Counting our blessings...

Eggs, Bugs, and Beans

2010-09-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

This post is inspired by an event my daughter hosted two days ago in her bedroom. I am kicking myself already for not getting pictures, but surely you will understand why. I was cleaning downstairs and Shaelana was watching a movie with a snack. While in another room, I heard her go upstairs, assumingly to play in her room like always. That was my first mistake...never assume anything with a toddler in the house...pure ignorance! After a few minutes up there, I heard her turn on the heater in her room so I immediately went up to turn it off and what I walked into was what resembled a chicken coop massacre.

She had managed to get an 18 count carton of eggs up the stairs, which still had 15 eggs in it and she EGGED her own room. Unbelievable. I was in a state of shock. There, in her freshly painted, newly decorated, brand new EVERYTHING pretty little room was 15 smashed eggs covering every surface but the ceiling. I didn't know whether to yell, laugh, cry or just walk away. The look on her face was priceless and I am certain mine reflected hers. A phone call to Brandon, a bath and a google search later I was off to conquer the mess. I learned that if you put salt on raw egg, it will absorb the goo and assist in cleaning it up so the pouring commensed! Almost 2 containers of salt, plenty of hot water, half a bottle of all purpose cleaner, 3 towels, 2 washcloths, ALOT of elbow grease and nearly an hour later - I managed to clean the mess. Wow.

I heard a great story that made me feel light hearted about the "event" that day. A medical scientist recently received a prestigious award and upon accepting it, he said he wanted to thank his Mom. He said his reason for thanking her all resorted back to one child hood memory when he had gone to the fridge, pulled out everything in it and spread a mess of things all over the floor. When his mother walked in and found the mess, her face went from looking like "she was going to eat me, to a smile". She then sat down in the floor with him, and they played and made designs in the messy kitchen floor. When he asked her why, later in life, she said it was because the mess had already been made, and had to be cleaned regardless, so why not take advantage of the moment and make a memory. And she did. While I didn't play in the egg mess with Shaelana, it did inspire me to try to look at all of the crazy moments differently and take the opportunity to see what positive things could come from it. In addition, my Mom reminded me that God uses many ways to teach us. In this instance, I feel that the lesson to be learned here is that it only takes a brief moment for something disasterous to happen. Possibly it was protection for us. In the time that it took her to have a little fun, a tragedy could happen. It makes me thankful, in an odd twist. I still wonder what inspired her to do that. Possibly her interest in cooking? Maybe a different form of art? Or possibly just found the crunching shell and slippery egg to be too much fun to stop at just one. No matter the cause, I decided that she needed a more acceptable creative outlet!

With that in mind, I took advantage of our surroundings and the next morning we spent some time exploring our own front yard. We discovered so many creatures and life forms and learned some fun things together.

A big slimy slug

Some mystery fruit budding on our tree in the front yard. I still can't figure out what it is...time will tell! I am excited for a fruit tree though!

Some big mushrooms near the hydrangeas

Some little tiny mushrooms near the steps

An earthworm. This guy was the most fun. Shaelana freaked OUT when I picked it up! She was screaming and covering her ears "I don't like the worm! I don't like the worm!" She warmed up to it enough to offer flowers and leaves for him to eat, but refused to touch it! So funny!

One of the many many species of spiders in our yard. On any given day, I promise you will see atleast 15 different types out there. As long as they stay off of us, we leave them alone.

A rolie polie! I loved these as a little girl. Shaelana didn't understand the fascination.

One of my 15 rose bushes in bloom. This one produces sweetheart roses, and I liked this bud.

Yesterday morning, for our daily project, we decided to do some low key crafts!

Her supplies.

Shaelana hard at work on her pretty picture.

The finished project! So fancy. Some of the noodles fell off when we moved it to take the picture. I am thinking liquid glue and flat noodles for the next one!

I have to say, though these little adventures are small, they are a wonderful part of our day. Best of all, Shaelana has been a better behaved child! Ofourse, I haven't replaced the eggs yet...so we will see if that lasts...

Ready Set Go!

2010-09-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am back...seriously this time! I finally got a new computer and I have ALOT of catching up to do. Over a years worth of time to be exact! I feel a bit overwhelmed at the idea of backtracking and trying to blog an entire year, in order, prior to blogging about what is going on in our life now so I have decided to just start with NOW. I am sure I will have that "catch-up" post to throw in there somewhere but not today lol!

So, a little update for any who don't know:

In January of this year, Brandon and I decided that more than anything, we were tired of waiting to move out of Arizona, so we just made the decision on where to go, and within 2 weeks of that decision we were on our way to Seattle, Washington!Talk about an awesome whirlwind of an experience and spontanaeity. We were hardcore. The most amazing part is, 8 months later, we are still blissful that we made the decision and it has proved to be a very good one for us in many many aspects of our life.

So here we are! But what are we doing? Well, Brandon was recently promoted from a medical billing specialist, to billing manager and then promoted again to practice manager for the doctor's office he is at! Awesome! I couldn't be more proud of him. He is such an amazing person and he works so hard to take care of us. Now he loves what he does and the people he works with have became friends, not just colleagues, so bonus for us!
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Shaelana is 2, closer to 3 now and she is growing way too fast! She is still a short and tiny thing, but what she lacks in size, she makes up for in attitude! Let me just say that having her in our life, there is rarely ever a dull moment. She loves to make us laugh. She adores singing and picks up on songs so quickly it amazes me. Dancing, horses, makeup, puppies, tea parties, Caillou, and Sid the Science Kid are a few of her most favorite things. She is a total rotten mess when she decides to be and there are days I wonder if we are going to make it until bedtime before I lose what little bit of sanity I had in the first place. She is sooo smart! She knows all of her body parts, names and sounds of many many animals, can recognize and point out several letters, can count to 10, tell you her full name, birthday, Mommy and Daddy's name, how old she is, and where she lives. She has a sign language vocabulary of over 60 words! She has been potty trained through the day since she was younger than 2, and at 2 and 4 months, has been completely potty trained through the night as well! Shaelana is just an incredible little joy in our life! I am one proud Momma! Can you tell? :0)

Lexie is nearly 8. She started 2nd grade this year, and is in Texas right now with her Mom, step dad, and brother, but they are in transition to be stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska! What an adventure for her! She is excited and says she "can't wait to live in the North Pole and see polar bears walking down the street"! I love the way kids think! Adorable! She is also became a Brownie this year!

As for me, I just turned 28. Wow. I swear the gray hair and wrinkles showed up the night of my birthday...LOL! I am a stay at home Momma still, but in addition, I have began an at home bakery. This came about purely by accident after I made Shaelana's cake for her first birthday, but I have to say, it is a ton of fun! I mostly do specialty cakes and occasionally home made breads, pies and other goodies. Who knew that something I liked doing for the creative aspects would turn into an income additive to our household? I am enjoying it though and now that we are good and settled here in Washington, I hope to rebuild my clientele. Sooner than later, I plan to have a blog for my cakes too, but one step at a time!

As I am composing this, I am realizing how much I missed blogging!!! It really is theraputic and feels good to get some thoughts and experiences out on "paper". Get ready to see alot of The Bell family on blogspot! We have bookoo's of pictures to post!

2010-02-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

Recently we were doing a little spontaneous shopping and we were approached by a photographer who asked if we would be do an impromptu photo shoot of Shaelana. We figured sure! Free portraits involved so why not?

I am so proud of her! She completely backed out of her holiday portraits and we weren't able to take any of her. Fortunately she warmed up to the camera this time and hammed it up for all of us. Now I can finally schedule an appointment for family portraits! YAY!

***NOW I WANT TO CRY!!! I haven't blogged in a year and while I have many pictures from last year to post, seeing the difference from my last post to this one makes me realize how much my baby has grown up! It is wonderful and heartbreaking all at once. Where did the time go???***

Earth to Tylonda...Anyone out there?!

2010-02-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

Okay so unlike what I originally hoped, I have yet to get a new computer! SAD! I know. I miss blogging and almost a year has gone by. So if you are wondering if I am floating somewhere in space, the answer is yes! Haha! AND we have finally landed! This won't be a long post, and sorry no pictures yet, but I am "dropping in" to say hello, and warn you I will be back soon. *smiles*

Many many many things have happened over the last year, so to play catch up will take time I don't have today, but will make time for very soon as I AM FINALLY getting a new computer! YAY! Not today, but in a couple of weeks. So stay tuned...

I miss you all!

Quick Update

2009-04-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogworld!!! My pc is DEAD and I have no way to connect thus the lack of posts and comments. Trust me, I miss it!

We moved into our new house in Catalina about a month and a half ago, and so far we really love it. It is great for our family and what we need at this time in our life so we are very thankful!

Shaelana is doing fantastic, still creating many more opportunities for "Uh-Oh" posts, but to save everyone time, I'll say she is a typical toddler. Big attitude, big agenda, most of which she shouldn't be doing. SMART! She is trying to count to three, can point out many body parts, and sings in baby babble. She understands many directive things and follows appropriately (Where's your cup? Let's go night-night. Time to take a bath. Sit on the potty....etc.) She is officially no longer drinking a bottle. We made her quit cold turkey when we bought her some great new sippy cups. A week later she was forced to say bye-bye to the binky as well. She is sleeping in a toddler bed, in her own room, through the night with NO tears! YAY! HUGE accomplishment in that department. We all sleep better now! She is amazing and I love her more everyday!

Lexie is getting so big! She is writing and reading and learning addition, and counting and recognizing coins. Her favorite subject is art. She loves to doodle, color and draw. She is very inquisitive about God now and is asking many questions. We love sharing with her about our Heavenly Father. Children her age have so many questions about every single thing, so its great she's applying some of those to her faith too. I'm impressed with her intelligence.

Easter was great! We had a big picnic with the family at the park, flew kites, blew bubbles, played on the playgrounds and wore ourselves out! I have some great pictures of the girls from then, but don't have my pictures on this pc....so I guess they'll wait!

Hopefully I will be back soon!

Uh-Ohhh!!!

2009-02-23T22:51:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official! Shaelana has moved right on into the early toddler stage. Yes, I know she is only 13 months, but that isn't stopping her from giving us a little preview of what is called the "terrible twos"! Thank goodness I'm a Momma with a sense of humor and a camera with a battery charge just in case. Otherwise, you might have missed out on these oh so funny moments in our life!

Let's start with pudding. Late one evening, Mommy and Shaelana are sharing some chocolate pudding, when Shaelana decides to be a big girl and feed herself. Mommy's turn is now over, and her share has ran out! This is how it ended...

Oh yes...Sugar rush leads to passing out in Daddy's arms less than 10 minutes later.

THEN! This past Sunday, while Daddy and Mommy are enjoying a movie at home, Grandma asks if it is okay to give Shaelana a lollipop. SURE! We say in unison, looking forward to the time the lolli is sure to guarantee us of uninterrupted silence to finish the movie. Oh no no. A few minutes into this delicious sucker, our little one starts whining and getting pretty mad and vocalizing this. We glance up from our movie to find her in her high chair with this dilemma...

"Look at the mess I've got myself into now Mom!"

"What is going on?! Where is my sucker?"

This picture turned out to be one of my favorites ever and it was purely accidental! I LOVE the reflection of her and her Daddy!!!

Into the bath she goes!

She was babbling about her experience and I love that I caught this funny face!

YAY!!! We got it out!!!

Still good enough to eat I suppose...

In the meantime, I managed to capture this great picture of her gorgeous eyes!!!

AND WE ARE NOT DONE YET!!! Just today, Mommy got a phone call from Daddy. Less than 2 minutes into this phone call, it is eerily quiet. Anyone who has a one year old knows that strange silence and can only assume it means trouble! Then comes the noise...as I step around the island in the kitchen, I find our dear Shaelana planning her next meal. See for yourself what the little chef had in mind...

Oh yes! It's Italian Night at the Bell house! Plenty of spaghetti for all!

Uh-Oh sweetheart, you have been caught red handed.

"No worries Momma! I'll put it back!"

This could take awhile...

Well, I guess this is her official "I've been caught" face. She doesn't really seem too worried though.

I have to give her credit! She did make an effort to help me clean every bit of it up! She made me laugh every time and brought true joy to my day just in all of her exploration. How blessed I am to have a healthy, curious baby who is learning of the many things that she has been wondering about for so long and who keeps every moment of my day an everchanging surprise experience. I love her endlessly!!!

Change of Heart

2009-02-17T21:55:00.001-08:00

Well it has been over a month since I have blogged and I figured I better update a little before I let it all pass me by. I think after the whirlwind of the holidays and Shaelana's birthday all compressed into a few short weeks, I was looking forward to a much needed spread of "regular" life. LOL! It was nice to just relax.

In regards to the title of this post...some months ago, I blogged about an upcoming move to Colorado for our family. After giving it alot of thought, having many changes in our personal circumstances, and finally realizing the impact that our extended family has on our everyday life, Brandon and I have decided to just stay put for a little while. We continued having more and more uncertainty as to whether or not we were making the right choice to move, and feeling like we never reached a point of peace in the decision, and having that confirmation through prayer that we were searching for, we realized we aren't supposed to be somewhere else at this point in our life. When the two of us stopped resisting that fact, blessings started pouring in from the Lord as if to say "You are making the right choice!" It is so wonderful to have the peace that only comes from the Father. So our change of heart is to stay in Arizona until we are lead elsewhere by the Lord, if that time comes. We have been staying at Brandon's parents house for a couple of months now, during the change of our decisions, and today, we finally signed a lease for our new home! We couldn't be more excited! It is fitting for our family of four, and we are all thrilled to be able to spread back out into our own territory. Brandon's parents have been incredibly gracious to open their home to us, and tolerable of our unforeseen circumstances, and the very different stage of life that we are all in so we are very thankful they have helped us along the way. Our home is in Catalina, Arizona. It is on the outskirts of Tucson, and there is much more room to breathe in the neighborhoods here, with wonderful views of the mountains!

Brandon also got a new job at Tucson Medical Center in the business office, which he is loving thus far. He is happy there, and that is a big thing after being in a field for so long. It was a much needed position regarding the economical changes. When the impact really hit us in that area, we learned and grew quite a bit as adults, individually, as a couple, and as parents. I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and once again, this remains the truth in this circumstance as well. We were able to step back, and take a close look at our financial situation and make changes that improved our status to allow us to live within our means and still be very happy with what we have. It feels SO wonderful to know that we are growing up!

We also had another wonderful closure to a long, treachorous journey with the child custody case for Lexie, our 6 year old daughter. That is now closed, and we share custody with her mother, allowing us to get Lexie regularly and every other holiday. It is so nice to have her back as a permanent part of our life, and being blessed to raise both of our daughters together. She has made the transition remarkably well, and I am so proud of how she has handled all of the changes. It is heart breaking that children have to endure some of these things because of errors that we make as adults, but I am blessed that God made them so resiliant and to love unconditionally. She and Shaelana thoroughly enjoy their time together too, which makes our family feel more complete!

On the downside of everything, Shaelana, Brandon and I have inherited the monsterous cold that is attacking the population lately. It is certainly no fun! I sound like a seal when I talk, supposing seals could actually talk! We are going through tissues like crazy and somewhat irritable, but with everyone hurting down to their toes what can we expect?

I have started a much needed, long put off, struggle to get back in shape. I am happy to report that, while I am still far from my actual goal, I have lost 16 pounds towards that and 8 inches overall. It is long overdue, and I finally just decided that I need to do this for my health and the longevity of my life for myself and my children. I haven't done anything but some good ol' fashioned exercise (I got a new treadmill!) and eating much healthier. I have to admit, I am a bit obsessive with counting calories, so it reflects back onto Brandon and the girls meals as well, so they have all been eating healthier too, like it or not! LOL! I'm happy with what I have done thus far, but really feel like I can improve my efforts, so I'll try to update here to keep me on track.

Lexie received her report card last Friday, and did exceptionally well in all of her classes. The only issue that we had to discuss with her, and really get her to work on is her "inappropriate socializing". Now, even though she is not my biological daughter, any that know me, KNOW very well that I wasn't exactly the quiet, shy type in school, so it was easy for me to relate to the poor doll. Her dad is just like me, so she lucked out in the aspect that we understood. We did tell her that there is a time and place though, and her education, and her friends education needed to come before her conversations. How many of you can relate to that? I mean, I know all of my friends on here were just as gabby as me back in the day!!!

Shaelana is a little pistol that is into EVERYTHING! She is walking and running everywhere. She dances and tries to sing. She has the biggest attitude EVER, and we are certain she has "little dog/man syndrom". Shaelana is really petite for her age, and she makes up for it in attitude and sound. She's a loud mouth, vibrant, and saucy as ever. She is certainly a handful, but we love every chubby inch of her. Right now her favorite word is no-no because she hears it constantly! We have been so blessed!

Unfortunately I don't have any related pictures to post. I kicked myself in the butt all last Friday because I actually packed my camera in my diaper bag, then left it in the car while Brandon, Shaelana and I joined Lexie for her Valentine's party. I went all out and made every kid and teacher awesome treat bags with a load of candy, school supplies, and toys. Brought Lexie a special balloon, and the whole class Valentine cookies. The kids were so fun, and adored having a baby in the class. After they got all hyped up on sugar (thanks to yours truly) they danced and Shaelana was out there with the big kids rockin it out. I was so mad for leaving my camera outside, but couldn't bare to miss a minute of the fun! Sometimes the memory is more important I suppose than a documented picture. That was my first experience as a Mom at school! I can't even imagine what it will be like when Shaelana starts kindergarten! I can wait though, I'm enjoying my baby while she still is one.

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

2009-01-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, January 4th, was a huge milestone in our family. It was Shaelana's 1st birthday! For weeks I had been both anxious for the day, and dreading it. I am just in amazement that a year has already past, and how quickly she is growing up. Like so many mothers before me, I really wish I could just stop the clock at times. Unfortunately, I'm not that powerful, so we had to celebrate! I wanted it to be something memorable, so I made a big deal out of it. We decided to have a ladybug fiesta! For 2 solid days prior to the party, I shopped, cooked, prepared...with little sleep I might add for this event. I really wanted her cake to be something special, and not your typical grocery store bakery cake. So after a lot of research and skepticism of my own skills, I began my 8 1/2 hour journey towards what turned out to be a perfect accent for the day. Here she is in all her glory...

Shaelana's first birthday cake. Cherry chip cake, with cream cheese icing and marshmallow fondant.

Several pictures were taken.

Views from all angles

I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome! We decorated everything in red and black ofcourse, most of which was accomplished by Brandon and my sister Raderika, as I was still stuck in the kitchen. Brandon, and I were wearing red and black, and Shaelana was sporting a darling little lady bug outfit that was a gift from Aunt Raderika.

It was well worth it though. How can you have a true fiesta without a ton of mexican food?! Everything was home made and turned out really great. We had chicken enchiladas, chips and homemade salsa, hard tacos, soft tacos, beans, 7 layer bean dip, punch, and all the condiments you could think of to accompany it.

Lexie did her part to add to the party decor. She did all of this by herself, including hanging it up by the gift table! She did a great job!

My mom, brother in-law Jason, and my dad enjoying themselves.

Lexie having fun playing in my nephews room

Grandma Ruth (Brandon's mom) and the birthday girl

Time to open presents! She was well aquainted with tearing things open since we just had Christmas, so she was able to take care of it on her own, even though we had lots of little helpers on stand by.

Here she is with one of the toys that Papa Jim got her. She has a really big fascination with cars right now, and she LOVES ones that have lights and sounds. When this was opened, she was very distracted from continuing!

My little dolly so proud of herself. She was hamming it up for everyone in the room!!!

We also got a ladybug pinata and stuffed it full of candy. Let me tell you, this thing was ridiculously hard to crack open!!! All of the kids beat on it for a good 20 minutes, and finally the men intervened and decided to bust it open. It was really cute seeing all the babies take a whack at it though.

Shaelana gathering up some of the loot that landed her way.

Time to sing the birthday song! She was fascinated with the candle!

Getting her first bites of icing.

Loving this whole help yourself to some cake thing!

Mmmm. Really getting messy now!

At the end of the day, we had a very happy birthday girl. She was blessed with many many presents from educational, fun, useful, things to drive mom and dad batty, and darling. We truly enjoyed ourself and had a great day!

I am beyond proud of her and all of the wonderful elements that she brings to my life. Brandon and I have said many times how we really can't imagine what our life would be like now if we hadn't had her. She has an enormous personality and commands attention everywhere we go. She is our little star. Her intelligence far surpasses any expectations we might have had, her vocabulary is really extensive for her age. She LOVES to make us laugh, and believes she is the funniest person. She is our greatest source of entertainment, and while I do my best at teaching her many things in life, already she has taught me so many valuable things about life and about myself. I love her endlessly and I am truly so proud of her!!! Happy Birthday my little darling!

A Very Merry Christmas

2009-01-01T06:24:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year! Brandon and I were so excited for Christmas, we decorated the house before Thanksgiving! All month long we watched all of our favorite Christmas movies, some repeatedly, and we made lots of holiday treats (probably too many) but most importantly, we made really special memories. We started Christmas Eve at Brandon's parents, where his aunts, uncles and cousins came over for a big turkey dinner, presents, and a movie. We then headed over to my parents house and were joined by my brother and sister and their families. We had a spread of holiday goodies and finger foods, opened even more presents, and all the babies played together. My nephews were good little boys and went to bed, while Shaelana and my niece decided to hang out with the adults regardless of whether or not Santa was on his way! The girls occupied themselves with marshmallows and cookies while all the adults played silly Christmas games with no shortage of laughter!!!

We came back home around midnight and Brandon read Twas the Night Before Christmas to Shaelana to put her back to sleep. Santa came to visit shortly after and left even more presents and goodies in our stocking.

I woke up early Christmas morning, and finally had to wake up Brandon and Shaelana. They were both sick and sleeping so hard and I couldn't wait anymore! Later that day, Lexie came over and we had Christmas with her as well. The girls played and giggled uncontrollably with each other, and the day was consumed with trying out all the new toys.

In addition to Christmas, we celebrated Brandon's 26th birthday!!! He is a Christmas baby, and you can imagine how difficult it is to compete with such a major holiday on your birthday. I made him his favorite cake - german chocolate, and he opened birthday presents that evening. Shaelana really got a kick out of the Happy Birthday song! I hope Brandon did as well! In honor of his birthday, I just want to say two things to him...Babe: first, I love you more every day and I am so blessed you are my husband! I hope all your wishes come true. And second, welcome to 26, now you are old just like me so stop making fun of me!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!!!

Photo Op!

Mommy's turn...

Big smiles for Christmas

My Very First Christmas!

Playing with cousins

Opening her very first present

All the baby cousins

"What is that?!" - Shaelana

Her first pony!

Trying out the new toys!

Carrying on a family tradition for atleast 3 generations

Lexie opening presents

Merry Christmas!

Gimme gimme gimme!

The prettiest princess

Sisters, a Winter Fair, and an Eyepatch

2008-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

We had a great day yesterday! It was the Annual Tucson Winter Fair and Christmas Parade downtown, and we were able to take Lexie along with us! We headed down to the fair at 3:00 and spent the afternoon eating yummy food and checking out all of the neat things artisans had for sale.

Then we headed to the parade of lights at 6:00 and met up with all of my family as well as Brandon's. It was nice and chilly out setting the atmosphere perfect for Christmas celebrations.

The two girls had a GREAT time together. They literally laughed and giggled all day. As if they had a secret that only they knew. It was so darling! At the end of the parade, while we were stuck in traffic, Lexie and Shaelana watched Horton Hears A Who (very cute movie) and shared popcorn in the backseat. We didn't interrupt the moment with any pictures, but the sight of them sharing that moment was the sweetest all day. We had a late dinner with plenty more giggles and laughter and talking...a much needed experience for the four of us. It was such a blessed day! Here are some pictures of the girls!

Playing together at Grandma's house.

All Smiles!

Daddy and his two girls

Sharing a moment

Lexie riding the children's ferris wheel at the fair

Shaelana watching her sister in awe

Sweet moment of sister bonding

Playing together

Lastly, my daughter is learning where facial features are and how to say them. Her most recent accomplishment is "eyes". She says it perfectly and this morning, lying in bed I decided to test her knowledge. I asked her "Where are Mommy's eyes?" With little hesitation, she showed me just how smart she is and poked me right in the eye! Didn't hit the eyelid at all, but instead got all eyeball! Unfortunately for me, Sunday's are the day I always trim her nails (force of habit) and we hadn't accomplished that just yet this morning, so now I have a corneal abrasion, which feels like sand is in my eye. Thus, the gorgeous new accessory of a homemade eyepatch since it's Sunday and I refuse to sit in urgent care today. Surprisingly it helps, but I thought I would add to the fun and journal this one!

Oh so fashionable!!!

Introducing Santa!

2008-12-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

Last night, Brandon and I took Shaelana to see Santa Claus for the very first time! This is a little insight as to how their first meeting went...

Haha! It was a memory atleast. Fortunately, her candy cane made it much much better, and the entire experience wasn't a bad one for her. I can't wait to scrapbook these!

Husband Tag

2008-12-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Jennifer to do this about my hubby, so here goes!

1. How long did you date before you got married? 2 years and 3 months, although he was planning our wedding by the second month of our relationship!

2. How long have you been married? We just celebrated our first anniversary on November 16.

3. What does he do that surprises you? Out of the blue he will tell me how beautiful I am. It always surprises me because he just stares at me with this inquisitive look on his face and then he tells me I'm gorgeous or something edifying like that.

4. What is his best feature? His piercing blue eyes. In the morning when he is getting ready, I still completely get lost in them. SO GORGEOUS!

5. What is his best quality? He is such a great Daddy. He is so interactive and affectionate and both of our girls are in love with him!

6. Does he have a nickname for you? Just Babe. We say that to each other so much more than our actual names that Lexie thought her Dad's name was actually Babe when she was younger!

7. What is his favorite color? If he has to choose...red.

8. What is his favorite animal? Orcas

9. What is his favorite food? Currently he is addicted to the Christmas tree snack cakes. The white ones, not the chocolate. Apparently the sprinkles are different and it DOES make a difference. Some of his other "must-haves" are Pepsi, white popcorn, and he loves my tacos.

10. What is his favorite sport? Definitely baseball. HUGE White Sox fan. When we started dating, I didn't get a choice on whether I had a favorite team or not. I was inducted in by association.

11. When and where did you first kiss? August 12, 2005. It was at the end of our first date in the Barnes & Noble parking lot (I left my car there). I was telling him bye and certain he wasn't going to kiss me goodnight, he leaned in 90% of the way and just waited, so I was forced to kiss him! Still haven't forgot that first kiss!

12. Favorite thing to do as a couple? Watching movies. We love going to the movies together, its our thing.

13. Do you have any children? Our little darling Shaelana

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He makes the best meatloaf!

15. How old is he? 25, for a little bit longer anyway.

16. Who said 'I love you' first? He did! I was a little mad at him that night for not meeting my family and I to go out for family evening. He said he didn't feel good and he ended up out with his friends (grr!) I went and met them afterward and by the funny way he was acting, I figured he was going to break up with me. Turns out he was just nervous and he said "I love you"! Surprised the crap out of me!

17. What is his favorite music? Country for sure. He loves alot of different genres but prefers country most often now.

19. Do you think he will read this? I am certain. He doesn't post on our blog (not yet anyway), but he lurks!

Okay. I tag Hope, Danielle, and Beth! And any husbands on here who want to reverse the tag and make it about your wife you adore!

Our little dolly

2008-12-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited! We had Shaelana's pictures taken for the holidays, in honor of her very first Christmas and I simply had to show her off. Her matching headband was made by yours truly...a project I have never tackled until now, but I'm thinking of making more to match all her clothes that don't have headbands now that I completed this one! Here she is...our very own little doll.

Wonderful Holiday

2008-12-01T21:20:00.001-08:00

Well I am finally feeling more up to par since the surgery and can take some time out to post a few pictures from our Thanksgiving. We truly had a wonderful day. We spent half with Brandon's family and half with mine which in the past has always been stressful trying to split ourself equally between 2 mothers who don't like to share us, but this year it was so much more peaceful! It was Shaelana's first Thanksgiving and she thoroughly enjoyed the turkey and all the trimmings at both meals. We had family come in on both sides from out of town which was a treasure in itself, not to mention the beautiful wintery weather that stuck around! We were so happy to have a chill in the air that day!

I can't begin to list the many things that I am thankful for, but at the top of my list are:

My comforting husband, Brandon, who has taken care of me and Shaelana so wonderfully since my surgery and been loving and doting when we emotional girls needed him. He is such a wonderful man and in him I have found what being in love is. He is my best friend and the love of my life!

My gorgeous daughter, Shaelana, who brings laughter, love, and joy just with her presence. She teaches me daily and I am mystified at how we ever lived without her. She astonishes us at how rapidly she learns things and how much she is growing and developing her very own little vivacious personality. How she contains it all in her tiny body amazes me!

My wonderful family who still expresses the same never failing love that they have my whole life, and who make it a fun event on just an ordinary day by their company.

And last, but certainly not least, my heavenly father who I know has never let me go or left my side through all of my struggles and experiences and who has blessed me with an abundance of things to be thankful for. He has given me strength and comforted me in times that I wouldn't have known how to keep going and His promise of my eternal life a priceless gift.

I am so truly grateful for the life that I have!

The three of us on Shaelana's first Thanksgiving.

Shaelana playing with her Great Aunt Jewel and second cousins Dakota and Paige

Shaelana and Papa Chuck enjoying the crisp winter air.

I love this face! Shaelana decided to use Papa Chuck as a jungle gym while playing in the floor with her Grandma Ruth

Papa Jim enjoying Shaelana's feistyness on Thanksgiving

Shaelana playing car-car with her Great Granny. Cars are her latest obsession and she is especially thrilled pushing the monster truck around!

Also, a couple of weeks ago, my family and I went to a classic car show here in Tucson and I HAD to post these pictures of my little diva in the making!!!

She's a movie star!

Enjoying her very first snocone! She had a rainbow one and refused to lick any ice but the cherry flavor! Boy was she ever feisty when it was time to throw it away!

Medicated Blogging

2008-11-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

Well. today I finally did it. I had surgery at 7:30 this morning to have a cholesystectomy....otherwise known as a galbladder removal. It went incredibly well and while I was very nervous about the possibility of leaving my baby girl and new husband behind my fears were calmed when I went in today. I told my anesthesiologist not to kill me and he looked at me with total shock! It was funny. I am now home and extremely sore with 4 slices in my tummy that aren't so pretty. I actually have pictures, but I will spare you all of the gore! As you can tell...I am in good spirits and that is thanks to the many doses of vicodin I have consumed to help ease the pain. I won't neglect to mention that it is also because of my wonderful husband who has stood my side without fail from the moment that I awoke this morning. He has catered to my every need and cared for our daughter in the midst of it all. Our parent's have played a big part in helping us out through this as well! I am so blessed! The surgeon was very surprised at how bad my galbladder actually was and she is confident that once I heal I will feel MUCH better than before! YAY!!!

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all find many things to be thankful for and have a safe and wonderful holiday.

Sick Day

2008-11-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

My poor precious babies!!! The cold season has officially set in around our home and for some reason I have had immunity to it so far (knock on wood). My two loves however are dealing with the worst of it and take my word for it when I say that when Shaelana started getting it, the whole household lost any hope for sleep last night. The three of us were up all night long and she was screaming and crying, and her Daddy and I were on the verge of tears ourself! Having a sick baby is the saddest thing! If only they could tell us what hurts or what they need in words. She wanted to be walked and bounced, which is something we have never been in the habit of doing, and Brandon was a total trooper and catered to her until it was bath time this morning. No one really rested at all.

So, I was checking my email and the two of them were cuddled up on the couch when I left the room. Here is what I returned to...

My sweet babies!

Soooo tired.

They still have no idea I was even back in the room. If only I could take it away. My prayers are for speedy recoveries and no hospital visits!!!

Catching Up!

2008-11-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so some of you know that I have been gone on vacation and just returned. What started out to be a 4 day trip, turned into 2 weeks, so I am way behind on blogging! Shaelana and I flew out to Mississippi and spent time with family there, then drove to Oklahoma and accompanied my grandmother back to Arizona. It was a fun trip, but we did miss daddy terribly and are happy to be home!

Shaelana attacking her great-cousin Garretth and LOVING it!

My Aunt's neighborhood in Mississippi...I'm in love with all of the GREEN!

My little dolly

Shaelana dancing with her Great Auntie Tanette

Shaelana and her Great Granny playing on the counter

I love this picture!

Having fun walking

My pretty cousin Splaressa

Garretth and I on our way to Oklahoma

Entertaining ourself

Having fun at his big sisters expense while she is sleeping

Going in for the kill

Attacking her great-cousin

Okay, these next two deserve explanation! I laughed so hard! I was actually sitting on this stool and pre-occupied. I hear Shaelana whining and realize that it is coming from beneath me! I still don't know how she managed to worm her way into a standing position, but when I saw her I died laughing!!! Ofcourse, I had to take pictures before coming to her rescue!!! KIDS ARE THE FUNNIEST FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT BY MILES!!!

Completely trapped! Makeshift playpen while traveling?! LOL!

HELP MOM! Put down the camera and get me out of here!!!

Before Leaving for Mississippi, Brandon, Shaelana and I, along with Brandon's parents and cousin Paige went to Trail Dust. It is a little western town here in Tucson that is really cute. We ate dinner at the steak house, shopped in all the little darling shops, had hot cocoa on a train ride, and enjoyed an interactive show put on by actors in the town. There were plenty of effects including gun fights, explosives and ghosts in honor of halloween. It was loud and entertaining, and Shaelana really loved it! We had a great time and enjoyed it very much!

Entering Trail Dust

NOTE THE SIGN!!! We found that especially funny!

Paige outside of the country store

My husband the miner

Fun with explosives?!

A little western girl

She didn't eat all her veggies at dinner!

My precious baby enjoying herself

Palm readings and fortunes told here!

Finally, we celebrated Shaelana's first Halloween! She was a darling little sunflower, I dressed up as a witch (fitting?!) and her Daddy was a hillbilly. Too funny! We joined my siblings and niece and nephews for trick or treating, all dressed up and got way too much candy! Tiger, Papa, and Granny joined us for the fun as well. Tiger being my mom...yes, that is her "grandparent" label. She is not a grandma, nana, mamaw, etc...she is a Tiger! She loves it, and it certainly fits. She spells it Tyegrrr! I love it, and the kids do to. Her favorite thing to say is "everyone has a grandma, but not everyone has a Tyegrrr!" The best pictures from this night are on her camera, including the whole family shot, but here a few to show you how darling Shaelana looked! She ofcourse stole the show! We had alot of fun, but I think the adults had the most fun with the costumes! We are still just a bunch of kids at heart I suppose.

Shaelana and I slightly hyped up on candy!

All the Mommies and the babies.

Raderika was a sexy devil and her boys, Kyzek and Zairek, were a scarecrow and a skeleton. Jessica was a Rockstar and Zareonna was Scooby Doo. I am the witch and Shaelana is the Sunflower.

No, that isn't dirt on her face...just a hard earned tootsie roll!

Raderika and I in all of our get-up!

My love

2008-10-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

There is a saying that claims "Absense makes the heart grow fonder." and in the past week I have felt the impact of that statement. I am currently writing this blog from the quaint town of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Nearly one week ago, Shaelana and I flew from Tucson, Arizona to Memphis, Tennessee and then stayed in Olive Branch, Mississippi for a few days before driving here to Shawnee. We are on this adventure to help my grandmother out as she makes her way to Arizona by lending her our company! While this has been an incredible vacation and a wonderful opportunity to see and spend time with my grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousins whom I haven't seen in a very long time, it has also been a time away from my darling husband, Brandon. This is the first time since we have been married that we have ever been apart and it is also Shaelana's first time away from her Daddy. I must say that she has been excellent and in very good spirits all things considered, and she was a gem on the airplane!!! However, as each day passes, I am increasingly missing the man who makes me whole. I just wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge that, and the fact that I am so in love with him! While absense may make the heart grow fonder, I am certain that I didn't need this to prove that I would miss him. All the while, I am grateful that he has been such a supportive, understanding, and faithful husband and father to us. I am so lucky to have him and the love that we share!

Brandon, thank you for making this opportunity happen for us, and even more, thank you for loving me and being the man that you are! I love you endlessly!

How forever feels...

New Tag!

2008-10-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Amber tagged me,SO you go to your pictures go to your sixth folder and choose the sixth picture and post it! This is a picture of me a couple of years ago while I was living in California. It reminds me of some really great times I had there while living the ultimate bachelorette lifestyle! Now it's your turn! I tag Deanne, Danielle, Ashley, and Jennifer!

National Museum Day

2008-09-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister in-law, Danielle for informing me of National Museum Day on Saturday, September 27 - we had a surprisingly great time at the Arizona Historical Museum...and for free! The museum was deceptively larger than it first appeared and had some really great history exhibits and artifacts of the state. We spent about 3 hours learning and playing in the museum and took some fun pictures while we were there. Alot are self explanatory, and some were taken in the "hands on areas" and then there were a few where we risked it and took some in the "do not touch" areas too! We were very careful though and left things unharmed! =) You may also notice that my darling little Shaelana has started a new thing...she points at everything! Even in the pictures from the zoo, you can catch her with that one dear little finger pointing! You'll see!

All in all it was a great day out, leaving us feeling more informed of our state at the end of the day! Thanks again Danielle!!!

Family Day

2008-09-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday Brandon and I had a wonderful family outing. Both of our girls, Lexie and Shaelana, along with Brandon's parents, Ruth and Chuck, accompanied us to the Reid Park Zoo here in Tucson. We explored the animals, enjoyed treats, detested the scorching heat, and encountered an angry and threatening bird among the aviary (seriously - he was psychotic and in complete attack mode!) Later, we went out to eat at a local 50's diner, Little Anthony's, where we enjoyed fabulous burgers and shakes, and a fun family atmosphere. It was a great day and we loved having our family together!

Lexie and Shaelana at the entrance

Lexie, Brandon and Shaelana visiting the giraffes

Our little family

The girl's cooling off in the water play area

Lexie sharing a Dip N Dot's treat with Daddy and Shaelana

Posing for a picture

Papa Chuck and the girls

My gorgeous husband at the diner

Lexie and I sharing a chocolate malt

Shaelana THOROUGHLY enjoying part of a corn dog!

What are you looking at Mom?

Mmmm Mmmm good!

Grandma Ruth and Lexie coloring together

Lovers bliss = Lovers kiss

All tuckered out after a long day...

Season for Change

2008-09-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been

dreaming of this:

surrounded by this:

and eating way too much of this:

For atleast one day, I will be seeing alot of this:

But it should be all worth it because when it's over I will be surrounded by this:

That's right guys...we are moving! Brandon and I have finally made the decision to do what we have talked about doing for over 2 years now and that is to move out of the state of Arizona and to a much colder climate. We ruled out moving anywhere extremely far away because our family's live here and we don't want to feel as if we are completely out of reach, so we have chosen Colorado. We are leaning towards the Boulder area or possibly Colorado Springs. We have a few weeks to finalize our decision, but come October - it's Colorado or bust!

I am so extremely excited for this change! We have wanted to make the move for so long and found so many reasons to keep us from going before. We finally decided to just seize the moment and live out our dreams while we are still alive and young enough to do it!

Messy Messy Messy!

2008-08-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

K, I was warned that this blogging thing could become addicting. So far I am still in denial! =)

This is slightly out of order time wise, but it's just way too cute not to post. Again, I am a first time mom, and back me up here ladies...who doesn't get enough of talking about their kids?!

About a month and half ago, we decided that Shaelana was mature enough to try her first Gerber biter biscuit. I told you...the girl eats everything! Well, we set her up in her bouncy and let her have at it. After a good 30 minutes of sucking, nawing and devouring the last of this poor cookie, this is the aftermath....

She literally had it from her nose to her knees!!! What a face that makes the mess all worth it though!

Proud Moments

2008-08-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

My precious daughter is so amazing! She is growing so rapidly and I try to hold on to every moment I can. Last night, on her own, she started doing "patty cake"! I was so excited, she stayed up almost an hour past bed time so we could keep playing patty cake!

Then this afternoon, the greatest thing happened. Shaelana finally said "Momma"! I was literally jumping up and down! She found this funny ofcourse, and when she said it again, I became even more ecstatic. I called her Daddy and my own Mom to tell them the fantastic news of my daughters accomplishments! I LOVE being a Mommy!

Proud Mommy Comments

Ahhh Memories

2008-08-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

This looks like fun, thanks Hope for the idea!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2.Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Here we are!

2008-08-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well, this is our first official post on our first family blog! Let's see how well I keep up with this stuff!

Here's the gist for those of you who I have lost contact with for a significant amount of time....

Brandon and were married on November 16, 2007. We have a beautiful daughter, Shaelana Tyrae, who just turned 7 months old and is steadily captivating our hearts. Brandon has a 5 year old daughter from a previous relationship, Lexie Justine, who is about to start kindergarten in 2 weeks.

The four of us live in Tucson, Arizona. Not our dream home town, but right now we are creating memories and enjoying being near our families just the same.

We love our kids, love the Lord, and love our family's!

Right now, Brandon is going through a custody issue over Lexie, but we are nearing the finish line to this very long, treacherous journey. Last night, we were both able to speak to Lexie on the phone!!! It has been 3 months since we have been able to talk to her, and we haven't seen her in 8 months so this was HUGE! Her Daddy said her prayers with her on the phone (completely precious!) and she also talked to her baby sister who she has yet to meet.

Shaelana, my pride and daily joy, is growing way too fast! She has 2 teeth already, is talking a little(a social girl just like her Momma!) she rolls over, sits up, and crawls backward and side ways...weird I know. She can wave "hi" and "bye-bye" and she gets around beautifully in her walker. She loves to eat everything, sings when she is tired, and giggles when she gets to lay down in Mommy and Daddy's bed. She's our little miracle baby, in so many ways!

I love my life and like the headline says..."I'm counting my blessings!"