A dark shadow over our country

Our Nation mourns tonight over the eight little boys, twelve precious little girls, and six heroic women who gave their lives trying to protect the children they were responsible for. My heart goes out to the families of the ones lost and also for the survivors who will forever be scarred by a man's senseless act of violence. My heart also breaks for the First Responders, and Law Enforcement Officials who were on scene. This will be an event they will never forget. If you are reading this now please, take the time to say a prayer for the families and those who are involved. May God bring healing to their lives as they try to recover from this horrific tragedy. 

-Liz

What to do when your husband doesn't work 9 to 5: A Revision

I thought I should do a revision of this post that I made almost a year ago since we have added a little one to the mix :) things have changed a LOT. What was easy for B and I to do before is much harder now. Not impossible, just a challenge. I also felt like I should write this post because we have had some hard bumps in the road this past year with personal things and his schedule changing so much. We have had to evolve constantly as things have been thrown our way. I just want to add a little note to this post as well: anything that I say here, if it does not work for you and your family then ignore it! don't feel like you have to take everyone's advice if it does not suit your situation. You know you best. But I hope that I can give some helpful tips that we have learned through trial and error. Here they are: 

1.) No matter what, next to God, your marriage/relationship is #1 priority in the house. If its not then you are going to encounter many, many hurdles.  I've learned this the hard way this past year. After having S I was so focused on the mom thing that I wasn't thinking of much else. I wasn't thinking about my relationship with my husband nearly enough and because of that we both became burned out. Me with everything at home and B with work. Not a fun situation at all. So we decided that we needed to step back and reevaluate our priorities. Spending time together should not be a special occasion. It should be intentional contact, and purposeful conversation. And when need be, companionable silence. A marriage book that I would suggest to any new couple and seasoned veterans would be one called Love and Respect. I'm sure that you could find a copy on Amazon. At any rate whatever you do, make sure you are on the same page and that you are spending quality time together. I know. It had been said many times. But it doesn't make it less true.

2.) One of the things that B and I decided is a top priority is also making time for us to spend ALONE. When we sat down and talked we realized that B felt like he did little else but work and I felt like I did little else but take care of the baby. So we decided that every other shift rotation one of us spends the day doing what we want, all day. Be it go see a movie at the theater, go to the state park, hunting, hiking, the mall, etc. Whatever we want to do, we can go and not worry about being home at a certain time. You can't be a strong team if both of you are worn out and burned out. Make time for yourself. 

3.)  Be organized. Whatever system works for you. I have found that the more organized I am in my time and with things that I do around the house the more time I have to devote to my family. Now, if you walked into my house right now it would not be spotless but my dishes would be clean, laundry would be processing (lol as in a continual state of being), and my hubby and baby would be fed and content. I struggled with wanting everything to be perfect and in order and it blew up in my face. I was exhausted all the time and B would have to literally take me by the shoulders and sit me down, reminding me that I hadn't sat down all day, much less spent time with him or Sophie. So don't over do it. But I say from MY experience that things run smoother if I have these things taken care of:

• Meals planned and grocery list made 
• Dishes clean and put away
• Baby fed on a schedule and put to sleep at scheduled time 

I have been both sloppy and overzealous about how I keep my house but I had to find a balance because his schedule is so random sometimes that I have to be prepared to a certain extent. So try to organize in your own time and at your own pace. (note: I am STILL perfecting this. I haven't "arrived" at where I want to be in this area but I have made serious progress)

4.)  Enjoy every single moment of your life. In the end it doesn't matter how clean your house is, what things you have, what you have accomplished; if you haven't spent your time loving your husband and your family than I am afraid that you are missing the whole point. I'm learning that S doesn't care if I am perfect, if I give her the best toys or if I am raising her by the book. She wants a mother that loves her and spends time with her. That is it. Period. And my husband? He just wants a quiet evening snuggled on the couch, watching our favorite TV show. Everyday doesn't have to be spectacular. Live in the moment (I am preaching to myself here). 

I thought that I would have a big list of revisions this time but really, I have found that the simpler the better. Life is too complicated as it is. My four things may not be the four things that you feel are important. I'm just telling you what I have learned and am in the process of learning.  I hope that I was able to give a little nugget of advice that you can take away and revise and morph into what you need. If not, I hope you enjoyed the read :)

Whatever you do my friends, keep praying, keep seeking, and keep loving. You will find that living with a Paramedic is tough sometimes but it does not have to be impossible. Despite popular belief your family is not defined by a career. It is a big part of it, sure, but not the defining element. Just keep that in mind.

May God bless,
-Liz

Blog award :)

Thank you Bella, for tagging me in this. I will do the best I can :)

 

if you receive this award, there are a few rules. 

-Each blogger nominated must post 11 things about themselves.

-You must answer the 11 questions that the tagger has asked.

-The blogger must create 11 questions for the bloggers they are nominating.

-You must tag 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers for this award.

-Tell the bloggers you are nominating them, duh!

-No tag backs!

 

 

Alrighty  to get started I will list 11 facts about me:

1. I have to sleep with an eye mask on because I cannot stand any sort of light if I am trying to doze. I have been that way since I was little. My mom said I would sleep with stuffed animals on my head to keep the light out. Weird, I know.

2. My first and only boyfriend is my now husband :)

3. I'm OCD about people shaking my hand. Just like Monk. I whip out my hand cleaner afterwards every time. No offense to you. I do it with everyone.

4. Was almost shot by a crazed man with a gun while driving in a car with my best friend. True story. He walked out in front of our car, we heard popping noises and saw the bullets spark off the ground. My best friend had the good sense to stomp the gas peddle and we sped off, sobbing. Twas on the news that night. 

5. I like to dip dinner rolls in Ketchup. Grosses my husband out every time. And he sees dead people tee hee ;) 

6. I want to have a book published one day. 

7. I listen to two types of music: Michael Buble, and everything else :D

8. I'm a homebody 

9. Had a Shetland Sheepdog named Bowser. 

10. I love country boys ;D 

11. My all-time favorite desert: Brownies!

Okay, now Bella's questions:

1.  I was born in Tennessee. Hence the accent. 

2. I started blogging because at the time I was living away from my family for the first time and was going insane. My friend suggested I blog and my family liked to have the updates. Now I do it because I love it and want to encourage others as well :) 

3. I would have to say my best asset is my smile. My husband says that is the first thing that he noticed when I walked in the room. I grin a lot :) 

4. I have not seen the last Twilight movie! but I'm hoping I can drag my hubby along so I can see it lol 

5. Books. All the way. I get completely involved in them. Drives my family crazy because you have to repeat things to me if you want to make sure I heard you.

6. I think I wear makeup maybe three times a week? It depends on where I'm going.

7. If there was a movie about me I think the title would say something like "Sleepless nights" or "Wake at your own risk" (can you tell I have an infant?)

8. A Toshiba something or other with a whatcha-ma-call-it core processor. I think it's nice :) 

9. Hot Chocolate all the way. Coffee is usually too strong for me and I'm not supposed to have caffeine.

10. My favorite outfits right now are all my pre-pregnancy clothes that I can fit in now. Yay! 

11. I think that my favorite sport would have to be Futbol (Soccer) I love to watch it and play it. 

Well, this was fun! I hope that you enjoyed learning those random factoids about me lol. Can ya'll believe that is is December already?! Gah! I have so much to do with so little time to get anything done! Hope the rest of you are better prepared for Christmas than I am. 

Anyway, Happy Tuesday! 

-Liz

Enough already!

This is what I brought down from my attic today, with my own two hands.

(B was super proud of his woman for being so courageous to get it down myself. My motivation? it was waking the baby up from her nap. Sleep deprivation won out over fear this time, tee hee :)  That brings the grand total to 4 squirrels and 2 raccoons. They should have been paying rent for all the trouble they caused me. I mean seriously is there a sign on my roof saying all furry critters live here or something? Sheesh.
On another note, tomorrow B is taking me Christmas decor shopping :D
On another another note he is trying to get a part-time gig close to home :/ happy but nervous at the same time. Gonna be a lot of working.
I miss my man friend!

Things I am currently obsessed with

A little list of my current obsessions :)

The Pioneer Woman: Love, love, love her show and blog! Great recipes, and fun sense of humor. They live on a huge cattle ranch (which I am totally jealous about!) and her photography albums are amazing. Check out her site here. ( I pulled this pic from the Food Network's website by the way)

Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Protein Plus Smoothie

Can't get enough of them. Creamy. Chocolatey. Need I say more?

Late July Organic Cookies:

 

They are cookies. Possibly the best cookies in the world.

This Show: Nashville

This Song:

And these leg warmers:

Love most everything in Athleta

Just my little girly blogpost of the day. Continue with whatever you were doing ;)

Things are a little squirrelly around here

Well, the day started out quiet enough, then things got a little... furry. I think I mentioned that we had an unwanted visitor in our attic. Turns out we had MULTIPLE unwanted visitors in our attic. About three days ago I called our animal control guy and asked him to come out again. He removed a raccoon for us about seven months ago. This time he did a sweep of the whole roof outside to see where it was coming in since we had patched up a hole that we thought they were coming through. Didn't take him long to find a gaping hole in our roof where the extension of our house meets the garage. It had basically caved in. He brought me outside and told me to climb up the ladder to look at it. Definitely big enough for a coon to get in. Just what I wanted to find out. Not. Anyway they patched up as much as they could before dark and set up some traps outside and inside. Yesterday they came back with no luck but could see and hear a squirrel in our attic. Apparently the coon had chewed it's way through patch in the roof to make it's escape. The only consolation I had was knowing they had obviously found where they were coming in so once we got everything out we shouldn't (fingers and toes crossed) have anymore problems. So back to today. I was going out to our storage room (you have to pass through it to get to our garage) and a squirrel scurried out in front of me, scaring the snot outta me. I screamed and ran into the house, all the while frantically telling my husband on the phone what was happening. He tells me to run back out there and open the garage door to let it out. I'm moaning and groaning because I don't know, small furry creatures scare the snot out of me so I didn't want to go back out there. But like the brave woman that I am I grabbed my dad's old bat that was lying on a box and went to the garage to open the door. After that I went around the front of the house so I could check and see if it would come out. I just happened to look up at our roof while I was passing by and saw this:

He hunkered down as low as he could. I guess trying to hide from me the best he could in the cage. You know finally seeing what had been waking me up every night (scratching and such above my bed) in the cage wasn't as satisfying as what I imagined it would be. I felt kind of sorry for him. It gives me a squeamish feeling thinking of being trapped and no way to get out. I'm glad the guys take them out into the country and let them loose.When the animal control guy got here he took him down and brought him around front while he tried to find the squirrel in the house.

He was a big coon. The guy said the biggest he's seen in a while. I sat on the porch and watched him. He was pawing at the ground, flipping over, and standing on his head trying to get out. He would pause and then grab an acorn from the ground and chomp it down before trying to escape again haha.
Now this brings me to the last story. I took Mr. Animal Control guy through my house and to my garage so he could find our other pesky house guest and I asked him if he wanted me to open the garage door so he could see better. He said sure. The door opens and lo and behold the little guy goes running for his life... straight towards ME. I am not joking when I say that it ran between my legs while I was hopping up and down and screaming like a little girl. Mr. AC told me quickly, to close the door to the house and I vacated the premises. I know now to leave things to the professionals. I'm just glad my husband wasn't home to witness the scene that I made. I'm sure Mr. AC had a hilarious story to tell his family when he got home tonight. *Sigh* I swear I'm not usually like that guys.
Anyway, Mr. AC is like the Crocodile Hunter or something because he caught the little guy with his hands. He also informed me that we had TWO in the garage. So he will be back again tomorrow. Wonder how much $$$ this is going to cost. At least B will be here. Me thinks I'm just going to sit back on the couch and not move until all of my forest friends are gone.  I don't think anyone will accuse me of being a bad hostess.

Sunday Morning :)

Ah! I am sitting here on a beautiful Sunday morning, listening to the birds and thankful for the sweet time that I have with family :) 
B came home last night from his late over-time shift (nearly a 72 hour work week in 3 days :/ ) and S just stared at him like "Where have you been?" we hadn't seen him since two nights before. It was so cute and kind of sad he came up to her and she grinned really big and then watched while he ate his supper. Her mouth was open the whole time, completely speechless. It cracked him up. So later we were trying to get her to sleep for the night, he sang to her and slowly her eyes closed. But every time he would stand up to put her in her crib her eyes flew open and her forehead wrinkled. That little girl was not going to let her daddy out of her sight again! haha we were finally able to put her to sleep though.
Usually in the mornings when he is home she'll fuss a little and I'll bring her in bed with us as a last attempt to get more sleep. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. But when I wake B up to get her settled down the little rugrat is happy to snuggle with dad ;)

A few weeks ago B was sitting with her on the couch (again, after working a lot) and she just turned around and grabbed his face and was staring at him. She loves her daddy

(I had to snap the pic real quick cause she moved when I looked at her)
I swear my husband is the baby whisperer. I'll have a screaming fit on my hands and he comes along and does this:

They are so cute together. She's a definite daddy's girl. Don't get me wrong. She loves me too. After all I feed her:

But then I go and do stuff like this:

"Seriously mom? Stop trying to teach me motor skills and just give me the dang bottle! you know I can't pick this up!"
And this:

"I know you think this is a hilarious photo op but one day you will be in a wheelchair and see if I help you get up then, mom." ;D

But seriously, she's my little buddy and I love having her around

Hope you all are having a great Sunday Morning! :)

Ch-ch-changes :)

In case you haven't noticed I have made some changes to my blog. I thought since I was entering into this new chapter of life that I would give it a facelift :) it's not exactly to what I want it but I am just thankful I was able to get done what I did since I have a teething 6 month old haha. With the way things I have moved around I'm hoping that I can be more organized and focused with my posts and write more often. I've found myself holding off on posting because I wanted to make changes to the site and so I figured I should bite the bullet and just sit down and do it. Let me know what ya'll think because I am not tech savvy at all and it was a challenge for me! Anyway, happy Saturday!

-Liz

A week of pain

I have had the great fortune of having some type of dental problem for almost the past three, four weeks. And when I say dental problems I mean excruciating pain whenever I would chew on my right side. I found myself using the same breathing method to deal with the pain as when I was in labor haha. Except I have to venture and say that this pain was worse to me then going through labor and delivery, and I did that without an epidural. Finally got a dentist appointment and they couldn't find anything. As in nada. They did x-rays, a cold test, and had me chew some hot tamales candies lol. The pain magically disappeared and since he couldn't find anything on the x-ray he was at a loss as to what it could be. I couldn't believe it. I was so upset about it I almost starting bawling in the dentist chair. Did I mention that my wisdom teeth are coming in too? yeah so basically I didn't want to eat anything at all. It was awful. Anyway, he told us to leave and go eat and do what we were going to do for the day and if it started hurting again to come right back to the office. Well, we went to lunch and the first bite that I took of my chicken I started crying. So back to the dentist we went. He told us that it sounded like a cracked tooth and was taking the best guess as to which one it was. He let us know that he rarely guessed wrong but it was up to us to decide what to do. Now, I have gone to this dentist since I was twelve so I trusted him. If it had been any other person saying that to me I would have really hesitated about it but I was in so much pain that we decided to trust his instincts and let him do a root canal. B stayed in the room with me and watched the whole thing. I asked B afterwards about how he did the shots to numb my gum and he said the dentist took something that looked like a steel vial with a trigger and small needle at the end of it and would basically go in and out all over my gum. I never looked when he was doing it and I am SO glad I didn't. Makes me feel weird thinking about it. I think it took us about thirty minutes or so and we were out of the office and ran to the grocery before we picked S up from my mom's. B thought it was cute that I had a lisp from all of the numbing medicine. I couldn't feel the whole right side of my face practically and my lower lip felt fat. 
So, before we headed into the store we were going over our shopping list, and out of habit, I pulled my chap stick out of my purse  and started putting it on. I'm listening to what he's saying and suddenly I realize something. I stop him and ask, "Hey, honey is this my lip I'm swiping my chap stick on?" he looks over and busts out laughing. Turns out I was applying it all over my chin. That's how numb my face was. We got a good laugh about it though haha. 
By the time we got to my parent's house with my prescription that we picked up from the pharmacy the anesthesia had worn off and I was in serious pain. So I popped one of pills and fell asleep in my little sister's bed. B had to haul my butt home lol. But it seems to have worked having the root canal because I am not having the same pain anymore. Just a little discomfort with hot stuff . Hopefully when I get my crown on it will fix that.

Now I know that you really wanted to know all of that boring stuff about my dentist appointment lol but that was just the beginning of my week of pain.
We took a legit Crossfit class at the Crossfit gym and it KILLED me. Like seriously. It took them three hours to explain all the basics of Crossfit and show us the proper technique for everything. But get this. The workout part was just 8 minutes long, and I thought I was dying. I am so not even anywhere near my level of fitness that I want to be. Right now my shoulders and arms are so sore I can barely lift them above my head, and it was really uncomfortable picking S up today. I mean we had been doing some of the stuff at home but dang this was intense. It was a husband and wife team and they were incredibly nice and patient but they meant business and my butt got whooped haha!   
I did some of these:

Except mine was only 53 pounds not nearly that heavy! lol oh yeah and found out why ladies who lift weights like that wear those tall socks: to keep the skin on their legs intact. See how tight the weight bar is against her skin? The bar is never to leave contact with your legs so basically you get rubbed raw if you don't wear them. Just a little fact :p
Anyway, we have a week free at the gym since we took their fundamentals class so I'll be going three more times this week and honestly I'm a little nervous. I don't like being sore lol. But I will say when I was taking the class, even though it was hard they were really encouraging me and when I would get something right they would cheer me on. It really gave me more confidence than I've ever had doing a workout. I think it will be a good thing. I'll let you know how I feel after tomorrow and a couple more days of it though.... if I survive ;)

Know your sources: why I like to buy organic.

Yes, you can now officially place me in the category of "crunchy mommies". We've all been told to eat our fruits and veggies, cut out sugar, don't eat too much, and exercise on a daily basis to lead healthier lives. I know that I've heard it so much I would just kind of tune it out without thinking twice about it. After having my baby girl and failing to breastfeed her the way I wanted to I started to become more aware of what I was giving to her and started doing some research. 

You may have heard a while back where they came out with a new study that said organic food had no greater nutritional value than that of their "standard" counterparts. This is true. They grow the same way. Have the same soil. But there is one big, big difference. Organic foods do not use harmful pesticides. Don't hate on me for using this but Dr. Oz explains it pretty well,

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/breaking-news-are-pesticides-greatest-threat-your-kids-health?video=14882 

Reading on this led me to another controversial topic: Genetically Modified Food. This is where I got really grossed out. Learned more about it in one of my natural health magazines. I had no clue that more likely than not the quick meals that I was getting at the grocery store (ie. frozen family meals done in thirty minutes or less in a box) were full of junk. Well, I knew they probably weren't the best, but not THAT bad. I also never gave a second thought about my baking supplies being genetically engineered. Check this article out:

http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/healthy-eating/gmos-friend-or-foe?page=2 

In case you were too lazy to read it you should know that crops which are genetically engineered can have spliced DNA from other plants, animals, and even viruses. They are created so they can withstand the elements better and "naturally" emit a bug repellent I guess you could say, so they are more likely to be harvested in greater quantities for a greater profit. But when we consume them our body can react to them and actually after a while our bodies could possibly turn on THEMSELVES. Have you been curious as to why our population (in America) has seen in increase in food allergies, and immune disorders?
Well, I've been curious. Also, don't know if you have heard about the illegal smuggling of Chinese honey into our country has become a bit of a problem. Think it's silly to be worried about that? Did you know that the Chinese fill their honey with substances that are banned by the UN? One such substance goes by the name Chloramphenicol and it's an antibiotic that could potentially be deadly, causing a rare bone marrow disorder (found this out from my Women's Health Magazine) . And that honey could be used in making your breakfast cereal that you feed to your children every morning . Concerned yet?

Now, I am not about becoming paranoid and jumping at every doomsday story about how we are all going to die, blah blah blah. But as a parent I am responsible for the well being of my child and I cannot in good conscience ignore some major evidence that is in front of me. I'm not here to preach and believe me I know that it is expensive to buy high quality products. But if we can spend hundreds of dollars every year on movies, clothes, vacations, heck even that cup of Starbucks, can't we spend a little more on our health and that of our families? I'm kind of starting to ramble here because it's late but this is really on my mind because it has been a BIG adjustment for us to be healthier. I've given up favorite snack foods and we don't eat out whenever we want because we want to take that money and put it towards our groceries and such. Just in a week and a half of really putting our foot down on what we would allow ourselves to put in our bodies I can feel a change in my mood and my energy during the day. We aren't going crazy but we are building a lifestyle that I am truly happy about and at peace with. (should not be ending a sentence that way. Bad English major ;)  
We now make our own cereal (a paleo recipe that my hubby got from his fire buddies) and buy local honey. Along with buying local beef and milk. Soon, we hope to depend on ourselves for making our own bread so we don't have to worry about the extra junk they throw in as fillers. It is really hard not buying processed but in the end I know the extra time I have to put into planning meals is going to be worth it in the end. I also keep thinking of that verse in 1 Corinthians that says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God." The Bible says that our bodies are the temples of God. How often do we take that seriously? I want to serve God in the best way that I can, with all of my strength. So I'm paying attention from now on when it comes to what I put in my mouth. And that is my long, drawn out reason of why I like to buy organic :D

PS here are some helpful links if you are interested in buying organic:
 http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/

http://www.earthsbest.com/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

Random, boring update ;)

Haven't really had time to update lately with the baby and everything but I am trying hard to do better, I promise ;) 
We have really been trying to get our house in order since we moved in and really weren't able to get unpacked before S was born. Things are starting to come together and it really has made things more cozy since we are finally putting boxes away and settling into a routine :) 
Things have been busy lately around here, and with B's work. I think that he has gotten suicide calls like every week. One successful and others not. He was cussed at by one for doing his job and keeping em' alive. Didn't phase him though ;)
He goes in for some special training soon that involves drilling things into people's bones and freezing them. Not at the same time. But for different reasons. Sounds disturbing to me but he is excited about it lol I can see why he really loves his job. He saves people and learns cool/gross ways to patch people up haha! 

On another note we have a creature in our attic. We have already had to call a trapper to get a raccoon out about six or seven months ago and thought we had boarded up the place pretty good. Apparently not. It's really annoying because the thumping wakes me up at night and once caused me to call the police when I thought someone was breaking into our house (yeah). I guess it's finding a way to get in on the roof or something. Our neighbors across the street said they have caught about eight raccoons on their property this year and said they are really bad in this neighborhood. Yay! just our luck. Not! 

But we did discover our local farmer's market and it is amazing! (how's that for a segue?)  It's really important to us to stay healthy and active so we were sooo happy to find someplace we could buy fresh produce, milk, and meat. A Mennonite family sells plain, chocolate, and strawberry whole milk there and the chocolate is to die for! I have gone through almost half a gallon in a week lol. There is also another Mennonite family that sells homemade donuts right next to the milk guy and this last time I begged (well, not really begged he kinda can read my mind and when I looked at the fresh hot donuts and then turned to him he was already smiling that smile and making his way to the table. Gosh, I love that man!) B to get me one and it was Ah-mazing. It was the size of my baby's head I kid you not. And my child has a big noggin like her daddy ;) I can't wait until we can start doing something like that. We are trying our hardest to get debt free so we can buy some land and make our own little farm :) B is a country boy all the way and is itching to get out of the city. I hope we can soon! 

Another thing we are trying now is Crossfit. The guys at the station introduced it to B and he is addicted now.

It's crazy the stuff that they can do. Now that he is doing it I can see a big change in him. I've always found my hubby *ahem* attractive but man he was getting too good looking! lol so I decided that I need to step up and get back in shape after this baby weight gain. Right now we are doing it at home but they just opened a fitness center here that teaches the methods and we are pretty excited about it.

 I want to be able to do that lol and feel as good as those ladies look.

Tomorrow is the last day of his set and then we get some much needed down time. I'm hoping to make a big celebratory breakfast to mark our four day weekend together; trying to be adventurous and step outside of my typical eggs and toast routine ;) but my husband didn't marry me because I could cook, so hopefully he won't back out now ;D 

Insert clever title ----> here

I am currently snuggled on top of a mound of clothes in our guest bedroom, trying not to wake my four-month old up while writing this. I think it's been here (the pile of clothes) since she was born; B always gets this dazed look on his face when he asks me if I've washed his socks or shirts and I reply, "It's on the bed." Haha I hate to say it but folding laundry is not high on my priority list right now. We FINALLY cleaned out our kitchen and got my stove top to sorta work so I am cooking like a normal person now. Plus, I am coming down with a cold. I hate being sick. And everyone around me hates it when I'm sick because I am the worst patient lol. And I reeeeeaaally hope that S doesn't catch it :/ 

So we did a lot of traveling for the labor day weekend (labor day right? because I said memorial day and my husband laughed at me. My brain after four months postpartum =mush) we drove all the way to Kentucky for a wedding and then an hour south for a cookout with my family. It was so much fun and really good for us to get out. To be honest we have kind of been shut ins since the baby was born. The other day B said that he missed spending alone time with me, I hope we can make that happen soon cause I miss it too :( 
But she is a cutie though....

She did great on the car ride. I was so scared that she was going to be screaming half the time but she slept like a good girl and only babbled a little during the ceremony when we got there :) I feel so old. Everyone I know is getting married and having kids. We stayed at a hotel on the way back home and I was rudely woken up that night by a bunch of thuds and loud obnoxious voices laughing and joking. We were lucky enough to get a room next to half of a boys soccer team. Oh joy. I laid there for a while hoping they would settle down but when 1 o'clock rolled around I'd had enough and knew I was already gonna be grumpy enough now waking up with her in the morning. So I was the mean old lady that called the front desk and got them in trouble. Sorry boys, one day you WILL value sleeping above everything precious in life. When you go through college, get married, and have a bunch of little rugrats running around like you, you'll wonder why you ever stayed up late for FUN. Wow. I really am old. Speaking of sleep. I'm going to take some cold medicine and see if I can settle down. Ugh if I could just have a maid around for one day, one day.....

Have I told you lately?

Have I told you lately how much I love my husband? Because I do. Love him. A LOT. I'm just going to be honest here and say that I have been a crazy hormonal woman since Soph was born. Emphasis on the Cah-rae-zy! lol I really don't know how he has put up with it. Sometimes, I look at him while he's sleeping and think, "How do I deserve him?." The answer? I don't. And I hope that he knows that. But I need to tell him more. Like every waking minute. How much I appreciate that he has taken care of me so well, more than I could ever deserve. Sweetheart, you work so hard and you deserve a vacation babe, like a real vacation! So, let's run away together, you and I! 
Love you honey, you have my heart forever!
Your Grateful Wife,
Liz

A hard road...

Things have become increasingly hard after having S . I am afraid that I am having a difficult time handling everything. I wrote a post about it on my other blog, the link is here:

Baby Blues

This is a hard road I am walking on and need every prayer I can get...

-Liz
Psalm 23

New life!

Well, I have to admit that it has been harder adjusting to having a baby than what I thought. B was able to take three weeks off so that was a HUGE help in my recovery but after he went back to work it was hard being alone 24 hours with our baby girl. Things are finally starting to have structure though so it's been nice to kind of be able to "predict" what she is going to do next lol. It has been so sweet seeing B with her though, he is in love! (and completely wrapped around her finger already ;) I really have more to update on my other blog so I will leave this here but just wanted to check in! please visit my other site as I get things going. Have a wonderful Wednesday! 
-Liz

The reason why I haven't posted in a while...

We have a beautiful little girl, three weeks early :) 

I will be back to blogging soon but for now I am enjoying her.

-Liz

Tired, and waiting

Well, it's about 3 my time and I really should be in bed. My hubby is on his second day of his 24 hour rotation and I just couldn't go to sleep (I'm going to regret it in the morning or should I say later today?) I guess there isn't too much to report other than this momma is ready to have her body back and be holding her little baby in her arms. I decided that I wanted to start a mommy blog so that I could keep up with all things "baby" in our lives since it's easier to journal on the computer sometimes. It's still under construction so if you check it out right now there's really nothing to see just yet ;) 

My eyes are starting to droop and B should be walking in the door in about four hours so I guess I better hit the hay. Everyone keeps telling me to get as much rest as I can before the baby is born, and I'm telling you, I'm trying my best people. But this whole getting up a million times in the middle of the night to use the restroom and almost unable to roll over without sitting up makes it kind of hard. Maybe I'll sleep a full night when I'm 40.... 

Everyday bliss :)

B and I have been busy these past couple of weeks getting the baby room finished :D it's been so sweet having this time together to prepare for our little person. Having it done (except for curtains and a couple of little things) made it so much more real. We can't believe that we are going to be parents! lol I'm kind of tired so this post will be more of photos then anything but I like to document happenings.

 Many of my family members protested when we informed them that we weren't going to find out the baby's gender. It did pose a challenge when thinking of decorating ideas but I love this shade of green we found! this is the closet with little clothes and accessories :)

This is an old wardrobe that belonged to my grandmother. It is one of my favorite pieces in the house and I really didn't want to move it. So we are going to use it to store diapers, towels, and other odds and ends in the room.

Of course we also had to put the baby bed together :) I told B it was his rite of passage into fatherhood assembling it lol. Look at how he reads instructions:

Wish I was that flexible lol I had to take this pic cause I thought its was too funny to pass up.

He did a great job! :D

So he finally got his shift that we had been praying for (praise the Lord!). Things have been so much better after him starting this new one, things finally feel normal again! Never thought 24 hour shifts would be normal to us but they actually work out better and we are able to see each other more than when he was working mon-thurs. I was also able to seize the opportunity to nab him for some maternity pictures. My little sis was kind enough to take them for us, and did a great job!

ah loved them all! would put more on here but the pics are a bigger size since she has a way better camera than I do, therefore it is taking forever to load them on here. I look huge though right? lol B and I have been getting a kick out of everyone that we run into; whether it be the grocery store, the mall or at the park. People are always commenting on my belly and saying congrats, makes me smile :)

You know, I think just the little everyday things are truly the happiest moments of our lives. Though a single afternoon may seem insignificant at the time, those little moments add up to a lifetime. And I fully intend on getting better at cherishing every moment!

Enjoy YOUR everyday moments and be sure and tell us about your special memories :)

-Liz

Keeping it real when your husband doesn't work a 9 to 5 job

So I thought that I would write a little post about some of the things that B and I try to do to keep things fresh in our marriage. There is no particular order, just a collaboration of things that we have found that works for us. You might have ways of handling the stress and busy schedules yourself. If so, please fill us in! :) I hope that you enjoy this little list of things that we do and I hope that it is helpful to you in your own life :)

1. Okay this I do have to put at the top: COMMUNICATION. No relationship will last very long if there is no communication. This is ESPECIALLY true when your spouse works in EMS or Law Enforcement. When B is on shift we are constantly (well, he can't ALL the time lol) texting each other about our day, encouraging each other, and making plans about what we are going to do next on his days off. Even if he doesn't answer right away (or in five hours lol) I at least know that he is going to read my text and get back to me. Also, let me say that if you are unhappy about something, whether it be about your spouse's work or something at home TELL them about it. Don't make them guess. It never works out because they usually have no clue what is going on. Find a good time when they can sit down with you and really focus (read: NOT after coming home from a 24, 36 or 48 hour shift. Brain function is minimal at best and is occupied with one thought: SLEEP) on what you are saying. You can also write things down so they can read it on their time and talk to you about it when they next see you. There have been many times that I have written an email to B or dropped a five page text telling him about what I was thinking/feeling. He loves knowing what is going on in my head and really values what I have to say. Your spouse loves you and wants the same. Opening the door to communication is KEY in making our marriage healthy and happy.
2. Learn to laugh things off. It makes life so much easier. They deal with life and death situations at work all day long. It is a breath of fresh air when they can home to you and your attitude is one of a carefree spirit. It's also good for letting go of petty arguments. Example. My big pet peeve: clothes on the floor. My husband's bad habit: leaving clothes on the floor. Scenario numero uno:
Me: <walks into room> "Wow, what a mess!" *clothes left in a trail from living room to restroom, from restroom to side of bed*
My husband: <from kitchen> "What did you say honey?"
Me: "I said I wonder who left this big mess in the hallway. AGAIN."
My husband: <at my side now, sheepish look on his face> "I don't know but they sure are in big trouble!"
Me: <chuckles> "Yeah, one of these days he's getting a 25 to life sentence."
If it's not life or death, then it isn't serious enough to get angry over.
3. When you can't laugh it off, learn to lean on each other. There will be times when things just suck, to be honest. Those are the times that you are tested to your limit and you think that the world is either going to end or you are going to need some serious therapy lol. Don't push each other away; you can make it through!
4. Make time for rest. I usually try and make sure that when B gets off his first rotation that we have absolutely nothing planned for the day so that we can sleep in and be lazy. Sometimes they have so much crap that goes on at work dealing with patients, coworkers, and hospital staff that they need the time to unwind and not have to answer to the clock. If you are on a strict budget, this might be a day where you want to plan your little extra spending money on food and a movie rental.
5. Encourage each other in your interests and hobbies. B loves to run, and I encourage him to go to the gym and run for an hour even when I don't feel like going and haven't seen him in a while. Not only does it let him relax but it's also great for his health, which in turn makes him more capable of doing a good job at work and taking care of me ;) Also, when you are interested in what they like outside of work it's something that you can talk about other than work on their days off (nobody wants to talk about work on a day off!) I didn't know a lick about soccer until we married. Now I can tell you who is ranked number one in the British Premier Soccer League. Scary, I know ;) and usually you'll find that what they are interested in, you become interested in as well, and vice versa. It's kind of cool how that works out. 
6. Plan for the unexpected. Your spouse will more than likely be called to work an overtime shift when you least expect it or plan on it happening (like usually after they haven't had to in a month and things are really slow, and you two plan this amazing weekend full of fun stuff to do. That's when it usually happens lol) or be held over at the least convenient time. Just be aware. It WILL happen. Let it go and move on. There's no use in crying over spilled milk, so to speak.
7. Pray for your spouse! This should be at the top of the list as well. There is little that we can do to protect our spouses from danger or the heartache of seeing people mutilated and dying at work but we can intercede for them in prayer while they are serving others. I cannot stress this point enough!
8. Take care of yourself. You can't be 100% to your spouse if you are not taking care of yourself. Get a massage. Read a book. Watch a movie. If you have children, don't be as hard on yourself; it's OKAY to not do anything when the kids are napping/busy with their own things. Call up your friend, sister, mom, aunt, grandma, grandpa, etc. and talk about your day. Better yet, make plans to meet up with them. Keeping up with the other relationships in your life helps to make things feel balanced and is a great support system in your time of need. If you guys live away from family make a Skype date so that you can see friends and family face to face. Also, joining in community and church activities opens the door to new friendships and learning experiences, and is worth looking into. Encourage these things in your spouse as well! Also, talk with your spouse about making alone dates for you. Meaning, they watch the little ones and you get an hour nap or go out and eat by yourself. Just remind them that it is VERY important to you to have some alone time and that you will do the same in return for them.
9. Make sure that you are diving into God's word together on a weekly, if not daily basis. Jesus said, "When two or more are gathered together, I am there among them." There is no better glue for keeping a marriage together then a relationship with the Son of God :) . In fact, when you are close to God you are closer to each other. I can vouch for this.
10. Dream together. I know this sounds really cheesy but I'm telling you it's important. B and I have all these plans to travel the world and try new things. Now, half of these things we will probably never be able to do but we don't tell each other that. It's our time to not feel like adults but rather like kids again, and I really enjoy it :) it's also a good way to learn new things if you research the places you want to go and the things you want to do.
Well, those are my thoughts. I know that you have probably heard most of them or maybe all of them but I just thought that I would put it out there :) Like I said I'm sure there are ways that you have figured out how to deal with things, if so please share! I would love to hear from you by comment or drop me an email :)
Have a blessed day!
-Liz

A testing of faith

My first real blog post since taking such a long break has a very serious subject matter. I have been debating whether or not I wanted to write about it but I feel like I need to talk about an ongoing struggle we have been going through.  I actually wrote a little bit about it back in November, the very night that it happened (if you want to read that post go to Nov. 11 and click on "We can only be certain of one thing; God's presence). I didn't go into detail because I was so scared that night and I felt so overwhelmed I didn't think I could handle putting it all down in words.
I'll give a quick summary and then I will give my thoughts on the following days and months until now.
So, B was on one of his regular shifts. I was home running errands, keeping house, etc. I hadn't talked to him in a while, which I'm used to, so I thought that I would call him up and see if he was free or on a run (or napping lol). He answered the phone after a few rings with his usual, happy "Hey honey!". I smiled and asked him what he had been up to and went on to talk about a couple of runs that he had been on and for some reason as he was talking I was getting this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then he started telling me about his last run. How they had gotten a call for Metro backup to a well known crack house downtown. A woman was passed out in a pile of garbage and the homeowner "had never seen her before". The cops helped them load her up and they took her to the hospital to be treated for a drug overdose. Not a common story of his but one that didn't surprise me. Still, something didn't sit right with me.
Me: "Hey, did something happen while you were transporting her?"
B: <long pause> "Why are you asking me that?"
Me: "I don't know, I was just wondering."
B: <another long pause> "Well, yeah something did. She attacked me when I tried to check her blood sugar; I was stabbed with her needle."
Me: <Silence>
B: "I'm so sorry baby, I didn't want to tell you until they finished all the blood tests."
Then really quietly he said, "All I could think about was you and the baby."
This conversation lasted about two minutes and then he was called in to take more tests. He apologized and promised to call me back as soon as they were done. Now, all this happened at about 11:30, midnight my time. I was alone at the apartment, no family within a hundred miles, and it was too late to call my church family. Insert my pregnancy hormones on top of it all and you understand how I fell into a crying heap.
Why? out of everyone in the whole city why did my husband have to pick up THAT patient at THAT exact moment?
Now back to the present time. B has passed his blood tests the past two times he has gone and will undergo his last test the 2nd of May to be released or undergo treatment if he has Hep. C or HIV. Thankfully, she tested negative at the hospital for HIV. Though the nurses did tell us that she still could have contracted it in the past three to six weeks before the incident happened. But that was the only thing that they tested her for (which I was NOT happy about at all!) Also, the needle was not hollow that he came into contact with so that is the best possible scenario you could ask for in this crisis. Still. He is my husband, my sweetheart. And I still worry. Since November we have had our ups and downs. We don't talk about it much except when he has to go in for his next screening. But when we do, I can barely stand it. My throat closes up and I can't speak. He understands, and we hold each other. I had a lot of questions for God. Why would He let so many things happen at once? In our first year of marriage? Is it really fair for us to be tested so much, didn't He care?
First lesson I learned, we can't question God. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. Nothing comes as a surprise to Him, and to be frank He doesn't answer to me.
Second lesson I learned, God loves us so much. I can't count how many ways He has shown us that He is caring for us, providing for all of our needs, and protecting us (like B and his partner almost getting creamed on the highway the other day going code 3, LONG story). He is Faithful!
Third lesson I learned, life is SO short. I have to say that I stop myself now (not all the time, I'm not perfect) when I get in a disagreement with B or my other family members and friends. It's not worth it! Getting angry is so silly when we could be speaking to our loved ones for the very last time on this earth. We have no guarantee in this life that we will live to be 100 years old. No one can know. When I sit in eternity and look back on my earthly life I want to know that I lived to fulfill my purpose and that I loved with all my heart.
A great, great gift that we received in all of this was our little baby. I think we found out a month and a half before he was stuck. I was super excited but also freaking out because I knew that it was going to be a huge change and I was scared about all that parenthood entailed. Afterwards, my outlook changed completely. Suddenly, raising a child didn't seem so scary (though I know it WILL be hard) and I began feeling even more joy at every kick and movement, anticipating when I would finally meet our sweet angel face to face. God in His mercy knew that we needed someone to make us smile and I can't wait until the baby is born so that our little family will be complete :)
To say that I don't worry would be a lie. I have so many thoughts that keep me up at night sometimes, that it is overwhelming. I am being reminded constantly that it is not about how much faith that I have in God to take care of things but the fact that the God that I have faith in is greater than my circumstances. Make sense? When my faith is at it's smallest God is still Himself. His greatness doesn't depend on my belief; Halleluiah!
One of my favorite Britt Nicole songs is Walk on the Water:
You look around, staring back at you
Another wave of doubt, will it pull you under? You wonder
What if I'm overtaken? What if I never make it?
What if no one's there? Will You hear my prayer?

When you take that first step into the unknown
You know that He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for? What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities, they try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more, so don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes, and you can walk on the water, too

So get out, and let your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste, don't wait, and don't you turn around and miss out
 On everything you were made for, I know you're not sure
So you play it safe, you try to run away

If you take that first step into the unknown
He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for? What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities, they try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more, so don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes, and you can walk on the water, too

Step out, even when it's storming
Step out, even when you're broken
Step out, even when your heart is telling you
Telling you to give up

Step out, when your hope is stolen
Step out, you can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid
So what are you waiting, what are you waiting for?

So what are you waiting for? What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to hold to you
You know you're made for more, so don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes, and you can walk on the water
Walk on the water, too

These words are so true and I find myself singing them often. There are also several verses that I have come across that I cling to:
"When you pass through the waters,  I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,  they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2
 
"You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,  too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there;  if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn,   if I settle on the far side of the sea,  even there your hand will guide me,  your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”  even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." Psalm 139: 5-12
 
" Even to your old age and gray hairs
   I am He, I am He who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
   I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
Isaiah 46:4

Now, I am not going to pretend that I am 100% worry free all the time and I have more days than I like to admit that I waste thinking about how awful we have it. Thankfully, God is not afraid to give me a righteous kick in the behind to get me to realize that I am so blessed. I can rest assured that I am His and He is mine. Forever and for all time He will never leave me.
 I am so thankful for this precious life that God has given me; for my friends, family, and especially my husband and baby. I can't even count the ways that I am blessed, they are too many!
However,  I'd appreciate it if you kept us in your thoughts and prayers. Prayers are powerful things and I have no doubt that God hears every one of His children's pleas. Thank you everyone for letting me have this little therapy session, haha! Sometimes it's healing to just talk about things. I hope that I can keep up with more posts then what I have been doing lately but I can't promise for now ;) Hope you have a blessed evening and thanks again for stopping by!
-Liz

No title, really

Hey everyone! yes, we are still alive and yes I do plan keeping up with the blog after the baby is born haha. I am just trying to find out how to do that with all the crazy things that are going. But things are starting to slow down and I'm hoping to get some blogging and other things done before the baby is born :)
I also am thinking about changing the look of my blog. Anybody have any suggestions or tips? I'm not great at computer stuff so any help would be great!
Well, have to go for now! hope to update again soon!

-Liz

Time is passing; so quickly!

I know it's been weeks and weeks since I have posted but I am still waiting for things to slow down a little bit here. We are finally getting some real progress on the house going. B is refinishing the floors this weekend (praise the Lord! :) so that we can finally get our living room furniture actually in the living room and not one of the spare rooms haha. After that it will be a whirlwind of activity as we start setting up the rooms and such. Hopefully everything will be done before the baby arrives! *fingers crossed* 
I have been searching for the past two weeks for my camera charger and I cannot find it. It's driving me crazy because there are pics I want to take and post here :/ hopefully I kind find it in all this chaos so I don't have to go buy me a new one. 
Well, this is a very short update because there is lots to be done right now. Maybe by the end of this week I will have time to really write!

Finally, an update! :)

Well, I am here to finally update after like a month lol. Things are going really well. Still a big adjustment being here and with B's new shift. I got sick a week and a half before our anniversary with a really bad cold. It really knocked me out for the week and I am trying to make sure that I don't wear myself out again. I think that I got sick from all of the stress of moving and such. It is NO fun being sick and pregnant. I don't want to repeat it! 
I think the biggest problem for us since we moved here is trying to get on a regular schedule (is that possible for someone with a job like his? lol) and so we are feeling pretty tired now. But I think it is due to me still trying to get my bearings in the new house.


Ah, the house. Haha ;) so the house that we are living in used to belong to my grandmother and we are fortunate enough to be living in it. We have a ton of space now BUT the space is still full with boxes and drawers and closets and drawers of stuff that my grandmother "collected" over 27 years of living here by herself. She grew up in the depression and kept EVERYTHING that she came across. So it's been rough trying to unpack our things and go through/get rid of my grandmother's many collections of interesting doodads and trash piles lol. There are also more repairs that need to be made that we weren't anticipating. She was unable to keep up with the house in the last years before she had to leave (she went through chemo and began developing signs of dementia) so the stove range is not functioning and some of the plumbing in the bathrooms need to be replaced. I am so grateful though for this new place and the fact that we are so close to family. And I know that it is hard right now since we are still practically living out of boxes but things will get better. Also, when the baby gets here I know that I will have a ton of help which is very comforting. 
Even though there is a lot of changes in B'swork as well I think that it will be for the better because he was ready for a change and the town we have moved to we have absolutely fallen in love with and we are planning on staying for a while :)


Some of my family will be here today to help me try and knock more of the cleaning/unpacking out so I am pretty excited and thankful for the help!


B and I spent the weekend in Franklin for our anniversary; it was SO nice to spend three days together with no cell phones and to be able to sleep in everyday! lol 

Yup. We kept our cake top :) it actually was not bad. The cake part was kinda spongy but the icing was perfect. I didn't know if I was gonna be able to get B to eat it; he was kinda nervous haha

The weather was beautiful that weekend so it made it even better. Its been raining almost every week and every other day around here it seems. Nothing but blue skies however, when we were on our trip :) it made me happy 

I really have not been able to keep up with documenting my pregnancy the way that I wanted to :( we finally took a new pic of me the other day though!

Definitely can't hide it anymore! ;)


The ultrasound pics we got on our last visit are amazing! We had already decided to wait and find out the sex when the baby was born but when we were there it was sooooo hard to not find out. But we stood strong! lol I will try and post those pics sometime soon. Well that is a quick update. Time is flying by for sure and I am trying to keep my feet on the ground! Keep us in your prayers as these changes are going on. It would be much appreciated :) 
God is so good though and I am confident that He can take care of us; He has proven Himself faithful time and again!