Oops...I have a blog?!?!

So, apparently, I have been MIA from blogging. Lots has gone on in our life...some good, some I could live without, but all in all, we are doing well!

The kids are amazing us every day. Cooper says the cutest, funniest, and sometimes the most embarrassing things these days! Aubrey is also growing up, starting to talk, and has really begun interacting with Cooper a lot more these days.

As for Randell, well he's finished with his two major tests. One test was for his Professional Engineering License, which sounds awesome - and it is - although Randell is longing to change careers. That leads into his other test that he just took. He did GREAT on it and is now waiting for the next stage of the process of this adventure.

I have been training for the San Antonio Rock and Roll Half Marathon! The race is this Sunday, it is finally here. It's amazing to think that when I started "training" I could barely run 2 miles without wanting to stop. Now, the thought of running "just 8 miles" makes me laugh....who says "We're just running 8 miles today."? :)

Not only has my running been a great stress reliever and motivator to keep pushing myself, but it has also helped me to drop my pregnancy weight. I have lost a total of 22 lbs since beginning my training. I have dropped 5 pant sizes and 1 shirt size. The best thing about all of this is that I have not been on any type of diet (which I am sure I would loose even more weight if I was), I have not taken any pill, or anything to help with the weight loss....just PURE RUNNING!

I am excited about Sunday, it should be fun! The weekend after that we (Randell and I along with some friends) are running the Warrior Dash. It is a 5K with 11 obstacles throughout the run....that should be fun and interesting! :)

Life is Good, God is Great!

Happy 1st Birthday Aubrey

1 Year Ago Today

One year ago today at 3:44pm, our hearts grew even more at the sight of you. You came into this world with wide eyes and chunky rolls. You were 8lbs, 13oz (my big baby), 21 inches long and full of spunk already with your mo-hawk hairdo!

You were chunky, loud, and bright red (so healthy). You were alert, hungry, and knew how to nurse from the beginning. What an amazing feeling it was to have you in my arms. I cried as they handed you to me. I am so thankful that I was able to feel and understand a lot more of my emotions. You cried too, as all babies are supposed to. You calmed down when Daddy held your finger while they took all of your stats. You already had him wrapped around your finger.

Your first introduction to Cooper was amazing. He was so excited to play with you and share his “Diego” toys and trucks with you. He wasn’t quit sure why you just laid there with your eyes closed though! He soon found out that it was great to have a sleeping, happy baby rather than the alternative!

Being the second child is great, lucky duck! We (Mom and Dad) were (and are) much more relaxed this time around since we know that we have done an awesome job already with raising Cooper. He survived and so would you. This new relaxed state helped to relax the whole house as well. You were a happy baby who rarely cried….except to eat! When you were 6 weeks old we realized that you were tongue tied. Since we didn’t know much about this subject, we found a great pediatric dentist to help us through it. 5 seconds later you were nursing again and this time you meant business. At first I was worried that you would not be as attached to nursing as I had hoped for. Now, as we near your first birthday, I see that the end is still a ways away….and I am SUPER happy about that! I know that once the nursings are gone, my snuggle time with you will be less and less as you are already ready to be on the move.

You were and are such a laid back baby. You roll with the flow, sleep when you can, eat when you want, and enjoy experiencing new things. What a blessing you have been to the family. You started rolling over super early. This was good and bad, but it was nice to see your excitement when you would roll. I was amazed to see how aware of your motions you were. We knew early on that you are a fast learner.

When you were 3 months old, I found myself back at the hospital with you. You had a high fever and no ear infection. I was almost certain what the outcome would be, and wouldn’t you know that I was correct! Stage 2 double bladder reflux. God was and continues to watch over you though. You have yet to have another infection, even though all medical books say that you should. Your blood counts are great as well; what a wonderful relief.

I remember people telling me that the first 3-4 months of two kiddos would be tough. “Relay naps”, multiple nursings, juggling two crying kiddos at once….they weren’t kidding! I’m sure most people looked at me with a look of sympathy. Some probably even understood the crazy life that I was living….but it is all worth it! The day that you took a nap at the same time as Brother was a turning point! I knew that we would survive….some how!

Many of the “trials” that we went through with Brother, we decided to not even venture near this time around.

• Sleeping in bed? Yes, in fact it still happens on a nightly basis and that’s okay!
• Nursing? Absolutely, and will keep on nursing until you decide that it’s time to stop!
• Eating solid foods? Sure, if you want, but I know that you are still receiving great nutritional value from my milk, and that’s all that matters!

I am so thankful that you are who you are. Our life is full of joy and fun.

You are a FAST crawler! I am sure that if we entered you into a competition for crawlers, you could be one of the top contenders. You are attempting to take steps on your own. In fact, you are walking a lot these days. We have now entered a new stage where I get to chase two walking/running kiddos! You say plenty of words these days as well. (Dada, Mama, Bubba, Ball, Book, Up) You even blow the best kisses as you say “night night” or bye. You are our trash finder too. Now if we can only work on showing you how to throw it in the trashcan rather than putting it in your mouth! You make great car sounds as you play with Brother and his cars. You are so sweet when holding and hugging your baby. You love the water. I’m sure that you could live in the water. You dance for bath time and love to “read” your books; one day hopefully we can finish a book…or at least make it past the first page!

Your food groups amaze me. In no particular order, they are paper, crayons, rocks, dirt, and chalk. I have been tempted to fill a plate with those items for dinner or better yet, put your real food on the floor to make you think they are similar to your favorite items to eat. A lot of things are now a game. You put a piece of paper in your mouth, open it to show me, and then take it out before I get to you. You then follow this with great laughter that again makes me smile and laugh as well!

You rush to the door every day when Daddy gets home from work. You reach up and are ready for him to hug and love on you. You are feisty. This is both good and challenging, but either way, we will always be thankful for who God has made you. That being said, I have not figured out how we will correct you. You laugh every time I tell you to not bite, hit, or touch that. Your laughter brings me back to smiles even in the most trying times. God is good. I’m sure that you will soon find me with my nose in a new book on dealing with wonderful kiddos like you!

Your smile can brighten anyone’s day. From very early on, any time we went anywhere, people would comment on how beautiful you are (and it’s so true!). You smile at anyone. You’ve even made a few older men break into a smile at your sweet grin and “high five” wave.

You love anything and everything that Brother has, plays with, or eats. I’ve decided that as a second child, it is your responsibility to keep me on my toes with redirecting you to another part of the room away from Cooper’s awesome block tower. It’s almost more of a race to see who can get there faster….and sometimes you win! Playtime with Cooper is awesome. I love to hear both of you laugh and giggle while tickling each other or giving each other raspberries! You have now begun the wrestling stage. This should be very interesting!

You are Daddy’s power wheels girl! Anytime you see one, you want to get on and go. Your smile is as wide as your face when you are zooming on an ATV with me. You have no fear and are always ready to take a chance. I pray that you always have these characteristics! You are full of energy; some days I wish you would share some energy with me!

You love your friends. It is so amazing to see the excitement in your face when you recognize your friends. I love that even at your young age, you enjoy spending time with friends.

As this next year begins, you will experience many great, new adventures. You will be starting Mother’s Day Out soon! I know that you will love it and thrive there just as Cooper did (after the initial separation anxiety of course). You will begin to walk and run at all times. This should be a fun stage for all of us. I know that your curiosity will expand beyond anyone’s measures and this excites me. Seeing the expressions on your face makes it all worth while.

You, our wonderful daughter, have brought smiles to many faces, especially ours. I pray that you will continue to have a happy heart, a loving spirit, and a feisty spunk throughout this next year of life.

So here’s to you, Aubrey Elaine Smith, Happy 1^st Birthday!

To Save A Life Trailer

To Save A Life

Last night we was movie night. Randell did good with picking out a a good movie this time. (last time he picked Valentine's Day, I think to score points with me for watching a "girly movie", but it was just awful!) Anywho, this time he picked "To Save A Life" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvXktDeAEmU (trailer video also in previous post).

The movie was produced by the same producers of "Fireproof". We really didn't have much clue about what the movie was about, but it turned out to be a great movie. It's a movie that I think we will buy and save for when our kids are teens to use as a teaching tool.

The main jest of the movie is talking about how we can be in a few different categories:

* Those that don't care about church, have a bad taste in their mouth from going to church, was hurt one time or another by someone from the church, etc.

* Those that go to church because it "looks good" or they are made to go, but they are not really listening, growing, and challenging themselves to take what is taught back to "every day life" (school).

* Those that come from the first group and then learn about church, and help to start a movement.

The movie also shows a good description of what high school life can be with the different groups, people picking on others who are different, and just the roughness of being a teen.

I strongly think that this movie in every form (even the party scenes, cursing, and "real life" moments) SHOULD be shown to all teens. I am disturbed by the fact that most Youth Group Leaders though will never show this to their youth. Why? Because it shows what really goes on in the lives of teens today? Is it too real for you? Are you afraid that some of the youth might then take to partying, cursing, or living a life away from God? How sad that those insecurities could keep such a valuable lesson from the next generation. And how sad that you would/could not trust that God's will would be done and that he could speak into the life's of the youth.

Wouldn't it be wiser to show the film and then TALK ABOUT IT? Pointing out how the lifestyle that was being lived is not of God and is not desirable. Then going on to point out that it is just as much of a sin to proclaim that you are a Christian while continuing to talk about others behind their backs, judge others, make fun of others, etc. Because that is real life. I would rather know that my children are being taught these types of lessons etc also at church rather than going and playing the "silly games" to just pass the time.

Games are great, they are fun, and they help to draw people in. But where is the meat to your teachings if you are avoiding what is really of this world and is really hurting today's generations?

I HIGHLY encourage ALL to watch this movie. I would have to say that it is not appropriate for those under 15ish, and I really think that the parents should watch it with their teen so that conversations can blossom when the movie ends.

Life is Good, God is Great!

One Frightening Moment

We pull up to a parking spot at our regular HEB. Not too many cars are out in the lot since it's only about 8:30 in the morning. I get out, get Cooper out and while he is standing next to me, an older man (I would say gentleman, but he proved otherwise very quickly....he does not deserve that title) walked by commenting on how cute Cooper was. At that moment I was lifting Aubrey out of her seat and he said "Oh, two cute children." I politely say "Thank You" and turn back to my business of preparing to enter the store.

Just as I was closing the door, the man began talking to me again. He was apparently parked in front of us in the older, 70 model light green Ford work truck. You know, the ones with tool boxes on the sides. I look in his direction as he begins talking to me and see that he has a bicycle helmet out and is saying something to me to the effect of asking for my help with mechanical stuff because his truck....blah blah blah. That is honestly what I heard, because I could not believe what was happening.

Here I am, holding two young children dressed in mom shorts and an old t-shirt, hair pulled up in a pony tail, no makeup on, and he's attempting to lure me to his truck to ask some mechanical advice! I'm pretty sure I did NOT give off the vibe that I knew anything about cars or how they work.

On a side note, let me just say that I have saved the day in our house before by my random thoughts of how something might get fixed on the vehicle...Randell will probably never admit that, but it's true. ALTHOUGH...I know nothing "technically" about vehicles....period!

So, I again politely, but firmly now say "I won't be able to help you, although there are plenty of HEB employees inside that are men that would be able to help you." I then grab Cooper's hand, turn around and begin walking into the store. I hear him behind me say "I'm sorry to inconvenience you" in a sarcastic tone. At this point I figure that I've blown this guy off and to not worry with him anymore, other than to tell the HEB manager that this guy needs to be watched.

Fast forward to me checking out. The manager that I told about this guy begins bagging my groceries. When she is finished, she says that she will have a bagger walk out with me. I look at her amazed that this guy is still outside and that he's still acting odd. At first I started to decline the bagger....after her insistence though, I agreed and I am glad that I did.

We walk out to see two guys at the this truck, both looking very shady. Appearance is everything in this....these guys screamed CREEPS from the get-go. I load the kids up all the while these guys truck miraculously begins working again (surprise!). The HEB employee and I then look over to the other door to the store and see that 4 managers are watching, even glaring at these guys along with 2 managers at the other door, the one that we had just walked out of. I have to admit that I feel very blessed that this is our regular store because, well, yes.....they knew me! And most of them know that I am a former HEB employee, not that that makes any difference other than that I feel comfortable trusting them in a moment like this.

As I start the vehicle, the managers confront the two men. As I am backing up, the first man who had spoken to me walks over to his side of the truck, glares at me and STARES at the license plate. I'm guessing that the managers made it clear that they were not welcome on their property anymore. I am waiting in the right turn lane to leave the HEB area and head home while the truck pulls into the left lane. After I turn and begin driving, I glance in the mirror to see them abruptly change their direction to follow me. I was able to lose the truck for a bit so I decided to pull into a firestation and see if these guys were coming my way. As I saw them pass in the opposite direction of where I was, I felt myself begin to shake. Thankfully I had lost them. I'm not sure what their intentions were, but I am glad that I never had to find out.

While I drove to switch vehicles with Randell, since we didn't want them to see me in the Tahoo anymore today, just in case, I had a flood of emotions.

HOW DARE someone feel that they have a right to place fear into someone just so they can feel powerful. HOW DARE they come to where I feel safe, comfortable, and secure and take that away just because they are CREEPS! HOW DARE they mess with anyone, let alone a mother of two small children that would die for her child's safety.

I've worked through a lot of emotions today, a big one being FEAR. I know these guys have no clue where I live, but tonight might just be a hard night for me get some sleep because my security has been shaken today.

Please pray for me.

Life is Good and God is Great.

To Tag or Not To Tag

It has happened....the annoying teenage (or tweenage) taggers have made it back into our neighborhood. While this normally wouldn't bother me before having children, now I look at tagging on a whole new level. I think it's trashy, disrespectful and when left up can make a neighborhood look and feel unsafe. It's amazing how a little bit of spray paint can bring up all of these feelings.

So, this morning I was on a walk with the kids when we saw a lady on the main street of our neighborhood scrubbing her fence. Apparently last night a 13ish yr old boy tagged her fence and her neighbors fence. She was irate! Swearing that WHEN this "punk" gets caught, he will be going to jail for all of the damage he has done. Now, in my mind I thought....really, must we use our tax dollars to pay for yet ANOTHER punk kid to be in juvy just because his parents have no desire to know where he is or what he is doing? Instead let's find a better punishment.

I am seriously contemplating printing up this flier and putting it on everyone's door in our neighborhood.

To the Disrespectful Taggers and his Ignorant Parents:

It seems as though your child's artistic ability has been ignored and over looked. While you, the parent, are doing who knows what, your child has decided to take his "art" to the streets. This would not bother the general public as much if it was done in a tactful manner such as in an art studio, for charity, etc. Since it seems as though your child has no concern for the amount of money a new fence costs or the amount of time and labor it takes to repaint, scrub, or pressure wash a fence, I have come up with a sensible conclusion to this matter.

First and foremost, we the neighbors who live in this neighborhood will now be on the look out for YOUR child. WHEN (not if, but when) your child is caught we will of course make sure to have this issue documented. At that point, we will then take matters into our own hands. There will be no "juvy" time for your teen (or tween), instead you will be able to watch as we destroy YOUR fence, house, grass, or whatever else your child has managed to damage while on his "tagging episode." Then, both you and your teen will be supervised in cleaning not only the damage to your residence BUT also the damage to everyone's house, fence, etc that is from the hands of your child. If it wasn't your child who tagged a particular fence, that's okay, they can still clean it.

Let this be a lesson to those out there....if it's not your property then LEAVE IT ALONE!

What do you think? Too harsh? I mean it's got to be better than the slap on the hand the cops seem to do with the taggers these days.

Life is Good, God is Great.

Fun in the Sun

Fun in the Sun.....and water.....and SAND! Sand everywhere! That's right, we went down to the beach earlier this month and had a blast.

Cooper enjoyed playing in the sand and swimming in the "pool" area of the bay. He was not a fan of the waves and would NOT even put a toe where they would come up to. While we were swimming in the "pool" area of the bay, Cooper was jumping off the wall into my arms. At one point I was putting him back on the wall, and a crab swam up between me and the wall. Now, this was not one of those little crabs that scurries along the sand. No, no....this was a BIG crab! It was technically not "scary", although I had a reaction of shock which sent Cooper into hysterics! He had no desire to jump back into that area.

On top of this incident, he was the target of a seagull's poo....we tried to not make a big deal of it, but it was pretty darn funny. Soon after this, Randell found some baby shrimps and went to put them into the mote that they had built in the sand. Cooper, who had already been through an eventful day, was not too excited about seeing shrimp.

All in all though, Cooper enjoyed his time at the beach. Even Aubrey loved the sand, water, and sun. I hope you enjoy the pictures , check them out by clicking on the link to your right.

Life is Good, God is Great

It Has begun

A few weeks ago, C came home saying "whatever, whatever, whatever" to EVERYTHING! So, we had a talk about how we don't use that word really around the house because it is not a good word to use...I don't need him to already be saying "whatever" when I ask him to do something.

Fast forward to two days ago, I am talking on the phone and ended up saying "whatever." C was right there and looked up at me and said, "Mommy, we do not say whatever in this house. It is not nice," in a very serious tone. Oh man....it has begun.

A quick update for those who follow us....

*We still live a crazy life! :)
*We enjoy every bit of it!
*Cooper finished MDO for the year and now has the summer off to play and maybe sleep in....could it happen?
*Aubrey is working on her 6th tooth! Yes, it's been crazy, but we're getting through it.
*Aubrey just might be walking before her 1st birthday...she's pretty steady on her feet.
*I will begin working at MDO next year teaching the 2 year olds. I am very excited to get back into the MDO program...Aubrey will also be going to MDO and I am sure she will have a ton of fun.

Life is Good, God is Great!

Happy Birthday Cooper!

1 Year Ago Today….

We were celebrating your 2nd birthday, wow how time has flown! I find it hard to believe that my precious little boy is growing up so fast. You are such a “boy” these days. I can no longer think of you as a “little” baby. You have grown in so many ways. I smile everyday thinking of what a blessing you are.



Over the past year you have become a big brother, you have grown to have full out conversations, and you show your independence all the time.

Soon after your 2nd birthday you showed your independence by becoming potty trained AND sleeping in a big boy bed. You made the transition like a Rock Star! I was a little sad that you gave up your diapers and your crib within the same week, but boy am I glad we did. Potty training you was so easy that I find it hard to give advice….thank you for making my job easier! After one good fall out of your Big Boy Bed, you grew to love it and sleep on every inch of the bed, every night!

In August, you became a Big Brother! What an amazing title that brings. You are a great Big Brother to Aubrey. At first you were a bit hesitant of this little baby who seemed so delicate at the hospital. But when you and Daddy came to pick Aubrey and Mommy up from the hospital, you were so excited and ready to help. I love how you love Aubrey. I love that you pray for her every night and enjoy making her laugh during the day. Even though there are times that you think she is out to destroy your toys, you still love her! I pray that you will always have that love for your younger sister. She has an amazing brother to look up to!

You enjoy learning! You can count to 20 and spell your name. You know your shapes, colors, sounds, and alphabet. You sing “Jesus Loves Me” and “You Are My Sunshine” with me, not to mention many more songs. You are a fast runner and love to hop and ride on anything that goes! Working with Daddy out in the garage or in the yard makes you smile. You are learning so much from Daddy.

At school you enjoy playing with your friends and making your teachers laugh. You just might be my “jokester”! While I would love to say that you are sad to go to school every Tuesday and Thursday, that is not the case. You have a lot of fun and learn about God every day at school. What a wonderful blessing to be learning and playing in a great environment.

I am still amazed that we have not had a trip to the ER. You remain fearless and ready to conquer the day! You jump off the couch and bounce right back up. You even ride an ATV now….I’m SURE we’ll be in the ER soon!

I smile when you run into my room saying “Good Morning Mommy.” I was amazed at our first anatomy lessons of the differences between girls and boys; you are full of questions. I find myself tearing up at night when I give you a BIG HUG, kiss, and say “go to sleep like a green triangle.” You are my baby. I love you so much. I want to bottle up everything you do so that I can remember it next year when you are one year older.

This next year will bring even more joy. We will play, learn, and laugh together just as always. As you grow into the “little kid” that you are going to be, I will continue praying that you have a “happy heart” and enjoy your time with friends and family.




So here’s to you, Cooper James Smith. Happy 3rd Birthday (May 12, 2010)!

Endless Blessings

Three years ago on the Friday of Mother's Day Weekend, Randell and I arrived at the hospital because my water had broken. I could not think of a better way to spend my first Mother's Day than to be holding my little baby boy.

About a year and a half ago, we were confronted with some frightening news concerning Cooper's health. The possibilities of the worst case scenario were all that we could think about. Over the last year and a half we have had the privilege of seeing a wonderful Hematologist who loves Cooper and now Aubrey. He is a wonderful man who has understood my parenting style and works with it.

I find it fitting that today we went to visit Dr. Patel today after 4 months of not seeing him. Cooper has continued to show improvements with his blood count, so thus allowing us to spread out our visits. I feel that it is good to put at this point a small story concerning the power of prayer.

Numerous people have been praying for Cooper over the last year and a half, some we do not even know. About 6 months ago at our church there was a service dedicated solely to prayer and healing. Randell and I realized that throughout this past year we had not had a healing prayer done by one of our pastors. So, we took Cooper up to a wonderful man who did not know us from anything. All that I told him was that Cooper has been diagnosed with Congenital Nuetropenia. When this man began to pray, it seemed almost as if this man had been living in our living room and knew everything about us. We knew at that point that God was using this man to speak to us and to reassure us that everything would be alright.

So, today while we were sitting at the doctor's office waiting for the blood count to come back, I remembered this prayer. Dr. Patel walked in with the results and said that everything looks great. Cooper has now been released from the Hematologist care and his Nuetropenia is gone! We will of course follow up with CBC's twice a year, although that will be done by his regular pedi.

What a wonderful reminder for me to be thankful for the children that God has blessed me with. He has and will continue to watched over them and keep them safe and healthy in his hands.

3 years ago today I went into labor with my Cooper and today I can rest knowing that he has been healed! Praise the Lord!

Life is Good and God is GREAT!

Writer's Block

Writer's Block...but I wanted to show off the new layout!

It's supposed to rain all week...I'm excited! Now what to do with my days?

Aubrey has 3 teeth....1 more already on the way! AHHHH

Cooper will be 3 in a month and a half...WHAT?

I'm running 4 miles at a time these days...WOW!

Randell is building a rock wall between us and our neighbors! YIPPEE!!! :)

That's all for now...hopefully I won't have writer's block tomorrow!

Toy Story 1 & 2 Deal!!!

GREAT DEAL ALERT!!!!



Target has an instant $10 off savings when you buy Toy Story 1 & 2 @ the same time. THEN, if you go to this site

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zcxgeno9848705&bt=wg&o=62148&c=DS&p=OtVLuENh

and then this site

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zcxgeno8379145&bt=wg&o=62149&c=DS&p=2dKXc5gt

So, in the end you will be saving $30!

Along with that, you can get the FREE movie tickets for Toy Story 3 when you buy the movie! How awesome is that. AND to top it off, you are getting both the Blue Ray AND the DVD.

Grab a bucket of popcorn and enjoy!

The Irony of it All!

Life, people, and events never seem to amaze me. I actually love those moments that make me stop and wonder....REALLY?


So, a few weeks ago, we were at Home Depot and there was a drawing that you could enter to win a FREE front loader washer and dryer set. They were NICE! Of course we entered to win....who wouldn't? Now, fast forward to this past week. Randell's phone rang and I answered it (he was putting Aubrey to sleep). On the other line was a person contracted with Home Depot wanting to inform me that we had not yet won the washer and dryer (Then don't call me!....that was my thought) BUT we had won a $20 gift card. We just had to do ONE little thing to get it.....

We had to have some company (Sweetwater, I think?) come do a water test to see if we have hard water (Hello, we live in San Antonio...it's like a ROCK!). Randell decided that it sounded like a grand idea to make $20!

So, the lady arrives on Saturday morning around 11. We were told this should only take 30 minutes (yeah right!). Randell was watching the tests, which I have to admit were very interesting, and was handling most of the "appointment". So, about half way through this thing though, the sales pitch REALLY starts to shine! Using terms like "Wouldn't it be so nice to drink water straight from the tap?" or "You could save so much money with not having to buy so much soap." and so on. At that point, I totally let Randell take over. I just couldn't handle looking at this lady, who probably only works off of commission, telling her that we only said yes so that we could have the gift card.

Randell, being very nice, allows her to tell him all of the packages and prices for this system. He obviously nicely declines making a purchase and she in on her way and we have a gift card (1 hr later). Once she left, I asked Randell how much something like that would cost. I was SHOCKED and boy do I mean SHOCKED when I learned that that kind of system is at LEAST $7000. Don't get me wrong it's neat, but $7000! Woah...I can not justify that kind of spending.

So, where is the irony in all of this? Well, think about this. This company (Rainsoft/Sweetwater/something like that) is using a drawing for a washer and dryer (FREE mind you) to try to attract new customers. So, they are trying to sell a $7000 product to people who want things for FREE....hello, of COURSE we don't have the money to spend on your product!

Life is Great and God is Good!

A Beautiful You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI_YG40uEDk

After having children I truly look at life differently now. I almost laugh at how I used to be concerned with where my clothes came from, if my hair was perfectly straight, or if my clothes fit "just perfectly" to look my best. These days it is more of a miracle if my hair ends up anywhere else besides a pony tail or if even lip gloss is applied during the day.

Isn't it amazing how "wrapped up" in this world we can become to fit the "mold" that society decides. Watching shows like "What Not to Wear" on TLC or "Say Yes to the Dress" on TLC is fun, don't get me wrong, but how is it that we (society) has gotten to a point of being okay with spending $200 on a pair of pants or $6000 on a wedding dress (that's how much my entire wedding + honeymoon cost). It amazes me how society is always trying to keep up with the newest and greatest.

Could this trend be more of a selfish type idea where people always want to stay with the trend to keep eyes on them? Or could it be that people feel more important if they have the newest and greatest "thing"?

I love the song, A More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz. The song is such a TRUE thought when it comes to who we are, why we were made, and why we are here on earth. What a wonderful place to be in your heart, mind and life. I would like to believe that I am there, although I know there are still things about me that I have not "accepted" yet. My goal is to get there though! I want to experience the true happiness in life, the love for myself, and the love for others just as God intended.

I also hope that I can truly raise my children to love themselves and to not envy the next best thing. Life is not meant to be used for envy and wants, rather to give and be a selfless.

Boom Boom Ain't it Great to be CrAzY?

Yes, The Smith family now has a theme song! In fact, even our 2 yr old knows it word for word!

It has become a great stress reliever to sing our wonderful theme song so that I keep from literally going crazy at times. We first noticed that this song would help make Aubrey happy when we were driving in the car. From there on out, we have been using the song as a great distraction.

A little about our crazy life right now.....

The Wreck....
We finally have everything rolling with our insurance company to fix the tahoe. I am actually driving a rental until the END of March! The insurance company has been great though, we have even been able to get new car seats for the kids that the company paid for. My last few things that I need to do are to get to the chiropractor and go to the police to let them know about the guy who hit me.

The Illness...
It started with Aubrey having a cold. Dr. said that it would clear up and it did. Right as it was clearing up, we went to get a few of her shots and had Cooper's temp taken "just because." He had a high fever (how did I not know this?) and turns out had strep throat! That was Thursday....this is Monday, it was a LONG weekend! I'm not good at being stuck in the house...I'm just not. So, we took shifts in leaving the house, or all went out but kept Cooper away from others.

At one point during the weekend, sleep was so hard to come by for Randell and myself that the kids were sleeping on our chests (Cooper on me, Aubrey on Randell) and we walked out of their respected rooms while holding them. It was tempting to have all of us climb into one bed. We couldn't though because when one coughed it would wake up the other. I THINK we got a good nights sleep last night!

The Garden...

It's almost ready for plants! I'm so excited. My great friend, Emily, and her two daughters will be assisting in planting, weeding, and picking the fruits of our labor. Randell has done a great job of getting the plant beds built and ready.

The Crafts....

I've decided to take on the project of making the invitations, decorations, party favors, etc for Cooper's birthday party. Since we are not having the party here, I figure since I won't have to clean the house (YIPPEE!!!), I can focus my attention on getting the crafts put together. I will post pictures I'm sure.

That's it for now. Back to our crazy life!

Life is Good, God is Great!

Quick update....just because

Quick update on us before I get some sleep!

Randell: Work is going well, he was moved back to the division that he really enjoys, so he does not dread work near as much! We have talked about new plans for the future regarding his job, it should be interesting to see where God will lead us.

Me: The kids and I were in a wreck this past Monday. A F150 T-Boned us going about 40 mph. He ran a red light. I'm a bit stiff and will probably go see a chiropractor. The down side to all of this is that the guy acted like he had insurance, even produced a card and everything, but we later got a call that he is not covered! So, it's been an adventure, one that I hope ends in my Tahoe coming back looking as pretty as before!

I am still tutoring and enjoying it. The SAHM's group is also growing like crazy (number wise and friendship wise). I have also been talked into running a "made up" 10K. I say "made up" because one of my close friends literally made it up! We're going to extend it out to all of the Mom groups around us to see if we can get something going. We'll see! So, I'm now training almost everyday for this thing....oh man!

Cooper: Has become even smarter! He is GOOD at persuasion and asking nicely for things that he probably should not have. One of his best phrases is "I weally wish this were mine" or "I weally wish I had a toy like that" while holding a sad puppy face! I can't help but laugh at him!

Aubrey: She is about to crawl! She rocks like CRAZY!!! She's finally in her crib for most of the night, although she is still waking up a lot. She's almost 19 pounds and has thunder thighs! She's not too interested in foods yet, although today she went to town on ritz crackers....so hopefully we'll skip baby food all together.

Alright, off to bed I go! Posting more to come!

Life is Good, God is Great!

A Tribute to Stay at Home Moms

This is a great article! To read it better, click on the actual article.

State Voting....interesting Propositions

Come March it will be time to vote for propositions and whatever else they like to put on the ballot! Randell brought to my attention two of the propositions that will appear on the ballot. I thought they looked very interesting and wanted to share them with you!

Ballot Proposition #4: Public
Acknowledgement of God

The use of the word “God”, prayers, and the Ten
Commandments should be allowed at public
gatherings and public educational institutions,
as well as be permitted on government
buildings and property.

Ballot Proposition #5: Sonograms

The Texas Legislature should enact
legislation requiring a sonogram to be
performed and shown to each mother about
to undergo a medically unnecessary, elective
abortion.

Pray, Vote, Pray....The Lord will guide you on how you should vote!

Life is Good; God is Great!

Your Occupation?

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love.” -Mildred B. Vermont

This past weekend, I was reminded of how special the title of "Mom" is. I love the hugs, the trust, and the responsibility that I have to raise my children. I smile at the fact that Cooper has learned so much and the lessons will only continue as he grows.

So this weekend, Aubrey spiked a fever on Saturday morning. Because of the test results from her recent VCUG (that costs an arm and a leg apparently to our new insurance....that's another story for another day!), and since she had been congested for about 5 days already, we decided to take her in to see the doctor. Sadly enough I was hoping for an ear infection so that we would not have to visit the Children's Hospital to get labs run again. Sure enough though we were sent over to the hospital to have a urinalysis lab, rsv lab, and a flu test done.

We waited for a bit to have the labs run, so we were sitting in the waiting area. There was a mom there with her two boys (one who was under a year old and the other looked to be about 3). During the 20 -30 minutes of waiting, I never once heard a positive remark come out of the mothers mouth to her 3 year old son. She was constantly on him about how she had told him to sit down and stay still (yeah right for a 3 year old) and that he needed to keep him money in his pocket and stop dropping it (again, she had no toys for him....what was he supposed to do?).

It took all I had to not get up and go say a few remarks to that mother. How sad it was that she could not realize that all her son was doing was trying to get some attention (ANY ATTENTION!). I also felt so bad for the mother that she could not step back and see that children thrive on LOVE yet die inside on negativity!

Instead of giving her a few remarks, I sat there hugging and kissing Aubrey while praying for that mother. In the end, Aubrey's lab results came back negative and she was back to her normal self the next day. While it was a "waste of time" in my head at that time to be sitting there, I know God put me there to stop my life and pray for that mother and her children.

I love my occupation....do you cherish your occupation as well?

Life is Good and God is Great!

Baking with Cooper-man!

We baked today.....although afterwards our kitchen looked like a tornado went through it! I thought you would enjoy the pictures!







We had a lot of fun! And it was very yummy.

Life is Good and God is Great!

To Be Happy or Not?

Tonight is A's first night in her crib. Yes, I know she's 5 and a half months old....but I LOVE LOVE LOVE her being in bed with us! I love knowing that she is safe and feels safe sleeping right next to us. Cooper slept in our bed till he was 6 months old, so we are right on track with A. Honestly, I think she could sleep in our bed for a lot longer than C, except for one thing....she rolls around like crazy!

So today we began naps in the crib. Honestly she is such an easy sleeper and child that it doesn't take much to put her in her crib, or anywhere else for that matter. It is completely opposite from what we did with C (bouncing, swaying, back patting....forever!).

Tonight we decided to try the crib out and see how long she would sleep. Well, it's been almost 2 hours and she's still sleeping very well. I'm almost sad that she hasn't woken up yet. And truthfully, I can see myself bringing her into our room for the rest of the night!

She's also eating cereal and bananas now. I used to think (and still do) that baby food in general is not needed. There is NO nutritional value in them and C hated the thought of eating anything else but the liquid GOLD that I produced! Again, different baby though....A reaches for our food, plates, cups, etc all the time. She is so excited to eat her cereal. We even brought back the "singing and dancing" routine that we used to do to get C to open his mouth for food. We had a ton of fun and C joined in on the dancing!

It is such a blessing to watch them interact more and more these days. There are more "No, Aubrey, that is my toy" or "Aubrey, you're too little for that" and "It's okay Aubrey, I'm right here."

Life is Great and God is Good! (now to check on A) :)

Big Truck Coming

I'm not sure what it is about the age 2 years and 8 months that requires repetition in EVERYTHING that is said! I love hearing C talk and I love having conversations with him. I enjoy the fact that he WANTS to learn more and find out how and why something works a certain way. It really does make me smile.

Today was a great day. Aunt Jessi and Uncle Larry are here visiting and we all LOVE it! A smiles at Larry all the time and C loves playing and painting with Jessi. So instead of sitting around the house, we went to play at the Family Fun Center. After building a great Tic Tac Toe game at Lowes, we headed to Spring Branch. We had so much fun and are all TIRED!

C was so tired that when we got home and were outside grilling, he repeated "there's a big truck coming" over and over and OVER! It was funny. I find myself asking him different questions when he repeats things so that he is always having to think of the next answer. It's so much fun hearing his response.

Both kids are out now...hopefully we will have a great nights sleep! Off to enjoy the Wii and a glass of wine! Cheers!

This is far too familiar!

I remember talking with Cooper's old Pedi Urologist on the phone asking why it was so necessary for him to have another invasive VCUG done when he had had no complications with UTI's or Kidney infections. I remember ending the conversation thinking that the urologist was some sort of "Ego-Centered" person, honestly! He had made one comment to me that bothered me:

"Well, since Cooper has reflux then your baby (I was pregnant at the time) has a 1/3 chance of having reflux as well."

Now this sentence bothered me because he didn't want to look at the positive side of it, that the baby could have a 2/3 chance of NOT having reflux, but instead wanted to scare me into the thought of "what if's".

Isn't that how most of the medical world is. I feel that they are always looking at health, life, and death as such a negative topic. Why is it for example that birth is such an "AWFUL experience" and the only thing that some OB's and nurses talk about is the pain of childbirth? Childbirth is a wonderful time when you are welcoming your baby into the world...it's not supposed to be scary and horrible. I think we could all use a more positive spin on health and medicine and how the two should HELP each other, not hurt each other.

SO....all that to say that Aubrey ended up with a UTI a few months back. Part of me wishes I wasn't an aware parent who recognized this and got her to the doctor (although I'm very happy that I am an educated, informed, and responsible mother). After debating with the pedi if I REALLY thought we should do the VCUG on Aubrey, I finally agreed to it. It was awful, there's no way of putting that nicely. It's just an awful test. And the results were not that great either.

When the Radiologist began explaining what I was seeing, I went right back to remembering seeing it for the first time when we had Cooper's VCUG done. She explained everything as if she had it memorized from all of the patients who end up having reflux. It was far too familiar. Aubrey has Grade 2 Bilateral Bladder Reflux. To me this means that we get to add one more thing to the list to debate about with the pediatrician! Good thing she knows my thoughts about invasive medicine. She will most likely out grow it just like Cooper has probably already outgrown his (I wouldn't know, I nicely declined all of the attempts to re-test him).

All this to say....BE POSITIVE! Things happen for a reason. You might not know the reason, but who cares....God is still in control! There is ALWAYS a reason, even if it was just so that you could be a witness with the smile on your face and your 5 month olds face to the person sitting next to you in the waiting room that day. There is ALWAYS a GOOD reason for things to happen, because God is in control!