Missing my Nora

This year is definetely turning out nothing like the happy picture I had planned. I have been forced to deal with so much heart break. I felt so much joy at New Year and anticipation for what this year would bring. Now with every tear, I just keep clinging closer to Jesus and feel stuck in the big, beautiful blue ocean with him as my life jacket. Getting outfits ready for family pictures this weekend and going through Charlie's outgrown clothes to get rid of just all feel wrong. There is such a void. Missing my little Nora, my baby girl today.

Decluttering!!

Every year as October nears I feel the overwhelming need to declutter. Holidays and the kids birthdays in coming months means new things coming in from our wonderful families and the kids little friends. Today is my starting day. I have been busy making lists and will be listing things throughout the week to help with the many hospital, doctor and life bills we have going on, next Sunday will be doing a big eBay listing of anything worthy of being put on there like my purses etc. So many things, bills included are just out of our control right now, clutter and cleaning are two things I can rock. The whole family is excited to take part and us just really knock this clutter and debt out.

Dear Murphy, Your Not Welcome

I haven't been on since March because it has been one slamming roller coaster after another.

Something dramatic happened and I was not okay for a long time. Getting better everyday, better than before but things take time.

Then end of April I started feeling pregnancy symptoms. Went in May for an ultrasound and I was in fact pregnant :) Super joyous moment for our family. We were excited but nothing compared to how happy our kids were. It was at an unreal and incredibly adorable level. ;)

August 8th our sweet 6yr old Pomeranian, Holly, got out and was taken by a stranger in our front yard. We have exhausted all ways of finding here even knocking on several blocks worth of doors asking if people had seen her. All the vet offices and shelters said it would be extremely rare for us to end up finding her with them and that whoever took her was likely keeping her. She was by far the most amazing dog I have ever owned in my life.

August 21st I had a miscarriage of our precious Nora Elizabeth at 19wks, 6days and 2227 hours. Yes we were counting down all day to the 20week mark. Very rapidly things changed. My health is getting better everyday and we have some measure of peace that nothing genetic or anything I did caused the miscarriage. They believe she passed away sometime that day because I felt her move in the morning. I'm not really up to talking about it. Maybe in the future but not now. What happened was completely out of our hands and doctors all have said even if we had made it to the hospital in time there would have been nothing they could do because she was just too small. Our sweet girl was so heavily prayed for and I'm thankful that we were blessed with her no matter how short her stay. She is our beautiful guardian angel in the sky.

Yesterday, my husband fell off a ladder into a sharp chair corner and hurt himself badly.

This year is shaping up to just be one tough situation after another. Murphy, you have your eviction notice! ;)

A cold March in Memphis

This week we have been blessed with a beautiful snow and lots of ice after having a weekend of tank tops and flip flops. :) My poor flowers! Our soldier is keeping guard over them.

My kids were so excited to have snow for dessert.

We had a mini snowball fight :)

End the little storm with yummy comfort food!

How is the weather where you are? I know some people up North are sick of the snow but we truly welcomed it. I've been over the ice rain!

Barnes and Noble Kids Club

I signed the kids up for the Barnes and Noble kids club last fall and we love it! You get a discount on kids books and on your child's birthday they get a coupon sent to your email for a free cheesecake factory cupcake or cookie.



My kids always choose the cupcake with all that yummy frosting is it really a surprise?



Every year we buy the kids a classic book and a forever gift. This year for Charlie's birthday she chose Black Beauty. Perfect for our little horse addict. :)

Thank you Barnes and Noble for making her birthday week a bit more special!

Baby turns 4!

So baby may not be much of a baby anymore but she will always be my little baby! My girl celebrated her 4th birthday surrounded by famil (inlaws and two of her Aunties came in town) and a gaggle of friends.

Please come in and be our guest! I set to decorating before inlaws came at 11pm but after kids were done. We love decorating and surprising them in the morning!

Dining room

Our presents wrapped up for the birthday girl

The table set up the night before

Our yummy treats for the kids

Entry table with noise makers, chocolates for the I laws and individual cup cakes for each little visitor to take home. I hate crap bags, you know the ones filled with junk toys and bad $1 store candy. I think this made for a great alternative. Treat boxes are from Hobby Lobby

We all had so much fun and we just kept it her little friends and what family traveled down. Very low key. We end the night with Popeye's and even more cupcakes!

At the end of night my hew 4yr old was ready for bed and fell a sleeping looking at a new book from our neighbor :) May you never grow old my sweet bug!

Favorite Friday

I can't remember a Friday past 16 that I didn't paint my nails....

Love that my daughter is taking part in my Friday tradition :)