Just One Year Ago

Can you believe that just ONE year ago this was what was happening?

and now this is where life is....

crazy huh?! Just one year ago. I was pregnant with S celebrating T's 2nd birthday (I'm the one in the grey, insanely pregnant) and now little miss is sitting on my lap celebrating her FIRST birthday. That to me is just pure craziness! These babies go from super tiny (well not my babies) to walking, eating, growing machines all in the first 12 months! What an awesome God we have to ever be able to design us this way!

anyways I just wanted to show some pictures from last year to the day to this year. I just can not wrap my mind around it.

{12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge: Day 6}

Day 6: Gift Ideas (FOR ME!)

All I really want for Christmas this year is a positive pregnancy test with a healthy little one on the way. That's it.

please. pretty pretty please.

{12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge: Day 4 & 5}

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly Holiday Season

I have recently gotten into Dave Ramsey! (He is awesome!) We are following his baby steps 1-7 if you haven't heard of him I highly suggest you go here. We follow DR and use the envelope system after each paycheck. (We take $200 out for groceries each paycheck and put that amount in the envelope, so once the envelope is empty we're out til payday) It really helps cut down on the last minute grocery trips. We use an envelope for groceries, gas, and blow money, and eating out. We usually have some left over money that doesn't go to the credit card or truck loan so we still are able to have some family fun without going over board.

As long as I start buying little things here and there for our Christmas gift list than we are set by the time Christmas rolls around!

Day 5: Favorite Christmas Movie

oh man, I don't think I have a favorite...Christmas time is my favorite time of year so beginning in September/October I start watching all the Christmas movies.

Christmas Vacation
Elf
Jingle All The Way
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Deck The Halls
Christmas Story
Home Alone
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Christmas With The Cranks

Happy Thanksgiving.

Today especially I am reminded of all I have to be thankful for. I am so thankful for my husband sitting across the table from me right now, he is scanning the black friday ads with a look of anticipation of all that I will be up early to get for him! I am thankful for my little boy who is sitting beside me playing with his 'car puter' (car computer) He is amazing. He has brought a joy to my life that I didn't know exsisted. I am thankful for my new baby girl who will be 1 on Monday! She is currently touching the electrical outlets for the 8 bazillionth time today. I am thankful for my mom, dad, sister, brother, and sister in law back home in Missouri. I am thankful for Stacy for getting up with me in about 8 hours to go shopping with me. I am thankful for all my friends out here in San Diego. I am thankful for Nikki and John who let us come over and eat Thanksgiving lunch with them. I am thankful for this cozy comfy house we get to call ours and I am thankful that Jake is here with us this year for thanksgiving. That means the most to all of us. I am thankful for all the men and women who are serving in the military that can not be home for Thanksgiving this year.

{12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge: Day 3}

Day 3: Most Meaningful Gift/Best Gift you've received



I've been thinking about this topic today since I got up this morning....I love Christmas, but to be honest I can't really recall any gifts that I just loved or dreamed of. This is kind of cliche but the best gift I have ever been given is my children. I have been blessed with Tyler and Storie. I thank God everyday and night for giving me these precious gifts for as long as he sees fit. They are the gifts that keep on giving, everyday they bring a new smile to my face and a new laugh to my lips. They are the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.

{12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge: Day 2}

Day 2- Black Friday/General Shopping Tricks & Tips



I use to get up early with my momma and go shopping for Black Friday, but I can't remember the last time I was able to go...Lets see...2 years ago I was in labor and delivered Ty on Thanksgiving and last year I was too pregnant with Storie and delivered her 3 days after Thanksgiving. LOL. Plus I've just about got all my shopping done for Christmas, but I will tell you how I go about it.

Tyler and Storie are pretty easy to shop for right now so usually starting in August/September I will start getting them something every paycheck and stash it away in the closet. This gets a bit tricky because their birthdays are November 22 & November 29th so I'm buying birthday presents and than Christmas presents. This year I got them about 6 presents each and a combined 'Santa' present. I think next year I'm going to try the "want, need, wear, read" approach to their presents. I read it somewhere and now I can't quite remember where. But its obvious you get each child something that they want, something that they need, something to wear, and than a book or two to read. I think its a cute idea. Plus it cuts down on all the toys. We'll see....I LOVE buying presents for people, especially them so we'll take it a day at at time. ;)

This year I got Ty a firetruck, converse sneakers, Talking Woody, and a bike! Storie is getting a tea set, a fridge magnet set thing, a Jessie doll, converse sneakers, and a pair of earrings. They are each getting daddy dolls and their combined present is a kitchen set! I CAN NOT wait for the daddy dolls. It's a 12in replica of daddy in his uniform, I figured we'd get them now before deployment comes up...............soon (ugh)

anyways so this post was mainly what I got instead of how I got them, but oh well. The major point is I start early and use coupons!

12 days of Christmas

I am linking up with Aly & Molly over at analyze this to have some fun for a few days and share some Christmas spirit to jump start December with!

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday Traditions:

Well usually if we were flying home to Missouri for Christmas...Christmas eve we would head to my Grandma/pa Floyd's house around 7pm for dinner, games, and gifts. We always have so much fun over there. All my cousins come and there's just so many of us and we're all close in age with little cousins too.
Christmas morning we open presents at either my parents house or Jake's parents house and than at noon its off to my Grandma/pa Sides house for lunch with the entire other side of the family! After that we head home to unwind and relax, maybe watch 'The Christmas Story' for the rest of the night.
butttttt.....this year the Mr. and the 2 kids and I are staying right here in good ole San Diego. I am both excited about this and a bit sad. I am sad because how awesome is it going to look with decorated beach houses and lit palm trees. There won't be a white Christmas just sand. :( I am excited though too, I'm ready to start my own traditions with the kids and our little family. I just bought 'Elf On A Shelf' and I'm so excited to start reading it and in a few years be able to hide the elf where the kids can find him! I can't wait to take them to see Santa in their matching pjs! I'll have to look into some new traditions we can start just us tonight! :)


here's a list of the topics/days that will be covered:
day 1: Christmas/Holiday Traditions
day 2:Black Friday/ General shopping tricks & tips
day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received.
day 4:Tips/tricks to a budget friendly holiday season
day 5:Favorite Holiday movie/ tv show special
day 6:Gift Ideas (What do YOU want?)
day 7:Holiday craft/ DIY
day 8:Least favorite thing about the holidays
day 9:Favorite Holiday receipe
day 10:Favorite Christmas songs/caroles
day 11:New Year resolutions
day 12:Show us your decorations (indoor/out)
day 13:Favorite Cookie reciepe
day 14: Oprah's favorite things:What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience.

*Days 1-3 are November 22-24 NO BLOG CHALLENGE on Thanksgiving. Day 4 will pick up November 26*