd been fine with that but I prefer some kind of side! They were so delicious!

No endearing cards or gifts this year..we just kept it easy! We both picked out a card a Wal-mart and we decided we really didn't want to spend 9 dollars on just cards. (Does anyone else feel like it was just Christmas?) Seems like these holidays are so close! It was a relaxing and enjoyable day with my 2 best Valentines!

Praise ye the Lord!

Ps. 34: 1-10
I will praise the LORD at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the LORD;
let all who are discouraged take heart.
Come let us tell of the LORD'S greatness;
let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and he heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him,
and he rescues them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!
Let the LORD's people show him reverence,
for those who honor him will have all they need.
Even the strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing.

The Many Faces of E!

Our little E is growing into such a toddler! Oh my am I scared. It seems like everyday she is getting more dramatic, more independent and more of a mess! She has had a little cold this past week and is getting in more teeth so I am blaming it on that....but deep in my heart I am feeling that it is just the beginning of the "terrible twos"...a bit early! She has learned to say no...actually it is more "Na, Na!" She'll go around the house pointing to the No-No's and then pushing the boundaries the best she can. She even hit (yes my sweet little darling) her cousin Jackson because she couldn't play Hi Ho Cheerios with him! I witnessed it all and it was all ella! Discipline has never been my favorite thing (as a teacher) and it is not my favorite thing as a mommy either! I'll leave you with a picture of the "DRAMA!" I can't post this without saying how much I love this little Drama queen!

Super Easy Hamburger Casserole!

Growing up my mom made lots of delicious casseroles! This is one of my favorites. I made it again the other night and remembered how easy and yummy it is! The best thing was that my picky little eater actually loved it!

Hamburger Casserole

1lb ground beef browned
Boil 1 box macaroni noodles (I liked the shell kind but any will do)
Mix the above together and add 2 cans cream of chicken and 1 can tomato sauce.
Put in a casserole dish and cover with Cheddar cheese (the more the merrier)!
Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.