Quick Update

This weekend was crazy busy....but wonderful! We worked hard on the house cleaning out the garage, attic, making a run to CCA, two drop offs at the 2nd hand store and I sealed our bathroom wallpaper with primer. Josh and I went to Lowes and picked out some super fun paint (he wants the bathroom to be kinda a burnt orange). Pictures to come :)

Stephanie is as busy as ever! She played with her Gamma and Gampa, shopped with her Uncle Mikie and Auntie Kimmi and enjoyed a fun, family dinner with Memaw, MeMe, Gampa Steve, Auntie Laura, Uncle Wil, Gamma and Gampa....wow! It was a great weekend!

I took some cute pictures and will post them soon. This week will be crazy busy but I plan to relax in the evenings with my laptop :) Friday we will have a small family dinner for Stephanie's bday and do gifts. The 31st will be her bday party. It's going to be a small, Princess Party. We even hope to have a bounce house (depending on the weather :) Should be simple and fun. More to come......Have a fantastic week!

Introducing....Our TODDLER!

We have a walking, talking, climbing and VERY opinionated toddler.....we are loving every minute of it! She is such a joy! She has taught us so much about love and what's important in live.....It has been such a blessing to be her parents! Enjoy these pictures.

I hope they give you a little glimpse of our Paradise :)

Playing outside...she loves being out back and is so sad when we have to go in

Pretty little Princess

Watching Elmo, Standing on her horse, ONE FOOTED!

A girl and her dog....silly little girl!

Quick update from Gamma and Gampa's House

Well Stephanie and i are hanging out at my parents so again...no pictures :( But a quick update and I PROMISE pictures are to come this weekend!

• Stephanie is a CLIMBER just like her cousin Jer (who just turned two....HOLY COW!!) Wednesday she climbed and stood on the dishwasher, fireplace, pushed a box to climb up and reach the TV and last (my favorite) climbed to the second step of an 8 foot ladder! She is so my mini me.....I'll post pics soon.
• Stephanie has a HORRIBLY snotty nose! We are having VERY difficult nights because the little one can't breath....no fun!
• Stephanie and I started a FABULOUS four day weekend today! We went to her 1 year dr visit. She's perfect :) She is still in the 75% for her height and head (big brains for a big girl ;) and she is still in the bottom 25% for her weight. She is right on track (if not advanced) with all of her development. We saw a new dr in the office today and he was great! He talked about being consistent with a toddler (which I knew), talked about nutrition and then DIDN'T ARGUE with me about our choices on immunizations. This was nice! I have had some question me and try to convince me otherwise.....he was very supportive.
• I have had NO PROBLEMS with the Clomid(thank you God!). We are praying this one round will do the trick and that we will be able to become prego in the next few months. The less time I have to take pills the better!!! Still have to take Progesterone and it makes me CRAZY! I have a solid hour of being crazy loopy! We have figured out a system so I take it when Josh is home (so he can care for Stephanie during that out-of-my mind time). Again, praying I can go off this med soon and that my body will sustain a pregnancy on its own.

Well today is a chill day at my parents, then back to our house to hang out with Josh when he is home. We will probably do dinner with mom (dad has to work). Tomorrow Stephanie will hang out at my parents house for awhile so I can seal our bathroom. I have to use a Oil base primer and so I need to do it while I am not prego and when Stephanie is out of the house. We are holding off on painting the bathroom along with the living room for a bit....I am not sure what color I want.

We are getting ready for somebody to turn 1! We have her party pretty much planned and are excited. It will be small and at mom and dads house. She will have a Princess Tea Party.....so cute! It will be oh-so-much fun! She got an early bday present yesterday......a Dora Ballpit. She had SO MUCH FUN with it yesterday. It only came with 50 balls (she needs many more!) but it was great! It's in the playroom (former Auntie Kati's room then guest room). it's nice because she can throw and kick the balls all she wants.....we put the gate up so the balls can't escape (and Boulder can't steel them :)

Going go get some things done before she wakes up from her nap. Keep an eye out for pictures soon.....I have some SUPER CUTE ones (I promise to only post 1 for every 100 I've taken ;) Our new camera has been SUCH A BLAST!

Quick Update...Sorry no pictures

Things at the Brooks' house are crazy busy but oh-so-wonderful! Josh and I are in the process of refinancing the house to help with some of out $$ goals. Daddy has a good friend who helped us with our current home loan and he is working on our refi.....it's nice to be working with someone you trust!!

I spent the weekend caulking Stephanie's bathroom, painting our entry way, raking leaves (it never ends!) and ORGANIZING! No, I'm not prego but I seriously think all these meds I'm on are causing me to nest early, haha! Speaking of getting prego. We have hit another small speed bump.....my body isn't ovulating. I start clomid tonight and will continue with my progesterone treatments (which prevents a miscarriage). Praying my body releases ONE egg and we are able to be getting ready for baby two in the next few months.

Little Miss Stephanie Jo.....WOW has this girl grown up in the last month! She is a 100% walker and is starting to run. She climbs on EVERYTHING (the fireplace, couch, toys, boxes.....whatever she wants!!) She has SOOOOOO much spunk and personality! This girl knows what she wants and has NO PROBLEM letting you know (wonder where she gets that ;) Josh and I are LOVING every minute of being parents! I love her strong will and know that it will serve her well if channeled in the right direction....I turned out alright :) She is SOOOO much fun! I spend every minute I can with her! Today she helped me organize the clothes she has outgrown and get things in tubs for storage. She LOVES to do whatever I am doing. She played in the clothes and even climbed around in the big storage bins...soo cute! She also helped do dishes (her FAVORITE chore!) She plays in the water that collects in the dishwasher door while I load it. She's my mini-me and I am SO GRATEFUL TO GOD to have a little person who looks and acts like me. I pray I can teach her how to use her strong will and spirit in a gentle way.....to love God, love others and one day be a wonderful mommy and wife. Wow, being a parent is serious buisness when you sit down and think about it :)

Hope all are doing well! Work is going wonderfully for Josh. He lost a coworker last week. Was very tough for us.....thus is the life we live. He continues to be blessed with overtime jobs and has a WONDERFUL new schedule that allows for so much more family time (and even a date night here and there :) My job is going well. I love my kiddos but continue to struggle with not being able to give them as much as I could before I had Stephanie. I just don't have the time or $$ to be the kind of teacher I was the past 4 years.....I struggle with that daily.

Well need to get to bed. Promise I will update pictures soon! I have SOOOO many cute ones! Much love to all! Have a great week (I will.....I have Friday off to take Stephanie to her 1 year appt and then just spend the day with my princess.....being a mommy rules)

Twitter

Deleted twitter for "security" reasons.....FYI. So you'll have to wait for me to actually LOG ON to get an update :) or you can always call or text (I text more then I call....easier to text while chasing Stephanie around :)

Random Fun

Here are some pics from our new camera. I haven't even begun to fully understand how this thing works and all the wonderful things it can do.....

pictures should only get better :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

2008 was an challenging, yet AMAZING year! Here are some of our top memories:

• Josh left for Iraq. This was not what we had hopped timing wise, but the journey was amazing and God did so much through our separation! Josh and I both look back in awe at what this experience taught us and did for our relationship both with each other and with God.
• Stephanie Jo came into this world.....AFTER THREE DAYS OF LABOR! We can't IMAGINE things without her! She is forever making us laugh, smile and say "wow, she sure has an opinion about life" She is SO my mini me....we are lovin EVERY MINUTE of it!
• Weddings, TONS of family in town, road trips.....we have been busy but had a blast!
• Josh came home and we had TWO MONTHS of non-stop family time. Everyone told us there would be an "adjustment period" when he got home....we are still waiting for it ;)
• We have done more home repairs in one month than I think my parents have had to do the entire time they have been in their house (heat (07...but still), ac unit, oven, microwave, washer, dryer, roof, shower, siding, bedroom carpet to name a few!
• We went "Green"....well started to anyways. We use cloth diapers (and wipes), no more paper towels (I think that's driving my family crazy when they are here!) we recycle (actually had to ask for an extra bin!), shop at second hand stores, use vinegar and baking soda to clean (some bleach), started buying organic or local produce and started composting (STARTED...I have a ways to go on that one!)
• "We" decided to live by a new rule: If there isn't room for it.....it goes to someone who needs it. Josh talked about this when we first got married (among MANY other things I'm finally realizing are a good idea)....I'm just now falling in love with it. If my clothes don't fit in my closet of dresser, they go. No more storage bins (except baby stuff, duh!) My aunt told me about it and I was like "Hey Josh, we should do this"....and he said, I told you that YEARS ago and you said no! Oh well, it's golden now that someone else said it, haha!
• I cook more....seriously! I make mashed potatoes, chicken, fish, veggies, yummy fresh rice (like the 99 cent bag), different soups and beans...lots of beans! They are like 50 cents a bag and that can last us 2-4 meals! Stick some sausage or buffalo meat in and it's a meal!
• Josh has been blessed with several STEADY overtime jobs which are helping us meet some pretty big goals.
• We are plugged into a homegroup and are building relationships that we have SO MISSED since we left Fellowship.
• God has done some AMAZING things in our lives in 2008! We were pushed beyond what we thought we could survive....and He gave us the strength to do more than survive! I pray we can be challenged and grow just as much in 2009.

Hello 2009. "New Years Resolutions" just doesn't sound right....and it almost dooms you from the get-go to fail (or so it seams). I do much better with "goals". So here they are....some family, some personal. Remind me often, hold me accountable and of course, encourage often :)

• Continue with our evening quiet time together. Josh bought us this AWESOME study Bible and it has been AMAZING for me to read the Word in this much detail....and I actually understand it :)
• Pray more with Stephanie. I want her to see how much God and Jesus are a part of our daily lives.
• Eat more fruits and veggies from the local farmers market. Sure, it's one more stop I have to make on Saturdays....but it's oh-so-yummy, cheap and supports our local growers.
• Only eat fast food twice (at most) a month.....you heard right! I LOVE it so much, but it's horrible for us, not something we want Stephanie to develop a habit for
• Get more physically fit. I have a wonderful jogging stroller Stephanie LOVES to go for walks in, we are getting a Wii fit and I now have a toddler to chase around....this shouldn't be a problem :)
• Notice I didn't say lose weight...no, my friends.....I want to GAIN weight in 2009. Prego weight that is! Josh and I would love to welcome our second little angel into this world this year.

There are a few more goals we have..but they are TOP SECRET kind of a "Secret Mission". Keep an eye out....we will reveal them in the upcoming months :) Much love to all! and may you have a joyous and blessed 2009!