Picky eater habits

Well Alli is truly our picky little eater. She knows what she wants and definitely what she DOESN'T want. Last night I brought Ben some pulled pork bbq to work for his dinner. Alli said she wanted to eat so we let her try out the bbq and to my shock she kept wanting more. Then I had a small epiphany. I realized that Alli has never refused to eat anything pork. She LOVES bacon and sausage...she also liked pork chops when we made them and now she likes pulled pork. It took me a while to realize this because we don't cook with pork all that often. We eat more chicken and beef. I guess I will need to start incorporating this more often. Now if only I could disguise some veggies in with what she does like....oh well. At least she eats something.

Easter Weekend

We've had a wonderful but crazy busy weekend. Alli went to a birthday party yesterday for a little girl in her nursery class. It was at a local park and the kids had so much fun. They got to play on the swings and slides, run in bubbles and do a small Easter egg hunt. I was there without Ben so I didn't bring the camera. It was too bad though because she was having so much fun! I hope she is able to develop great friendships through the children at church.

This morning we did Alli's easter basket when Ben got home from work. Here is a video of Alli playing with her Mr. Potato head.

I was able to grab a few quick shots before church. Unfortunately we don't have any of all three of us together but I do like the individual shots we got with Alli.

Thank you Grammy for her beautiful dress!

This afternoon we had an Easter egg hunt at mom's. My camera battery died so I will have to get some pictures from Shannon. But we were able to get a couple. Here is one that I thought was adorable.

playtime!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and was able to feel the beautiful spirit that surrounded this day.

Frills and Dirt

We recently spent the weekend visiting with Ben's family. His sister's and their boys were in to visit. We had a great time and Alli loved playing with her cousins. She napped horribly that weekend but you wouldn't know it because of all the fun she had with the boys.
Below is a preview of our future frilly/tomboy; pushing the stroller with the soccer ball in the other hand. HAHA That's my girl! Who ever said you can't be girly and play in the dirt?

Papa Smith loves his grandkids and spent a good majority of the weekend carting them around in the wheelbarrow.

Carter is a few months younger than Alli but is SO adventurous. It was great for Alli to be around him. She has been so gun-shy of grass and if the ground is uneven she wants to hold your hand. After watching Carter run around without a care in the world, she followed right behind. We loved it!

Alli really started to show her first signs of jealousy this weekend. She loves her Papa Smith and didn't want to share him.

Love Michael's face here. haha

My future athlete here with an awesome action shot captured by Ashley. Thanks Ashley for grabbing all these shots! I really should've brought my camera down.

One of Alli's newest obsessions....pushing this umbrella stroller around. I finally had to collapse this thing and hide it in my car.

Alli playing around while we cleaned out the car

Alli found daddy's medical gloves in the laundry room and had fun trying to put them on. She loves to help our with cleaning. Any time we sweep, vacuum, mop, dust...etc....she wants to help. Ben was cleaning the house the other day for a showing and she helped him dust. I think its cute and hope it lasts...but I'm realistic and know that one day she will fight me tooth and nail. :)

She's been sticking her tongue out a lot the last 36 hours. I think it's funny. Oh yeah and excuse her high-waters...if the 50 degree weather would ever go away them I would be able to stop putting clothes on my daughter that are too short for her. Poor thing is too skinny and too short for the pants that I have that are 24 months and her 18 months clothes...as seen below....are too short. yay. I'm not buying her any more pants...not with summer coming on.

We are looking forward to this weekend. Alli is going to a birthday party on Saturday and Sunday is Easter and we are doing an Easter egg hunt with Shannon and Rusty's girls! Love it! Look out for more pictures!

Good news...good news

We finally heard back from the people who initially were interested in our home. I won't go into all the details but it was good news. We hope to be able to hash things out over the next couple days and see whether or not we have the house drama resolved.

In other news...the HUD home paperwork is nothing but drama. haha but it's government so should I expect anything less? :) They kept sending paperwork back because they didn't like wording one time, and this time they wanted Rod's supervising agent to be signing off on the agreement...maybe NOW they will be happy with the paperwork and we can move on.

Oh and for those of you reading my blog that I haven't already personally told, we are selling our home and moving into one (in smyrna) with more land and an extra 650 sq ft. We are tickled. More news to come.

Long day with an emotional ending

I spent the whole day today at a sleep conference. Thankfully I was able to go with Ashlie! I think I would have lost my mind without her! The conference was from 8am to 5:30pm. The speakers were either extremely boring or spoke with so much medical terminology that we couldn't follow what they were saying. Oh well...doesn't matter. I have my CEU credits and that's all that I need!

I rushed home because I also had a personal progress night planned at Krystin's house. I really didn't want to go. I was tired from getting up early and sitting in lectures all day and really didn't want to be out in any severe storms. Krystin wasn't worried about the storms and didn't want to cancel so I felt like I really had no choice but to go since that is my calling at church. So I forced myself to go and after the night we had...I'm glad I went.

I've served in this calling for 3 years and for one reason or another I've never felt that I've been able to bond with the girls to the extent "that I expected" I needed to or wanted to in order to help them. Tonight we encouraged the older girls to mentor the younger girls on their personal progress and Krystin and I floated around from group to group making sure they didn't need any help. I also checked off the girls in their progress. To my surprise, the older girls took charge and really helped the younger girls. I was so proud of them tonight.

I was able to be free to answer questions the girls had, encourage them where encouragement was needed and instruct them on what they might want to do next. The night really turned into one that I was enjoying. Their youth is invigorating and I loved feeding off of that. I finally got to my last set of girls and I know they won't realize it but they impacted me more tonight than I ever expected. Two of my sweet young behives, Carla and Emily, were sitting and chatting with Krystin. Krystin had to leave to help one of the other girls so I took the opportunity to check Emily and Carla's progress. While sitting with them, we got into a discussion about school and some of the pressure the girls are under.

These two sweet 12 year old girls are facing trials and experiences that I hate to see them have to experience. Unfortunately it is a fact of life in the day in age we live. Kids are mean...they aren't raised with values and manners, and our poor youth suffer and live it day in and day out. Carla mentioned that she had had a boy say to her that there was something different about her and another girl at school (who just happens to be another girl from church). This boy told her that it was as if they had a certain glow. Krystin and I both told her this was a wonderful thing to be "different" in a good way. The kids at school may not see their "difference" as a good thing and may pick on them...but it's good to be different and to have values and to stand for those values.

Carla shared with us how she has a 12 yr old friend who got drunk at her 18 yr old cousin's birthday party and doesn't remember what happened afterwards. Next thing she knows, after a few weeks of feeling "weird" her parents take her to a doctor and find out she is pregnant....at 12!!! She also has a second friend who "might" be pregnant. She also has friends at 12 who smoke. Emily is worried about her older sister going to HS next year. She fears it so much that she said she is going to pray every day that her sister is kept safe in school. She shouldn't have to worry about the safety of her sister in school...but this is what our schools have come to. Carla and Emily both expressed how they are called names at school and picked on. Emily....sweet emily...was called a B**** at school....Emily, quiet and shy, meek and mild. It breaks my heart for them.

So I shared with them that people are always going to be mean. We all get picked on. I told them that I know it's hard for them because even 10 years ago when I was in HS I was picked on. Then I got the shock of my life. Emily looked at me with total shock and said "WHAT? You were picked on?" I said yes sweetie I was picked on...and then Emily says, "But why, you are perfect?" I was absolutely floored that she viewed me this way. I didn't realize I had made this impact on Emily. I thanked her for her sweet compliment but admitted that I am no where near perfect and have many faults but it doesn't matter the reason, we all get picked on.

I left the get together tonight with a heavy heart. I wish I could protect these girls...I wish I could make them strong against the trials and temptations that they face. Some days at church I feel as though the girls don't even see me...but after tonight I realize the girls see me more than I thought. They see me as something I don't feel I'm qualified to be seen as. God bless Emily for her sweet compliment. I pray that I can live up to her standard. I realized tonight just how much I love these girls and I hope to God that I can be the example they need me to be as their leader. I pray I am being that example for Alli. These kids face so much in life and I just wish that in some small part that the little interaction I have with them at church can help make them strong to stand against the tidal waves of trials and pain they face.

Happy little garden

The last couple of years we have planted a small garden with mom in her big garden bed. The soil has been over used and needs nutrients added into the ground if we really want to continue to plant there. It was always a hassle to drive across town to water. So this year we are trying to grow our garden in pots. We are growing what we use the most...although we'd love to one day have a much bigger garden to do a few "bigger" plants.
The picture below shows 4 pots. The big white one has 1 tomato plant, 2 green pepper plants and a bunch of georgia sweet onions. The clay pot colored one has 2 red pepper plants and some more onions. The plant on the railing is a rosemary herb. Then, hard to see is another clay pot hanging off the deck which has parsley and chives.Here is a second pot of tomato, peppers and onions
This picture shows you both or hanging herb pots. The second herb pot on the right has our cilantro and basil.
It feels good go grow things...maybe its the money saving aspect or maybe it's the healthy aspect...not sure... But we like it.

Thanks Alli

Thanks to Alli, I was sporting this adorable bruise on my left cheek. I can't wait till it turns the pretty color of green...

I may be sporting a black eye...

Ok...I love my daughter so much...and its a good thing too...because she can really inflict some pain. Tonight I was lying on her bedroom floor talking to Ben and Alli had walked behind me to go to her bookcase. Next thing I hear is her walking toward me, and then WHAM! I get smacked in the face by one of her toys...Not just ANY toy...probably the heaviest toy she has. Oh my goodness that hurt. It actually brought tears to my eyes. I think Ben was in shock! haha. We aren't sure if she tripped and dropped it on my face or if she just dropped it on my face because that seemed like a good idea. Needless to say, my poor cheekbone is puffy and bruised. I just might be sporting a black eye tomorrow. I'll be sure to post a picture if it happens. :) The joys of motherhood. I just couldn't be mad at her. Ben told her to apologize but I'm not even sure she did it on purpose...although she did smile when I said ouch...not a good sign...appears she might like to inflict pain...gonna have to nip that in the bud.

Conference was great this weekend. I loved so many of the talks. It was nice to have Ben home today to enjoy it with us. It's easy to forget things you should be doing and become complacent. Then conference rolls around and you hear the words from God's inspired Prophet and apostles and it really uplifts and re-centers your purpose. To make the weekend even better, the sun came out, it was 70 degrees and the wind was blowing....LOVE IT.